MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar claims recent remarks about Somalia have been mistranslated and taken out of context, as House Majority Whip and fellow Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer called for an ethics investigation on Wednesday.
The controversy stems from a speech Omar gave at a downtown Minneapolis hotel on Jan. 27 in response to ongoing territorial disputes in Somalia. A clip of the congresswoman's remarks, delivered in the Somali language, was posted on X by a user purported to be an official from the breakaway Republic of Somaliland, with a translation claiming Omar was pushing a message of "Somalians first, Muslims second."
The translation soon sparked criticism of Omar in the U.S., particularly on the right, with some posts on social media questioning Omar's loyalty to the United States.
Rep. Emmer (R-Minn.) was among Omar's critics, calling for an ethics investigation Wednesday on X. In his post, he described Omar's alleged language as "appalling." Earlier in the week, Emmer also called for Omar's resignation over the remarks.
“Ilhan Omar’s appalling, Somalia-first comments are a slap in the face to the Minnesotans she was elected to serve and a direct violation of her oath of office. She should resign in disgrace,” Emmer posted on X on Monday.
Omar's supporters were quick to come to the congresswoman's defense, pointing to other translations of the speech that showed a different message. In response to one X user's claim that the alleged translated comments were "slanted," Omar not only agreed, but doubled down on the sentiment in her own X post on Sunday.
"It’s not only slanted but completely off," she said.
Omar attended the event alongside many of her native-Somali constituents, some of whom voiced concerns about a potential land deal between Somaliland leaders and Ethiopia's prime minister, who publicly voiced his objective to help the Somaliland region become an independent state — a big problem for the country of Somalia, which still claims the region as part of its territory. While Somaliland officials say they consider the area as independent, the international community says otherwise. According to the Council of Foreign Relations, the self-governing region broke away from Somalia more than 30 years ago, but its sovereignty still fails to be recognized as legitimate by a majority of the world.
Rep. Omar's office points to a different translation of her speech posted by Abdirashid Hashi, founder of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies and former Somali cabinet minister, which the congresswoman's office says is an "accurate translation." In this translation, rather than "Somalians first, Muslims second," Omar's words are translated as "people who know they are Somalis and Muslims."
"The US government will do what we ask it to do," Hashi's English translation of Omar's speech reads. "We should have this confidence in ourselves as Somalis. We live in this country. We are taxpayers in this country. This country is one where one of your daughters sits in Congress. While I am in Congress, no one will take Somalia’s sea. The United States will not back others to rob us. So, do not lose sleep over that, O Minnesotans. The lady you sent to Congress is on this, and she is as cognizant of this interest as you are."
A Star Tribune report also pointed to the Hashi translation which the newspaper said was verified by one of its reporters; The Minnesota Reformer also obtained two independent translations that did not include the phrase "Somalians first, Muslims second."
“I categorically reject these disingenuous attempts to malign my character and question my loyalty to my home, America," Rep. Omar said in a statement Thursday. "Since taking office, I have worked tirelessly to deliver tangible results for all constituents in my district. I am proud of my record of delivering resources and federal funds to Minnesota’s 5th district. No amount of bad faith attacks will deter me from continuing to fight for affordable healthcare, housing, education, and more for the diverse communities I serve.
“As I said the video – I support a unified Somalia, which aligns with longstanding US policy favoring a one Somalia approach," Omar added. "My stance remains consistent with the goal of a stable and unified Somalia.”
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