Khaberni - In a recent interview with CNN, American Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar stated she is "not shocked" by the fierce attack launched by US President Donald Trump against her and the Somali community in Minnesota, describing Trump's rhetoric as "bigoted, xenophobic, full of Islamophobia and racism," and that it is always used as a means to evade his actual failures.
Omar added on the show "The Lead" with correspondent Jake Tapper that Trump's recent statements might encourage some to attack and harm Somalis, warning that the new security operation targeting unregistered Somali immigrants "has nothing to do with community security but terrorizes the residents and creates fear."
Omar's comments followed a series of harsh verbal attacks by President Trump, who recently described the Somali community in Minnesota as "scum" who should "go back to their homes," and personally attacked Omar, saying: "Ilhan Omar is trash. She is trash. And her friends are trash. These are not people who work.. All they do is complain," and added: "Our country is at a serious tipping point.. We will go the wrong way if we continue to bring trash into our country."
In other remarks during a Cabinet meeting, Trump emphasized that migrants "when they come from hell complain and do nothing but whine," adding: "We don't want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix things there". He referred to Somalia by saying: "Somalia is considered by many to be the worst country on the face of the Earth. I have never visited it, and I won't be visiting anytime soon."
American Emphasis on Immigration Procedures
This escalatory rhetoric comes at a time when the Trump administration is tightening immigration procedures unprecedentedly, as processing of all immigration, naturalization, and asylum applications has been suspended for citizens of 19 countries listed as “countries of concern,” with confirmation that this suspension will not be lifted except by a new decision from the director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The attack on Omar and the Somali community followed an incident in Washington where the National Guard was targeted by gunfire, carried out by an Afghan refugee, but Trump linked the incident to Somalis and sparked a wave of anger and condemnation among Representative Omar and Americans of Somali descent, considering that these immigrants threaten the security of the country and undermine social stability.
In response, Omar's remarks were decisive, stating that Trump's speech relies on "incitement and racial and religious discrimination" and that the personal attack on her and the Somalis of Minnesota aims to divert attention from the president's real failures, warning of the social consequences of this type of rhetoric on public safety and community coexistence.
This escalation reflects the rising political and social tensions in the United States between Trump's harsh rhetoric towards immigrants and Democratic members of Congress of immigrant origins, and it stirs a wide debate about immigration, racial and religious diversity in the country, especially with the upcoming elections and the rise of populist discourse.
