“For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I’m tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it,” Omar said at CAIR in California last March. “CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.”
Omar went on to say that the 9/11 attacks changed how Muslims are viewed in America, and encouraged Muslims to not tolerate being treated as “second-class” citizens.
Do you remember traveling by plane, train and automobile before September 11, 2001? I do. My children do, but my grandchildren have no idea. They never experienced arriving at the airport about one hour before flight time and board thirty minutes later. All so civilized.
What happened? Well according to Ilhan Omar “…some people…”
Because of “…some people…” we spend billions of dollars on security around the world to prevent another terror attack. We spend time in lines; whether at airports or stadiums; going through metal detectors and pat downs. Assumed guilty until proven innocent, because of “…some people…” I hear complaints about the no-fly list. Someone’s name gets on by mistake. Well I have been threatened with a strip search. Because I, a senior citizen, look like a terrorist and act like one. I have been pulled out of line as I waited to go through the gate. I have been chosen as the random person for extra screening more times than I can remember. All because of “…some people…”
“…some people…” the term she used when speaking at a CAIR event.
That’s right “…some people…” said with a dismissive flick of the wrist. These…some people… attacked America‘s financial centre, military headquarters and without the courage of the passengers of Flight 93, could have taken out the White house. This was an act of war just as the attack on Pearl Harbour was an act of war. Can you imagine someone referring to the people who attacked Pearl Harbour as “…some people…”?
And this was not the first attack by “…some people…” on the World trade Center. There was a failure in 1993.
When confronted with her words and the shock that resulted from them, she had an answer. And as happens all too often, today, rooted in identity victimology politics.
Omar noted the “very fascinating people outside” and said she found the irony “very entertaining” that many say Islam oppresses women but that “today they gather outside to protest a Muslim woman who is in Congress.” Ahh yes. She is the victim of her religion. Except they were not protesting a Muslim woman. They were protesting a member of Congress for dismissing the evil of 9/11.
Omar argued that even a “good Muslim” may find roadblocks in the United States — and that that was the moment to stand up for one’s rights.
“Once you are willing to stand up for yourself … then others will show up for you,” she said. She ticked off several examples, such as a Muslim being unable to find a place to pray in a hospital, even in “a country that was founded on religious liberty.”
I don’t know what hospitals she is talking about. I am a hospital chaplain and every hospital I have visited has had a quiet room; for prayer. Prayer for all people who wish to pray.
She complained:
“For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I’m tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it.”
You mean since 9/11? When “…some people…” attacked America? Wow, that is a long time. Black people in America have suffered far longer for the crime of being born black. And women and gays fought for decades for equality. And it wasn’t because of an action taken by “…some people…” It was for the “crime” of being female, gay or black. And let us not forget the restrictions and attacks on Jews for centuries; for the crime of being Jewish.
And then, of course, she is a woman; she is not white. And she is a Muslim. All that intersectionality protecting her from criticism. And the number one defender of Omar is the left. Why are people justifying and excusing her words? Ahhh, she’s new to Congress. Hmmm. Lack of language skills, perhaps? Just misunderstood. Rep. Rashida Tlaib explained that her words were taken out of context. “They do that all the time, especially women of color, they take our words out of context because they’re afraid because we speak truth, we speak truth to power.”
Were her anti-Semitic tropes, straight out of the antisemitic handbook, also misunderstand? Taken out of context? A number of prominent Democrats came to her defense, including fellow freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. who said she did not believe Omar harbored anti-Semitic views.
“I feel confident that her words were not based on any anti-Semitic attitude but that she didn’t have a full appreciation of how they landed on other people where these words have a history and a cultural impact that might have been unknown to her.”
She is given a pass, a mulligan. She’s just young, or inexperienced, or a woman, or not-white, a Muslim. So we have to give her more leeway. And by giving her excuses these same people infantilize her and demean her.
Because that is the way of the Progressive left. Yes, different rules for different people. Hate can come from the mouths of some and be excused. After all we are far more concerned about Islamophobia-being accused of Islamophobia than holding people to account. Only in a country where the #IslamophobiaIndustry has taken hold could “someone” like Ilhan Omar get away with demeaning 9/11, the people who were murdered, and those who stood up to her. Islamophobia-fear of criticizing “…some people…” for fear of being attacked by the mob. Now that is an irrational fear of Islam.
“…some people…”
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
