First Muslim women in Congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
By Eli Watkins, CNN
Updated 9:58 PM ET, Tue November 6, 2018
Democratic candidate Rashida Tlaib is running for Us Congress in Michigan's 13th congressional district
(CNN)A pair of districts in the Midwest will add Muslim women to the ranks of the US Congress for the first time, CNN has projected.
Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's nominee, will secure their respective seats in strongly Democratic districts following primary victories earlier this year that effectively decided their races.
Tlaib is endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, a burgeoning left-wing group that also counts New York Democratic congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among its members.
Omar, in addition to being one of the first Muslim women in Congress, will also be the first Somali-American member. She came to the US more than two decades ago as a refugee. Tlaib actually campaigned with Omar ahead of the latter's primary race earlier this year.
Omar also had the backing of Ocasio-Cortez in her primary race, and she will come to Congress having been an open critic of the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians.
Omar will take the seat vacated by Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison is leaving Congress as he vies to become Minnesota attorney general.
Tlaib will fill the seat formerly occupied by Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers, who left office last year amid accusations of sexual misconduct. She ran unopposed on the general election ballot following her primary win.
Tlaib is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and became the first Muslim female member of Michigan's state legislature a decade ago. A self-styled progressive, Tlaib is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and was arrested two years ago for disrupting a Trump speech in Detroit.
Only two other Muslims have been elected to Congress, and both are men currently in office: Ellison and Indiana Democratic Rep. Andre Carson.
CNN's Daniel Burke and Jeremy Moorhead contributed to this report.
Re: First Muslim women in Congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
I wonder what their stance is on gay marriage, legal marijuana, and abortion? You know? Issues that democrats hold so dear to their hearts that are definitely not Islamic.
Re: First Muslim women in Congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
format_quote Originally Posted by GodIsAll
I wonder what their stance is on gay marriage, legal marijuana, and abortion? You know? Issues that democrats hold so dear to their hearts that are definitely not Islamic.
Even so-called conservative muslims in UK, 30% support gay rights. American and Canadian muslims are the most liberal muslims in the world. Majority of them support gay rights and other liberal policies.
Alcohol: Male (47%), Female(52%)
Drugs: Male (37%), Female(38%)
Marijuana: Male(31%), Female(32.6%)
Tobacco: Male(58%), Female(37%)
Sex before marriage: Male(57%), Female(47%)
As you can see American muslim university students are as liberal and unislamic as the average american, if not more. Some of the numbers even surprised me, in many categories, women were far worse than men like drugs, weed and drinking. I mean wow.
Does it make sense why American muslims support Democrats?
Last edited by CuriousonTruth; 02-27-2019 at 05:25 AM.
Re: First Muslim women in Congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
format_quote Originally Posted by GodIsAll
I don’t understand why Muslims embrace the Democratic Party.
I guess it is the matter of lesser of two evils, but this is a general dilemma of muslims in Western countries... those parties which advocate more social conservative values also usually stand on an openly islamophobic, anti-muslim and anti immigrant identity platform. Left, left-libs (mostly at least) claim to stand up for minorities, multiculti, urban poors etc. In the end, one way or another all non muslim parties will represent some ideas that are in conflict with the religion, but one is against the physical existance of muslims in their countries, the other isn't.
Of course there still remains 2 other options: 1. run on a strictly islamic platform (whatever it means) and be satisfied with maybe a few seats in bigger city councils and no representation in national politics 2. not participating in politics at all, meaning muslim interests being totally ignored in the decision making.
Re: First Muslim women in Congress: Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar
format_quote Originally Posted by GodIsAll
I don’t understand why Muslims embrace the Democratic Party.
They can be democratic muslims. Or as alfaqir says, even if they are Islamist, they might chose the lesser of the evils. Obviously any possible Islamist party in America cannot have enough votes to enter the congress. So they may try to support the rights of muslims on this side against the anti Islamist conservatives.
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