Ilhan Omar's Challenger Is Her Worst Nightmare: A Republican Refugee Who Loves America
Representative Ilhan Omar won’t be able to pull any of her usual tricks against her new opponent. She may throw accusations of bigotry, misogyny, and racism against the challenger, but these attacks will fall spectacularly flat.
That’s because Dalia al-Aqidi, the person gunning for her seat, is a female Muslim refugee who just happens to be an America-loving member of the Grand Old Party.
In her first campaign ad, al-Aqidi makes it abundantly clear that although she and Omar share the same religion, gender, and beginnings in war-torn regions, that’s where the similarities end.
“We might seem nearly alike,” al-Aqidi said of herself and Omar, “both Muslims, both women, both refugees, but we couldn’t be further apart. She spends her time in Congress sowing seeds of division, actively supporting our enemies.”
“She claims to speak for all Muslims,” the Republican continued, “but she does not speak for me.”
Watch al-Aqidi’s full campaign ad below, it’s guaranteed to be the best video you see today.
According to al-Aqidi’s website, she fled Iraq in 1988 when it was still in the iron grip of the dictator Saddam Hussein.
After taking the oath to become an American citizen, she eventually began a career in journalism as a radio anchor. Al-Aqidi is extremely outspoken against Islamic terrorism and other forms of cruelty across the world. Meanwhile, Omar appears to not be completely convinced of the horror of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Omar, who makes frequent use of her religion and her history as a refugee to attack opponents, will likely find herself without a reliable weapon against al-Aqidi.
As recently as Jan. 8, Omar has accused the political right of anti-Muslim rhetoric. Frequent references to her refugee origins are also a staple in Ilhan Omar’s celebrations of herself and attacks against critics.
Omar’s challenger doesn’t appear to be worried about being called an islamophobe, and openly attacks the congresswoman for her defense of terrorist organizations.
Ilhan Omar defends the Muslim Brotherhood.
She defends Hamas which is a terrorist group, according to the US laws. The same laws that sent her to Congress. https://t.co/cZXzqYgDej https://t.co/ev8weayikz— Dalia al-Aqidi (@Dalia4Congress) January 17, 2020
With the next election for U.S. House Minnesota District 5 coming up this year, the time for Omar to reap what she has sown in her short time in Congress is rapidly approaching.
The district’s large Somali immigrant population isn’t losing any representation with al-Aqidi — they would still have a Muslim woman to work for them in Washington, D.C. — but one who hates terrorism and loves the United States.
It remains to be seen who will win, but Omar has less than a year to come up with a plan of attack against al-Aqidi — an opponent she won’t be able to use her tired old tactics against.
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