"WELL COME TO MY WEBSITE"

WE SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER AS A HUMAN,

2010-02-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

"ALLAH WILL NEVER CHANGE LIFE OF PEOPLE UNTILL THEY CHANGE BY THEMSELVES"

2010-01-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

SAHD AURANGZABE KHAN

2009-08-29T20:21:00.001-07:00

2009-03-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

"THE COSTITUTION ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PSKISTAN"

Pakistan's Legislative History
Women's Protection Bill

Quaid-e-Azam M.A.Jinnah's address to the Constituent Assembly -August 11, 1947

Recently added:

December 25, 2007	Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) - up-to-date with all amendments. Last amending law: Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006.
December 15, 2007	Revocation of Proclamation of Emergency Order, 2007 issued revoking the Proclamation of Emergency and Provisional Constitution Order issued on November 3rd, 2007 and restoring the Constitution.
December 14, 2007	Islamabad High Court (Establishment) Order, 2007
December 14, 2007	Constitution (Second Amendment) Order, 2007 issued. Note: The text of the Constitution presented here does not incorporate these amendments yet.
November 21, 2007	Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2007 (dated November 3, 2007)
November 21, 2007	Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007 issued to indemnify the Proclamation of Emergency issued on November 3, 2007 and actions taken thereunder and also to establish a High Court in Islamabad. Note: The text of the Constitution presented here does not incorporate these amendments yet.
November 15, 2007	Provisional Constitution (Amendment) Order, 2007 issued. Amends Provisional Constitution Order, 2007.
November 5, 2007	On November 3, 2007, General Pervez Musharraf issued a Proclamation of Emergency and a Provisional Constitution Order. The Constitution is "in abeyance".
October 5, 2007	National Reconciliation Ordinance, 2007
July 20, 2007	The thirteen-member bench of the Supreme Court has set aside the Presidential reference against the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and declared invalid the presidential action sending the Chief Justice on forced leave. The Chief Justice has been reinstated in office. Text of Short Order
June 25, 2007	Timeline and documents related to the Presidential Reference against the Chief Justice.
June 24, 2007	President to Hold Another Office Act, 2004. - allows President Musharraf to continue to hold the office of Chief of Army Staff in his current term as President.

Text of the Constitution of Pakistan

Preamble
Part I: Introductory [Articles 1-6]
Part II: Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy [Articles 7-40]

Chapter 1: Fundamental Rights [Articles 8-28]
Chapter 2: Principles of Policy [Articles 29-40]

Part III: The Federation of Pakistan [Articles 41-100]

Chapter 1: The President [Articles 41-49]
Chapter 2: Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) [Articles 50-89]
Chapter 3: The Federal Government [Articles 90-100]

Part IV: Provinces [Articles 101-140A]

Chapter 1: The Governors [Articles 101-105]
Chapter 2: Provincial Assemblies [Articles 106-128]
Chapter 3: The Provincial Governments [Articles 129-140A]

Part V: Relations between Federation and Provinces [Articles 141-159]

Chapter 1: Distribution of Legislative Powers [Articles 141-144]
Chapter 2: Administrative Relations between the Federation and Provinces [Articles 145-152]
Chapter 3: Special Provisions [Articles 152A-159]

Part VI: Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits [Articles 160-174]

Chapter 1: Finance [Articles 160-165A]
Chapter 2: Borrowing and Audit [Articles 166-171]
Chapter 3: Property, Contracts, Liabilities and Suits [Articles 172-174]

Part VII: The Judicature [Articles 175-212B]

Chapter 1: The Courts [Article 175]
Chapter 2: The Supreme Court of Pakistan [Articles 176-191]
Chapter 3: The High Courts [Articles 192-203]
Chapter 3A: Federal Shariat Court [Articles 203A-203J]
Chapter 4: General Provisions Relating to the Judicature [Articles 204-212B]

Part VIII: Elections [Articles 213-226]

Chapter 1: Chief Election Commissioner and Elections Commissions [Articles 213-221]
Chapter 2: Electoral Laws and Conduct of Elections [Articles 222-226]

Part IX: Islamic Provisions [Articles 227-231]
Part X: Emergency Provisions [Articles 232-237]
Part XI: Amendment of Constitution [Articles 238-239]
Part XII: Miscellaneous [Articles 240-280]

Chapter 1: Services [Articles 240-242]
Chapter 2: Armed Forces [Articles 243-245]
Chapter 3: Tribal Areas [Articles 246-247]
Chapter 4: General [Articles 248-259]
Chapter 5: Interpretation [Articles 260-264]
Chapter 6: Title, Commencement and Repeal [Articles 265-266]
Chapter 7: Transitional [Articles 267-280]

Annex

The Objectives Resolution

Schedules

Amendments

First Amendment (1974)
Second Amendment (1974)
Third Amendment (1975)
Fourth Amendment (1975)
Fifth Amendment (1976)
Sixth Amendment (1976)
Seventh Amendment (1977)
Eighth Amendment (1985) - validates amendments made by Gen. Zia-ul-Haq
Tenth Amendment (1987)
Twelfth Amendment (1991)
Thirteenth Amendment (1997)
Fourteenth Amendment (1997)
Sixteenth Amendment (1999)

Presented in National Assembly on January 7, 1999. [Dawn Report]
Passed by the Senate on June 3, 1999. [Dawn Report] [The News Report]
Passed by the National Assembly on July 27, 1999. [Dawn Report] [The News Report]

Seventeenth Amendment (2003) - parliamentary validation of amendments made by Gen. Pervez Musharraf's Legal Framework Order with certain changes

Passed by National Assembly on December 29, 2003.
Passed by Senate on December 30, 2003.
Received President's assent on December 31, 2003.

Orders Affecting the Constitution [1977-1985]

Follow this link for the Orders issued during the Martial Law regime of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq that affected the Consitution.

Orders Affecting the Constitution [1999-2002]

Follow this link for Orders issued by Gen. Pervez Musharraf that affected the Constitution.

Proposed Amendments

Ninth Amendment (1985) (never passed)
Eleventh Amendment (withdrawn, never passed)
Fifteenth Amendment (1998)

LETTER FROM CONGRESS MAN KEITH ELLISON

2009-03-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

Championing the politics of generosity and inclusion...

Dear Sahd:

Right now, I am working hard on one of the most important pieces of middle class prosperity legislation the Congress will take up this session: The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

This long over-due bill is one of the most important steps Congress can take to rebuild the middle class. The Employee Free Choice Act would strengthen our freedom to choose union representation and give workers more ways to bargain together for health care and fair wages.

But passing the Employee Free Choice Act won’t be easy – powerful corporations have been running ads and lobbying Congress to distort the issue and stop progress for working families. I need your help to counter this deceptive campaign. Please help me fight for justice for working families by contributing now. Click here to Donate!

Why are powerful corporations fighting so hard to stop the Employee Free Choice Act?

Because on average, workers who belong to unions earn 30% more and are much more likely to have health and pension benefits. That’s what’s at stake and that’s why I need your help, today! Make a Contribution of $25, $50 or $100 now!

Since my re-election--with your help and support--in 2008, I have continued to organize and advocate for an agenda for working families. Right now, my campaign is working to expand support for the Employee Free Choice Act: I am running ads supporting the Act and hosting a town hall forum to energize the progressive community behind passing Employee Free Choice.

I need your help now to continue organizing for policies that help working families.

Winning the presidency back in 2008 was just the beginning of moving our country in the right direction. Already we have made progress working with President Obama, his agenda for change, and the new Democratic Congress. Together we have:

o Enacted The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which will jump-start our sluggish economy by putting more than 3.5 million Americans back to work -- including creating 66,000 jobs in Minnesota.
o Announced the closing of the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison.
o Brought healthcare to 11 million more needy kids through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
o Passed the Paycheck Fairness Act,which is another key initiative to close the pay gap between men and women.

America is steadily getting back on track, as we undo years of policies that benefited only big corporations. We cannot let them stop our momentum by defeating The Employee Free Choice Act. Your contribution of $25, $50 or $100 makes all the difference!

I have been able to count on you when I’ve needed you. I’ve never needed you more than today. Please help me at this crucial time. Help me continue the fight to pass The Employee Free Choice Act, and keep President Obama’s promise to change America on track!

Thank you again – Help me today – and we really will all do better!

Sincerely,

KEITH ELLISON

Member of Congress

Contribute Today!

Visit us at www.KeithEllison.org

Paid for by Ellison for Congress

"History of Keith Ellison"

2008-12-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Keith Ellison (politician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the U.S. congressman. For other uses, see Keith Ellison.
Keith Ellison
Keith Ellison (politician)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2007
Preceded by Martin Olav Sabo
Born August 4, 1963 (1963-08-04) (age 45)
Detroit, Michigan
Political party Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Spouse Kim Ellison
Children Amirah Ellison
Jeremiah Ellison
Elijah Ellison
Isaiah Ellison
Residence Minneapolis, Minnesota
Alma mater Wayne State University, University of Minnesota
Occupation attorney
Religion Islam
Website Congressman Keith Ellison

Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician belonging to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. He became the first Muslim[1][2] to be elected to the United States Congress when he won the open seat for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which centers on Minneapolis, in the House of Representatives in 2006. He is also the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota, currently serving in the freshman class of the 110th United States Congress.[3] Ellison is also active on a national level in advocacy for Muslims in the United States.[4][5][6][7]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Life
* 2 Minnesota legislative record
o 2.1 83rd Minnesota Legislative Session
o 2.2 84th Minnesota Legislative Session
* 3 House of Representatives
o 3.1 2006 campaign
o 3.2 2008 campaign
o 3.3 Congressional career
o 3.4 Staff
o 3.5 Committees
+ 3.5.1 Committee Assignments
o 3.6 Positions
o 3.7 Votes with party in 100-Hour Plan
o 3.8 Opposition to increasing troop levels
o 3.9 Iraq War military funding vote
o 3.10 Credit reform
o 3.11 Obama endorsement
o 3.12 Bill to impeach Cheney
o 3.13 Critique of Bush administration policies
o 3.14 Votes for contempt citations
o 3.15 Criticism of China's human rights policies
o 3.16 Travels abroad
+ 3.16.1 Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories
+ 3.16.2 Iraq
+ 3.16.3 Second trip to Israel
* 4 Advocacy for American Muslims
o 4.1 Council on American-Islamic Relations
o 4.2 North American Imams Federation
o 4.3 Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America
o 4.4 MOSES interfaith group
o 4.5 ISNA luncheon speaker
* 5 Promoting US with the State Department
* 6 Controversies
o 6.1 Farrakhan and Nation of Islam ties
o 6.2 CAIR campaign contributions
o 6.3 Campaign finance violations
o 6.4 Nonpayment of fines and taxes
o 6.5 CNN interview with Glenn Beck
o 6.6 Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress
o 6.7 Comments: Reichstag fire and 9/11
o 6.8 Sali remarks
* 7 New York Daily News & SITE Institute
* 8 Trailblazer Award
* 9 Electoral history
o 9.1 2008
o 9.2 2006
* 10 References
* 11 External links
o 11.1 Articles

[edit] Life

Ellison's family has been in America since 1742.[8] Keith Ellison, the third of five sons, was born and raised a Roman Catholic[9] in Detroit, Michigan by his parents Leonard and Clida Ellison, a psychiatrist and a social worker respectively.[2][10] Ellison and three of his siblings became lawyers while the other became a doctor. One of his brothers is also the pastor of the Baptist "Church of the New Covenant" in Detroit.[10] Ellison's youth was influenced by the involvement of his family in the civil rights movement, including the work of his grandfather as a member of the NAACP in Louisiana.[2]

He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in 1981 where he had been active in sports and the student senate.[10][11] At age 19, while attending Wayne State University in Detroit, Ellison converted from Catholicism to Islam.[12][13][14] After graduating with a B.A. in economics in 1987, he married his high school sweetheart[9] and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota Law School. While attending law school, Ellison wrote several articles in support of Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, which caused controversy in his 2006 election campaign (see below). In 1990 he graduated with a degree of Juris Doctor.[15][16]

As of 2006, Ellison and his wife Kim, a high school mathematics teacher,[17] have four children born between 1989 and 1997.[18] They have a daughter, Amirah; and three sons, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah.[17] Kim is not a Muslim, but their four children have been raised in that faith.[19] During Ellison's 2006 campaign, Kim Ellison revealed that she has been living with "moderate" multiple sclerosis for several years.[20]

After law school Ellison worked with the firm of Lindquist & Vennum for three years where he was a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law.[15][18] Ellison then became executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis that specialized in the defense of indigent clients.[18] Upon leaving the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, specializing in trial practice.[21]

In addition to his work for the Legal Rights Center, Ellison has also been regularly involved in community service. He served as the unpaid host of a public affairs talk program at KMOJ radio.[18] He has also often volunteered as a track coach for several organizations, working with youth between the ages of 5 and 18. He said, "It’s a great community-building device because it’s for all ages and all genders. Everyone can find a way to fit in."[18]

[edit] Minnesota legislative record

[edit] 83rd Minnesota Legislative Session

In Nov. 2002, Ellison was elected to his first public office, as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives serving House District 58B. At the time he took his seat, his party was the smallest House minority in Minnesota history.[22] During this session, Ellison was appointed to the Governmental Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy Committee, the Judiciary Policy & Finance Committee, and the Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee. In this session he spearheaded an ethics complaint against Rep. Arlon Lindner concerning remarks about homosexuals in the Holocaust.

[edit] 84th Minnesota Legislative Session

Ellison carried 84% of the votes and was re-elected to the seat for Minnesota’s House District 58B in the 2004 election. He began to serve in the 84th Minnesota Legislative Session (1/4/2005 to 1/2/2007). During the 84th session, Ellison served on the Civil Law & Elections Committee, and the Public Safety Policy & Finance Committee. With his ascent to the national Legislature, Ellison's seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives was filled by Augustine Willie Dominguez, a Latino community activist and fellow member of the DFL.[23]

[edit] House of Representatives
Keith Ellison during the 2006 campaign.

[edit] 2006 campaign

Main article: Minnesota 5th congressional district election, 2006

Ellison's House seat was previously held by Martin Olav Sabo, whose announcement of his intention to retire precipitated Ellison's candidacy. The 5th district is one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota.[23]

In the primary, Ellison faced former state senator Ember Reichgott Junge, Minneapolis city council member Paul Ostrow, and Sabo's chief of staff Mike Erlandson, whom Sabo had endorsed. Ellison won the primary on September 12, 2006, with 41% of the vote.[24]

In the November 2006 election, Ellison faced Republican Alan Fine, the Green Party's Jay Pond, and Tammy Lee of the Independence Party. Ellison won the seat with 56% of the vote.[25][26] Ellison is only the fourth person to represent the district since 1943.

[edit] 2008 campaign

Ellison faced prison chaplain Barb Davis White in the November election. He was overwhelmingly favored for a second term; the 5th is so heavily Democratic (it has been in DFL hands since 1963) that it is very unlikely he will face significant opposition in the foreseeable future.

In the 2008 election cycle, Keith Ellison has received three times as much money from individuals as he has from PACs ($541,079 v. $166,855). Ellison has received twice as much money from out-of-state donors than in-state donors ($223,117 v. $79,819) and received more in contributions from health care industry donors this year than from any other economic sector. Ellison has received slightly more money from labor PACs than business PACs in the 2008 election cycle. Of the 10-member Minnesota delegation, Ellison ranked seventh in the amount of earmarked dollars he secured.[27]

[edit] Congressional career

[edit] Staff

On Dec. 1, 2006, Ellison announced he had hired Kari Moe as his chief of staff. She had previously served in the same position for the late Minnesota U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone.[28] Ellison later announced that Brian Elliott (previously of the Clean Water Action Alliance of Minnesota) would serve as his district director, and Trayshana Thomas (who worked with Ellison in his legal practice and throughout all stages of his political career) was made his district scheduler.[29]

[edit] Committees

Ellison was appointed to the Financial Services Committee. He said he intends to focus on wages and housing for "relief and justice for the middle class".[30] He will be joined on this committee by fellow Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R).[31]

On January 10, 2007, Ellison was appointed to the Judiciary Committee[32] by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). This is a position he "had lobbied for" and he called his appointment "an honor and a privilege".[31] He spoke of his goals for this appointment, "I look forward to pursuing a progressive agenda in the committee, including the restoration of American citizens' civil liberties that have come under increasing attack over the past six years."[31] Other issues he intends to focus on while in this post are "community-oriented policing efforts, immigration, intellectual property rights and privacy concerns including the Internet."[31]

Because of Ellison’s campaign position calling for an investigation for the impeachment of President George W. Bush, his appointment to the Judiciary Committee (which has jurisdiction on these matters) was hailed by those seeking to have the president impeached.[33]

[edit] Committee Assignments

* Financial Services Committee
o Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
o Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
o Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
* Judiciary Committee
o Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law
o Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties

[edit] Positions
Ellison outside the Capitol in June 2007

[edit] Votes with party in 100-Hour Plan

In his first week as a congressman, Ellison voted with the majority of other Democrats to raise the minimum wage, voted for stem cell research, and voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices.[34]

[edit] Opposition to increasing troop levels

Ellison joined fellow Minnesota freshman Democrat Tim Walz in opposing President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq.[35] On January 10, 2007, President Bush announced his plans for the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. The gist of this announcement had been known around the Capitol for over a week, and when the Associated Press asked Ellison for his reaction to the idea on January 8, 2007, he stated that it was “way too late, way too little …So rather than do something small and ineffective, why not get about the business of what we're going to have to do eventually, which is to begin to end the occupation?”[36] Ellison called for an immediate withdrawal in Iraq: "We could describe it as a redeployment or withdrawal, but I think we have run the course in terms of our ability to resolve this conflict militarily. I think we need to have a political and economic and diplomatic engagement, and we need to encourage the forces that are in Iraq to begin to resolve the violence in Iraq.”[36] When asked if he would support Bush’s call for an additional $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ellison said, “I want to see [the request] first, I want to actually look at it, but I'm not inclined to continue to support a war or an occupation that he has no plans to get us out of, and which is so costly in terms of dollars and lives of American soldiers but also Iraqis.”[36] The White House, when asked for a reaction to the comments, referred to a previous statement by press secretary Tony Snow: “Democrats will have to decide where they stand on two issues: ‘No. 1, do you want Iraq to succeed, and, if so, what does that mean? And, No. 2, do you believe in supporting the troops as you say, and how do you express that support?’”[36]

[edit] Iraq War military funding vote

After President Bush vetoed HR 1591 that provided military funding for the Iraq War (because it contained timetables for withdrawal), Ellison and fellow Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum joined with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats in voting "no" to HR 2206 that provided the funding without any timetables. The bill passed the House on a 280 to 142 margin.[37]

[edit] Credit reform

On May 3, 2007, Ellison introduced a bill to outlaw universal default, the practice whereby credit card companies raise interest rates on customers if they are behind on payments to any other creditors. The bill was also supported by House Financial Services Committee chairman Rep. Barney Frank. Ellison, who described the bill as “the beginning of a whole credit reform effort we’re going to be pursuing,” also announced his interest in limiting high interest rates on credit cards and easing the process for those who have a legitimate need to file bankruptcy.[38]

[edit] Obama endorsement

On Feb. 20, 2007, Ellison endorsed the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama saying, “He speaks with a unifying spirit.” He said he supports “Obama's message of an open and fair economy, a balanced prosperity and clear opposition to the war in Iraq.” When asked about Hillary Clinton, he promised he would support whomever won the Democratic nomination, and felt that at that stage of the campaign Obama would “keep her honest”.[39][40]

[edit] Bill to impeach Cheney

Main article: US House Resolution 333

On June 28, 2007, Ellison became a cosponsor with Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Other Democratic representatives sponsoring the bill were William Clay (MO), Janice Schakowsky (IL), Albert Russell Wynn (MD), Yvette Clarke (NY), Hank Johnson (GA), and California's Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey and Maxine Waters. Ellison's spokesperson said the effort was "largely to send a message" and the representative "has no illusions that this is going anywhere and that's fine. We've got more important things to do that affect people's daily lives. He basically signed on out of principle, as an expression of the importance of the rule of law — that nobody is above the law, not even the vice president."[41]

[edit] Critique of Bush administration policies

On July 8, 2007, Ellison gave a speech in Edina, Minnesota, where he denounced President Bush's commutation of Lewis Libby's sentence: "If Libby gets pardoned, then he should not have the cover of the Fifth Amendment. He's going to have to come clean and tell the truth. Now, he could get Gonzales-itis [referring to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales], you know, with 71 lapses of memory within a two-hour period."[42] He also criticized Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives saying, "This is basically the Department of Religious Outreach ... . It's essentially a public-relations outreach arm for the Bush administration to reach out to the far right of the evangelical Christian movement. That's really all it is."[42]

[edit] Votes for contempt citations

On July 25, 2007, Ellison joined fellow Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in voting 22-17 to issue citations of Contempt of Congress to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers for "failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors".[43] When asked about the president's offer to allow them to testify in private and without a transcript, Ellison stated, "That won't do. There's no point of accountability. They have to be sworn. These kind of measures are necessary to ensure that truth-telling occurs."[43] Having passed the Committee the citations moved on to be voted upon by the full House.[43]

[edit] Criticism of China's human rights policies

According to MinnPost.com, "U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has become the first Minnesota elected official to step forward and address the connections between the Summer Olympics and China's foreign policy and domestic human rights policies. The Democratic 5th District congressman issued a remarkably strong statement Friday [March 21, 2008] that broadly criticized the Chinese government for its Tibet policy and for its relationship with Sudan's leaders 'as they commit genocide on the citizens of Darfur.' " [44]

[edit] Travels abroad

[edit] Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories

In late March and early April 2007 Ellison was a member of a congressional delegation on a "fact-finding trip to the Middle East."[45] The group included Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Dave Hobson (R-OH) and was led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The delegation visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall. Ellison called his visit to Islam's third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as "personally moving".[46][47] The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and discussed the peace plan devised by the Saudis in 2002.[46] The delegation also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Pelosi also addressed the Israeli Knesset. The group's visit to Syria was criticized by the Bush administration, which restated its view that the United States should not have diplomatic relations with state sponsors of terrorism.[45] While there the delegation conveyed a message from Olmert to Syrian President Bashar Assad that "Israel is interested in peace if Damascus stops supporting terrorism".[46] In Lebanon the group met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri. They also visited the grave of Rafik Hariri and met with his son Saad Hariri.[48] In Saudi Arabia the group spoke to King Abdullah and his Shura Council.[49] They praised his peace plan and advocated a greater role for women in his nation's political process. Ellison's inclusion in the delegation was praised by council member Abdul-Rahman al-Zamel.[49][48] Ellison called the king a "visionary leader" and that "Even being in the same country where Mecca and Medina are located was personally uplifting for me."[47] Ellison also said he hoped his presence as a Muslim among the delegation conveyed a message to the Israelis and Palestinians that "people can come together. Reconciliation is possible."[45] He also said he was there to learn and did not consider himself qualified to mediate in the conflict.[46]

[edit] Iraq

On July 28 and 29, 2007, Ellison was among an "all-freshman bipartisan congressional delegation" visiting Iraq, arranged by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and led by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA).[50][51] Before the trip Ellison told reporters that he would be stopping over in Germany to visit wounded U.S. soldiers being treated there.[50] He also stated that he respected any politician who visited Iraq, making note of Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (who went February 10-11, 2007, with five other governors[52]).[50] Ellison said, "If this country is going to ask these young people to stand in a war zone, their political leadership should visit them."[50] In Iraq the delegation met with Iraqi and U.S. military officials, including Gen. David Petraeus.[51] The group in flak vests and helmets visited Ramadi in the Anbar province. Ellison noted "we did see people walking around the streets of Ramadi, going back and forth to the market."[51] He also noted that he was impressed that Maj. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. commander in the Anbar province, greeted people with "as-salama aleikum. And they would respond back with smiles and waves. I don't want to overplay it. There were no flowers. There was no clapping. There was no parade. But there was a general level of respect and calm that I thought was good. The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership. So they're not trying to just bomb people into submission. What they're doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives."[51] While in Ramadi, Ellison met "with two sheiks, who oversee several hundred thousand congregants."[51] Ellison told reporters that "They were very upset and concerned that al-Qaeda is misrepresenting Islam. And they were talking to me about what I can possibly do to work with them to give a clearer, more accurate picture of what Islam is all about."[51] Ellison, who assists the State Department's "outreach effort aimed at improving the image of the U.S. in the Muslim world" told them he would help any way he could.[51] Ellison said that local leaders in Ramadi told him of how they "partnered with U.S. and Iraqi military officials to virtually rid al-Qaeda from the city. There have been fewer anti-U.S. sermons as the violence has been reduced and religious leaders meet regularly with U.S. military officials."[51] After the trip, Ellison stated that he was still certain "it was a mistake for the U.S. to invade Iraq. But there are 150,000 American soldiers there now, and I care very deeply about them. I also care about the Iraqi people. I don't want to see them suffer."[51]

[edit] Second trip to Israel

Soon after returning home from his trip to Iraq, Ellison joined with 19 other Congress members (mostly freshmen Democrats) on a week-long trip to Israel sponsored by the America Israel Education Federation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) led the group and personally invited Ellison to join them for a stay from August 12-18, 2007.[53] The group met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Ellison's spokesperson told reporters that the trip was "a natural extension of his visit to Iraq" and that "the Middle East peace issue is important to the diverse communities of his Minneapolis-area district — from the Jewish Community Relations Council to the patrons of the Holy Land Middle Eastern eatery on Lake Street and Central Avenue. He hears about it every time he goes back to his district." The group traveled to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the northern Galilee region, and Ramallah, and viewed the Israeli border with Lebanon.[53]

[edit] Advocacy for American Muslims

With his victory to the United States House of Representatives Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the Federal Government and the highest Muslim elected official in the United States, second to the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad. Ellison joins State Del. Saqib Ali (D-MD), State Senator Larry Shaw (D-NC), State Rep. Saghir "Saggy" Tahir (R-NH) and Congressman André Carson (D-IN) as the known elected Muslim officials in the United States of America as of 2008.[54] Ellison’s election has been seen as inspirational to American Muslims, encouraging civic empowerment through participation in the political process.[55][56] Ellison generally “downplayed the role of religion in his drive for office,”[57] but since his 2006 election he has become active in advocacy for Islamic causes on a national level.

[edit] Council on American-Islamic Relations

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was an ardent supporter of Ellison’s 2006 campaign, a fact that caused some controversy (see below). Two days after the 2006 election, CAIR announced Ellison would be a keynote speaker at their annual banquet in Virginia less than two weeks later.[58] According to a CAIR press release, this would be Ellison's “first major address” post-election.

On November 13, 2006 the Star Tribune reported Ellison said he “would not be the keynote speaker at the annual banquet for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)”. Acknowledging that “His appearance had already been announced by CAIR…Ellison said it [the apparently mistaken announcement] was the result of a ‘natural, normal miscommunication.’”[59] Though Ellison was not able to attend the event in person he sent a videotaped address.[60][61]

[edit] North American Imams Federation

On Nov. 18, 2006 Ellison gave a speech called “Imams and Politics” to the Fourth Annual Body Meeting of the North American Imams Federation.[62] The Federation' materials presented the issues to be outlined in Ellison's speech as follows: "Many Muslims around the United States are involved in political activities at different levels. Recognizing the sensitivity of political issues and the potential for divisiveness within the communities as a result of divergent political views, Imams must be able to provide Muslims with the proper guidance and educate them on the etiquettes of any political involvement within the Islamic context. Questions also arise on whether Imams and Islamic centers should be involved in politics at all and what the extent of this involvement should be, therefore Imams should have the ability to address these concerns. Overall, it is important that Imams are aware and understand the general political climate of their communities and be especially conversant with the issues that affect Muslims."[62] Ellison also took part in "Community Night" with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, and Imam Dr. Omar Shahin. This was “for Imams to meet and interact with community members.”[62] Some of the participants of this meeting became involved in the Flying Imams controversy after being removed from an Arizona bound plane for concerning behavior.[63] Ellison became involved in this controversy shortly after it erupted when he attempted to arrange a meeting between parties including US Airways executives, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, and other legislators and community members.[64]

[edit] Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America

On Dec. 24, 2006 Ellison spoke at a convention held at Dearborn, Michigan for the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America. The convention offered workshops and panels about civil rights, political engagement, and proselytizing. Ellison told the 3,000 in attendance "Muslims, you're up to bat right now... How do you know that you were not brought right here to this place to learn how to make this world better? How do you know that Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala (praised and exalted is He) did not bring you here so that you could understand how to teach people what tolerance was, what justice was? How do you know that you're not here to teach this country?"[65] He spoke about how he and his staff have faced the difficulties brought out by the Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress, "We had faith in Allah. And we patiently endured this adversity. And facing adversity bravely and with patience in the faith in Allah is an Islamic value. That's what it means to be a Muslim." He anticipated more challenges for him and all American Muslims in the future "We're going to continue to face them. They're not going to stop right away. But if you, and me too, stick together, if we believe in Allah, [subhanahu wa ta'ala], if we turn to the Quran for guidance, we'll find an answer to the questions we have. And we will find that we are an asset and a plus not only to our own community, but to this country, and to this whole world."[65] "You can't back down. You can't chicken out. You can't be afraid. You got to have faith in Allah, and you've got to stand up and be a real Muslim.'"[66] He again stated his resolve to use the Quran during his oath ceremony. He told the audience to look for a divine purpose in any hardship they might face "Before you begin to think that some hardship has befallen you, you need to stop and thank Allah. Because this controversy [over the Quran oath] has [benefited America because it]...made people dust off their Constitution and actually read it."[65]

[edit] MOSES interfaith group

On Dec. 27 Ellison spoke at a meeting in Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Detroit for Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES). The meeting was with leaders from the Catholic, Muslim, and Arab-American communities, along with members of the organized labor movement. He told those in attendance that the principles of Islam guide his life, but he has no intention of imposing his faith on others, ""I'm not a religious leader, I've never led religious services of any kind. I'm not here to be a preacher, but in terms of political agenda items, my faith informs me." He addressed the Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress and said that "religion should be something that unites, rather than divide people...'They've never actually tried to explore how religion should connect us, they're into how religion divides us. ...They haven't really explored...how my faith connects me to you.'"[67]

[edit] ISNA luncheon speaker

Ellison was listed as the keynote speaker for the Community Service Recognition Luncheon on September 1, 2007 during the Islamic Society of North America 2007 annual convention.[68][69]

The video of his speech can be seen here: [1]

[edit] Promoting US with the State Department

Two months after taking office Ellison met "with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other top State Department officials to talk about showcasing his story as part of their public diplomacy efforts in the Muslim world."[70] According to the Star Tribune, Ellison was "profiled three times by the State Department’s overseas press bureau." He also "did a Voice of America interview from his office, where an American flag was placed conspicuously behind his desk for the cameras."[70] In the interview which was set to play in the Middle East and South Asia, Ellison stressed global inclusiveness and quoted verse 49:13 of the Qur’an "Oh humanity, we created you from a single pair…"[70] Ellison also accepted the Bush administrations request to be part of a "teleconference with Karen Hughes, the State Department's undersecretary for public diplomacy. The White House has asked that the teleconference promote American values and confront ideological support for terrorism around the world."[70] The Voice of America’s Faiz Rehman, ("a Pakistani native and senior political producer"[70]) applauded Ellison's cooperation saying "He is the most famous freshman congressman in the world."[70] It was noted that after he took his oath of office he was surrounded by the foreign press, intrigued in part by the oath controversy, who "had to be ushered out of his office after he took his oath to make room for home-state news crews."[70] Ellison has been "featured in a series of articles written for foreign dissemination by the Department's Bureau of International Information Programs."[70] Including an article that was translated into Persian and Arabic that "highlighted the diversity of his constituents in Minnesota, ranging from Swedes and Norwegians to 'the largest Somali immigrant community in America.'"[70] In his work in cooperation with the state department, Ellison stresses the religious freedom available in the US, saying things like "Religious tolerance has a much longer pedigree in America than some of the intolerance we've seen lately."[70] Even in his work with the State Department he remained critical of President Bush's Iraq policy saying "he wants people around the world to know that 'there are many Americans who want to relate to the rest of the world in terms of cooperation, not military domination.'"[70] Ellison staffers told reporters that "the State Department has shown no signs of squeamishness about publicizing his criticism of the war."[70] When asked about working with elements of the Bush administration Ellison said "Hey, my country first. We can work out our political differences later. I've said I'm willing to do whatever I can to make some friends for America."[70]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Farrakhan and Nation of Islam ties

While a law student in 1989 and 1990, Ellison wrote several columns as Keith E. Hakim in the student newspaper, the Minnesota Daily. "The first article defended Louis Farrakhan against accusations of antisemitism."[71], defended Nation of Islam spokesman Khalid Abdul Muhammad, and spoke in the voice of a Nation of Islam advocate."[72] The second column "called affirmative action a 'sneaky' form of compensation for slavery, suggesting instead that white Americans pay reparations to blacks."[71] The third suggested the creation of a separate state for black residents.[73][74]

In 1995, Ellison, writing an editorial as Keith X. Ellison, stated that Farrakhan is not an anti-Semite.[75][76] The same year, Ellison was identified as a member of the Nation of Islam in the Star Tribune.[77]

In 1997, when Joanne Jackson, executive director of the Minneapolis Initiative Against Racism (MIAR), allegedly said that, "Jews are among the most racist white people", Ellison, using his religious name Mohammed, read a statement supporting her on behalf of the The Minneapolis-St. Paul Study Group of the Nations of Islam: "[We] stand by Ms. Jackson. We stand by the truth contained in the remarks attributed to her, and by her right to express her view without sanction. Here is why we support Ms. Jackson: She is correct about Minister Farrakhan. He is not a racist. He is also not an anti-Semite. This widespread and unfair practice of whites sanctioning blacks for not denouncing Minister Farrakhan represents a racist double standard, and is an impediment to any honest dialogue about race. If black people are to ever possess a collective sense of self-respect and self-determination, they must not genuflect whenever powerful whites make the unreasonable demand to denounce Minister Farrakhan. Minister Farrakhan said he did not like the tension between the black and Jewish communities, and that he was open to dialogue with any groups as long as they did not set any conditions."[78][79][72] Ellison later claimed "While some at that meeting justified her comments, I spoke out in favor of increased dialogue between the Jewish and African-American communities."[80][81]

In 1998, during his Minnesota State Legislature House campaign, as Keith Ellison-Muhammad he said he had an affiliation with the Nation of Islam, but "rejected anti-Jewish attitudes".[82][83]

Questions about Ellison's involvement with the Nation of Islam arose during his 2006 campaign. After winning the Democratic party nomination in May, he wrote a letter to the local Jewish Community Relations Council where he reportedly "asserted that his involvement with the Nation of Islam had been limited to an 18-month period around the time of the Million Man March in 1995, that he had been unfamiliar with the Nation of Islam's anti-Semitic views during his involvement with the group, and that he himself had never expressed such views."[72][84] He also stated that he was never a member of the Nation of Islam, but only worked with it to organize the Minnesota contingent to the Million Man March.[71][72]

In Ellison's letter, he denounced the Nation of Islam and Farrakhan, writing "I wrongly dismissed concerns that they [Farrakhan's remarks] were anti-Semitic. They were and are anti-Semitic and I should have come to that conclusion earlier than I did."[85] He explained his previous views, saying that he, "did not adequately scrutinize the positions and statements of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and Khalid Muhammed."[80] He also stated that "any kind of discrimination and hate are wrong. This has always been my position"

Despite his work with the Nation of Islam, Ellison was backed by the publisher of The American Jewish World, a local Twin Cites newspaper.[2][86]

[edit] CAIR campaign contributions

During the 2006 election Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), flew to Minneapolis. Along with James Yee (the former Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay), Awad spoke at an August 25th fundraiser for Ellison.[71][87] According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Ellison accepted thousands of dollars from Nihad Awad and another leader of CAIR, “Awad donated $2,000 to Ellison's campaign in July, and at least one other CAIR employee gave $1,000. The donations are listed on Ellison's campaign finance reports, and he said he has nothing to hide.”[88] Ellison stressed he was supported by individuals within CAIR but had not been endorsed by the organization itself, “…Nor am I endorsed by CAIR. Certain individuals have donated to my campaign”.[89] His Republican opponent in the race, Alan Fine, criticized Ellison for accepting these contributions. Fine said that CAIR was "a group that Democrats say has deep ties to terrorism".[90] The Fine campaign quoted Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) alleging CAIR's "ties to terrorism" and "its association with groups that are suspect." Many conservatives and Jewish groups claim CAIR is rooted in the Hamas movement and that its leaders also secretly support Hezbollah in Lebanon. Fine went so far as to say "CAIR is to Muslims as the Ku Klux Klan is to Christians."[91] During the 2006 election Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee also accused CAIR of having secret ties to Hamas.[92] CAIR director Nihad Awad has known Ellison since they both attended the University of Minnesota,[10] “Ellison has called founder Nihad Awad an acquaintance”.[91]

In response to Ellison's opponents, CAIR leaders Parvez Ahmed and Nihad Awad wrote "We are proud of our personal donations to Ellison's campaign" and derided any 'guilt by association' arguments.[93] During this time the "Not in the Name of Islam" paid advertisement began appearing on Minnesota television channels for the first time, with Communications Director of CAIR-Florida Ahmed Bedier coordinating the ad campaign.

During October 2006, Ellison traveled to Florida on a fundraising tour that "included a party hosted by Altaf Ali, CAIR's state director there".[92][94] The party had a suggested donation of $100.[95] Since winning the 2006 election, Ellison and CAIR have continued their association.(see above)

[edit] Campaign finance violations

Campaign finance has also been an issue for Ellison. In early 2006, the Minnesota State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board reprimanded Ellison for unreported contributions, discrepancies in cash balances, and misclassified disbursements. These transgressions occurred in the years 2002–2004. In 2005 when the board tried to get more information about the problems in Ellison's reports, they got no response from Ellison or his treasurer (his wife Kim). When the board heard nothing, they opened the investigation. Ellison was subpoenaed and fined.[96][97] The board has also fined Ellison numerous times for late filings][98] been sued twice by the attorney general, and has been warned many times for absent or incomplete disclosure.[84][71][99][100]

[edit] Nonpayment of fines and taxes

Ellison's license to drive an automobile has been suspended multiple times for failure to pay tickets and fines. When asked in 2006 how many times his license has been suspended, he said, "I don't know how many prior suspensions I've had; I don't keep count."[84]

Ellison also failed to pay all or part of his income taxes in five separate years between 1992 and 2000, forcing the state and Internal Revenue Service to put liens on his home. He later paid in excess of $18,000.[101][2]

[edit] CNN interview with Glenn Beck

On November 14, 2006, Glenn Beck of CNN Headline News[102] asked Ellison to, "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies," saying, "And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Ellison replied that his constituents, "know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who's more patriotic than I am, and so you know, I don't need to — need to prove my patriotic stripes."

When asked by Beck about his opinion on “Muslim extremists” Ellison replied, “They're criminals. But I think that people who commit criminal acts should be treated like criminals, regardless of their faith.”[102] Ellison has also said, "Osama bin Laden no more represents Islam than Timothy McVeigh represented Christianity."[103] (McVeigh had links to the Christian Identity commune in Elohim City, Oklahoma.[104])

Asked about the incident later, Ellison dismissed it, "It's just shock TV. Some pundits think they have to ask the most outrageous questions."[105] On January 2, 2007, Beck said on his radio program that Ellison did not take offense at the comments and the two had a friendly chat off the air. On January 9, 2007, at the Television Critics Association's semiannual press tour, Beck spoke with contrition about asking Ellison to “prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.” He said it was "Quite possibly the poorest-worded question of all time. That might come from my lack of intelligence."[106]

[edit] Quran Oath Controversy of the 110th United States Congress

Main article: Qur'an oath controversy of the 110th United States Congress

Because Ellison stated an intent to use the Quran instead of a Bible at his photo-op reenactment of the swearing in ceremony (the official ceremony is done en masse without any books), Conservative columnist Dennis Prager wrote a column criticizing him.[107] This drew responses from organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), The American Family Association, and The Anti-Defamation League.

Fifth-term Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), responding to "scores and hundreds of emails"[108] from his constituents after the Prager articles, has also stated his view that Ellison's decision to use the Quran is a threat to "the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America".[109] He also wrote, "...if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran."

CNN reported that on the January 4, 2007 (the opening day of Congress), Ellison met Goode on the House floor to shake hands and Goode accepted an offer to talk over coffee.[110]

That same day during his oath reenactment Ellison used a two volume Quran published in London in 1764 that was once owned by Thomas Jefferson[111] and loaned to Ellison by "the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress".[112] According to Ellison, "It demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the Quran."[113] Historian Kevin J. Hayes in his book How Thomas Jefferson Read the Qur’an explains that Jefferson purchased the book in 1765 while studying for the bar exam to become a lawyer (when he began questioning British Common Law after the Stamp Act Crisis).[114]

[edit] Comments: Reichstag fire and 9/11

On July 8, 2007 Ellison discussed the power of the executive branch in the US currently in a speech before the organization Atheists for Human Rights. He stated that Cheney asserts it is "beneath his dignity in order for him to answer any questions from the citizens of the United States. That is the very definition of totalitarianism, authoritarianism and dictatorship."[115] He went on to say, "It's almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country [Hitler] in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted. The fact is that I'm not saying [Sept. 11] was a [U.S.] plan, or anything like that because, you know, that's how they put you in the nut-ball box -- dismiss you."[115]

Fox News picked up the story[116] and their commentator John Gibson categorized Ellison's comments as accusing "Bush of planning and executing the 9/11 attacks".[117] In the Congress Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) wrote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding she "swiftly and immediately" reprimand Ellison for his remarks.[118] The letter said "Even if Ellison asserts that he was not implying that 9/11 was orchestrated by the administration, the comparison he draws between Hitler and the president of United States is disgraceful. These comments inflame hatred and division at a time when we should be promoting our unity and reconciliation."[119][118] The Anti-Defamation League also stated "Whatever his views may be on the administration's response to 9/11 and the conduct of the war on terrorism, likening it to Hitler's rise to power and Nazism is odious and demeans the victims of 9/11 and the brave American men and women engaged in the war on terror. Furthermore, it demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the horrors that Hitler and his Nazi regime perpetrated."[118]

When later questioned about his comments, Ellison told a reporter that Osama bin Laden, and not the Bush administration, was responsible for the attacks.[120] Ellison also said, "In the aftermath of a tragedy, space is opened up for governments to take action that they could not have achieved before that." He pointed to the Iraq War and provisions granting greater arrest and surveillance powers within the USA PATRIOT Act as examples.[121] Ellison also "In response to a question, I stated that the Bush Administration exploited post-9/11 fears to advance a policy agenda that has undermined our civil liberties. I stand by this statement. ...I want to be clear that the murderous Nazi regime is historically distinct and the horror of the Holocaust must be acknowledged as a unique event in human history. I did not intend any direct comparison between the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany and the current administration. I have taken consistent and strong stands against Holocaust denial throughout my life in public service."[118]

[edit] Sali remarks

Rep. Bill Sali (R-ID) drew criticism for his comments in an August 8, 2007 interview with the conservative Christian-based American Family News Network. Sali, an outspoken Evangelical Christian, denounced the Senate leadership for allowing a Hindu to lead the opening prayer. He held that invoking a non-Christian god in the Senate threatened to endanger America by removing "the protective hand of God."[122] He then went on to say "We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. The principles that this country was built on, that have made it great over these centuries, were Christian principles derived from Scripture. You know the Lord can make the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike." Former Idaho Democratic congressman Richard Stallings, among others, demanded that Sali either apologize or resign. In response Sali sent Ellison an e-mail saying he "meant no offense."[123] At the time Ellison was in Iraq with a congressional delegation, his spokesperson said "The congressman just doesn't respond to comments like that."[124] Sali stressed to reporters that he was not calling for Ellison to be removed, "He got elected the same way I did. People certainly have the right to elect anyone they want."[124] Sali defended his claim about America's founding principles saying "The idea that somehow we can move to multi-culturalism and still remain the same — I think that's a little dangerous, too. From my standpoint, I believe the Founding Fathers were overwhelmingly Christian and the God they were talking about is the God of the Bible."[124] When asked about his policy discussions with those of other faiths he stated, "I would say, 'These are principles that I think are important,' and if he agrees with those, great. At the end of the game, maybe it does get down to religious beliefs and how they impact how you make public policy."[124] It has been noted in a New York Sun editorial that claims dogging Ellison that the founders of the US did not anticipate Muslim legislators are factually incorrect.[125] The specific subject was brought up in many of the State conventions to ratify the Constitution, including remarks by William Lancaster in the North Carolina Ratifying Convention in 1788.[125][126]

[edit] New York Daily News & SITE Institute

After the 2006 election, the New York Daily News published an article describing comments participants in Jihadist chat rooms made about Ellison and his election victory. The News based their article on a report from the SITE Institute, a non-profit organization that monitors chat rooms frequented by terrorist supporters and sympathizers.[127][128] According to the Daily News, messages were found in two jihadi chat rooms, including Al-Hesbah, which is "solidly tied to Al Qaeda Central, Bin Laden's network," and where many "Al Qaeda communiques" were first released. Participants in chat rooms called Ellison, "the first Jewish Muslim that goes to Congress", a "fool" trying to "deceive us," and "one of them, [a] one-way ticket to Hell." Another characterized the election as "a comedy". One said, "My God, if you have 1 billion Muslims like him, we shall [continue to] fight you as the Muslim fights the infidel." Ellison’s campaign spokeswoman Bridget Cusick was not surprised by the negative comments in militant chat rooms, "Why would Al Qaeda embrace Keith's success? He's the opposite of what they're about."[129]

[edit] Trailblazer Award

Ellison was chosen by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for its Trailblazer Award. The group said Ellison “has established a career of advocacy focused on promoting civil and human rights, peace, and prosperity for working families.”[130]

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] 2008

Main article: U.S. House elections, 2008

Minnesota 5th congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Keith Ellison 228,753 70.9 +14.9
Republican Barb Davis White 71,013 22 -
Independence Bill McGaughey 22,315 6.9 -

[edit] 2006

Main article: U.S. House elections, 2006
Main article: Minnesota 5th congressional district election, 2006

Congressman Martin Sabo, DFL retired after 26 years in the House. Keith Ellison, also a DFLer, replaced him. Although Ellison was endorsed by the DFL convention, three non-endorsed candidates ran strong campaigns against him in the DFL primary: Mike Erlandson, Ember Reichgott Junge, and Paul Ostrow. Ellison won the primary with 41% of the vote. In the general election, he won with 56% of the vote against Jay Pond of the Green Party, Tammy Lee of the Independence Party and Alan Fine of the Republican Party. Ellison is the first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress.[131]
Minnesota 5th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Keith Ellison 136,061 55.6 -
Republican Alan Fine 52,263 21 -
Independence Tammy Lee 51,456 21.3 -
Green Jay Pond 4,792 2 -

* 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — Minnesota 5th District (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Primary)[24]

Name Votes Percent
Keith Ellison 29,003 41.21%
Mike Erlandson 21,857 31.06%
Ember Reichgott Junge 14,454 20.54%
Paul Ostrow 3,795 5.39%
Andrew Vincent Favorite 470 0.67%
Gregg A. Iverson 448 0.64%
Patrick J. Wiles 347 0.49%

* 2004 Race for Minnesota House of Representatives — District 58B[132]

Name Votes Percent
Keith Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 10,796 84.1%
Jay Cyril Mastrud (Republican) 1,988 15.5%

* 2002 Race for Minnesota House of Representatives — District 58B[133]

Name Votes Percent
Keith M. Ellison (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) 5,714 66.54%
Larissa Presho (Republican) 1,212 14.11%
Duane K. Reed (Independent) 726 8.45%
Bonnie Jean Smith (Green) 480 5.59%
J. Thomas Lijewski (Independence) 440 5.12%

[edit] References

1. ^ DAWN (Newspaper)
2. ^ a b c d e Robson, Britt (2006-08-30). "Running Man", City Pages. Retrieved on 10 November 2006.
3. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (2006-10-11). "Muslim's Election Is Celebrated Here and in Mideast", New York Times. Retrieved on 11 October 2006.
4. ^ North American Imams Federation conference booklet
5. ^ North American Imamas Federation Web site
6. ^ 6 Muslim Imams Removed From Plane
7. ^ Ellison seeks meeting on removal of clerics
8. ^ Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim" December 21, 2006. New York Times. Accessed April 6, 2008.
9. ^ a b "Keith: The value system that's behind my candidacy" July 19, 2006. Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Accessed January 3, 2007.
10. ^ a b c d Rochelle Olson (November 19, 2006). "First Muslim on his way to Congress - he will represent Minnesota, Islam", Mcclatchy Newspapers. Retrieved on December 6, 2006
11. ^ "Parent Newsletter for the Week of December 4, 2006 — Congratulations to all Our Newly Elected Cubs". University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy (December 4, 2005).
12. ^ Martiga Lohn (September 14, 2006). "Islamic Convert Wins House Nomination", Associated Press.
13. ^ Todd Melby (September 17, 2006). "Keith Ellison may be first Muslim in U.S. Congress".
14. ^ Michael Isikoff (January 4, 2007). "'I'm a Sunni Muslim'", Newsweek.
15. ^ a b "Keith Ellison (DFL) 58B". Minnesota House of Representatives.Retrieved on November 16, 2006
16. ^ Condon, Patrick (2006-07-06). "Muslim seeks both House seat and a place in history". Associated Press. The Bay State Banner. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
17. ^ a b Ellison official campaign biography Accessed January 3, 2007.
18. ^ a b c d e "Making the choice" (PDF), Session Weekly — Minnesota House of Representatives (January 24, 2003), p. 16. Retrieved on December 14, 2006
19. ^ "Ellison may become the first Muslim in US Congress" September 13, 2006. American Muslim Perspective Online Magazine. Accessed January 4, 2007.
20. ^ "Kim Ellison..." July 15, 2006. Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Accessed January 3, 2006.
21. ^ "About Keith:bio, Keith Ellison for Congress". Retrieved on January 7, 2007
22. ^ Michael Khoo (August 10, 2003). "A conservative sweep", Minnesota Public Radio.
23. ^ a b Minnesota Public Radio
24. ^ a b "Unofficial Results Primary". Minnesota Secretary of State (2006-12-25).Retrieved on December 25, 2006
25. ^ Aron Kahn (November . 08, 2006). "Ellison breaks ground as Muslim, black", St. Paul Pioneer Press.
26. ^ "Unofficial Results General Election". Minnesota Secretary of State (November . 7, 2006).
27. ^ "Keith Ellison At a Glance" from MinnPost.com
28. ^ "Ellison Taps Former Wellstone Senate Office Director to Lead Congressional Staff Team" (December 1, 2006). Retrieved on January 3, 2007
29. ^ "Congressman-elect Keith Ellison Announces Local Staff Hires" (December 27, 2006). Retrieved on January 3, 2007
30. ^ "Ellison, on verge of historic first term, unruffled by critics", The Associated Press (1/3/2007). Retrieved on January 3, 2007
31. ^ a b c d Rob Hotakainen (January 10, 2007). "Ellison, Bachmann get committee posts", Star Tribune. Retrieved on January 15, 2007
32. ^ "Ellison named to Judiciary Committee", The Associated Press (1/10/2007). Retrieved on January 10, 2007
33. ^ Rob Hotakainen (January 25, 2007). "Will Ellison pursue impeachment? Not for now, he says", Star Tribune. Retrieved on January 27, 2007
34. ^ "U.S. House of Representatives Roll Call Votes 110th Congress — 1st Session (2007)". The Clerk of the House. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
35. ^ Diaz, Kevin (2007-01-08). "Minnesota delegation offers cool response". Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
36. ^ a b c d Frederic J. Frommer (January 10, 2007; 7:50 AM). "Rep. Ellison Wants Forces Out of Iraq", The Associated Press. Retrieved on January 13, 2007
37. ^ Brian Voerding (May 25, 2007). "Walz breaks rank, supports war funds", Winona Daily News.
38. ^ "Ellison's 1st Bill To End Bad Credit Card Practice", Associated Press (May 2, 2007).
39. ^ "Ellison endorses Obama, lauds 'unifying spirit'", Star Tribune (February 20, 2007). Retrieved on February 27, 2007
40. ^ "Keith Ellison Endorses Obama For President", CBS (February 21, 2007). Retrieved on February 27, 2007
41. ^ "Ellison signs as cosponsor of bill to impeach Cheney", Associated Press (June 29, 2007).
42. ^ a b Mike Kaszuba. "Atheists applaud Ellison's views on Cheney, Libby, 9/11", Star Tribune.
43. ^ a b c "Ellison votes with majority on contempt citations against White House aides", Associated Press (July 25, 2007).
44. ^ [http://www.minnpost.com/jayweiner/2008/03/24/1244/ellison_becomes_first_minnesota_official_to_link_summer_olympics_and_china_policies "Ellison becomes first Minnesota official to link Summer Olympics and China policies" from MinnPost.com
45. ^ a b c "House Speaker Pelosi, Ellison, Tour Jerusalem", Associated Press (March 31, 2007).
46. ^ a b c d "Ellison, Pelosi Meet with Israeli Officials", Associated Press (April 1, 2007).
47. ^ a b Frederic Frommer (April 8, 2007). "Rep.: Israel Said No Syria Attack Plan", Associated Press.
48. ^ a b "Congressional Delegation Statement on Middle East Trip" (4/05/07).
49. ^ a b "Pelosi raises issue of female politicians in Saudi Arabia", Associated Press (April 5, 2001).
50. ^ a b c d Jake Sherman (July 29, 2007). "Ellison is part of Iraq trip arranged by Defense chief", Star Tribune.
51. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Ellison returns from trip to Iraq", Associated Press (July 30, 2007).
52. ^ "Pawlenty makes surprise trip to Iraq", MPR (February 10, 2004).
53. ^ a b Kevin Diaz and Jake Sherman (August 1, 2007). "Ellison to take weeklong trip to Israel", Star Tribune.
54. ^ Abdus Sattar Ghazali (2006-11-16). "American Muslims in 2006 elections". Al-Jazeerah. Retrieved on December 11, 2006
55. ^ "Local Muslims Aim for Greater Political Involvement" (10 December 2006).
56. ^ Michelle Boorstein (November 30, 2006). "More Muslims Gaining Political Ground", Washington Post. Retrieved on December 10, 2006
57. ^ Rob Hotakainen (November 30, 2006). "Oath on Qur'an: Activism or an act of faith?", Star Tribune.
58. ^ CAIR (2006-11-09). "First Muslim in Congress to Speak at CAIR Event in VA", Press release. Retrieved on 10 November 2006. "(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/9/06) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced today that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in Congress, will join other elected officials as a keynote speaker November 18th at the Washington-based civil rights group's 12th Annual Banquet in Arlington, Va."
59. ^ Hotakainen, Rob (November 13, 2006). "Newcomers prepare for the 110th Congress", Star Tribune. Retrieved on November 16, 2006
60. ^ "First US Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison, Addresses CAIR Banquet". CAIR, WASHINGTON, D.C. (2006-11-21).Retrieved on November 21, 2006
61. ^ Keith Ellison's address. Council on American-Islamic Relations.
62. ^ a b c "North American Imams Federation conference booklet" (PDF). North American Imams Federation.
63. ^ "6 Muslim Imams Removed From Plane", Star and Tribune (November . 21, 2006). Retrieved on December 11, 2006
64. ^ Rochelle Olson (November 24, 2006). "Ellison seeks meeting on removal of clerics", Star Tribune.
65. ^ a b c Niraj Warikoo (December 25, 2006). "1st Muslim congressman thrills crowd in Dearborn".
66. ^ Niraj Warikoo (December 26, 2006). "1st Muslim congressman thrills crowd in Dearborn", Detroit Free Press. Retrieved on December 28, 2006
67. ^ Niraj Warikoo (Wed, December 27, 2006). "Ellison says faith won't be exploited", Detroit Free Press. Retrieved on December 28, 2006
68. ^ "Community Service Recognition Luncheon". Islamic Society of North America. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
69. ^ "Upholding Faith, Serving Humanity" (PDF). ISNA Program. Islamic Society of North America. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.
70. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kevin Diaz. "Ellison taking on role in U.S. image building", McClatchy News Service.
71. ^ a b c d e Cooperman, Alan (2006-09-11). "Muslim Candidate Plays Defense", Washington Post, The Washington Post Company, p. A03. Retrieved on 11 September 2006. - "Ellison acknowledged last week that his driver's license had been suspended earlier in the year for failure to pay fines. He said he defended a leader of the Vice Lords gang, Sharif Willis, because Willis was working with local police to broker a gang peace. And he said he was now up-to-date on tickets, taxes and financial filings."
72. ^ a b c d Scott W. Johnson (2006-10-09). "Louis Farrakhan's First Congressman", The Weekly Standard, News America Incorporated. Retrieved on 13 November 2006.
73. ^ Minnesota Daily archive
74. ^ Minnesota Daily archive
75. ^ Keith X Ellison (1995-11-06). "Editorial cartoon insulted our intelligence", Insight News, Graphic Services, Inc., p. 2. Retrieved on 27 October 2006. "The cartoon in the 10/17/95 edition of the Star Tribune, in which two Black boys lamented that their only 'role models' were a 'wife-beater and an anti-semite,' O. J. Simpson and the Honorable Louis Farrakhan respectively, serves as yet another bit of evidence as to why the Star Tribune is known alternatively as the 'Johannesburg Times' and the 'most ridiculed newspaper' in America."
76. ^ "EllisonArticle3.php" (JPEG). Keith Ellison for dummies. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.
77. ^ "`Flamethrower' Muhammad's fiery speech stirs `U' crowd", Star Tribune (1995-09-14).
78. ^ "EllisonStatement34.php" (JPEG). Keith Ellison for dummies. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.
79. ^ Jim Parsons (1997-02-03). "Defections threaten anti-racism panel", Star Tribune, The Star Tribune Company, p. B1. Retrieved on 26 October 2006. "The Minneapolis Initiative Against Racism (MIAR) may be in danger of splintering because of internal friction that has surfaced since the organization's executive director, Joanne Jackson, made controversial comments about Jews."
80. ^ a b "EllisonLetterp.1.php" (JPEG). Keith Ellison for dummies (also from info@keithellison.org, md5sum f702ac92891e518fdcc447360306e0af). Retrieved on 2006-10-26.
81. ^ "EllisonLetterp.2.php" (JPEG). Keith Ellison for dummies (also from info@keithellison.org, md5sum 183a0cafaa5bc4fc35f7b12a354e5302). Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
82. ^ D. Eric Marmon. "Keith Ellison-Muhammad will run for house 58B seat", Insight News, Graphic Services, Inc.. Retrieved on 27 October 2006.
83. ^ "Insight339.php" (JPEG). Keith Ellison for dummies. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.
84. ^ a b c Kersten, Katherine (2006-09-17). "The excuses keep on coming for Ellison's behavior". Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
85. ^ "Candidate finds past ties a real bind", Chicago Tribune (June 30, 2006), p. 7.
86. ^ "Bombshell": American Jewish World endorses Ellison, Sep 01, 2006, 3:18 PM CDT, Paul Schmelzer, Minnesota Monitor
87. ^ Lee Hudson Teslik (September 13, 2006). "A Muslim for the Hill?", Newsweek. Retrieved on January 3, 2007
88. ^ "GOP's attack on Ellison focuses on U.S. Muslim", Minneapolis Star and Tribune (September 17, 2006).
89. ^ Brandt Williams (October 18, 2006). "Sparks fly at 5th District debate", Minnesota Public Radio.
90. ^ Rochelle, Olson (2006-10-11). "Lee posts photo with Sabo; Fine ad attacks Ellison", Star Tribune. Retrieved on 4 November 2006. "At the same time, Republican Alan Fine on Thursday pressed on with attacks against Ellison, sending a mailing to 100,000 voters criticizing Ellison for accepting campaign contributions from leaders of the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR)."
91. ^ a b Rochelle Olson (Tue, October 24, 2006). "Minnesotan campaigns to be the first Muslim elected to Congress", McClatchy Newspapers. Retrieved on January 3, 2007
92. ^ a b Diaz, Kevin (2006-10-24). "Islamic TV ad decries terrorism", Star Tribune. Retrieved on 4 November 2006. "Alarmed by the furor surrounding Muslim Fifth Congressional District candidate Keith Ellison, a national Islamic group is targeting Minnesota with an "anti-terror TV ad" blitz disavowing ties between Islam and terrorism."
93. ^ "Parvez Ahmed and Nihad Awad: Reject the political Muslim-bashing smears", Star Tribune (2006-10-20). Retrieved on 4 November 2006. "There has been much sound and fury in certain circles about the American Muslim community's support for Keith Ellison and his campaign to represent Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District."
94. ^ Kahn, Aron (2006-10-09). "Controversy gnaws at Ellison lead", Pioneer Press, MediaNews Group.
95. ^ "Islamic organization to host Florida fundraiser for Ellison", Star Tribune (2006-10-12). Retrieved on 4 November 2006. "Altaf Ali, CAIR's executive director in Florida, and Saif Ishoof are listed as the hosts for an event with a suggested donation of $100. It is scheduled for Saturday and will be at the Southwest Focal Point Senior Center in Pembroke Pines, Fla."
96. ^ Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board Findings of Fact
97. ^ Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board Conciliation Agreement
98. ^ Compilation of Board Minutes in which Ellison was fined
99. ^ Lopez, Patricia; Mike Kaszuba (2006-07-15). "Late campaign reports were her doing, Ellison's wife says", Star Tribune. Retrieved on 11 September 2006.
100. ^ Smith, Dane; Pat Doyle (2006-07-08). "Late filings a pattern for Ellison", Star Tribune, p. 18. Retrieved on 11 September 2006.
101. ^ KSTP Report August 16th, 2006 (Microsoft ActiveX)
102. ^ a b Glenn Beck (November 14, 2006). "First Muslim Congressman Speaks Out". Retrieved on December 11, 2006
103. ^ Associated Press (November 11, 2006). "Keith Ellison first Muslim congressman". Spokesman Review.Retrieved on November 16, 2006
104. ^ "Famous Trials: The Oklahoma City Bombing and the Trial of Timothy McVeigh: A Chronology", University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Retrieved on December 26, 2006
105. ^ Averill, Brady (November 17, 2006). "For freshmen on Capitol Hill, it's the luck of the draw", Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune. Retrieved on 19 November 2006.
106. ^ David Kronke (01/09/2007). "King holds court at TV critics convention", Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Retrieved on December 9, 2007
107. ^ Dennis Prager (November 28, 2006). "America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on".Retrieved on December 4, 2006
108. ^ Audio link: Allison Keyes (December 24, 2006). "“Rep. Goode Launches Debate over Muslims in Office” Weekend Edition Sunday", National Public Radio.
109. ^ Erika Howsare (2006-12-19). "Anti-Muslim letter goes out to hundreds — not all are amused". Retrieved December 20, 2006
110. ^ "Muslim congressman shakes critic's hand", CNN (January 4, 2007). Retrieved on January 8, 2007
111. ^ Frommer, Frederic J. (2007-01-04). "Ellison Uses Thomas Jefferson's Quran". Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
112. ^ "But It's Thomas Jefferson's Quran!", The Washington Post (January 3, 2007), p. C03. Retrieved on January 3, 2007
113. ^ "Congressman to Be Sworn in Using Quran", AP via ABC News (January 3, 2007).
114. ^ Hayes, Kevin J.. "How Thomas Jefferson Read the Qur'an". Early American Literature — Volume 39, Number 2, 2004, pp. 247–261 The University of North Carolina Press. an abstract can be read at this link
115. ^ a b Bush like Hitler, says first Muslim in Congress,
116. ^ Brit Hume (July 12, 2007). "Wait Until You Hear Who’s Comparing the Bush Administration to Nazi Germany".
117. ^ John Gibson (July 16, 2007). "What I Think About Rep. Keith Ellison Comparing Bush to Hitler".
118. ^ a b c d Jake Sherman (July 17, 2007). "Ellison's remarks draw fresh complaints", StarTribune.
119. ^ Jackie Kucinich (July 18, 2007). "Reps. Cantor, Wamp blast Ellison for 9/11 comments", The Hill.
120. ^ Kersten, Katherine (2007-07-12). "Ellison's use of Reichstag fire goes overboard", Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN).
121. ^ "Ellison cites Reichstag burning in attacking Bush policies" (2007-07-13).
122. ^ Jim Brown (August 8, 2007). "Idaho congressman disturbed by Hindu prayer in Senate, election of Muslim to House", OneNewsNow.com.
123. ^ Todd Dvorak (August 18, 2007). "Lawmaker Apologizes for Muslim Remarks", Associated Press.
124. ^ a b c d Gregory Hahn (08/10/07). "Sali clarifies his stance on Muslim congressman", Idaho Statesman.
125. ^ a b "Binding Ellison". New York Sun Editorial (December 6, 2006).
126. ^ "Debate in North Carolina Ratifying Convention; 30 July 1788".
127. ^ "SITE Institute". The Search For International Terrorist Entities Institute. Retrieved on December 18, 2006
128. ^ "mission". The Search For International Terrorist Entities Institute. Retrieved on December 18, 2006
129. ^ James Gordon Meek (November 12, 2006). "Jihadists trash Muslim U.S. rep", New York Daily News. Retrieved on December 9, 2006
130. ^ Niraj Warikoo (May 17, 2007). "Arab-American group to award Rep. Keith Ellison".
131. ^ "Election results: Minnesota: U.S. House District 5". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved on December 21, 2006
132. ^ "Election results: Minnesota: State Legislative", Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved on December 16, 2006
133. ^ "2002 General Election Results – Minnesota Secretary of State" (2003-05-23). Retrieved on December 14, 2006

* Minister Farrakhan never claimed to be a 'Malcolm X' — Minnesota Daily opinion by Ellison
* Affirmative action does not make up for past injustice — Minnesota Daily opinion by Ellison
* Keith Ellison may become Congress's first Muslim — The HILL.
* Keith Ellison dogged by his past — Minnesota Public Radio profile
* Let's not forget Ellison's support of Nation of Islam — conservative opinion by a Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist.
* Ellison responds to parking ticket concerns — KSTP news.
* Late filings a pattern for Ellison — Minneapolis Star Tribune.

2008-12-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

2008-10-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of United State are two most important, and enduring document in our Nation's history. It has been said ''the Declaration of Independence was the promise ; the Constitution was the fulfillment.; More than 200 years ago, our Founding Father set out to establish a government based on individual right and the rule of law. The Declaration of Independence ,which officially broke all political ties between the American colonies all Britain ,set forth the ideas and principles behind just and fair government, and the constitution outline how this government would function. Our founding document have withstood the tet of time, rising to the challenge each time they were called upon. Make no mistake, we have been presented with a timeless framework for self -government,but in order to preserve this wonderful gift, we must told these principles close to our hearts. I encourage you to read and understand these documents. I promise you will be noting short of inspired. The Declaration of independence. Action of second continental Congress ,July 4,,1776 the unanimous declaration of thirteen United states of America. When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one to dissolve the political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the power of the Earth, the separate and Equal Station to which the Earth, The separate and equal station to which the Law of the Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness-That secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from Consent of the Governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these Ends, it right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying it Foundation on such principles, and organizing its power in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Government long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Form to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their duty

"PAKISTAN HAMARA"

2008-09-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Pakistani territory has been home to one of the most ancient civilizations (i.e. Indus Valley Civilization) of the World. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in period 2500-1700 BC. It is generally believed that Indus Valley Civilization was destroyed by Arian invaders. Originally those Arians were not accustomed to civilized way of city life and they only could establish many small village oriented states that were run by many Rajas etc. Later on, most of the Pakistani territory has been a large province of world’s earliest imperial power i.e. Iran. Afterwards, Alexander put an end to the Iranian rule and he invaded the Pakistani territory also. Alexander then went back but died in the way. But Iranian imperial rule and the type of Alexander’s vast scale military achievements drew profound impressions upon the political set up of the sub-continent. Chandar Gupata Moriah, following the Iranian imperial type political model, brought about most of the territory of northern India into a single political regime, which was later on further extended by his grandson Asoka.
But that large political set up could not last for long time period and the sub-continent was again divided into many small kingships of Hindu Rajas. A major political change, which shaped the identity of present day Pakistani territory was the event of 711AD when an Arab Muslim military commander, Muhammad bin Qasim, invaded the territory of Sindh, defeated the Hindu Raja Dahir and thus annexed the area of Sindh to the Muslim imperial rule of Umayyad Caliphate. Emergence of Muslim rule resulted in fundamental changes in the civil society of this area in a way that vast local population embraced Islam and thus acquired their identity as ‘Muslims’. After about three centuries, other Muslim invaders of Turkish origin managed to bring most of the northern Indian Territory including almost whole territory of present day Pakistan under the Muslim rule. Muslim society flourished under the Muslim rule because Muslim culture was more progressive and tolerant than the culture of Hindus, who were in majority. Muslim culture and society got its own distinct identity, which was quite different to the identity of majority Hindu culture. Muslim political rule continued over centuries until eighteenth century when signs of the decline of Muslim rule began to appear and many turn of events resulted in the shift of locus of political control in the hands of a British origin business oriented establishment which was doing business in the country in the name of British East India Company.
After the war of 1857, the political control over India formally shifted to the British Crown. British government introduced democratic type limited self-autonomy in India. Under this type of government, Muslims would have gone under the Hindu political control in case the country got freedom from Britain.
The two world wars made Britain so much weak that now it could not hold on its many colonies including India. It became apparent during the Second World War that sooner or later Britain will have to announce freedom for India.
Indian Muslims were already concerned about the future of their separate identity as a ‘Muslim Culture’ and a prominent Muslim leader Sir Allama Iqbal already had proposed the establishment of a separate Muslim state within India where Muslims could preserve the separate identity of their culture.
But it was during the second world war when top Muslim leadership first realized that Allama Iqbal’s proposal could become the real motto of Indian Muslim’s struggle for independence from British Rule. So Indian Muslims demanded for a separate homeland i.e. Pakistan for them. The basis of this demand was the ‘two nation theory’. The themes of this ‘two nation theory’ was that Indian Muslims were not just a minority community in India but were having a distinct complete culture of their own and so were a separate nation. The underlying idea was that future of India should be decided by not considering Indian Muslims as just minority community but should be decided while considering Indian Muslims as a complete nation, which should be given a separate homeland where they could preserve their distinct culture.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah did lot of effort to persuade British rulers and Hindu leadership about the truth of this ‘two nation theory’ so that they may accede to the Muslim demand of a separate homeland for them. Quid-e-Azam succeeded in his efforts and so ‘Pakistan’ came into being as a homeland for Muslims who were having their own independent culture which was quite different from the majority Hindu culture.
Identity Crisis After Independence:
Muslims as a whole really were quite different from Hindus but within Muslims, the society was divided into many sub groups. As already has been mentioned that society of sub-continent has been a product of firstly the struggle between local Dravidians and Indo-Arians, secondly the struggle between Indo-Arians and Persian as well as Greek invaders, fourthly the political dominance of Muslims which effectively lasted up till eighteenth century and lastly the British rule and its downfall. Due to such a nature of historical events, the present day Pakistan’s society is ethnically diverse. Pakistanis trace their ethnic lineages to many different origins, largely because the country lies in an area that was invaded repeatedly during its long history. Migrations of Muslims from India since 1947 and refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s have significantly changed the demographics of certain areas of the country. The people of Pakistan come from ethnic stocks such as Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Greek, Scythian, Hun, Arab, Mongol, Persian, and Afghan. The people follow many different cultural traditions and speak many different languages and dialects. At the time of independence, Pakistani territory was divided into two wings i.e. East and West Pakistan, which were separated by a distance of 1000 miles. West Pakistan corresponds to present day Pakistan whereas East Pakistan became independent country of Bangladesh in 1971, mainly because of the identity crisis of Pakistan. Originally, West Pakistan consisted of four provinces i.e. Punjab, Sindh, N.W.F.P and Balochistan. East Pakistan was a single province, which had its population greater than all the four provinces of West Pakistan combined. Pakistan faced its first identity crisis when government adopted Urdu as national language. Although Urdu was not just a regional language and was widely understood among the people of different provinces and so could better serve the purpose of inter-provincial communication but this language had not any deep roots in the East Pakistan, the largest province of the country. People of East Pakistan protested against the decision of making Urdu as national language and they raised the demand of making Bengali as a national language as this was the language of majority population of East and West Pakistan combined. But this demand could not be acceptable to the people of any of the provinces of the West Pakistan because Bengali language had no roots at all in any of the provinces of West Pakistan. Urdu language, finally became the official national language but without happy consent of the largest province of the country. Obviously, country was divided into many sub-cultures who had their own languages and they did have emotional attachment with their own regional languages also. Our early leaders however were trying to identify the country as a uni-lingual one but this was not the on ground reality of course.
Secondly, our early leaders also tried not only to conceive, but also to practically make the whole country a cultural unity. They abolished the provinces of West Pakistan with the view to make it one cultural unit. This was an attempt to eliminate the regional cultures of different provinces in order to promote the idea of a one single culture. The underlying purpose however was political in nature whose aim was to bring West Pakistan at the level of political parity with the otherwise more populous East Pakistan. Political benefit was going in the favour of West Pakistan but still then people of different provinces of West Pakistan protested against this new scheme and insisted on the separate distinct identities of regional cultures of the provinces. It means that people of country had strong emotional ties with their regional sub-cultures but our leaders were not ready to accept this fact. This thing created a grave unrest among the people of East Pakistan as the new scheme had put them on politically disadvantageous position. Since our leaders failed to apprehend the plural nature of the culture of country and since they did not identify the true national identity, so the consequent identity crisis at last resulted in the Separation of East Pakistan in 1971.
How a country identifies its National Identity is important because it is actually the comprehension of a country about the composition and structure of its own society and culture. This National Identity not only determines objectives and goals for the people and leadership of the country, it also determines the type of relationships with other sovereign countries of the world. Secondly, National Identity of a country is not any rigid or fixed entity, as its various aspects always remain in the process of change and developments as a result of the changes that occur in the political and cultural environment of the whole world. Pakistan’s National Identity also has gone through many such changes. Before the separation of East Pakistan, the main outstanding issues were those, which mainly related to the interrelationships of different provinces. Loss of East Pakistan resulted in somewhat reduced burden of this type of issues and so rest of the Pakistan successfully resolved the matters relating to interrelationships of the remaining provinces, in the form of unanimous constitution of 1973. With the passage of time however, those issues are again getting significance and so there is need to re-identify the current composition, structure and kind of country’s society. Country has also got the experience of both civil democratic political set-ups as well as various Martial Law regimes. But we still are in need to identify which form of government best suits to the taste and needs of our society. On the international environment, due to many factors, image of Muslim societies is being negatively projected. Mass international media is projecting this wrong information that Muslim societies are the supporters of terrorist activities on the global scale. Muslim societies are being labeled as ‘extremist societies’. Pakistan is also one of the victims of this wrong media projection. Under these current crisis, we are in need to evaluate our true identity i.e. whether we, as a nation, are extremist people or are enlightened, moderate, balanced, peace loving, and at the same time, brave people. By the Grace of Almighty God, now we are a nuclear power nation and so we should identify ourselves as more balanced and more responsible nation than before.

2008-08-21T15:03:00.001-07:00

Title	Naat Khawn / Title	Preview


Ramazan Assalam	Amir Liaquat Hussain	(Download)


Qasida Burda Sharif	Muhammad Rashid Azam	(Download)


Al Muallim - Sami Yusuf	English Naats	(Download)


Who Is The Love One - Tahir Qadri	English Naats	(Download)


Husby Ruby - Sami Yusuf	English Naats	(Download)


Muhammad Ka Roza	Junaid Jamshed	(Download)


Pyara Pyara Hai Madina	Muhammad Rashid Azam	(Download)


A Is For Allah - Yusuf Islam	English Naats	(Download)


Give Thanks To Allah	English Naats	(Download)


Subhan Allah Subhan Allah	Awais Raza Qadri	(Download)


Allah Allah	Muhammad Rashid Azam	(Download)


Welcome O Ramadan	English Naats	(Download)


Asmaa Ul Husna - Yusuf Islam	English Naats	(Download)


Main To Panjtan Ka Ghulam Hoon	Madina Ka Safar	(Download)


Jalwa-e-Janaan	Junaid Jamshed	(Download)


Aagaye Aagaye Mustafa	Farhan Ali Qadri	(Download)


Aamina Ka Laal Aaya	Farhan Ali Qadri	(Download)


Faaslon Ko Takalluf	Waheed Zafar Qasmi	(Download)


Supplication - Sami Yusuf	English Naats	(Download)


Allah Hoo Allah Hoo	Awais Raza Qadri	(Download)

Naat Khawn / Titles

نعت خواں

• Junaid Jamshed	• Farhan Ali Qadri	• Muhammad Rashid Azam
• Khurshid Ahmad	• Awais Raza Qadri	• Imran Sheikh Qadri Attari
• M Mushtaq Qadri	• M Mushtaq Attari	• M Zahid Attari
• Madina Ka Safar	• M Shakeel Qadri	• Fasih Uddin Soharwardi
• Waheed Zafar Qasmi	• Siddiq Ismail	• Syed Muhammad Rehan Qadri
• Taj Dare Haram vol 1	• English Naats	• Amir Liaquat Hussain

Pakistan

2008-08-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Pakistan was born as an explicitly Muslim state, and the wrestling between its secular and Islamic natures has never been so pronounced as it has in recent years. The country's other troubling traditions are the military's role as the arbiter of power — there have been four coups in its 60 years of independence — rampant corruption and waves of economic and political unrest. Upon its creation, Pakistan consisted of two separate wings flanking northern India; in 1971, the country's eastern portion broke away to become Bangladesh.

In recent years the areas of disagreement between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, a divided state claimed by both countries, appear to have narrowed, but it remains the main point of friction between them. Kashmir was at the heart of two of three wars they have fought since 1947. Both sides reject independence for Kashmir and the long dispute continues to fester. Pakistan became a nuclear power in 1998, in response to nuclear tests conducted by India.

Great Muslim Scientists II:Ibn Rushd (1128 - 1198 A.D.)

2008-08-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Returning to our topic today I am introducing a Muslim scholar who is recognized as one of the greatest thinkers and scientist of the 12th century. His name is Ibne Rushd better known as _ Averroes in west. According to historian Philip Hitti, Ibn Rushd influnced Western thought from the 12th to 16th centuries nd his Book were taught in the western world as text books till 16th century - meaning even three centuries after his times. Just check out your test book in school or visit any book store and see which is the oldest book available - I bet other than the religious texts, you will not find a book even hundred years old that is still taught as txt book or is on the shelves of any book store. Ibn Rushd rightly stands out as a towering figure in the history of Islamic thought, as well as that of European philosphy and theology. In the Islamic world, he played a decisive rolein the defense of Greek philosophy against the onslaught of the Ash'arite theologians ( Mutakallimum) led by al- Ghazali and the rehabilitation of Aristotle. You will be surprised to know, he as alearned commentator on Aristotle's work contributed greatly to the rediscovery of the Master, after centuries of near - total oblivision in Western Europe. That discovery was instrumental in launching Latin - scholasticism and, in due course, the European Renaissance of the fifteenth century. For Muslim, a common theme throughout his writings is that there is no incompatibility between religion and philosophy when both are properly understood. His contributions to philosposophy took many forms, ranging fromk his detailed commentaries on Aristotle, and especially his defense of philosophy against the attacks of those who condemned it as contrary to Islam. A brief look at his life is also relevant here before delving into his scholarly contributions in more details. His complete name Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Rushd and was born in 1128 A.D.. in Cordova, where his father and grandfather had both been judges. His grandfather was well versed in Fiqh (Maliki - School) and was also the Imam of the Jamia Mosque of Cordova. Theyoung Ibn Rushd recived his education in Cordova and lived a quiet life, devoting most of his time to reading and traveling. However his life was full of surprises. Abu Yaqub, the Caliph of Morocco, called him to his capital and appointed him his physician. His son Yaqub al - Mansur retained him for some time but soon Ibn Rushd's views on theology and philosophy drew the Caliph's wrath. All his book, barring strictly scientific ones, were burnt and he was banished to Lucena.However,as a result of intervention of several leading scholar he was forgiven after about four years and recalled to Morocco in 1198 ; but he died toward the end of the same year. Ibn Rushd's remarkable contributions are in the fields of philosophy, logic, medicine, music and jurisprudence. In medicine his well-known book Kitab alkulayat fi al - Tibb was known as 'Colliget'. Ibn Rushd has covered various aspect of medicine, including the diagnoses , cure and prevention of diagnoses. In the field of philosophy, his most important work Tuhafut al - Tuhafut was written in response to al - Ghazali's work Ibn Rushd was criticized by many Muslim scholars for this book, which, nevertheless, had a profound influence on European thought. His views on fate were that man is either in full control of his destiny nor it is fully predeter mined for him. In the field of music, he wrote a commentary on Aristotle's book De Anima which was translated into Latin by Mitchell the Scott. About astronomy he wrote a treatise on the motion of the sphere, Kitab fi-Harakat al-Falak, a summary of which was translated from Arabic into Hebrew by Jacob Anatoli in 1231. This was not all. On jurisprudence, his book Bidayat al-Mujtahid wa-Nihayat-al-Muqtasid is considered the best book on the Maliki School of Fiqh. It is a testimony to this greatness, that Ibn Rushd's writings were translated into various languages, including Latin, English, German and Hebrew and most of his commentaries on philosophy are preserved in the Hebrew translations, or in Latin translation from the Hebrew, and a few in the original Arabic, gnerally in Hebrew sript.

Great Muslim Scientists II:Ibn Rushd (1128 - 1198 A.D.)

2008-08-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

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2008-03-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (1952- ) may favorite leader.

2008-03-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Known as the line of Lahore, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is regarded as one of the best all around cricketers to have come outn of Pakistan. Khan became the caption of Pakistan,s cricket team in 1982. He retired briefly in 1988 before returning to the game in the same year. Khan became National hero when he Captianed the countray,s cricket team to victory in the 1991 /92 World Cup. At the height of this cricketing career, he was considered the fastest bowler in the world. After retiring in 1992, Khan entered politics and formed his own political party called Pakistan Tehirik-e-Insaaf in 1996. He has also set up the Shaukat Kahanam Memorial, which treats people suffering from cancer

'Pakistan at a Glance'

2008-03-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Offical Name Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Capital Islambad. Official Languages Urdu,- English. Population 144,616,639(july 2001 estimate ). Land Area 310,400 square miles (803,936 square Km ) Provinces, Balochistan, Fedrally Administered Tribal Areas. Territory, and Islamabad Capital Territory, North -West frontier. Capital Territory Punjab, Sindh. Note the Pakistani-administered section of disputed Jammu and Kashmir region includes and the Northern Areas. Border Afghanistan ,China, India, Iran. High Point K2 (Mount Godwin-Austen) 28,252 feet (8,611m). Major River Indus. Major Cities Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpandi,. Enthnic Groups Baloch, Muhajir, Pashtun, Panjab, Sindhi. Religions Islam, Christianity, Hinduism. National Holy days Pakistan Day (August 14) Defence of Pakistan Day (September 6) Birth and death anniversaries of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (December 25 and September 11, respectively). Religious Festivals Ramadam, Bakr-Id, Eid ul-Fitr. Major Exports Cotton, fabrics, rice, yarn. Major Imports Chemicals, edible oil, flour, grains, machinary, petroleum, petroleum products, transportation equipment. Currency Pakistan Rupes (61.00 PKR= US Dollar as of 2001).

2007-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Great Mmuslim Scienst and Scholars IV:Ibn Khaldum1332-1406CE

2007-06-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

Today, I wish to introduse to you a great Muslim intellectual and philosopher whoes work has greatly influnced Muslim political though. As we all know,"political thought in Islam" has been hijacked by the religious conservative class lately. In this context it is critical that we rekindle this field within the Muslim societies and states are gover- ning them selves, require rethinking and reformation . Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Arab historiographer and historian, was a brilliant scholar and thinker now viewed as a founder of modern historiography and sociology. Living during very turbulent times, he observed first hand such desicive events as the bith of new ststes,the death throes of Al-Andulus ,the advance of the christain reconquest, the expansion of the Ottomon Empire and decline of the Byzantine. There can be no better tribute to him then what was said by a great Western historian Arnold Toynbee.Toynbee in his famous " study of history " while ommenting on Khaldun's book " Muqadama " Writes : In the Prolegomena (Muqaddimat) to his universal History he has concived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place."Ibn Khaldun's life history is full of advantures and tragedies and besides his scholarly pursuits re -mined active in political sphere as an advisor to many important political figures of the times. He also spent time in prison, held higest administrative offaces and had to live in exile. Given his very intresting life experiences, first a brief sketh of his life is in order here. Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis on Radan1, 732 (May 27,1332). He reci -veda traditional eduaction that was typical of his memorised the Qu'ran by heart, learned grammar, Jurisprudence, Headith, rhetoric, philology, and poetry. Then great scholar AlAbili introduced him to mathematics, loic and philosphy. At age 17 a tragetly struck him when he lost both his parents to an epidemic of the plague which hit Tunis. Still in his teens, he entered the Sultan Barqaq. His thirst for advanced knowledge and a better acadmic setting soon made him leave this servise and migrate to fez. This was followed by a long period of unrest marked by contemporary political rivalries affecting his carrer. This turbulent period also included a three year refuge in a small village Qalat Ibn Salama in Algeria, which provided him with the opportu -nity to write Muqddimah, the first volume of his world history that won him an imm -ortalplace among historians. The uncertainly of his carrer still continued, with Egypt becoming his final abode where he spent his last 24 years. Here he lived a life of fame and respect, marked by him apponment as the Cheaf Malakite Judge and lecturing at the Al-Azhar University, but his high judicial office as many as five times he was quite persistent in his ambitions. He planed to write a world history and its premble was aimed at an analysis of historical events.This preamble commonly kno -wn as Muqaddimah or 'Prolegomena', was based on IbnKhaldun's unique appr oach and orignal contribution and become a masterpiece in political literature. In this volume, He analyzed the Dynamics of group relation ship and showed how group feelings, al-Asabiyya, give rise to the ascent of a new civilization and political power and how, later on, its diffusion into a more genral civilization invities the advent of still new 'Asabiyyain its pristine form. He identified an almost rhythmic repetition of rise and fall in human civilization, and analyzed factors contributing to it. His contri -bution to history is marked by the fact that, unlike many of the earlier writers who interpreted history largely in a political context, he emphasized environmental, sociological psychological and economic factor governing the apperent events.T -his revolutionized the science of history and also laid the foundition of Umraniyat (Sociology). IbnKhaldun's influence on the subject of history, sociology, political science and eduaction has remined paramount ever since his life. His books have been translated into many languages, both in the East and the west, and have inspi -red subsequent develpment of these sciences. For instance, Prof. Gum Ploughs and Kolosio consider Muqaddimah as superior in Scholarship to Machiavelli,s The Prience.