Ilhan Omar | |
|---|---|
_A.jpg) Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Keith Ellison |
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 60B district | |
| In office January 2, 2017 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Phyllis Kahn |
| Succeeded by | Mohamud Noor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ilham Abdullahi Omar[1] October 4, 1982 Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, including Isra Hirsi |
| Relatives | Sahra Noor (sister) |
| Education | North Dakota State University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website |
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party.[6] Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing part of Minneapolis. Her congressional district includes all of Minneapolis and some of its first-ring suburbs.
Omar serves as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A frequent critic of Israel, Omar supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has denounced Israel's settlement policies and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in American politics.[7][8][9] In February 2023, the Republican-controlled House voted to remove Omar from her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, citing past comments she had made about Israel and concerns over her objectivity.[10]
Omar is the first Somali American in the United States Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota. She is also one of the first two Muslim women (along with Rashida Tlaib) to serve in Congress.[11][12] She has been the target of derogatory comments by political opponents, including Donald Trump, as a result of her background. She has also been the target of several death threats.[13][14]
- ^ Ilhan Omar [@IlhanMN] (October 17, 2020). "#MyNameIs Ilham, I prefer Ilhan. I never liked the M sound. It means "Inspiration" in Arabic. My father named me Ilham and inspired me to lead a life of service to others. In his honor I am voting for an inspirational ticket over desperate and maddening one" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Forliti, Amy (June 11, 2019). "Rep. Omar filed joint tax returns before she married husband". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Sheehy, Kate (August 28, 2019). "Inside Ilhan Omar's tangled web of relationships". Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ Van Oot, Torey (November 5, 2019). "Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar finalizes divorce". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "US Rep. Ilhan Omar divorces husband in Minnesota". Associated Press. November 5, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Golden, Erin (November 7, 2018). "Ilhan Omar makes history, becoming first Somali-American elected to U.S. House". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (April 16, 2019). "For Democrats, Ilhan Omar Is a Complicated Figure to Defend". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ Kotch, Alex (February 13, 2019). "Ilhan Omar is right about the influence of the Israel lobby". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- ^ Sasley, Brent (February 12, 2019). "What the controversy over Ilhan Omar's tweets tells us about AIPAC today". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- ^ Schapitl, Lexie (February 2, 2023). "House Republicans vote to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee". NPR. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ O'Grady, Siobhán (November 7, 2018). "Trump demonized Somali refugees in Minnesota. One of them just won a seat in Congress". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019.
- ^ "NDSU Fall 2011 Graduates" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2018.
- ^ Gessen, Masha (April 15, 2019). "The Dangerous Bullying of Ilhan Omar". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- ^ "Ilhan Omar reveals racist threat to shoot her at state fair". BBC News. August 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
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