45 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 16 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 11/7/16

Don't Tell Trump: Minnesota Is About to Elect a Pioneering Somali-American Muslim Woman

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   No comments
Follow Me on Twitter     Message John Nichols
Become a Fan
  (24 fans)

From The Nation

It matters that Ilhan Omar will be elected to the Minnesota state legislature on the same day that Minnesotans reject Donald Trump.

Somali Activist Wins Minneapolis District Democratic Primary
Somali Activist Wins Minneapolis District Democratic Primary
(Image by wjon.com)
  Details   DMCA

Donald Trump went to Minnesota Sunday, seeking a "path to victory" in a state that has not voted for a Republican for president since 1972. It was an absurd turn on the campaign trail, which appears to have been motivated by the racism and xenophobia of the Republican presidential nominee and his team rather than any political logic.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to the nation's largest community of Somali Americans, and Trump came in hopes of turning their neighbors against them.

"Here in Minnesota, you've seen firsthand the problems caused with faulty refugee vetting, with very large numbers of Somali refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, without your support or approval," Trump told the crowd at his rally in an airplane hangar near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Exploiting isolated incidents to suggest that the predominantly Muslim Somali community poses a threat -- with "some of them joining ISIS and spreading their extremist views all over our country and all over the world" -- Trump claimed: "You don't even have the right to talk about it. You don't even know who's coming in. You'll find out. You'll find out."

That was a false statement. As was Trump's claim that Democrat Hillary Clinton's approach to refugee resettlement would "import generations of terrorism, extremism and radicalism into your schools and communities."

Despite Trump's fierce rhetoric during his brief visit, Clinton is expected to win Minnesota with ease on Tuesday. And that won't be the only rebuke to Trump and Trumpism.

Minneapolis voters are expected to endorse the candidacy of the first Somali-American woman to hold elected public office in the United States. Ilhan Omar, the Democratic nominee for a state House seat in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, was born in Somalia in 1982 and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp before settling in Minnesota in 1997. With a long history of political activism, this Paul Wellstone-style progressive says, "It matters that I am a woman. It matters that I am a Somali-American woman. It matters that I am a Muslim and immigrant woman. It matters that our campaign won the primary by creating a multicultural coalition."

Click Here to Read Whole Article

Must Read 1   Well Said 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

John Nichols Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written the Online Beat since 1999. His posts have been circulated internationally, quoted in numerous books and mentioned in debates on the floor of Congress.

Nichols writes about (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Paul Ryan? Seriously?

Scott Walker's Austerity Agenda Yields 'Worst Job Losses in US'

What the Hell Is Wrong With Paul Ryan?

The Koch Brothers, ALEC and the Savage Assault on Democracy

GM's Plant Closures Confirm the President is a Liar and a Fool

The Deafening Silence of the Republican Field in the Wake of the Planned Parenthood Shooting

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend