Some of these freshman members of Congress really know how to put their feet in their mouths, because the majority of what they say makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. An almost weekly offender is Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
Omar spoke at a rally outside the Capitol in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, alongside such luminaries as Communist and former fugitive from the law Angela Davis. Omar took some of her time to talk about President Donald Trump and his January 2018 comment calling certain nations “shit-hole countries.”
The problem with her criticism of Trump’s comment is that she used her home country of Somalia as an example, which Trump ironically never mentioned by name in those comments.
Here’s what Omar had to say, according to a Facebook video and reported on by The Hill:
And I also, also happen to be a refugee and an immigrant from what they call one of the shithole countries. The reality is, that shithole country raised a very proud, dignified person.
Our circumstances might not always be perfect. But that doesn't lessen our humanity, and I am not in the business of defending mine.
Um, Omar claims that she’s “not in the business of defending” her humanity, but wasn’t that literally what she was doing?
Listen, I’m sure Somalia is lovely this time of year, but actual data would contradict the rosy picture Omar would like others to believe about the country she chose to leave despite how wonderful she makes it seem.
Unfortunately for Omar, non-profit organization Human Rights Watch, based on their assessment of the country of Somalia, doesn’t seem to share the same fondness for the “humanity” that Somalia doesn’t promote.
Here’s some of the abuses that Human Rights Watch noted of Somalia:
- The Islamist armed group Al-Shabab subjected people living under its control to harsh treatment, forced recruitment, and carried out deadly attacks targeting civilians.
- The government has yet to endorse the list of nominees for the country’s first independent Human Rights Commission and has made no tangible progress reining in abusive security forces, notably the intelligence agency, or ending repeated forced evictions of the country’s displaced people.
- Al-Shabab committed serious abuses, including forcibly recruiting children and adults; arbitrary executions, notably of those it accused of spying for the government and foreign forces; and extorting “taxes” through threats. Al-Shabab attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), suicide bombings, and shellings in Mogadishu resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries.
- All Somali parties to the conflict continued to commit serious abuses against children, including killings, maiming, recruitment and use in military operations.
- About 2.6 million Somalis live in protracted internal displacement according to the UN, facing serious abuses, including indiscriminate killings, forced evictions, sexual violence, and limited access to basic services.
- Internally displaced women and girls remain at particular risk of sexual and gender-based violence by armed men, including government soldiers and militia members, and civilians.
So after learning all of that about her home country, the question for Omar now is why did she leave Somalia if she defends it more than she seemingly has defended the country that gave everything she currently has, the U.S.? She’s more than welcome in the U.S., but why the double-standard?