EXPERT: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019. She of the first two Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress and an advocate for progressive policies, known for her vocal support for issues such as healthcare reform, immigration reform, and social justice.
Representative Ilhan Omar served as the US State Representative for Minnesota during Donald Trump’s presidency. As one of the first Muslim women to sit in the House of Representatives, she explains the impact of Islamophobia on her life and her politics. She describes being targeted by Donald Trump, and how she has become a figurehead for anti-Muslim hate in the USA. She talks about the aftermath of his attacks where she, her family and her staff were threatened, drawing connections between his rhetoric and political violence. She raises concerns about the impacts of this for America’s minorities and how this shapes America’s political culture. She describes the impacts of this climate upon America’s Muslims and the toll it takes upon those who have escaped authoritarian regimes. She shapes the impacts of this upon participation in politics for American Muslims within a media context that misrepresents Islam and Muslims.