Ilhan Omar

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Ilhan Omar (2018)

Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982 in Mogadishu , Somalia ) is an American activist and politician of the Democratic Party . She has been a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota since January 2019 .

Family, education and work

Omar was born in Somalia as the youngest of eight children. When she was eight, her family fled the Somali civil war and initially lived in a refugee camp in Kenya, East Africa . She immigrated to the United States in 1995 and obtained US citizenship at the age of 17 . She attended Edison High School in Minneapolis and graduated in 2011 studying ( Political Science and International Studies ) at the North Dakota State University . Since 2015 she has been Director of Policy & Initiatives for the Women Organizing Women Network .

She is married and has three children. Her daughter, Isra Hirsi, is one of the three main organizers of Fridays for Future demonstrations in the United States.

Omar's father died of COVID-19 in June 2020 .

Political career

In November 2016, Omar was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. In September 2017, Time Magazine featured Omar on the front page and listed her under "Firsts: Women who are changing the world" as one of 46 women who had overcome limits in their respective disciplines.

Omar was her party's nominee for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in the 2018 United States House of Representatives election. Since her election victory, she is the first US woman from Somalia and the first Muslim (along with Rashida Tlaib ) to be elected to Congress . Tlaib and Omar took the oath of office on the Koran . In order to enable her to wear a headscarf in the House of Representatives, the Democrats successfully applied in November 2018 to lift the ban on religious headgear in force there.

Since the election, she has appeared in a group known as The Squad with fellow friends Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib . Since January 2019, she has been a member of the Budget Committee , the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Committee on International Relations in the House of Representatives . Omar spoke out in favor of Bernie Sanders ahead of the Democratic Party's presidential primaries in 2020 (" endorsement ").

Left progressive positions

The four members of the squad, including Omar, are considered part of the far left and progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Even if, unlike Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib, she is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America , Omar identifies herself as a democratic socialist , but not with the term socialist, while she still represents socialist ideals and positions critical of capitalism. Omar supports plans to eliminate tuition and student debt, health insurance for everyone, and a minimum hourly wage of $ 15. Omar advocates for discriminated groups, for human, women's and LGBT rights. She supports Marriage for All , the Equality Act, and efforts to ban conversion therapies . In 2018 it was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign , whereupon it affirmed in a statement: "I will in Washington DC: fight for LGBTQIA + rights."

Immigration and Foreign Policy

Omar's immigration policy is primarily about ensuring that immigration and immigrants should not be criminalized. It supports the abolition of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement , the protection of Sanctuary Cities and a legal path to citizenship for so-called Dreamer . She condemned Trump's plans for a border wall and the separation of immigrant families as xenophobic and racist, but she also criticized Obama's policy of imprisoning children at the border and bombing other countries with drones. In June 2019, the four members of the Squad were the only Democrats to vote against a Border Funding Bill, a bill to fund the United States Customs and Border Protection for health care for inmates. Omar argued that this draft would give money to the organization that commits and guides human rights violations at the border.

Omar is critical of military foreign policy and calls for a reduction in military spending, for which money always seems to be there. She describes her own attitude as follows: “I am against war on principle because I survived a war. I am also against intervention. ”Therefore, she also criticized the interference and sanctions in Central America, specifically in Venezuela during its presidential crisis in 2019, in which Trump recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president. She said Trump's policies in Venezuela are aimed at regime change and add to the unrest and devastation in the country, calling it a US-backed coup attempt. In April, Omar and Ocasio-Cortez, along with Senator Rand Paul , wrote a letter to support Trump's announcement that US troops would be withdrawn from Syria .

She also spoke out against Saudi Arabia , China and the Assad regime in Syria for violating human rights .

In March 2019, Omar published a comment in the Washington Post setting out its foreign policy and emphasizing as a principle that the United States must apply its universal values ​​of freedom, peace and human rights to both its friends and its enemies. It also explained its position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , in which it supports a two-state solution .

On October 29, Omar did not vote in favor of a statement by the House of Representatives recognizing the Armenian genocide as such, but abstained, for which she was sharply criticized by Armenian interest representatives, among others. She justified this by saying that voting should not be used for political purposes but should be based on academic consensus outside of politics. In addition, true recognition of genocide should include those committed by the United States, such as the Native American genocide , which is criticized as whataboutism . She later made it clear on Twitter that she recognized the genocide, and shared this position with historian David M. Perry. She went on to say that one should consistently demand accountability for human rights violations, not just when it suits political goals.

Allegations of anti-Semitism

Omar was accused of anti-Semitism . She had called Israel an " apartheid state" on several occasions and also claimed that it had "hypnotized the world". She always rejected the allegations directed against her. In August 2018, she spoke out against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and advocated the two-state solution , but after her successful election in November she declared herself to be a supporter of the BDS campaign. In August 2018, in an interview with Al Jazeera , Omar expressed the opinion that Americans should be “more afraid of white men” than of Islamist terrorists . She called for white men to be “ profiled ” and “ monitored ” in order to prevent their “radicalization”.

In February 2019, Omar made two comments on Twitter that were interpreted as allegations against Kevin McCarthy ( R ) and other congressmen that they were being paid by lobby groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). McCarthy had previously compared her to Republican Congressman Steve King (R), who describes himself as a nationalist and is known for extreme, conservative political positions. Nancy Pelosi ( D ) condemned Omar's remarks in a statement endorsed by Democratic leaders including Steny Hoyer , Jim Clyburn , Ben Ray Luján , Hakeem Jeffries and Katherine Clark . Donald Trump then called for Omar's expulsion from the Committee on International Relations and her resignation as a member of parliament.

For her part, Omar stated that it was never her intention to insult American Jews as a whole. However, she stressed the political influence of lobby organizations, comparing AIPAC to the National Rifle Association and the oil, gas and coal industries. In the 2018 elections, pro-Israel lobby groups (including AIPAC) and donors (such as Sheldon Adelson ) had spent more than $ 22 million on lobbying and election donations. Democratic Party leaders who criticized Omar and asked for an apology had received large sums of money from pro-Israel lobby organizations, including Pelosi $ 514,000 in their careers and Hoyer $ 1.02 million.

On August 15, 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu barred her and Tlaib from an American delegation visit ; they were not allowed to enter Israel, which was attributed to a tweet made by Donald Trump on the same day.

Threats and harassment

Attacks by Donald Trump

On April 12, 2019, Trump posted an edited video on Twitter that had Omar's statement, "Someone did something," made in March in connection with racial discrimination after 9/11 , so out of context that it seemed as if she were playing down the terrorist attacks. House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi asked the police to increase protection for Omar.

In July, Donald Trump insulted the four female non-white members of the squad without naming them. They had all criticized his politics as "racist". Trump announced via short message service that they should "go back to their countries with corrupt governments" and help to build them. Observers assume that Omar was meant in particular, who became a US citizen at the age of 17; the others were all born in the United States. Omar replied that Trump was thereby fueling white nationalism. The House of Representatives officially condemned Trump's statement as racist. As a result, Trump made several false claims against Omar designed to portray her as anti-American and pro-Islamist. He spread the word that she was married to her brother, that she had blasphemed against US soldiers, extolled Al Qaeda and showed compassion for ISIS. Statements at a rally on July 17th led to "send her back" chants among his supporters.

In September, Trump posted a claim that Omar celebrated and danced at a 9/11 memorial service. According to Omar, he put her life in danger.

Death threats

In February 2019, the FBI arrested US Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Paul Hasson , who allegedly planned attacks on media representatives and politicians, including Omar. In March, the FBI was investigating a graffiti threat containing the words "Assassinate Ilhan Omar" sprayed on a gas station toilet door in Rogers, Minnesota . In late August, Omar published an anonymous death threat against her, saying she was being protected by security forces. On November 28, 2019, Twitter suspended the account of Republican Danielle Stella, who will compete against Omar for the following year after she wrote that Omar should be tried for treason and hanged if she was told to divulge classified information to Iran could prove.

In April 2019, Patrick Carlineo Jr., who claims to be a Trump supporter, was arrested after threatening Omar in a phone call to her office. On November 19, 2019, Carlineo pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Omar and also confessed to illegal gun possession. Omar wrote a letter to the judge in charge asking for compassion instead of retribution and restorative justice instead of a punitive approach. A long prison sentence might not rehabilitate Carlineo, but instead intensify his hatred and bitterness. Carlineo received a one-year prison sentence in March 2020.

media

Omar can be seen in the music video for Girls Like You by the band Maroon 5 . The documentary Time for Ilhan was released in 2018 and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival . The film was awarded a Creative Arts Daytime Emmy in 2019 .

Web links

Commons : Ilhan Omar  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ^ Omar, Ilhan - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present. Retrieved August 17, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b Young, Muslim, native. In: tagesschau.de. November 7, 2018, accessed November 7, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Alejandra Borunda: These young activists are striking to save their planet from climate change . In: National Geographic . March 13, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  4. ↑ Aishwarya Nair: Rep. Ilhan Omar's father dies due to coronavirus. Reuters , June 16, 2020, accessed June 16, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Olivia Blair: Ilhan Omar: Former refugee is elected as America's first Somali-American Muslim woman legislator . In: Independent . November 9, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  6. ↑ Jaime Delage: Minneapolis Rep. Ilhan Omar featured on Time Magazine cover . In: Twin Cities Pioneer Press , August 15, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 8 2017. 
  7. ^ Tania Karas: Two reps were sworn in on the Quran. It's a symbolic moment for Muslim Americans. . In: PRI . January 3, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ Ilhan Omar makes history: She is the first woman in the US Congress to wear a headscarf
  9. ↑ Manuel Behrens: "The Squad": These four women take on Donald Trump . In: Hannoversche Allgemeine . July 16, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ OFFICIAL ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES . In: clerk.house.gov . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  11. ↑ Gregory Krieg and Annie Grayer CNN: Rashida Tlaib joins Ocasio-Cortez, Omar in endorsing Bernie Sanders. Retrieved November 15, 2019 .
  12. ↑ The Reds Are coming-& They're Young, Female, and Determined To Win America's Heartland . In: Refinery29 . October 10, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  13. ↑ Is Ilhan Omar Donald Trump's worst nightmare? . In: The Intercept . September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019: “So for me, what I say to that is I believe in not having extra titles so I am a Democrat. But the ideals of socialism is one that is deep in my values ​​and so I think as Democrats, we all share serious socialism ideals about providing for people and caring about our communities and making sure that government is held accountable in providing for its citizens. "
  14. ^ Ilhan for Congress - Economic Justice . In: ilhanomar.com . Retrieved September 30, 2019: “The capitalist system has led to a concentration of wealth in a small handful of elites while working people suffer. We must stop the exploitation of working people to create a fair and just economy. "
  15. ↑ Jeff Stein: Sanders proposes canceling entire $ 1.6 trillion in US student loan debt, escalating Democratic policy battle . In: The Washington Post . June 24, 2019. Accessed September 30, 2019.
  16. ^ Provide Healthcare Coverage for All . In: ilhanomar.com . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  17. ↑ Erika Berry: The Country's First Somali-American Legislator and Her Politics of Inclusivity . In: PacificStandard . July 11, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2019: "She was one of the first supporters of the Minneapolis bill backing a $ 15 minimum wage"
  18. ↑ Human Rights Campaign Endorses Ilhan Omar for United States Congress (MN-05) . October 8, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  19. ^ Create A Just Immigration System . In: ilhanomar.com . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  20. ↑ Jeffrey Cimmino: Ilhan Omar Denounces Trump's 'Racist and Sinful Big Wall' . In: The Washington Free Beacon . January 16, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  21. ^ Jason Le Miere: Ilhan Omar Rebuke's Barack Obama for 'Caging of Kids' and 'Droning of Countries Around the World' . In: Newsweek . March 8, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  22. ↑ Julie Grace Brufke: The four House Democrats who voted against the Border Funding Bill . In: The Hill . June 25, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  23. ↑ Emily Witt: How Ilhan Omar Won Over Hearts in Minnesota's Fifth . In: The New Yorker . August 15, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  24. ↑ Tessa Stuart: Ilhan Omar on finding her way in Washington . In: RollingStone . February 27, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  25. ↑ CLark Mindock: Ilhan Omar says US 'helped lead devastation in Venezuela' through regime change sanctions . In: The Independent . May 2, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  26. ↑ Alex Daugherty: New liberals in Congress call Trump's Venezuela action 'a US backed coup' . In: Miami Herald . January 25, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  27. ↑ Alexander Bolton: Rand Paul teams up with Ocasio-Cortez, Omar to press Trump on Syria withdrawal . In: The Hill . April 3, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  28. ↑ Sam Brodey: Who's afraid of Ilhan Omar? Saudi Arabia, for one . In: MinnPost . December 18, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  29. ↑ Moustafa Bouyami: Ilhan Omar has become the target of a dangerous hate campaign . In: The Guardian . April 12, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  30. ↑ Seth J. Frantzman: Ilhan Omar accused of supporting AIPAC after critiquing Assad . In: Jerusalem Post . March 18, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  31. ↑ Ilhan Omar: Ilhan Omar: We must apply our universal values ​​to all nations. Only then will we achieve peace. . In: The Washington Post . March 17, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  32. ^ Daniel Arkin: Ilhan Omar faces blowback after voting 'present' on Armenian genocide resolution . In: NBC News . October 30, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  33. ↑ Jeanine Santucci: Ilhan Omar responds to criticism for her 'present' vote on Armenian genocide resolution . In: USA Today . October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  34. ↑ DJene Bajalan, Michael Brooks: Ilhan Omar and the Turkey Question . In: Jacobin . Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  35. ^ David M. Perry: This Is Not How You Show Solidarity . In: The Nation . October 31, 2019. Retrieved on November 3, 2019: “Of course we should acknowledge the Genocide. [... W] e should demand accountability for human rights abuses consistently, not simply when it suits our political goals. "
  36. ↑ Muslim Candidate for Congress Calls Israel 'Apartheid Regime'
  37. ↑ No, BDS Is Not Anti-Semitic, And Neither Is Ilhan Omar.
  38. ↑ Hands Off Ilhan Omar: Angela Davis & Black Women Leaders Defend Congresswoman from Attacks. May 1, 2019, accessed May 4, 2019 .
  39. ↑ At CD-5 Forum, DFL Frontrunners Back 2-State Solution, Oppose BDS
  40. ↑ With Election Now Over, Ilhan Omar Voices BDS Support - TC Jewfolk. In: tcjewfolk.com. November 15, 2018, accessed August 15, 2019 .
  41. ↑ Mark Moore: Rep. Ilhan Omar suggests people should be 'more fearful of white men' than jihadists in a 2018 interview. In: New York Post. July 25, 2019, accessed on July 27, 2019 .
  42. ^ The controversy over Ilhan Omar and AIPAC money, explained
  43. ↑ Steve King asks how terms 'white nationalist' and 'white supremacist' became offensive
  44. ^ Democratic Leadership Statement on Anti-Semitic Comments of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
  45. ↑ Trump on Rep. Ilhan Omar's Anti-Semitic Comments: 'I Think She Should Resign from Congress'
  46. ^ Benjamin Siegel: Rep. Ilhan Omar apologizes after Democratic leaders condemn 'anti-Semitic comments' on Twitter. In: ABC. February 11, 2019, accessed on February 11, 2019 .
  47. ↑ a b Tom Perkins: Pro-Israel donors spent over $ 22m on lobbying and contributions in 2018 The Guardian , February 15, 2019.
  48. ↑ Raphael Ahren: And then Trump tweeted - why Israel suddenly decided to bar 2 US congress women . In: The Times of Israel . August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  49. ↑ Gigi Sukin: Trump tweets altered video of Ilhan Omar belittling 9/11 . In: Axios . April 13, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  50. ↑ Felicia Sonmez: Pelosi asks Capitol Police to step up security for Omar after Trump's 9/11 tweet . In: The Washington Post . April 14, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  51. ↑ Trump's Racism Hit A New Level As He Told Four Congresswomen To “Go Back” To Their “Broken” Countries. Retrieved July 15, 2019 .
  52. ^ Trump to congress women of color: Leave the US . In: BBC News . July 15, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  53. ↑ Tim Mak: House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments' . In: npr . July 16, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  54. ↑ Lauren Aratani: How Trump distorts facts to make Ilhan Omar seem like an enemy to the US . In: The Guardian . July 18, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  55. ^ Scott McDonald: Trump Slams Progressive Democrat Women, Talks 'Bulls ** t' at the North Carolina Rally . In: Newsweek . July 17, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  56. ↑ Ken Meyer: Ilhan Omar Accuses Trump of Putting Her Life in Danger After He Retweets False Claim She Partied on 9/11 . In: Mediaite . September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  57. ^ Rep. Ilhan Omar on hit list of Coast Guard lieutenant arrested last week . In: Fox9 . February 20, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  58. ^ Deanna Less: FBI looking into graffiti death threat against US Rep. Ilhan Omar . In: TwinCities.com . March 4, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  59. ↑ Ilhan Omar reveals racist threat to shoot her at state fair . In: BBC News . August 29, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  60. ↑ Aris Folley: Omar challenger banned from Twitter over post saying she 'should be tried for treason and hanged' . In: The Hill . November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  61. ↑ Amanda Sakuma: Trump attacks Rep. Ilhan Omar hours after a supporter was charged with threatening to kill her . In: Vox . April 7, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  62. ↑ Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening To Kill Rep. Ilhan Omar . In: Huffpost . November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  63. ^ Sarah Ruiz-Grossman: Ilhan Omar Asks Judge For 'Compassion' In Sentencing Man Who Threatened Her Life . In: Huffpost . November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  64. ↑ Natacha Larnaud: Man sentenced to 1 year in prison for threatening to "put a bullet" in Ilhan Omar's skull . In: CBS News . March 11, 2020. Accessed March 11, 2020.
  65. ^ Rep. Omar Appears In New Maroon 5 Music Video . May 31, 2018. Accessed September 30, 2019.
  66. ↑ 'Time for Ilhan': Film Review Tribeca 2018 . In: The Hollywood Reporter . April 27, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  67. ^ Time for Ilhan . In: Good Docs . Retrieved October 2, 2019.
personal data
SURNAME Omar, Ilhan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Omar, Ilhan Abdullahi (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician (Democratic Party)
DATE OF BIRTH 4th October 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH Mogadishu , Somalia