Farheen Hakeem, a community organizer in Minneapolis, and David Strand, co-chair of the Green Party of Minnesota, are two of the four newly elected co-chairs of the national Green Party.

They were elected by the 200 members of the Green Party's National Committee, which includes delegates from state Green Parties and Green caucuses.

Party officials say Hakeem is now the highest-ranking Muslim woman in any U.S. political party.

In a press release, she says:

"Among the Ten Key values, non-violence, respect for diversity and feminism are what draws a lot of Muslims to the Green Party. The Green Party has called for divestment from Israel. Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party's 2008 presidential candidate, recently visited Gaza and was arrested en route and held prisoner in an Israeli jail for bringing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza in the wake of Israel's invasion."

She's been active in the Green Party since 2002, running as the Green Party candidate for Minneapolis mayor in 2005 and coming in third in the primary. She also ran for a state House seat last year.

Strand is treasurer of the 3rd Congressional District Green Party and a founding member of the Lavender Green Caucus, which represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of the party.

He said:

"I am particularly interested in further expanding the party's activism, positions, and policies on issues relative to those both within and those exiting our nation's criminal 'justice' system. There are so many barriers to reintegration and this year alone more than 2 million people will be leaving our nation's prisons. There is much federal, state and local public policy which is overly punitive towards those who have served their time for their offenses and very little public policy supporting successful reintegration and preventing recidivism."

The other national co-chairs are: Mike Feinstein, California, and Jason Nabewaniec, New York.