Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is responding to criticism she received after comparing the actions of the United States and Israel with Hamas and the Taliban, saying she is receiving death threats.
On Wednesday, Omar tweeted audio of a threat she received and added, “Every time I speak out on human rights I am inundated with death threats. Here is one we just got.”
The person can be heard on the recording, saying, “They destroy cultural heritage, they destroy history. Just like Ms. Ilhan Omar.”
They continued, “Because Muslims are terrorists and she is a raghead n****r and every anti-American communist piece of s*** that works for her, I hope you f***ing get what’s coming for you.”
Omar included a second tweet claiming, “This is incited directly by articles like this and far right politicians like this. And it is enabled by a political culture — in both parties — that allows and often fuels Islamophobia.”
She included screenshots of a Fox News article and a tweet from Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).
This is incited directly by articles like this and far right politicians like this.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 10, 2021
And it is enabled by a political culture—in both parties—that allows and often fuels Islamophobia. pic.twitter.com/93ixmVCmMx
“Ilhan Omar, honorary member of Hamas, just compared the US military with the Taliban. Sadly, it’s not even surprising anymore. We have terrorist sympathizers in Congress and it is being normalized by the MSM,” Boebert tweeted.
Earlier this week, Omar tweeted, “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.”
She added, “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.” She was referencing International Criminal Court investigations, Axios reports.
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
A group of 12 Jewish House Democrats responded to her comments in a statement. They urged her to “clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.”
“Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided,” they said. “Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice.”
They continued, “The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups.”
Omar took to Twitter to respond to the statement.
“It’s shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for ‘clarification’ and not just call. The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment and silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable,” she tweeted.
Citing an open case against Israel, US, Hamas & Taliban in the ICC isn’t comparison or from “deeply seated prejudice”. You might try to undermine these investigations or deny justice to their victims but history has thought us that the truth can’t be hidden or silenced forever.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 10, 2021
Omar added, “Citing an open case against Israel, US, Hamas and Taliban in the ICC isn’t comparison or from ‘deeply seated prejudice’. You might try to undermine these investigations or deny justice to their victims but history has thought us that the truth can’t be hidden or silenced forever.”
