Photograph Source: Lorie Shaull – CC BY-SA 2.0

In the 1960 film Two Women, set in WWII Italy, Sophia Loren’s character defies Fascist authorities, black marketeers, and Italian soldiers to protect her daughter as they flee Rome. Today, we see real-world examples of two women exhibiting that same defiance, standing up to physical and political attacks.

Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has shown both physical and political courage. Recently, she was doused with a liquid during a town hall meeting, and Donald Trump has consistently ridiculed her. She has not bowed down. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was physically assaulted in central Copenhagen in mid-2024 and has defied Donald Trump’s attempt to seize Denmark’s overseas territory, Greenland. She has steadfastly defended her country’s territorial integrity. Both Omar and Frederiksen deserve special recognition at a time when many leaders – almost all of them men – are kowtowing to Trump and his MAGA followers.

Omar has long been a target of Trump’s mockery. He has said she does “nothing but bitch,” During rallies, Trump has ridiculed Omar’s Somali heritage and religious dress (referring to her “little turban”), questioned her legitimacy, and suggested she should be removed from the country. “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage,” Trump has said.

In response, Omar observed in an interview: “There’s this creepy obsession that he seems to have on me that just feels pretty obnoxious. I’ve never been one to dwell on the words........

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