Was Ilhan Omar taught to hate Jews?

[Archae]

I talked to a guy who lives in Omar's district, he told me he has run into a few Somalian immigrants who are viciously anti-Jewish.

So has Omar been taught this way?
A few of her remarks do sound like she has.

Steve King sounds like he was taught to be a white supremacist, I talked to a guy in his district who told me he has encountered some people who are that way.

So if Omar continues to make anti-Jewish remarks, she should be treated the same way Kevin McCarthy treats Steve King.
Doesn't matter what party they belong to, bigotry is WRONG.

[H2O Man]

1. Respectfully disagree.

I do not see anything approaching "hateful" coming from her.

[Amishman]

6. Then open your eyes

It's unfortunate to see it in one of our party's elected officials but it's real. Our party leadership sees it, pro free speech figures like Bill Maher see it.

[H2O Man]

8. My eyes are open.

I just happen to disagree with you.

[manor321]

2. What the hell kind of thread is this?

"I talked to a guy who spreads bullshit hearsay, so let me spread it further here."

Nice thread.

[H2O Man]

7. Archae is a good person,

and an important member of the DU community. While I disagree with his OP, I have nothing but respect for him. Hence, I favor taking this as an opportunity to discuss the general topic raised.

I think it is good that the Representative has raised issues that involve both domestic and international policy. It is not surprising that she is subjected to backlash for doing so. Let's hope that she didn't get "caught" on film dancing while in college.

A person can disagree with the government policies of any nation, without "hating" its people. I suspect that many people dislike Trump, for example, without being anti-American. Indeed, it is Trump who is anti-American. That same basic dynamic can be applied to any nation. Thus, we should be capable of, and able to, engaging in a rational discussion, without resorting to the auto-reflex of applying the worst label to the person who raises the issue.

Likewise, one should be able to discuss a group with domestic ties and their policies. Around the time of the Plame scandal, for example, one such group had two members charged with espionage. Luckily for them, Judge Ellis heard the case. Small world, I guess.

There is room for much more discussion. Let's not miss the opportunity.

[woofless]

23. Completely agree.

Thanks for making sense, again.

[ck4829]

3. Maybe don't question motives and loyalties of people

You take what Ilhan Omar has said and you turn it to the "The Globalists", "cultural Marxists", "George Soros", "the libs", and on and on and you change it to a white guy saying it, and it doesn't get called out to the same degree... if at all.

Was Omar taught this rhetoric was OK by seeing how the media and politicians talk all the time? Is she truly unreasonable to be like "Hey wait, they talk like this and they're just called 'politically incorrect'"?

The fact that this question needs to be asked means we need to look at ourselves as much as Ilhan Omar.

It's almost like a skit from a cartoon...

White Guy A says something vulgar, White Guy B laughs, agrees, and says something vulgar, Black Woman pops up and says something and both White Guy A and White Guy B are offended.

[JI7]

33. no, anti semitism is kind of accepted among certain ones on "the left"

[Trumpocalypse]

4. Maybe but I think there is a difference

King is a white supremacist out of a belief that white people, especially white men, are superior to all other races and should rule over them.

Omar who is definitely anti-Israel may also be an anti-semite. However, if she is it comes from a place of 'I see my people being oppressed and hate their oppressors' which is very different.

[marybourg]

11. And you don't think that white supremacist males

think of themselves as being oppressed because they are white and male? You have created a distinction without a difference.

[Trumpocalypse]

13. There is a difference

A big one.

[hardluck]

17. Damn straight. It's about time Israel stops oppressing Somalia

Or are her people the citizens she represents in Minnesota? Maybe I missed Israel occupying the West Bank of the Mississippi. Terribly confusing.

[DavidDvorkin]

20. The Jews are behind everything!

[Codeine]

39. They changed my clocks a full hour today!

The bastards!!

[DavidDvorkin]

41. Their power is amazing.

[Trumpocalypse]

21. Wow

Completely missed the point.

[BannonsLiver]

25. Where do you think the Israel-Palestine issue ranks among her constituents?

My guess is it is well down the list. And it’s actually not really a guess. Common sense says it’s well down the list if even thought of at all. She’d do well to focus on jobs and healthcare and other important issues, and stop trying to be some kind of authority on geopolitical issues. Otherwise she will draw a primary challenger who will exploit her weakness and she will be one and done.

[Trumpocalypse]

28. I agree

Excellent points!

[JI7]

30. because jews are responsible for the problems in Somalia? is that why a somali guy

tried to run over some jewish people in los angeles ?

[Trumpocalypse]

40. No

But you missed the point.

[mn9driver]

5. Is this like Trump when he says "some people say..."?

Who, exactly, is “this guy who lives in Omar’s district”?

I live in Omar’s district. Feel free to ask me anything about it. And you can attribute my responses to me.

[riverine]

9. This perception is not helped by the likes of

Louis Farrakhan.

Religion is even more divisive than politics.

That said my hero (see avatar) dealt with the subject with humor and class.

[Archae]

10. Unfortunately true.

There are Muslim and/or black activists who are far worse.

And...

There are Jewish groups who are just as bad.

Meir Kahane's group is still active, years after this professional Arab hater was killed.

I'm going to wait and see what happens from now on with Omar, if she continues or gets worse, she needs to be told to be shunned.

[JI7]

31. but we don't make excuses for jewish extremists by talking about oppression faced by jews

[Archae]

35. We don't, and we shouldn't make excuses for ANY etremists, period.

Like I said, I'm going to wait and see if Omar will tone down her own rhetoric, we've already seen that Steve King not only doesn't think what he has said was wrong, he doubles down on it.

[patricia92243]

12. What is supposed to be new about this question? YES bigotry and hate have to be taught.

A newborn baby is not bigoted or full of hate.

I am from the old South. I was carefully taught to be bigoted. Fortunately, I grew up and learned to think for myself. I hope Omar will do the same.

[WeekiWater]

14. Food for thought.

I don’t think you bring much to the table with respect to Omar but it is a possibility, even if she is really better than that. Inherent bigotry can be displays by very good people and done so unintentionally. When brought up under certain circumstances it can be difficult to shake some thoughts, specially on a subconscious level. Most of the racism we encounter comes in this form.

With that, I think a lot of the criticism of Omar is about skin color, and not just Omar’s.

[treestar]

15. If there are these few Somalian immigrants who are viciously anti-Jewish

It doesn't follow that all of them are, including Omar. I think she was actually talking about the money that always is involved in politics, and this is just one example.

[wellst0nev0ter]

16. So automatically assume

She hates Jews because she's Somali.

And you people accuse her of engaging in bigoted tropes.

Disgusting.

[mitch96]

18. My friends Mom was taught to hate Jews..

Member of the Hitler youth.. Her formative years were between 1935 and 1945... When I was growing up she did not outright say anything antisemitic but things would slip out.
m

[Devil Child]

19. This loaded question implies and insinuates Rep. Omar hates Jews

[KG]

22. I LOL'd

[Miguel M]

24. May I ask how does this post conform with DU's TOS of not attacking Dems?

Asking for a friend.

[BannonsLiver]

26. You could click the alert button if you're that concerned.

No need for the asking for a friend shtick. There’s an entire process dedicated to resolving TOS issues.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. I live in Omar's district, too.

Anecdotes aren't evidence.

[Separation]

29. I think everyone here knows that there can sometime be wordplay or insinuations

When dealing with Isreal. I think it comes from when a person speaks ill of Isreal they are immediately called an anti-semite, or something else along those lines. I think we could all look at Isreal and see that it is one of the last apartheid-style governments.


I would hazard a guess and say there is no doubt anti-semites are in both the Democratic and Republican party. There has to be a way to be able to criticize Isreal, their leaders, and policy that isn't automatically labeled as being anti-semite. I guess really, it's up to the person speaking to make sure they carefully chose their words because words do matter. Also, we live in a day of age where shit that we may have said is out there somewhere on the interwebz just waiting to be found.

[JI7]

32. the Obama and john kerry got a lot of attacks from the right wing in israel

and other right wing jewish people for their attempts at dealing with the problems there but most jewish people supported them and never thought they were anti semite.

it's not really difficult to be critical of israel without being anti semite.

[Separation]

36. I totttally agree

This is nothing more than playground bullshit from the Republicans to distract us from their magic tricks, that they have been pulling for the last 19 years.

[JI7]

37. actually my point was that one can easily be critical of israel without

something off as anti semite. john kerry was attacked by right wing jewish groups but most jewish people never accused him or Obama of getting anti semite or even saying something that could be seen as anti semite even if they werent .

[Meowmee]

34. I'm pretty sure she has been

No surprise since this happens a lot. She is a grown woman and is choosing to keep believing and expressing it.

[JCMach1]

38. This stance is Islam 101 outside of the US

Perfectly normal, or even left Muslims I knew when I lived in the ME would sometimes slip into an anti-Israel mode that sounded like it was straight+up Alex.Jones stuff (equivalent anyway).