Conservatives harshly criticized Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on social media on Sunday, following the distribution of a video that featured her expressing her support for Somalia, her native country.
The footage captured the liberal Minnesota leader delivering a speech to a hotel audience in Minneapolis. During the discourse, she addressed Somaliland and the disputed state's agreement with Ethiopia, an action Somalia claims violates its territory, as The Washington Examiner reported.
The English translation of the video that was shared on X has not been verified by this outlet however, Omar's response implies that the translation may be reasonably precise, if not entirely so.
According to the translation, Omar asserts that her purpose in Congress is to advocate for the interests of Somali Americans, and that the “U.S. will do what we want and nothing else.”
Ilhan Omar tells a crowd of Somalians that her top priority is to put Somalia first and expand its territory
"The US government will do what we want, nothing else. They must follow our orders. That is how we safeguard the interest of Somalia."
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 28, 2024
In spite of the fact that it seemed as though Omar was addressing an audience that was primarily comprised of Somali Americans and demonstrating her support for her constituency and their homeland, a number of famous users on X took issue with the footage.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), a frequent critic of her colleague Omar, wrote that the Democratic “Squad” member “flaunts using her position as congresswoman to protect Somalia’s border while our border is invaded by MILLIONS of illegals who are a danger to America.”
Greene also stressed the need for citizens to vote in November, presumably in an effort to combat such elements in Congress.
Former Republican Virginia Rep. Denver Riggleman wrote in response to an “Israel War Room” page post of the video, “Ilhan Omar is a disgraceful representative.”
A number of other prominent conservatives directed their ire at the Minnesota lawmaker, however a comment on the clip in which a user stated, "This interpretation is slanted," was addressed by Omar in response to the controversy.
"Omar says she is representing the interests of Somalis in the United States, which is a legitimate task, as a Congresswoman in any democratic system. She says at the end that all the five territories will be liberated, but it appears rhetorical.”
“It’s not only slanted but completely off, but I wouldn’t expect more from these propagandists,” Omar wrote in response. “I pray for them and for their sanity. 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.”
Ethiopia and Somaliland, a breakaway province of Somalia, entered into a memorandum of understanding in which Somaliland agreed to lease a portion of its coastland to Ethiopia, a country that is landlocked.
The Minnesota Democrat was alluding to this agreement. Ethiopian assets would have to travel into Somalia's borders in order to reach the leased region, according to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who told Al Jazeera that if they did so, it "will be a problem at a different level."
