Congratulations, Democratic party. You’ve invented a new kind of stupid. The kind of stupid where you take your loyal, excited, diverse demographic and sideline them. The kind of stupid where you take one of your freshman Congresswomen, Ilhan Omar, and take turns slamming her in a way that reeks of hypocrisy.
But she’s more than just another politician. She’s a black woman. She’s a refugee who escaped the Somali Civil War. She’s one of the two first Muslim women to be elected to Congress, and the first ever to wear a hijab on the Congress floor. To many, she’s the embodiment of the American dream. To me, she’s the embodiment of Muslim-American pride.
I grew up in a post-9/11 world, one in which society itself appeared to be telling me that because I was Muslim, I would never be American enough. My immigrant heritage? Not American. My refusal to drink alcohol or date? Not American. My choice to wear hijab? Honey, you’re in America now, let me take that off for you.
When I watched Ilhan Omar place her hand on the Qur’an as she was sworn into office, I felt personally vindicated. It was the first time I’d seen a woman who looked like me represented with such confident grace in the media. It was, quite possibly, the first time I’d ever felt truly represented by a political party.
But because we can’t have nice things, Democrats are now embroiled in controversy around Omar herself. First, Omar tweeted remarks that rang as anti-Semitic, which she immediately and “unequivocally” apologized for. But when high-ranking Jewish Democrat Nita Lowey doubled down on her, Omar responded by defending her views on Israel – an unacceptable offense for an American politician.
Donald Trump has weighed in, tweeting of his horror at Omar’s “terrible comments.” She’s been compared to Steve King, the Iowan senator who doesn’t see a problem with white supremacy. And from among Democrats, party leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and senior Jewish Congresspeople have just dropped an anti-Semitism resolution.
This isn’t just a reaction to a politician’s controversial comments. Omar’s hijab-wearing image has been dragged through the mud in a way that’s shamefully overdramatic, especially considering the fact that blatant Republican anti-Semitism has barely been met with a whisper.
I’m not alone in feeling this way. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it best in a tweet: “One of the things that is hurtful about the extent to which reprimand is sought of Ilhan is that no one seeks this level of reprimand when members make statements about Latinx + other communities… Where are the resolutions against… anti-blackness [and] xenophobia?”
To be clear, anti-Semitism is real and dangerous. If members of the Jewish community felt offended by Omar’s remarks, then they absolutely have a right to call it out. And when all traces of anti-Semitism are removed from criticism of Israeli policy, then we as a nation can begin have a healthy discussion about America’s truly unwavering support for Israel.
But that’s not what we’re doing. Instead, we’re watching as Nancy Pelosi tears down a black woman over comments that contain legitimate criticism of a foreign alliance. We’re watching a Republican party-sponsored event post signs falsely linking her to 9/11. We’re watching, watching – and the same fierce condemners of anti-Semitism sit in silence.
So here’s what this says to me, as a Muslim Democrat and young voter. One – it’s okay if people do more than insinuate. They can openly hate on me, threaten me, and the people who claim to represent me will barely twitch.
Two – I don’t matter to you, Democratic party, because I’ve seen how you respond to Islamophobia and racism. You’ll take me as a token, but you’ll never represent me where it counts.
You’ll take my votes, and leave me for collateral damage.