Ilhan Omar in Her Own Words: I Know What Hate Feels Like (DemocracyNow!)

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https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/8/ilhan_omar_in_her_own_words

" Ilhan Omar in her own words, speaking last week at Busboys and Poets restaurant in Washington, D.C. While the media has largely focused on a single sentence in her remarks, few have heard her broader comments. This is a part of what she said.

REP. ILHAN OMAR: It’s almost as if every single time we say something, regardless of what it is we say, that is supposed to be about foreign policy, our engagement, our advocacy about ending oppression or the freeing of every human life and wanting dignity, we get to be labeled in something, and that ends the discussion, because we end up defending that, and nobody ever gets to have the broader debate of what is happening with Palestine.

So, for me, I want to talk about—I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country. I want to ask: Why is it OK for me to talk about the influence of the NRA, of fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policy? Right?

I want to ask the question—I want to ask the question of why is it OK for you to push, for you to be—there are so many people. I mean, most of us are new, but many members of Congress have been there forever. Some of them have been there before we were born. So I know many of them, many of them, were fighting—were fighting for people to be freed, for people to live in dignity in South Africa. I know many of them fight for people around the world to have dignity, to have self-determination. So I know—I know that they care about these things. But now that you have two Muslims who are saying, “Here is a group of people that we want to make sure they have the dignity that you want everybody else to have,” we get to be called names, and we get to be labeled as hateful?"

... snipped

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1. If you missed this - I recommend you listen n/t

[DemocracyMouse]

2. It breaks my heart. She is only speaking up for a struggling people.

And according to the following commentary in Salon by Paul Rosenberg, many prominent members of the Jewish community agree with Ilhan. And lest we forget, BOTH Jews and Muslims are suffering because the plight of the Palestinians is not being addressed. In the end it's not about religion or ethnicity, it's about wisdom and love for all people.

Paul Rosenberg in Salon:
https://www.salon.com/2019/03/08/demonizing-ilhan-omar-why-the-entire-political-establishment-wants-to-crush-one-woman/

[BannonsLiver]

6. That's great.

But does she have anything to say about the struggling people in her district and what their concerns might be? I doubt the Israel-Palestine saga trumps jobs and healthcare on their list of concerns.

[DemocracyMouse]

8. It's part of her JOB to guide US foreign policy

And if she isn't concerned about children being fucking BLOWN TO PIECES for throwing rocks at a state that is occupying their land, THEN WHO WILL???

[DemocracyMouse]

9. People wake up to the killing others are doing with YOUR tax money.

We all have blood on our hands. It has to stop.

[theboss]

3. She either doesn't get it or refuses to get it

She can criticize AIPAC.

She can't criticize AIPAC for "owning" politicians with "dual loyalties."

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7. Why?

From a link to a Salon article: "As Paul Waldman explained at the Washington Post: Omar did not accuse Jews of holding dual loyalties. Rather, she objected to dual loyalties being demanded of her — and those who attacked her only proved her point."
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Anyway - if someone had duel citizenship - regardless of what the other country was - wouldn't they have "duel loyalties."

With Israel also being the sole Jewish state, it is understandable that Jewish people not only have 'nationalistic' feelings but are also attached in a religious way - so more strongly than most (who may merely be attached to a 2nd country in a less dynamic manner).

To expect a Muslim to ignore what Israel does to Palestine seems like a bit much. She can 'go there' (be critical), also - because she does not carry the guilt that many people of European ancestry have regarding the history of Jews in Europe.

"“I get emotional . . . Because I know that I have a huge Jewish constituency and, you know, every time I meet with them, they share stories of safety and sanctuary that they would love for the people of Israel and, most of the time when we’re having the conversation, you know, there is no actual relative that they speak of, and there is still lots of emotions (sic) that comes through because its family, right? My children still speak of Somalia with passion and compassion even though they don’t have a family member there. But we never really allow space for the stories of Palestinians seeking safety and sanctuary to be uplifted. And to me it is the dehumanization and the silencing of a particular pain and suffering of a people that should not be ok and normal. And you can’t be in the practice of humanizing and uplifting the suffering of one if you’re not willing to do that for everybody. And so for me I know that when I hear, right, my Jewish constituents, or friends or colleagues, speak about Palestinians who don’t want safety or who aren’t deserving, I stay focused on what the actual debate about what that process should look like. I never go in the dark place of saying ‘here’s a Jewish person, they’re talking about Palestinians, Palestinians are Muslim, maybe they’re Islamophobic.’ I’ll never allow myself to go there, because I don’t have to. And what I am fearful of, is that because Rashida (Tlaib) and I are Muslim, that a lot of our Jewish colleagues, a lot of our constituents, a lot of our allies, go to thinking that everything we say about Israel, to be anti-Semitic because we are Muslim. And so, to me, it’s something that becomes designed to end the debate, because you get in this space of, ‘yes, like, I know what intolerance looks like, and I’m sensitive when someone says the words you use are resemblance of intolerance.’ And I am cautious of that, and I feel pained by that. But it’s almost as if every single time we say something, regardless of what it is we say, that is supposed to be about foreign policy or engagement or advocacy about ending oppression, or the freeing of every human life, and wanting dignity, we get to be labeled as something, and that ends the discussion. Because we end up defending that, and nobody ever gets to the have the proper debate of what is happening with Palestine. [Pause, applause.] So I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says that it’s ok for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country, I want to ask, why is it ok for me to talk about the influence of the NRA or fossil fuel industries or Big Pharma, and not talk about a powerful lobbying group that is influencing policy...."

http://www.publicseminar.org/2019/03/in-defense-of-ilhan-omar-again/?fbclid=IwAR0dtzYJxE32DmXVNAq-Mqb4ir47hqUiaGLtobECwKoHlFumJzEfwHPIgFk

[dlk]

4. There is Always a Backlash Against Change

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5. This page has a longer version:

http://www.publicseminar.org/2019/03/in-defense-of-ilhan-omar-again/?fbclid=IwAR0dtzYJxE32DmXVNAq-Mqb4ir47hqUiaGLtobECwKoHlFumJzEfwHPIgFk

[trueblue2007]

10. IT IS HER OWN FAULT ..... she has brought trouble on herself