Rep. Ilhan Omar (Leopaltik1242)

When Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was first elected to the most diverse Congress in history, I knew she was going to face a lot of pushback from the GOP. Omar checks multiple boxes. She’s non-white, she’s a former refugee from Somali and she’s Muslim. She also wears a hijab. Cue the right-wing outrage. Since the Republican Party has adopted an overtly Christian white nationalist agenda, it was expected that they would attack her with both barrels. And I haven’t been disappointed.

Let’s recount just a few of the insults:

Even before she was elected, she was attacked by Minnesota Republicans who said that she was planning to “enslave white people,” even though she represents a district that’s 67 percent white. They also accused her of trying to implement Sharia law and being a “jihadi.” According to City Pages, state Representatives Kathy Lohmer (R-Stillwater) and Cindy Pugh (R-Chanhassen) claimed Muslims were trying to “infiltrate” the GOP.

Pastor E.W. Jackson, a black Republican who’s only famous for losing political races, said Omar’s entry into Congress would make America look like an “Islamic Republic.” Omar responded by tweeting, “Well sir, the floor of Congress is going to look like America. And you’re gonna have to just deal.”

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) freaked out when he discovered Omar was going to serve on the House Foreign Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations. He said, “Crazy to watch what House Dems are empowering/elevating.” However, Omar’s foreign language skills and international perspective make her a perfect candidate to offer her opinion on American foreign policy, instead of another middle-aged white man, who’s never left the country and only speaks English. Omar again responded with a sharp quote. “Don’t mind him, he is just waking up to the reality of having Muslim women as colleagues who know how to stand up to bullies!” she said.

Instead of being met with bigotry and suspicion, Omar’s story should be celebrated. She arrived in America as a refugee, learned to speak English, went to college and worked her way up through the political system. She’s the opposite of billionaire candidates, who made a ton of money in the corporate world, and somehow think that qualifies them to run the entire country.

Yes, she’s a Muslim, which she signifies by wearing a head covering. Catholic nuns and Jews also wear religious head coverings and no one seems to have a problem with that. She’s like millions of other Muslims who are embedded into the fabric of American society. They’re doctors, lawyers, computer programmers, soldiers and teachers.

People like Omar are the antithesis of what ISIS and Al-Qaeda stand for. She’s an educated woman, who wears leg-baring skirts and holds a high-ranking position in the government. They hate her as much as they hate hard-core white nationalist Republicans, who’d like to nuke the entire Middle East.

Unfortunately, too many Americans, and Republicans, in particular, seem to think that being a Muslim automatically means you’re a terrorist. The Tarrant County GOP in North Texas recently held an election to decide if they should eject Shahid Shafi, a trauma surgeon, from his position as vice-chair. The reason? Simply because he was Muslim. This open bigotry even embarrassed some Republicans. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said, “religious freedom is at the core of who we are as a nation and state.” Thankfully, Texas Republicans voted to allow Shafi to remain in his position.

However, thinking all Muslims are terrorists is lazy and stereotypical thinking. While 9–11 was a horrific, life-changing event it was committed by a small group of Muslim extremists, who are loathed by much of the faith. Many law enforcement officials now say the biggest terrorist threat is internally from right-wing militants.

People like Omar are the antithesis of what ISIS and Al-Qaeda stand for. She’s an educated woman, who wears leg-baring skirts and holds a high-ranking position in the government. They hate her as much as they hate hard-core white nationalist Republicans, who’d like to nuke the entire Middle East.

The Saudia Arabian government, that often sits on the fence when it comes to dealing with the West and nurturing Islamic fundamentalists, also don’t like her. They’re not exactly fans of women who want to exercise their rights and sit at the table with men. The last thing they want is Omar giving their women, who are treated like second-class citizens, ideas.

And the Saudis should fear Omar. She’s been of a critic of the Kingdom’s authoritarian policies, it’s alleged murder of Jamal Khashoggi and its war on Yemen. The Saudis’ have struck back through their state-sponsored media, Al Arabiya, who claimed Omar was “anti-Saudi.”

So Omar has the unique position of being hated by the Saudi Arabian government and white-wing Republicans. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.” And judging Omar by the enemies she’s made, she off to a good start.