In opposition to resolution HR 892 filed recently in Congress by Congressman Joaquin Castro and Congresswoman Kim Young calling for the unconditional release of a convicted terrorist, Paul Rusesabagina, Congress’ first black woman to represent Minnesota and the first naturalized citizen of African birth came out swinging.
You should see her in action on the House floor.
See, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has no fear and speaks truth to power on a regular basis. The daily death threats have not slowed her down or muzzled her.
Born in 1982 in Mogadishu, Somalia she lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for five years before her family was granted asylum in the US. Those years gave her gusto and a deep sense of fairness that needless to say has tweaked her moral compass.
Who better to speak first hand on African affairs than this petite, strikingly beautiful African woman? She has class, grace, humility, and speaks on issues she knows and understands more than most of her elderly colleagues in Congress who are twice her age. (Average age in the House is 57.6 while in the Senate it is 62.9)
That she serves in a predominantly white male institution — US Congress — where she is one of the first two Muslim women to serve has not silenced her or made her cautious on the causes she takes on. She is a proud and devout Muslim and does not hide it.
Simply put, she is a breath of fresh air and a good eloquent representative of African womanhood and values. No kidding — dynamite comes in small packages.
Congresswoman Omar has tabled resolutions on the Armenian genocide as well as the genocide against Native Americans. I said she is fearless. These are topics that most of her colleagues have no balls (pardon my Swahili!) to address because it would compromise their political careers.
But, I diverse.
Back to Rusesabagina, a convicted terrorist who was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison in a trial he gave the middle finger and refused to attend. You wonder who was giving him legal advice.
Congresswoman Omar has stepped forward to forcefully oppose HR 892 calling for Rusesabagina’s un-conditional release on so-called “humanitarian grounds.” On record, she told the House that his crimes were “serious” and he was “credibly accused of terrorism, tried and convicted.” She asked, what guarantee is there that he will not continue to support terrorism after his release? She concluded, “there is nothing to stop him.”
I couldn’t have said it better.
Congresswoman Ilhan Abdullahi Omar has the moral integrity and fortitude to call it as she sees it. When most in Hollywood continue to push the alleged heroic deeds of a phony, a genocide denier, and negationist, this courageous African woman would not remain silent. While many of her colleagues in Congress continue to exploit Rusesabagina’s fake claim to having saved Tutsi lives in Rwanda’s Dark 100 Days to gain a few minutes of fame in the media, Omar insisted on being heard.
She spoke out loud and clear on behalf of Rusesabagina’s victims who were needlessly silenced, and for the survivors who have to live with permanent psychological and physical scars.
As a patriotic Rwandan, I am feeling Omar-strong.
