In Case You Missed This: First Muslim Congressman Excels in Foreign Outreach

"The first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress has become a de facto American emissary, meeting with foreign policy makers both here and abroad to preach peace and democracy. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democrat, had already developed an international reputation when he took his oath of office on the Quran last year. In his first term in office, he has built on that with congressional trips, State Department functions and internationally themed town hall meetings in his district."

"Peace is a key component of what I'm here to do," he said in a recent interview. "The overarching idea is that the world is safer if America has more friends, more understanding, more basis for communication. The world is safer if we in the United States Congress can help diminish the level of desperation of the desperately poor. The world is also safer if we can help strengthen democracies so that we don't have failed states."