Omar Critics Face Threats
Community members report physical attacks and online harassment for questioning the Minnesota congresswoman's past.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota representative, faces a protective circle of community members who threaten those who question her conduct. These individuals operate without official ties to her office and do not receive direct instructions from the congresswoman. It remains unclear if Omar is personally aware of their specific actions, though they aggressively defend her reputation online and in person.
One unnamed community member who broke ranks was assaulted in Minneapolis and again in Kenya after his name appeared in the press. He reported being jumped by 15 people and pepper-sprayed during the 2022 attack outside a Kenyan restaurant. The incident left him with a concussion, cuts, and bruises. He stated that he does not remember much after being thrown to the ground and subjected to punches and kicks.
The man believes a popular Somali TikTok star triggered the violence. The influencer described the critic as a fool and threatened to punch him if he visited Minnesota. The critic claimed the TikTokker set his followers on him after sharing his location. In separate videos, the influencer told fans that people in their community had snitched on Omar and gone after her father. He urged his audience to stop looking the other way.
Local journalists in Minnesota have struggled to report on Omar since her 2016 election to the state House. Sources describe the community as tight-knit and quick to accuse critics of racism when their background or personal life is questioned. Omar arrived in Minnesota as a refugee in 1995 to escape the Somali civil war. She has denied allegations that her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, her alleged brother, was a sham to secure immigration status. The couple separated around 2012 but did not divorce until 2017.
Another source within the community received a phone call instructing him to recant his comments about Omar and issue a statement of support ahead of the midterms. He described feeling threatened simply for disagreeing with her. He reported receiving daily death wishes and fear of leaving his home. On rare occasions he stepped outside, he faced verbal abuse or physical assault. He noted that only a handful of people in the community are willing to share details about her relationship with Elmi publicly.
A man based in Somalia known as Aardile claimed to have placed a hit on the Minnesota man who spoke negatively about Omar. In a video, Aardile stated, We are sending people after you, they’re going to put you in hospital and in a coma. The Minnesota source said his heart sank upon hearing this because the group is dangerous. He stayed in bed for an entire week, fearing he might be shot dead. Another individual told him directly that he was going to be killed and labeled him a snake.
A leading member of the Somali community made a seven-minute phone call to a critic. The caller explicitly told the source to say I lied about Omar because we were arguing and to publish a message of support for her before the elections. The source refused but felt pressured to avoid being villainized further in the community. None of the social media aggressors are officially linked to Omar, and her office did not respond to a request for comment. She has vehemently denied that her 2009 marriage was a fraud to obtain legal immigration status for Elmi.
