Hmmm. A couple of years ago, Chris Hitchens wrote an interesting article in Slate called "Jefferson's Quran — What the Founder Really Thought about Islam." Before getting to the third president, and the second, Hitchens expounds on Keith Ellison

In the first place, concern over Ellison's political and religious background has little to do with his formal adherence to Islam. In his student days and subsequently, he was a supporter of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam

If Ellison now wants to use his faith to justify an appeal to pluralism and inclusiveness and diversity, he needs to repudiate the Nation of Islam

Then Hitch moves on. While I recommend the full article, be forewarned if this sort of thing agitates you that it is replete with the standard Hitchens