Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, born on October 4, 1982, is an American politician who has served as the United States Representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019. She is a Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party member. Omar previously served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing a portion of Minneapolis. Her congressional district encompasses the entire city of Minneapolis as well as some of its first-ring suburbs.
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Omar is the whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, the protection of DACA recipients, and the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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Omar, a frequent critic of Israel, supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has condemned the country’s settlement policy and military campaigns in occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the influence of pro-Israel lobbies.
Omar is the first Somali American, first African-born naturalized citizen, and first woman of color to represent Minnesota in the US Congress. Along with Rashida Tlaib, she is one of the first two Muslim women to hold a congressional position. Because of her past, she has received several death threats and insulting remarks from political rivals, including Donald Trump.
Ahmed Hirsi: Meet Ilhan Omar’s Second Husband
Omar got married to Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002. They had an unofficial faith-based Islamic marriage, according to her. The couple had two children together, one of whom was Isra Hirsi, one of the three main organizers of the US school strike for climate change. Omar has stated that she and Hirsi divorced in accordance with their religious beliefs in 2008.
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