MHS “Ilhan Omar Condemns Escalating Wave of Hate as Trump’s Renewed Attacks Stoke Anti-Muslim, Anti-Black, Anti-Immigrant Hostility — Congresswoman Warns That Political Rhetoric Targeting Her Identity as a Muslim, Black Woman, and Refugee Fuels Real-World Threats and Reveals the Deep Prejudice Undermining America’s Democratic Values”

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar has long condemned what she and her supporters call a sustained campaign of hatred targeting her — rooted not only in her political views, but also in her identity as a Muslim, a woman, a Black immigrant, and a refugee. Since her election in 2018, she has been attacked by high-profile figures, including Donald J. Trump, whose repeated statements have stirred chants of “Send her back” from supporters, and contributed to a sharp rise in threats against her safety. Omar’s critics have accused her of being un-American or ungrateful — claims she argues are simply prejudiced slurs thinly veiled as political criticism.

In her public responses, Omar has emphasized that this isn’t just about politics — it’s about being targeted for who she is: a refugee from Somalia, a Muslim woman, and a person of color. She recently described the repeated attacks as part of a lifetime of hatred stoked by those who benefit from division, singling out how sustained bigotry has long targeted communities like hers.

The consequences have been serious. After one of the most high-profile condemnations — a tweet by Trump juxtaposing her image with footage of the September 11 attacks — Omar reported a surge in death threats. She warned that conflating her identity with terrorism endangers not only her, but the broader Muslim and immigrant communities whom such rhetoric emboldens hateful individuals to target.

Omar and her defenders argue that this wave of hostility is a stark reminder: in a multicultural democracy, criticism grounded in race, religion or origin isn’t legitimate political debate — it’s hate, and it must be confronted.