Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Receives Backlash for Saying she is ‘Somali First’
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is facing criticism from conservatives after making remarks to Somali American constituents, where she identified herself as “Somali first, Muslim second” without explicitly mentioning being American.
According to a translation of her remarks, Omar pledged to protect Somalia’s interests from inside the United States government. She also referenced Somalia as “our nation back home” and called the Somali President “our president,” receiving applause from the crowd.
“For as long as I am in Congress, Somalia will never be in danger, its waters will not be stolen by Ethiopia or others,” Representative Omar said, speaking in Somali. “The U.S. would not dare support anyone against Somalia to steal our land or oceans. Sleep in comfort knowing I am here to protect the interests of Somalia from inside the U.S. system.“
Omar, originally from Somalia, represents Minnesota’s 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Minnesota is currently home to the largest number of Somali Americans in the nation, with over 86,000 of them residing in the state.
Many conservatives on social media quickly pointed out that Omar’s rhetoric was a violation of both her oath of office and the oath of allegiance she swore when she became a U.S. citizen. When an immigrant becomes an American citizen, he or she must “renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity” to any foreign state or leaders. But Omar’s own comments explicitly show that she has an allegiance to the country of Somalia over the country where she is currently a congresswoman.
In response to stark criticism online, Omar responded by saying that the English translation of her speech was “completely off.” However, she doubled down on her support for the country of Somalia.
“It’s not only slanted but completely off, but I wouldn’t expect more from these propagandists. I pray for them and for their sanity,” Omar said in a post on X. “No nation state can survive if its states start to get involved in land lease negotiations with other countries without the consent of the federal government. Somalis in Somalia and in the diaspora are united in that effort and I stand in solidarity with them. No amount of harassment and lies will ever change that.”
