Originally from Detroit, Michigan, he moved to Minnesota in 1987 to attend University of Minnesota Law School, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1990. Ellison and spouse Kim, a high school mathematics teacher, have lived on the Minneapolis Northside for the past 17 years. They have four children ages 17, 15, 10, and 9.

Ellison represents House District 58B in the Minnesota State Legislature, one of the most economically, racially, and demographically diverse districts in the State. He is a member of the Legislature’s Public Safety, Policy and Finance Committees, and Election and Civil Law Committee.

Keith and daughter Amirah.

Before being elected in 2002, Keith practiced law. He maintains his law practice in the new Minneapolis Urban League building on north Plymouth and Penn avenues, the heart of north Minneapolis. He practiced with the firm of Lindquist & Vennum for the first three years of his career. Thereafter, he was executive director of the Legal Rights Center, where he maintained a full-time case load, while managing the acquisition and remodeling of the Center’s building, and instituting a number of new and vital programs. After leaving the Legal Rights Center, Keith entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, where he specialized in trial practice.

Keith has a long history of community service. For eight years he hosted a public affairs program on community radio. Before entering the legislature, Keith regularly testified before state congressional committees and legislators on issues including privacy, welfare reform, indigent defense, environmental justice and others. Keith has also organized citizens to address the issue of police community relations - in fact, Keith was directly involved in the effort to establish the Minneapolis Police-Civilian Review Board in the early 1990s.

Recognizing the district’s diversity as a great strength, he builds common ground among people whether they are residents of downtown, the neighborhoods, or the North Loop

Democrat Keith Ellison will become the first Muslim elected to the US Congress, Tuesday, defeating his Republican rival and a third-party candidate by running on a populist platform.

Keith Ellison says he has mixed feelings about being the first Muslim congressman.

“I wasn’t trying to make any kind of political statement about my identity or anything when I ran.”

But he says he wants to help others understand that Muslims have much to contribute to America, while Muslims themselves should know they are “welcome to the table of American politics.”

“I am calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. I opposed the war before it began; I was against this war once it started and I am the only candidate calling for an immediate withdrawal of troops.” he said in his official website.

For me, this is a positive sign to the Muslim community in US.

InsyaAllah.

What is the point of giving established universities millions while the youths of today are becoming ever more godless, materialistic and most of all apathetic to their environment. I believe the Malaysian education system needs to be entirely strutured around encouraging creative, cognitive and critical thinking. IMO the current education system are producing less thinkers and more calculators. There is no relations in the curriculum when it comes applying the skills in school into the real world, and furthermore the trend of apathy and disregard towards current and global events is growing.

i sincerely hope this will change however doubt it. If i may, how will the curriculum and education policy change if the alternative front has the majority mandate in the next general election?