Representative Ilhan Omar outside the US Capitol. Getty Images / AFP
Representative Ilhan Omar outside the US Capitol. Getty Images / AFP
Representative Ilhan Omar outside the US Capitol. Getty Images / AFP
Representative Ilhan Omar outside the US Capitol. Getty Images / AFP

Ilhan Omar faces calls for US citizenship to be revoked and deportation to Somalia over Charlie Kirk comments


Thomas Watkins
  • English
  • Arabic

Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress, is facing calls for her US citizenship to be revoked amid a controversy over comments she made and a video she shared about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk after his assassination.

Ms Omar, a Somalia-born Democrat from Minnesota, drew the ire of Republicans after she reposted a video that said Mr Kirk had “denied the genocide happening in Palestine” and had been “spewing racist dog whistles”.

She also sat for an interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, in which she said she was mortified by Mr Kirk's murder and expressed empathy for his children, but criticised his views of gun ownership and race relations after George Floyd's 2020 death in Minneapolis.

In the same interview, Ms Omar accused Republicans of double standards for saying the left is responsible for the sentiment that fuels political violence while ignoring their own role, and that of President Donald Trump who “has incited violence against people like me".

Republican Nancy Mace appears to have been particularly incensed by Ms Omar's interview and her reposting of the video. She filed a resolution in Congress to have her censured and removed from two House committees. The motion was set aside by the slimmest of margins on Wednesday, 214-213, when four Republicans voted with Democrats to shelve it.

Ms Mace, whose office on Capitol Hill is next to Ms Omar's, has also called for the revocation of her US citizenship, which she attained in 2000 after fleeing her homeland's civil war in 1991.

“We would love to see you deported back to Somalia next,” Ms Mace wrote. Many other users on X also called for her US naturalisation to be revoked.

In 2019, Ms Omar became one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, along with Rashida Tlaib. She has repeatedly been the subject of threats and racist abuse.

In 2023, she was stripped of her seat on the foreign affairs committee over previous anti-Semitic and anti-Israel speech.

Late on Thursday, President Donald Trump joined the chorus of criticism, repeating a debunked claim that Ms Omar had married her brother in order to gain citizenship.

"What SCUM we have in our Country, telling us what to do," he said on social media in a post attacking Somalia's governance.

Ms Omar's office did not immediately return a request for comment after normal business hours.

Since Mr Kirk's murder, the Trump administration has turned its attention to progressive groups and has discussed designating some as domestic terrorists. The moves have alarmed civil liberties groups and free-speech advocates who see conservatives ushering in a new era of “cancel culture”.

The White House is also threatening to launch investigations that could lead to the revocation of progressive groups' tax-exempt statuses, and the State Department has begun revoking visas of foreigners who made light of Mr Kirk's death.

On Wednesday, US television network ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely after comments he made about Mr Kirk’s killing.

Republican Representative Chip Roy has set up a select committee to conduct a “full-scale investigation of the co-ordinated network of leftists attacking us".

Ms Omar responded to Ms Mace's criticism by saying she “needs to get help”. She also said Ms Mace is pushing false claims to raise money “and boost her run for Governor” in her home state of South Carolina next year.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

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Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

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Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi

Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag

Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC

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Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes

Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals

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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
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  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021

Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.

Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.

Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.

Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.

Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.

Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.

Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”

Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI. 

RESULTS
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Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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