Omar Bennett
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, an American politician, has served as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019. Omar is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, and her swearing-in ceremony sparked controversy due to her use of the Quran and questions about her commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution. While some have accused Omar of refusing to uphold the Constitution, these claims are unsupported, and Omar has taken the oath of office, swearing to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. Omar has also introduced resolutions affirming the constitutional right to participate in boycotts and has advocated for constitutional amendments to guarantee fundamental human rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ilhan Omar's stance on upholding the US Constitution | Ilhan Omar has stated that she will uphold the US Constitution. She took the oath of office as a member of the US House of Representatives in 2019. |
| Ilhan Omar's political affiliations | Omar is a member of the Democratic Party and serves as the US representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district. She is also the deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. |
| Ilhan Omar's political views | Omar has advocated for progressive policies such as a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, and the protection of DACA. She has also been a frequent critic of Israel and has supported the BDS movement. |
| Ilhan Omar's response to accusations of anti-Semitism | In 2019, Omar faced accusations of anti-Semitism but shifted the focus to Islamophobia. The resolution was altered to a broad anti-bigotry message, and Omar celebrated the condemnation of all forms of bigotry, including anti-Semitism, racism, and white supremacy. |
| Ilhan Omar's introduction of constitutional amendments | In 2021, Omar introduced an amendment to the US Constitution to guarantee fundamental human rights, including the right to life, liberty, property, housing, healthcare, education, and nutrition. |
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What You'll Learn
Ilhan Omar's allegiance to the US Constitution
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019, is an American politician of Somali origin. She is one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, along with Rashida Tlaib. Omar's allegiance to the U.S. Constitution has been questioned by some, with social media posts and memes claiming that she and other Muslim congresswomen have refused to uphold the Constitution. These claims, however, have been debunked as false by fact-checking organizations.
In January 2019, Omar took the oath of office, swearing to "support and defend the U.S. Constitution... So help me God," using the Quran during her swearing-in ceremony. She has also advocated for constitutional amendments guaranteeing fundamental human rights, including affordable housing, healthcare, education, and nutrition. In July 2019, she introduced a resolution affirming the right of all Americans to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights, as protected by the First Amendment.
Despite this, some critics continue to question Omar's allegiance, citing her criticism of Israel, her support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and her comments about the September 11 terrorist attacks, which were perceived by some as minimizing the significance of the attacks. Some have also accused her of treasonous tendencies and acting as a foreign agent for Somalia. However, Omar's supporters argue that her criticisms are protected by the First Amendment and that she is exercising her right to free speech and advocacy.
In conclusion, while Ilhan Omar's allegiance to the U.S. Constitution has been questioned and debated, there is no evidence to suggest that she has refused to uphold it. On the contrary, she has actively worked to uphold and amend the Constitution to guarantee fundamental human rights for all Americans. The debate surrounding Omar's allegiance highlights the complex interplay between religion, politics, and free speech in American society.
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Ilhan Omar's criticism of Israel
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since 2019, is 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. She has also criticised the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in American politics, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
In February 2019, Omar responded to a tweet from journalist Glenn Greenwald, who posted about House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy threatening to punish Omar and another congresswoman for their criticism of Israel. Omar wrote, "It's all about the Benjamins baby," referring to $100 bills. This comment received bipartisan backlash, and Omar was widely accused of anti-Semitic speech. She apologised and said she was learning about "the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes" but maintained her criticism of AIPAC's lobbying. In the same month, Omar was one of 17 Congress members to vote against a House resolution condemning the BDS movement.
In July 2019, Omar introduced a resolution stating that "all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution". The resolution "opposes unconstitutional legislative efforts to limit the use of boycotts to further civil rights at home and abroad".
In 2023, a Republican-controlled House voted to remove Omar from her post on the Foreign Affairs Committee due to her criticism of Israel, which some perceived as antisemitic.
Omar has stood by her remarks, stating that being opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the occupation of Palestine is not the same as being anti-Semitic. She has received support from Jewish allies, with a new organisation, Jews With Ilhan, arguing that there is "absolutely nothing anti-Semitic about calling out the noxious role of [AIPAC]".
In July 2025, Omar published a post condemning the House's passage of a defence spending bill that included military aid to Israel. She wrote, "The genocide of the people of Gaza continues as members of Congress vote to fund Israel’s defensive and offensive military capabilities. This is immoral and no amount of excuses will ever make it ok". Omar's mention of "defensive" capabilities also served as a critique of her colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who supports aiding Israel's defensive capabilities but not its offensive capabilities.
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Ilhan Omar's defence of Islam
Ilhan Omar is a Somali-American politician and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress. She is also the first African refugee to become a Member of Congress and the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota. Omar has been a vocal defender of Islam and has introduced resolutions to condemn Islamophobia. She has also criticised the media and politicians for spreading Islamophobic rhetoric and contributing to rising anti-Muslim hate crimes.
In her role as a Congresswoman, Omar has addressed Islamophobia within American and European politics and highlighted the rise of genocidal Islamophobia in places like India, Myanmar, and China. She has received backlash for her comments, with some accusing her of antisemitism and anti-Americanism. However, Omar has defended her remarks, arguing that they have been taken out of context and that she is being unfairly targeted because of her identity as a Black Muslim woman.
Omar's defence of Islam stems from her own religious identity as a practising Muslim. She wears the hijab as a sign of devotion to orthodox Islam and often quotes passages from the Quran in her tweets. Despite this, she has been criticised by some Muslims for her progressive stances on issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, which contradict traditional Islamic teachings.
Omar has also been accused of blurring the lines between Islam as a faith and Islamism as an ideology. While she does not directly support radical Islamist groups, she has been criticised for refusing to acknowledge the ideological link between Islamism and radicalism. Instead, she attributes the rise of radicalism to oppression and American policies, a viewpoint shared by many Islamists and Western progressives.
Despite the controversies surrounding her, Omar continues to be a prominent voice in the fight against Islamophobia and a defender of the rights of religious minorities in the United States and around the world. She has emphasised that Muslims, like all other religious groups, should have the right to worship without fear and that Islamophobia has no place in politics or policy-making.
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Ilhan Omar's political career
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, born on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, Somalia, is an American politician. She is the first African refugee and the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, an office she has held since 2019. Omar is a member of the Democratic Party and has 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's early life was marked by upheaval due to the Somali Civil War. She spent her early years in Baidoa, Somalia, before fleeing the country with her family and spending four years in a refugee camp in Kenya. In the 1990s, Omar immigrated to the United States and settled in Minneapolis in 1997. Her career in politics was inspired by her grandfather, who encouraged her to get involved as a teenager.
Prior to her election to Congress, Omar worked as a community educator at the University of Minnesota, focusing on community nutrition from 2006 to 2009. She also served as a policy fellow at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs. In terms of political experience, she served as campaign manager for Kari Dziedzic's successful Minnesota State Senate reelection campaign in 2012. Between 2012 and 2013, Omar worked as a child nutrition outreach coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Education. She then managed Andrew Johnson's campaign for Minneapolis City Council in 2013 and subsequently served as his senior policy aide from 2013 to 2015.
As a legislator, Omar has advocated for progressive policies, including a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She has been a vocal 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. Omar has also introduced resolutions affirming the right to boycott in pursuit of civil and human rights, as protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Omar has made headlines for her controversial statements, including a quote from a speech she gave at a Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) meeting, which was featured on the front page of the New York Post on April 11, 2019. She has also been the target of misinformation and unsupported claims on social media, particularly regarding her willingness to uphold the U.S. Constitution due to her Muslim faith. However, there is no evidence to support these assertions, and Omar has taken the oath of office, which includes a constitutional obligation.
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Ilhan Omar's personal life
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 and has advocated for progressive policies such as a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, and student loan debt forgiveness. Omar's personal life has been the subject of media scrutiny, particularly her relationship and marriage to political consultant Tim Mynett.
Omar was born in Somalia and spent her early years in Baidoa. She was the youngest of seven siblings. Her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, was a colonel in the Somali army and a teacher trainer, while her mother, Fadhuma Abukar Haji Hussein, was a Benadiri. Omar's mother passed away when she was two years old, and she was raised by her father and grandfather, who were moderate Sunni Muslims. Due to the Somali Civil War, Omar and her family fled to Kenya, where they spent four years in a refugee camp before immigrating to the United States.
In terms of her personal life, Omar has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, with whom she has two children. In 2019, Omar married her current husband, Tim Mynett, a well-connected political consultant. The relationship between Omar and Mynett initially sparked controversy as they were both embroiled in an affair scandal before marrying. Additionally, Omar's decision to terminate her campaign's contract with Mynett's consulting firm, E Street Group, raised eyebrows. The contract termination followed accusations of improper use of campaign funds for Mynett's personal travel, although Omar maintained that the payments were legitimate.
Omar and Mynett have also faced accusations of fraud and unethical business dealings. Mynett and his business partner, Will Hailer, have been accused of defrauding investors in their California winery venture, eStCru. They promised high returns to investors but failed to deliver, facing multiple lawsuits as a result. Additionally, Mynett's company has been implicated in other legal issues, including a cannabis business deal that resulted in a $1.2 million debt to cannabis growers in South Dakota. These controversies have impacted Omar's political career, with opponents accusing her of enriching herself through her husband's business ventures.
Despite the controversies, Omar has continued to serve as a U.S. representative and advocate for progressive policies. She has spoken out about the traumatizing experience of the 2021 United States Capitol attack and has been a frequent critic of Israel, supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
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Frequently asked questions
No, this is a false claim. Omar was sworn in as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district in 2019. She took the oath of office, swearing to "support and defend the U.S. Constitution...So help me God."
In
Ilhan Omar has advocated for a constitutional amendment to guarantee fundamental human rights, including the right to life, liberty, property, housing, healthcare, education, and nutrition. She believes that the amendment will ensure basic security and human dignity for all Americans.
