This archive report was first published on 25 July 2019.
On July 25, 2019, US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, addressed a question from an audience member at a conference for American Muslim politicians.
The audience member asked Omar to condemn Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other issues, implying that Muslim leaders should be expected to speak out on these topics.
Omar responded by pointing out that she and other Muslim leaders are already working to address these issues through legislation.
“I voted for bills doing exactly what you asked me to do. There is a bill in Congress, a resolution, that I am the co-author of, that I voted out of the Foreign Affairs Committee,” she explained.
Omar emphasized that she and other Muslim leaders should be treated as American politicians, rather than being expected to comment on issues that are not relevant to their work.
“If you want us to speak as politicians – American politicians – then you treat us as such,” she concluded to a round of applause from the audience.
