On March 23, freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) continued her controversial remarks on Islam in a speech at a fundraiser for the Los Angeles chapter of the Committee for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a controversial leftist Muslim advocacy group named as an "unindicted co-conspirator or joint venturer" in the Holy Land Foundation case--an Islamic charity that in 2008 was convicted of providing material support to Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization.
The Washington Times reported on the speech (and noted Fox News live-streamed it), but the rest of the national news media (including the local Los Angeles Times) ignored this speech, in which Omar suggested Trump encouraged the horrific mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Speaking of violence against Muslims, Omar claimed “We all kind of knew that this was happening. But the reason I think that many of us knew that this was going to get worse is that we finally had a leader, a world leader in the White House who publicly says Islam hates us, who fuels hate against Muslims, who thinks it is okay to speak about a faith and a whole community in a way that is dehumanizing, vilifying. and doesn’t understand, or at least makes us want to think that he doesn’t understand, the consequences that his words might have. Some people like me know that he understands the consequences. He knows that there are people that he can influence to threaten our lives, to diminish our presence.” She insisted (like the Hillary bumper sticker) that "love trumps hate."
Not even the presence of hundreds of protesters drew national media attention to the event. Protesters of liberal favorites are not news.
Omar dismissed the protesters in her remarks: "There are very fascinating people outside who for so many years have spoken about an Islam that is oppressive, an Islam that lessens and isolates its women. And today they gather outside to protest a Muslim woman who is in Congress! I mean, the irony in that is very entertaining to me."
She added "I don't think any of them realize that people like myself and many of the people in this room can care less about what they have to say, because we know who we are and where we belong and what we stand for."
Omar could have been speaking for the news media, who could care less what critics of radical Islam have to say, and just dismiss it as hate speech.
Local reporter Ariella Plachta reported on the speech for California newspapers and took video of the protesters, taking up most of a block across the street from the Hilton hotel hosting the event. She reported "more than 1,000" protesters.
Hundreds outside the Woodland Hills Hilton right now protesting Rep. Ilhan Omar’s appearance at a CAIR fundraiser tonight. Crowd’s going wild for a bride walking out of the hotel pic.twitter.com/bJgOsdrrLE
— Ariella Plachta (@AriPlachta) March 23, 2019
Omar professed it was time to fight. “I say raise hell, make people uncomfortable. Because here’s the truth. For far too long, we have lived with the discomfort of living as second-class citizens, and frankly I’m tired of it and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it.”
She continued: “Muslims are told that we should not bother anyone, not make any kind of noise, be a good Muslim. But no matter how much we have tried to be the best neighbor, people have always worked on finding a way to not allow for every single civil liberty to be extended to us.”
PS: For the "independent fact-checkers," we recommend the clip at 12:50, where Omar claimed "CAIR was founded after 9/11." Wrong. Its own website says it was founded in 1994.
