Eleanor Finch
In 2018, a meme began circulating on Facebook claiming that three Muslim women, including Ilhan Omar, refused to take the oath of office and uphold the US Constitution. However, this claim is false. Ilhan Omar, a Muslim American Democrat from Minnesota, was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, using the Quran that belonged to her grandfather. Furthermore, Omar previously participated in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota state House of Representatives in 2017, demonstrating her commitment to upholding the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Ilhan Omar |
| Date of Birth | October 4, 1982 |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Political Party | Democratic Party |
| Position | U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District |
| Term | 2019 - Present |
| Previous Position | Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives |
| Previous Term | 2017 - 2019 |
| Oath of Office | Sworn in using the Quran |
| Constitutional Obligation | To support and defend the Constitution of the United States |
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What You'll Learn
Ilhan Omar took the oath of office using a Quran
Ilhan Omar, a Muslim American Democrat from Minnesota, was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, using a Quran that belonged to her grandfather. She was the first person to wear the hijab in the US Congress.
Omar took the oath of office as a member of the US House of Representatives alongside Rashida Tlaib, who also used a Quran during her swearing-in ceremony. Both Omar and Tlaib were the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.
Contrary to claims circulating on social media, Omar did not refuse to take the oath of office or uphold the US Constitution. In fact, according to 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."
Furthermore, there is no requirement to use a Bible or any specific religious text to take the oath of office. Representatives usually take an oath on the first day of a new Congress, first as a group without any books or props, and then individually with the option to use a religious text. In 1825, former President John Quincy Adams swore his oath on a law book, and in 2013, US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a Hindu, swore on a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
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Omar is the first Somali-American in the US Congress
Ilhan Omar is the first Somali-American to be elected to the US Congress. She is also one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, alongside Rashida Tlaib. Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and spent her early years in Baidoa, Somalia. She fled her war-torn country as a child and lived in a refugee camp in Kenya before relocating to the United States.
Omar has been the target of derogatory comments and death threats from political opponents, including former US President Donald Trump. Trump made false and misleading claims about Omar, including allegations that she praised al-Qaeda and "smeared" American soldiers. In response, Omar accused Trump of stoking white nationalism.
Despite the challenges, Omar has remained hopeful and dedicated to making a change. She has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, and the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. She has also been a frequent critic of Israel's settlement policies and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in American politics.
On January 3, 2019, Omar was sworn into the House of Representatives using a Quran that belonged to her grandfather. This sparked controversy, with some claiming that she had broken the law by using a religious text other than the Bible. However, it is important to note that the Constitution does not require the use of any specific text for the oath of office, and members of Congress have the option to use an Affirmation instead of a religious oath.
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She is the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota
In 2018, a meme started circulating on Facebook claiming that three Muslim women had refused to take the oath of office and uphold the US Constitution. However, this was proven to be false. Only two Muslim women, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, took the oath of office as members of the US House of Representatives in January 2019.
Ilhan Omar, a Muslim American Democrat from Minnesota, was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, using the Quran that belonged to her grandfather. This led to claims that she had broken the law, as she took the oath on a religious text recognizing Sharia Law, which is in direct conflict with the US Constitution. However, these claims are false, as the Constitution does not require the use of a Bible or any specific religious text for the oath of office.
Ilhan Omar is the first woman of colour to serve as a US representative from Minnesota. She is also the first Somali American elected to the US Congress and one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar has served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019 and has advocated for various progressive policies, including a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, and student loan debt forgiveness. She has also been a frequent critic of Israel, supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and denouncing its settlement policies and military campaigns in occupied Palestinian territories.
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Omar is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress
Ilhan Omar is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. She 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. Omar is the first Somali American in the United States Congress and the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota. She is also the first person to wear the hijab in the US Congress.
Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 4, 1982, and spent her early years in Baidoa, Somalia. Her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, is an ethnic Somali from the Osman Mohamud sub-clan of Majeerteen, a clan in Northeastern Somalia. Her mother, Fadhuma Abukar Haji Hussein, a Benadiri, died when Omar was two. She was raised by her father and grandfather, who were moderate Sunni Muslims opposed to the rigid Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Omar's family fled Somalia to escape the Somali Civil War and spent four years in a refugee camp in Garissa County, Kenya, near the Somali border. They secured asylum in the U.S. and arrived in New York in 1995, eventually settling in Minneapolis.
Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing part of Minneapolis. She has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Omar has been a frequent critic of Israel, supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and denouncing Israel's settlement policies and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In December 2018, a meme circulated on Facebook claiming that three 'Muslim congresswomen' had refused to take the oath of office and uphold the constitution. This was false, as Omar and Rashida Tlaib were the only two Muslim women elected to serve in the House of Representatives at the time. Omar took the oath of office on January 3, 2019, using a Quran that belonged to her grandfather. While some claimed that using a Quran broke the law, this is not true, as the Constitution does not require the use of any specific religious text for the oath.
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She previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives
Ilhan Omar 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 legislator in the United States and the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota. Omar and her family fled Somalia's civil war when she was eight. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the United States in the 1990s. In 1997, she moved to Minneapolis with her family. As a teenager, Omar's grandfather inspired her to get involved in politics.
Omar ran on the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) ticket for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 60B, which includes part of northeast Minneapolis. On August 9, 2016, Omar defeated Mohamud Noor and incumbent Phyllis Kahn in the DFL primary. Her chief opponent in the general election was Republican nominee Abdimalik Askar, another activist in the Somali-American community. In late August, Askar announced his withdrawal from the campaign. In November, Omar won the general election, becoming the first Somali-American legislator in the United States. Her term began on January 3, 2017. During her tenure as a state representative for District 60B, Omar was an assistant minority leader for the DFL caucus. She authored 38 bills during the 2017–2018 legislative session.
In 2018, Republican state representative Steve Drazkowski publicly accused Omar of campaign finance violations, claiming that she used campaign funds to pay a divorce lawyer. Omar's campaign sent a statement saying, "all of Rep. Omar's tax filings are fully compliant with all applicable tax law." On June 5, 2018, Omar filed to run for the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota's 5th congressional district after six-term incumbent Keith Ellison announced he would not seek reelection. She was endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party after two rounds of voting. Omar won the August 14 primary with 48.2% of the vote. She faced health care worker and conservative activist Jennifer Zielinski in the November 6 general election and won with 78.0% of the vote.
Omar was sworn into office in January 2019, making her the first African refugee to become a Member of Congress, the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. She is also the first Somali American in the United States Congress. As a legislator, Omar is committed to fighting for the shared values of the 5th District, values that put people at the centre of democracy. She plans to focus on issues such as investing in education, ensuring a fair wage, creating a just immigration system, and tackling climate change. Omar is the Vice-Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee and serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee, where she is a member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, Pensions (HELP). She is the Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Vice Chair of Medicare For All Caucus.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Ilhan Omar took the oath to uphold the US Constitution. She was sworn into the House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, using the Quran that belonged to her grandfather.
No, Ilhan Omar did not break the law by using the Quran to take the oath. The Constitution does not require the use of a Bible, or any religious text, and the oath can be replaced with a secular affirmation.
No, Ilhan Omar did not refuse to take the oath to uphold the US Constitution. She previously participated in a swearing-in ceremony when she became a member of the Minnesota state House of Representatives in 2017.
Yes, Ilhan Omar took the oath of office as a member of the US House of Representatives. She is the US representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district and has served since 2019.
