The First American Muslim Congressman Going for Hajj

Ellison: Hajj was transformative

There was no fanfare, no press release when Keith Ellison made the pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca last week.

“We weren’t really trying to turn this into a political thing,” said the Democratic congressman from Minneapolis. “This is just me trying to be the best person I can be.”

Downplaying his role as the first member of Congress to make the Hajj, as the pilgrimage is known, Ellison called the experience “transformative.”

“It really didn’t have anything to do with me being a congressman,” said Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress.

Further reading:

• Keith Ellison the First American Muslim Legislator
• Keith Ellison, Quran and “American Civilisation”