Omar’s office shares voicemails threatening her, family

International News | The Hill

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)’s office has shared voicemails with NBC News of callers threatening her and her family.

“I’m from a militant group,” a caller in a voicemail says in one, according to NBC. “I can’t wait till our group sees you one day and I can rip your f‑‑‑ing rag off your head… I hope the Israelis kill every f‑‑‑ing one of you.”

Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) are the only two Muslim women in Congress.

“This dishonest smearing empowers those who spread the harmful myth that Muslim-Americans are a threat rather than valued members of our country,” Omar said in a statement emailed to The Hill. “It has directly endangered my life and that of my family, as well as subjected my staff to traumatic verbal abuse simply for doing their jobs.”

Omar has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians throughout her time in Congress. She and Tlaib were among a handful of progressive Democrats urging the Biden administration to push for a cease-fire amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which broke out after Hamas killed an estimated 1,400 people during an attack about two weeks ago.

According to a Democratic aide, Omar, Tlaib and other progressives who have critiqued Israel were briefed by the U.S. Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms on possible threats, NBC News said.

“I cannot believe I have to beg my country and colleagues to value every human life, no matter their faith or ethnicity,” Tlaib wrote last Saturday in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

President Biden condemned Islamaphobia and antisemitism in his Oval Office speech Thursday, pointing to the killing of a Palestinian American boy — 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume — that officials have said was motivated by anti-Muslim bias amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“We must without equivocation denounce antisemitism. We must also without equivocation denounce Islamophobia,” Biden said. “And to all of you hurting … I want you to know I see you. You belong. And I want to say this to you: You’re all America.”

The Hill has reached out to the House Sergeant at Arms for comment.