Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

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Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Dear Ilhan Omar, Indian Muslims aren’t victims waiting to be rescued by your politics

I find it hard to take Ilhan Omar’s language of genocide seriously. Like many Western voices, she speaks with great confidence about a society she understands only from a distance.

Ilhan Omar is one of only two Muslim women ever elected to the United States Congress, and one of the most recognisable progressive politicians in American politics today. She has advocated for universal healthcare, a living wage, and addressing climate change.

Her personal story is equally remarkable. Omar was born in Somalia, and her family, fleeing a civil war, spent several years in a refugee camp in Kenya before eventually resettling in the US in the 1990s. She went on to make history as the first African refugee and the first woman of colour to represent Minnesota in Congress.

She is seen as someone willing to stand up to powerful interests and push back against those who attack minorities, immigrants, and vulnerable communities. She can be a hero for many. But that is not the entire truth. It is comforting to believe in heroes, but reality is rarely that simple.

When Omar suggested that Indian Muslims are in the eighth stage of genocide, I cannot say I was entirely surprised. I did find the claim exaggerated, even for her.

Like many Western politicians, activists, and influencers, Omar often seems willing to speak with great confidence about societies she understands only from a distance. A few headlines, stray reports, and social media narratives are taken up to make sweeping statements about the lives of millions of people.

Having lived the reality of being an Indian Muslim, I don’t argue that there are no problems to address. And as a Pasmanda Muslim, I know........

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