Explaining Ilhan Omar’s Antisemitism In Simple Language
You can get into long intelligent discourse to explain how Ilhan Omar’s tweet of February 11 exposes her antisemitism. Or you can show how it is in very simple language.
Here is the tweet that started a new storm:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69986847@N02/47026263812/in/dateposted-public/
This drew criticism and support. Some tried to explain how Omar’s tweet is a clear example of antisemitism.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69986847@N02/47078315261/in/dateposted-public/
Omar tried to apologize:
Listening and learning, but standing strong ?? pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019
But Maajid Nawaz did not accept that as a sincere apology:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69986847@N02/32136379137/in/dateposted-public/
Some people apparently did not understand the point, so he went on:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69986847@N02/32136426847/in/dateposted-public/
For those who still did not get it, Nawaz tries again:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69986847@N02/47026092622/in/dateposted-public/
Guess many people do not understand how bigotry works.
Who Is Ilhan Omar?
Ilhan Omar, currently the Democratic representative for Minnesota’s 5th District. She was born in Somalia and had to flee with her father and grandfather at age 10 with the outbreak of civil war in 1991. They spent 4 years in a refugee camp in Kenya before being allowed to immigrate to the United States. Three years later, at age 17, she gained American citizenship. She should understand bigotry since she was bullied in school because of wearing the hijab.
Who is Maajid Nawaz?
Maajid Nawaz was born in Britain to British Pakistani parents. During his teenage years he became radicalized and actively recruited members to Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an Islamist movement. He went to Egypt for the compulsory study-year-abroad that was part of his programme. Because he continued to recruit for Hizb-ut-Tahrir, banned in Egypt, he was jailed for 4 years and released due to pressure brought to bear by Amnesty International, a group he now criticizes for its antisemitism. On his way to Egypt, he went to Jerusalem to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque; however, since he was so anti-Israel at the time, he went via Jordan rather than Ben Gurion Airport in order not to step on Israeli soil. His experiences in the Egyptian jail led him to reject his radical Islamist beliefs and soon after his return to England, he co-founded Quilliam, an anti-extremist think-tank. He is now an outspoken supporter of Israel and fights antisemitism as well as other forms of bigotry.
