Young American Woman rises from War through Refugee camp to U.S. Congress

Takes barbs from malicious weak-minded bullies

H

ow many old-line Americans, men or women, young or older—all the bullies and belligerents among them—have traveled so rough a road and stood tall through it all?

Back when she arrived in the USA - 1995

Her classmates stuck gum on her hijab,

Pushed her down stairs,

Jumped her when changing for gym class

 “They are doing something to you because they feel threatened in some way by your existence,” her father told her when students in Northern Virginia schools bullied her for wearing a hijab.

2

4 years later News reports of bullies March 2, 2019

“A poster [erroneously] linking the Muslim lawmaker from Minnesota to the 9/11 attack was reportedly hung in the West Virginia statehouse by Republicans for a ‘Republicans Take the Rotunda’ event. The poster showed a photograph of the Twin Towers in flames with the words, ‘Never forget - you said....’ followed by, ‘I am the proof you have forgotten,’ alongside a photo of (U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan) Omar.”

PressTV felt the need to recap 9/11 for those living on Mars:

“The September, 11, 2001 attacks, also known as the 9/11 attacks, were a series of strikes in the US which killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage.

US officials assert that the attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists.

Many experts have raised questions about the official account. They believe that rogue elements within the US government, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, orchestrated or at least encouraged the 9/11 attacks in order to accelerate the US war machine and advance the Zionist agenda.”

C

ontinuing authentically

From Mogadishu to Minnesota

Ilhan Omar came to the United States the hard way—from a war-torn country, one of the many countries suffering under U.S. occupation, provocation, arming and bombing; and became a U.S. citizen when she was 17 years old (2000).

Back in Somalia, her mother had died when she was two years old and her father and grandfather raised her and taught her “the importance of democracy.” She is said to have accompanied her grandfather to caucus meetings from age 14 and served as his interpreter.

She grew up in a family of teachers and civil servants (not unlike many Americans). The Somali Civil War that began in 1991 forced her family to flee their home and then languish four years amidst the horrors of a Kenyan refugee camp.

In 1995, the U.S. approved and her and her family’s application to be resettled as refugees in the United States. They settled first in Arlington, Virginia; then in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She learned English.

The U.S. Representative from Minnesota, the Honorable Ilhan Omar, born in Mogadishu, Somalia, is a graduate of North Dakota State University (B.A. and B.S. degrees, Fargo, North Dakota).

Before entering the U.S. Congress she was a teacher; campaign manager; non-profit executive; on the staff of the Minnesota Department of Education (2012-2013); on the staff of the Minneapolis City Council (2013-2015); and member of the Minnesota State House of Representatives (2017-2019).

She was elected to the One Hundred Sixteenth U.S. Congress on January 3, 2019.

How many slandering old-line Americans can rise to her road, equal her resume and remain standing?

A

ttributed quotes drawing controversy in brief tenure

Representative Ilhan Omar

The United States should not “hand pick” foreign leaders but should support, where there exists, “efforts to facilitate peaceful dialogue.”

 “I don’t know how my comments would be offensive to Jewish Americans. My comments precisely are addressing what was happening during the Gaza War and I’m clearly speaking about the way the Israeli regime was conducting itself in that war.” Comments in a 2012 tweet the subject of criticism: “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

Then: “I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes….

I reaffirm the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it is AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group advocating pro-Israel policies to the Congress and Executive Branch), the NRA (National Rifle Association of America lobbying group advocating for and against firearms legislation since 1975) or the fossil fuel industry” (“Fossil fuels lobby”— Big Oil companies e.g., ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Total S.A., Chevron Corporation, and ConocoPhillips among the largest corporations associated with the fossil fuels lobby.)

G

ood Company

 American poet, essayist and feminist Adrienne Cecile Rich (May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012):

“When a woman tells the truth, she creates the possibility for more truth around her”

Polish/ Lithuanian (U.S. citizen 1970) poet, prose writer, translator and diplomat Czesław Miłosz (June 30, 1911 –August 14, 2004):

“In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot”

French theologian Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de Lubac SJ known as Henri de Lubac (February 20, 1896   September 4, 1991):

“It’s not sincerity; it is truth which frees us, because it transforms us. It tears us away from our inmost slavery.”

Mississippi writer/novelist, playwright, essayist, poet… William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962):

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion, against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.”

All Americans should be 

proud of

honored by

and take inspiration from

the journey and presence of 

Ilhan Omar.

Sources

News peg

PressTV “Muslim US Congresswoman slams Republicans for linking her to 9/11” March 2, 2019 https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/03/02/589983/Muslim-US-Congresswoman-slams-Republicans-for-linking-her-to-911

OMAR, Ilhan, (1981 - ) at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=O000173

Ilhan Omar at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilhan_Omar

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuels_lobby

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel#Industry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee

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