Ilhan Omar
For centuries, Black Muslims in the US have been simultaneously hypervisible as hostile, dangerous agents intent on sabotaging American society as well as completely ignored in politics and deprived of any input in their treatment and governance. In 2018, Ilhan Omar, alongside Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, became one of the first Muslim American woman to be elected to US Congress as a representative of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Breaking down even more barriers, she was the first naturalized citizen from Africa and the first Somali-American to be in Congress. Once in office, Omar has been among the House of Representatives’ foremost advocates for a range of progressive policy stances including corporate tax reform, comprehensive environmental protections, college debt forgiveness, and Medicare for All. She is a voice for Black Muslim women and a prominent beacon of resistance against the white Christian male status quo of Washington. However, only a few months into her tenure, Omar became the target of widespread criticism and harassment as a result of her strong, unfaltering support of the Palestinian people and Muslim American rights.
Omar has received criticism and outrage from Democrats and Republicans alike as a result of her outspoken Muslim American advocacy, support for BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction), and in particular, daring criticism of the outsized political influence wielded by pro-Israel lobbying groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Through a series of tweets in February of 2019, Omar said, in reference to AIPAC, that “it’s all about the Benjamins.” While clearly using song lyrics to reference the millions of dollars spent by lobbying groups to generate support for Israel in Washington, politicians and media figures from both sides of the aisle accused the Congresswoman of using anti-semitic tropes, with many—including much of the Democratic Party establishment—calling for her removal from her committee assignments and even from her seat entirely.
It should come as no surprise that criticism of Israel is taboo for a mainstream politician, as Democratic and Republican leadership have maintained close ties and engagement with pro-Israel organizations such as AIPAC. However, it is particularly telling that Ilhan Omar, a Black Muslim woman, has come under such intense attack. It illustrates the pervasive sense of otherness that undergirds many Americans’ views towards Muslim Americans. To many, Muslims have been painted as dangerous, backwards barbarians that have no place in America, let alone American government. Black Americans—especially Black women—likewise have a long history of being shut out of political discourse regarding issues that disproportionately harm people of color. Thus, a strong Black woman who not only takes pride in her Muslim identity but was born in Somalia is a a source of fear and suspicion that many Republicans as well as Democrats feel empowered to criticize and condemn to a degree that not even overt white supremacists such as Representative Steve King (R-IA) have been faced with. To truly understand the extent to which Muslims, people of color, and women have been shut out of politics, one must examine the ways in which Ilhan Omar’s status as a Muslim refugee and a woman of color have opened her up to specious criticisms of antisemitism and racism.
Sources:
First Muslim women elected to Congress
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Ilhan Omar’s Progressive Policy Platform
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Political Ramifications of the Twitter Controversy
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Democrats’ and Republicans’ close ties to Israel
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Cultural, Social, and Political status of Muslims through History
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