House Republicans target Ilhan Omar

Republicans are targeting Democrat Somali American Congresswoman from Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, on the basis of a mistranslated speech to Somali constituents in her district. The mistranslated one says that Omar had said that she serves foreign interests and that the US government had no option but to follow her. Follower of Donald Trump and Republican Representative from Georgia, Marjorie Minnesota, moved a censure resolution against Omar, and the Republican Whip in the House, Tom Emmer, demanded an ethics investigation against Omar.

Minnesota newspapers got the speech translated from Somali, which was opposite in meaning to what she is accused of saying. She said in the correctly translated version: “My answer was the US government will do what we tell the US government to do. We as Somalis should have that confidence in ourselves. We live in this country. We pay taxes in this country. It’s a country where one of your own sits in Congress…The woman you sent to Congress is aware of you and has the same interest as you.”

Responding to the storm that has been kicked up over her misquoted speech that had gone viral, Omar said, “This is a manufactured Congress based on an inaccurate translation taken entirely out of context.” She said the attacks were “not only false, they are rooted in xenophobia and Islamophobia.”

This is not the first time that Omar has been in the line of fire. She was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her “anti-Semitic” and “anti-Israel” views. A group of progressive and young Democrats have been targeted by Republicans for their fearless views about fighting the growing conservatism in American polity. Omar, along with Palestinian American Rashida Tlaib, have been criticised for their criticism of Israel.

While Republicans are critical of the progressive stance of these young Democrats also known as ‘the Squad”, the Democratic party is not sure what to do with them. The majority of Democrats belong to the middle-of-the-road, who are not progressive enough in the eyes of the young progressives in the party, and who are yet too liberal in the eyes of the Republicans. President Joe Biden has been steering the middle course, and it is this middle course which seems to assure the Democrats at large.

It is now clear that the American polity is divided, though many people think that it is polarised between the Trump camp and the Democrats. Democrats are not too sure how to counter Trump who has got the simplistic rhetoric of Making America Great (MAG), and deport all the illegal immigrants.

Democrats are worried too about illegal immigrants, but the progressives in the party think that America should be open and humane. Majority of Americans seem worried about illegal immigration, and they believe that the taxes they pay from their hard-earned salaries go to pay for the social security of the immigrants. This is of course an exaggerated version of the facts on ground.

That is why, Biden is cautious on the issue, and he is focused on student debt, on the lower income groups in the country. But it is to the credit of American democracy that politicians like Omar and Tlaib get elected to the national legislature and they can voice their views despite the opposition they evoke. American polity is being shaped by immigrants who as Omar said live in America and pay taxes and they have earned their right to speak their mind. Dissenters like Omar and Tlaib have their place in American politics. They may be in a minority but they remain vocal. It is of course true that American foreign policy, especially towards Israel, will not be changed because of pressure from Democratic party’s progressives, but they do make a difference.