Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison visits Somalia

Flag of Somalia

The star and crescent are a dead giveway

A main concern for Ellison is the money flowing from Somalis in Minnesota to jihadists in Mogadishu. Ellison wants it to be easier for the money to make its way into the hands of Al-Shabaab.  Sure, some money gets to those who are not Islamic supremacists but there is no way to make sure none of it goes for jihad.  If Ellison is there to identify and stop those who move the money into jihad, great.  It appears this is not the case and he is there to make sure the money can flow unimpeded, no matter the end user.

Remember this is the man who took almost 14K from the Muslim American Society (MAS) to make the hajj to Mecca.  The MAS is the US arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.  Where exactly do Ellison's loyalties lie?

From Yahoo News Feb 19 by Abdi Guled and Jason Straziuso

Minnesota congressman arrives in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A U.S. congressman visited Somalia's capital on Tuesday, the first visit in years by a member of Congress to what until recently was considered one of the world's most dangerous cities.

Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, said his visit to Mogadishu fulfilled a request from his constituents with ties to Somalia. Minnesota has one of the largest populations of Somali-Americans in the U.S.

Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, noted that the U.S. government in mid-January recognized the Somali government for the first time since the country fell into anarchy in 1991.

"We've seen 20 years of warlordism, 20 years of terrorism, of refugees streaming across the border into every neighboring country, piracy in the gulf," Ellison told The Associated Press in a phone interview from neighboring Kenya.

"But a stable Somalia will bring this all to an end, and I think we need to be a part of the solution. I'm telling you, investing money in Somalia is sending good money after good. We should now see Somalia as a trading partner and a partner of educational exchanges."

Ellison was greeted by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The president said that Ellison's visit was a big day for Somalia.

Mogadishu has experienced about 18 months of relative peace, after the August 2011 ouster of the Islamic extremists of al-Shabab from the capital by African Union forces. Following the advice of security advisers, Ellison did not travel beyond Mogadishu's airport complex, the most secure part of the city, but he said he wished he had been able to and hopes to on a future trip. He said he never felt in any danger.

One of the issues Ellison met with Somali officials about was the financial remittances often sent by Somalis in the U.S. back to family members in Somalia. Such remittances have become harder to make over fears that people sending money could be accused of aiding a terrorist organization such as al-Shabab.

Ellison said he thinks he made "real progress" on the problem. He said he also got a better grip on how to handle refugee issues and Somalia's security needs.

No word on what kind of "real progress" he made.

Ellison said that being Muslim gives him an advantage in a Muslim country like Somalia because he knows religious greetings and customs, but that it wasn't a major factor in his trip there or in his meetings.

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