Ilhan Omar was born on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, as the youngest of seven siblings. She lost her mother at the age of two. Due to the civil war that began in Somalia in 1991, her family fled to Kenya and lived for four years in the Dadaab refugee camp. In 1995, they immigrated to the United States and settled in the state of Virginia. In 1997, they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Omar began her high school education there and became a U.S. citizen in 2000 at the age of 17. She completed her university education in 2011 at North Dakota State University, majoring in Political Science and International Relations.

Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in her first marriage; this marriage ended in 2017. She later married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, but this marriage also was short-lived and ended in divorce in 2019. In 2020, Omar married Tim Mynett, and this marriage continues to this day.

POLITICAL CAREER

Ilhan Omar’s interest in politics began at an early age. After settling in the United States, translating for her grandfather as he participated in local politics strengthened this interest.

After returning to Minneapolis in 2012, she began working as a nutrition educator with the Minnesota Department of Nutrition. That same year, she played an active role in the “Two No’s” campaign, which opposed two ballot measures proposed by the state legislature—one requiring photo identification for voters and the other defining marriage exclusively as between a man and a woman—gaining recognition in local politics. Following the success of these campaigns, she worked on the 2013 election campaign of Minneapolis City Council member Andrew Johnson. In 2014, she continued her political career as a senior policy advisor.

MN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

In 2016, Omar ran for a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. As documented in the film “Time for Ilhan,” her campaign was unconventional and attention-grabbing. She defeated the incumbent who had held office for 44 years in the Democratic primary, becoming the first Somali-American woman elected to the Minnesota State Legislature. In her statement after the election results, she said:

“This is the beginning of something new. Our city has a tradition of writing history. I am proud to represent the diverse people of my community, fighting alongside them and for them.”

However, immediately after this success, baseless allegations began circulating online against her, primarily from conservative circles.

On September 19, 2017, during a visit to the United States, President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unexpectedly met with Ilhan Omar and held a bilateral discussion.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ilhan Omar (Akparti)

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

In 2018, Omar announced her candidacy for the open seat in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district, vacated by Congressman Keith Ellison’s run for Minnesota Attorney General. On June 17, she received the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. She won the primary election on August 14 with 48.2 percent of the vote. In the general election in November, she defeated her Republican opponent Jennifer Zielinski with 78 percent of the vote, securing a decisive victory. Thus, she became:

• The first Somali-American elected to the U.S. Congress,
• The first Black woman elected from Minnesota, and
• The first Muslim woman to wear a headscarf elected to Congress.

On January 3, 2019, after taking her oath of office in the House of Representatives, she shared a photo with her father on X (formerly Twitter) with the following message:

“Twenty-three years ago, we arrived at an airport in Washington, DC, from a refugee camp in Kenya with my father. Today, we return to that same airport on the eve of my swearing-in as the first Somali-American in Congress.”

Ilhan Omar and Her Father at the Airport (İlhan Ömer)

ENTRY BAN TO ISRAEL

Ilhan Omar has frequently criticized Israel’s military actions against Palestinians. In response, Israel banned her entry in 2019. This decision sparked significant international attention, as it marked the first time a sitting U.S. member of Congress was barred from entering Israel.

DEATH THREATS

Omar, the first Muslim woman to wear a headscarf elected to the U.S. Congress, has faced numerous insults and attacks. In 2019, a person in New York called her office in Washington, D.C., threatening to kill her. The suspect was later taken into custody following an investigation by the FBI.

2024 ELECTIONS AND CONTINUITY OF POLITICAL CAREER

Despite smear campaigns and harsh criticism, Omar won re-election in 2024 and continues to serve in the House of Representatives. In her victory speech, she reaffirmed her commitment to the values she represents and pledged to continue her fight.

POLITICAL VIEWS

Ilhan Omar, a progressive voice within the Democratic Party, is a prominent member of “The Squad,” a group of young and reform-oriented members of Congress. She actively advocates for social justice, equality, and human rights. Notably, Omar is recognized for championing Palestinian rights against Israeli aggression. Her key political positions include:

• Expanding public healthcare services,
• Canceling student debt,
• Raising the minimum wage,
• Strengthening immigrant rights,
• Police reform and transformation of the criminal justice system,
• Limits on U.S. foreign interventions,
• Repealing the TikTok ban and protecting digital freedoms.

A married mother of three, Omar’s life has been shaped by hardship and struggle. Despite all obstacles, her political career has grown stronger. Her determined stance has drawn attention not only across the United States but also among Muslim communities worldwide.