SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) addresses thousands of demonstrators from across the country as they rally in support of a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on September 21, 2021. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
GOP 'Silence Speaks Volumes,' Says Ilhan Omar as Boebert's Bigotry Goes Unpunished
"Normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims. Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."
Nov 27, 2021
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Saturday condemned her GOP colleagues' inaction following the recent publication by Rep. Lauren Boebert of an anti-Muslim video in which the Colorado Republican lies about the Somali-American lawmaker being mistaken for a suspected suicide bomber inside the U.S. Capitol.
"These anti-Muslim attacks aren't about my ideas but about my identity and it's clear," Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted.
Addressing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), she added that "your silence speaks volumes."
Boebert issued what critics called a "sorry not sorry" apology via Twitter on Friday after calling Omar (D-Minn.) a member of "the jihad squad" and falsely claiming that a Capitol police officer came urgently running into an elevator the two congresswomen shared.
"What's happening?" Boebert said in the video, which was recorded at an event in Pueblo last Saturday. "I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar, and I said, 'Well she doesn't have a backpack, we should be fine.'"
Boebert's story--which Omar says never happened--drew applause and cheers from the audience. Pueblo County Republican chair Leverington subsequently defended Boebert, saying she "probably expressed the sentiment of many Americans."
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter."
Boebert also referred to progressive Democratic lawmakers as the "jihad squad" last week while defending Rep. Paul Gosar, who on November 17 was censured by the House of Representatives and stripped of his committee appointments after his office produced and published an edited anime video depicting the Arizona Republican murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and attacking President Joe Biden with swords.
While Democrats and at least one Republican--Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois--have condemned Boebert's attack on Omar, GOP leadership has been silent on the matter.
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter," Omar tweeted on Friday, adding that McCarthy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "need to take appropriate action."
"Normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims," she warned. "Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Saturday condemned her GOP colleagues' inaction following the recent publication by Rep. Lauren Boebert of an anti-Muslim video in which the Colorado Republican lies about the Somali-American lawmaker being mistaken for a suspected suicide bomber inside the U.S. Capitol.
"These anti-Muslim attacks aren't about my ideas but about my identity and it's clear," Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted.
Addressing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), she added that "your silence speaks volumes."
Boebert issued what critics called a "sorry not sorry" apology via Twitter on Friday after calling Omar (D-Minn.) a member of "the jihad squad" and falsely claiming that a Capitol police officer came urgently running into an elevator the two congresswomen shared.
"What's happening?" Boebert said in the video, which was recorded at an event in Pueblo last Saturday. "I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar, and I said, 'Well she doesn't have a backpack, we should be fine.'"
Boebert's story--which Omar says never happened--drew applause and cheers from the audience. Pueblo County Republican chair Leverington subsequently defended Boebert, saying she "probably expressed the sentiment of many Americans."
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter."
Boebert also referred to progressive Democratic lawmakers as the "jihad squad" last week while defending Rep. Paul Gosar, who on November 17 was censured by the House of Representatives and stripped of his committee appointments after his office produced and published an edited anime video depicting the Arizona Republican murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and attacking President Joe Biden with swords.
While Democrats and at least one Republican--Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois--have condemned Boebert's attack on Omar, GOP leadership has been silent on the matter.
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter," Omar tweeted on Friday, adding that McCarthy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "need to take appropriate action."
"Normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims," she warned. "Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."
From Your Site Articles
- Pressley Leads Resolution Targeting Boebert's Islamophobia as Hill Staffers Fear 'Incendiary Rhetoric' ›
- Omar Hangs Up After Boebert Uses Call to Double Down on 'Outright Bigotry and Hate' ›
- White House Needs a Strategy for Combating Islamophobia, Say Rights Groups | Common Dreams ›
- "Yes, Trump, 'I Am a Hater' of Yours," Omar Responds to Ex-President | Common Dreams ›
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Saturday condemned her GOP colleagues' inaction following the recent publication by Rep. Lauren Boebert of an anti-Muslim video in which the Colorado Republican lies about the Somali-American lawmaker being mistaken for a suspected suicide bomber inside the U.S. Capitol.
"These anti-Muslim attacks aren't about my ideas but about my identity and it's clear," Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted.
Addressing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), she added that "your silence speaks volumes."
Boebert issued what critics called a "sorry not sorry" apology via Twitter on Friday after calling Omar (D-Minn.) a member of "the jihad squad" and falsely claiming that a Capitol police officer came urgently running into an elevator the two congresswomen shared.
"What's happening?" Boebert said in the video, which was recorded at an event in Pueblo last Saturday. "I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar, and I said, 'Well she doesn't have a backpack, we should be fine.'"
Boebert's story--which Omar says never happened--drew applause and cheers from the audience. Pueblo County Republican chair Leverington subsequently defended Boebert, saying she "probably expressed the sentiment of many Americans."
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter."
Boebert also referred to progressive Democratic lawmakers as the "jihad squad" last week while defending Rep. Paul Gosar, who on November 17 was censured by the House of Representatives and stripped of his committee appointments after his office produced and published an edited anime video depicting the Arizona Republican murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and attacking President Joe Biden with swords.
While Democrats and at least one Republican--Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois--have condemned Boebert's attack on Omar, GOP leadership has been silent on the matter.
"Saying I am a suicide bomber is no laughing matter," Omar tweeted on Friday, adding that McCarthy and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "need to take appropriate action."
"Normalizing this bigotry not only endangers my life but the lives of all Muslims," she warned. "Anti-Muslim bigotry has no place in Congress."
From Your Site Articles
- Pressley Leads Resolution Targeting Boebert's Islamophobia as Hill Staffers Fear 'Incendiary Rhetoric' ›
- Omar Hangs Up After Boebert Uses Call to Double Down on 'Outright Bigotry and Hate' ›
- White House Needs a Strategy for Combating Islamophobia, Say Rights Groups | Common Dreams ›
- "Yes, Trump, 'I Am a Hater' of Yours," Omar Responds to Ex-President | Common Dreams ›
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy