Malcolm Rivera
In 2018, a viral meme circulated on social media claiming that three Muslim congresswomen, including Ilhan Omar, had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the US Constitution. However, this claim was false. Congresswoman Omar, along with Rashida Tlaib, was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, becoming one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. Omar took the oath of office, swearing to support and defend the Constitution, and has since introduced resolutions affirming constitutional rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Ilhan Abdullahi Omar |
| Date of Birth | October 4, 1982 |
| Political Party | Democratic Party |
| Religion | Muslim |
| District Represented | Minnesota's 5th congressional district |
| Year Elected to Congress | 2018 |
| Year Assumed Office | 2019 |
| Previous Office | Minnesota House of Representatives |
| Sworn in on | Quran |
| False Claims | Refused to take the oath of office to uphold the constitution |
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What You'll Learn
Ilhan Omar's swearing-in ceremony
Omar chose to use a commemorative copy of the Quran for the ceremonial aspect of the event, becoming the second person to do so after Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim U.S. congressman. The use of the Quran during the ceremony was a symbolic moment for Muslim Americans.
In December 2018, a meme started circulating on Facebook claiming that three 'Muslim congresswomen', including Omar, had refused to take the oath of office and uphold the Constitution. However, this was not true, and Omar did participate in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota state House of Representatives.
On 3 January 2019, Omar was sworn into the House of Representatives, using the Quran that belonged to her grandfather. This was the official swearing-in ceremony, during which no religious text is used. The ceremonial aspect of the event, during which members can use a religious text, is optional and takes place afterwards.
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False claims about Omar refusing to uphold the Constitution
In December 2018, a meme started circulating on Facebook claiming that three 'Muslim congresswomen' had refused to take their oath of office to uphold the constitution. The meme specifically targeted Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and André Carson, the three Muslim members of the 116th Congress, which was scheduled to be sworn in on 3 January 2019. The meme falsely asserted that the three women refused to take the oath of office, refused to uphold the constitution, and refused to pledge allegiance to America, vowing instead to install Sharia Law.
These claims were entirely false. Firstly, there were only two Muslim women in the 116th Congress, not three. Secondly, both Omar and Tlaib took the oath of office on the first day of the new Congress, swearing to support and defend the Constitution. Thirdly, Omar had previously participated in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota state House of Representatives in 2017, during which she did not refuse to uphold the state constitution.
In response to the false claims, Omar's campaign stated that the "claims in the posts are 'not true.'” Furthermore, Article VI of the Constitution, which requires federally elected officials to be "bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution," stipulates that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." This means that there is no requirement for officials to swear their oath of office on a Bible, and members of Congress have used other texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Koran, without breaking the law.
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Omar's use of the Quran during her swearing-in
Ilhan Omar, a Muslim American Democrat from Minnesota, was sworn into the House of Representatives on 3 January 2019, using a Quran that belonged to her grandfather. She and Rashida Tlaib, who also used a Quran during her swearing-in ceremony, became the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.
Before the ceremony, a viral meme circulated on social media claiming that three Muslim congresswomen had refused to take the oath of office to uphold the Constitution. However, this was false, as the swearing-in ceremony for the 116th Congress was scheduled for 3 January 2019, and there were only two Muslim women elected to serve in the House. Furthermore, Omar had previously participated in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota state House of Representatives in 2017 and had not refused to uphold the state constitution during that event.
Following the ceremony, a Facebook post falsely claimed that Omar and Tlaib had broken the law by using a Quran for their swearing-in. However, this was not the case, as the Constitution does not require the use of a specific religious text for the oath of office. While representatives typically take an oath on the first day of a new Congress, the official swearing-in ceremony does not include a religious text. Members can take the oath with their hand on a religious text during a ceremonial swearing-in that follows the official ceremony.
Historically, most members of Congress have sworn the oath on a copy of the Bible. However, in 1825, former President John Quincy Adams swore his oath on a law book, and in 2007, then-Rep.-elect Keith Ellison used former President Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Quran for his swearing-in ceremony. The use of a Quran during a swearing-in ceremony is a symbolic moment for Muslim Americans.
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Omar's previous experience in politics
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, born on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, Somalia, 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. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing part of Minneapolis. She is the first Somali American in the United States Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota. Omar is also one of the first two Muslim women, along with Rashida Tlaib, to serve in Congress.
Omar has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She is a frequent critic of Israel and has denounced its settlement policies and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in American politics. Omar has been the target of derogatory comments from political opponents, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and has received several death threats.
In 2019, Minnesota campaign finance officials ruled that Omar had to pay back $3,500 that she had spent on out-of-state travel and tax filing in violation of state law, along with a $500 fine. The Campaign Finance Board's investigation also found that in 2014 and 2015, Omar had jointly filed taxes with a man she was not legally married to, which is not permitted in Minnesota. Omar has faced accusations of improperly using campaign funds for personal travel, which she dismissed as politically motivated. She has also been accused of lacking transparency regarding her use of campaign funds.
In 2018, a meme circulated on social media claiming that three 'Muslim congresswomen', including Omar, had refused to take the oath of office and uphold the Constitution. This claim was false, as Omar previously participated in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2017. On January 3, 2019, Omar was officially sworn into the House of Representatives, using a Quran that belonged to her grandfather.
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The legal requirements of the swearing-in ceremony
The swearing-in ceremony is a legal requirement for members of Congress. The Constitution outlines that members of Congress "shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this Constitution". The current oath is a product of the 1860s, drafted during the Civil War, and is as follows:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
The oath is administered by the Speaker of the House, who directs the members to rise, and is taken as a group on the House Floor on the opening day of a new Congress. This is followed by a ceremonial swearing-in, during which members can pose for individual photos with the Speaker and place their hand on a religious text. However, this is not a requirement and no religious text is used in the official swearing-in ceremony.
In the past, there has been misinformation spread about Congress members refusing to uphold the Constitution or using religious texts during the official swearing-in ceremony. For example, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was falsely accused of refusing to uphold the Constitution and breaking the law by using a Quran during her swearing-in ceremony. It is important to note that the Constitution does not require the use of any specific religious text, and members are free to use a text of their choice or no text at all.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Ilhan Omar, the Congresswoman representing the 5th District of Minnesota, swore to uphold the Constitution on 3 January 2019.
Yes, Omar used a Quran that belonged to her grandfather during her swearing-in ceremony.
No, Congresswoman Omar did not break the law. While oaths are religious in origin, the Constitution allows for the oath to be replaced with a secular affirmation.
