Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to be first Muslim American women in Congress
Both women are seasoned organizers who emphasized economic justice among their priorities.
Minnesota state Rep. Ilhan Omar, center, celebrates her congressional primary victory on August 14, 2018, in Minneapolis. Mark Vancleave/Star Tribune via AP.
After winning primaries in August, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are poised to be the first two Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress.
Omar was born in Somalia, the youngest of seven. Conflict forced emigration, and she spent four years in Utanga refugee camp in Kenya, according to the City Pages, a Twin Cities newspaper. After a Lutheran church sponsored her and her family for entry into the U.S., she arrived at age 12, knowing no English.
“I consider myself to be a fighter who’s pretty optimistic about the possibilities of the world, and someone who thinks we all have shared values regardless of our background, our faith,” she told the City Pages.
