I want to be clear that the murderous Nazi regime is historically distinct and the horror of the Holocaust must be acknowledged as a unique event in human history. I did not intend any direct comparison between the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany and the current administration. I have taken consistent and strong stands against Holocaust denial throughout my life in public service. Sali remarks Representative Bill Sali of Idaho drew criticism for his comments in an August 8, 2007, interview with the conservative Christian-based American Family News Network. Sali, an outspoken Evangelical Christian, denounced the Senate leadership for allowing a Hindu to lead the opening prayer, claiming that the non-Christian invocation threatened to endanger America by removing "the protective hand of God." Former Democratic Idaho Congressman Richard Stallings, among others, demanded that Sali either apologize or resign. In response Sali sent Ellison an email saying he "meant no offense". Ellison was in Iraq with a congressional delegation, but his spokesperson, Micah Clemens, said, "The congressman just doesn't respond to comments like that." A New York Sun editorial wrote that claims that the founders did not anticipate Muslim legislators are incorrect. The specific subject was brought up in several state conventions to ratify the Constitution, including by William Lancaster's opposition to the prospect during North Carolina's 1788 Hillsborough Convention. Personal life Ellison and his former wife, Kim, a high school mathematics teacher, had four children between 1989 and 1997. Keith Ellison is a Muslim, and although Kim Ellison is not, the Ellisons' four children were raised in the Muslim faith. One of their sons, Jeremiah, was elected to the Minneapolis City Council. During Ellison's 2006 campaign Kim Ellison revealed that she had been living with moderate multiple sclerosis for several years. Keith Ellison filed for a legal separation from Kim Ellison in 2010, and their divorce was finalized on May 2, 2012. Kim Ellison was elected to the Minneapolis School Board in 2012 as vice-chair and in November 2016 as an at-large member. Awards Ellison was chosen by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for its Trailblazer Award. He was named an Utne Reader visionary in 2011. Memoir Ellison's book, My Country 'Tis of Thee, was published in 2014. Electoral history Minnesota House of Representatives US House of Representatives See also List of African-American United States representatives List of Muslim members of the United States Congress United States congressional delegations from Minnesota