Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Ilhan Omar to Accept American Muslim Public Servant of 2021 Award


Sat 04 Dec 2021 | 02:08 PM
Omnia Ahmed

Rep. Ilhan Omar is going to accept the American Muslim Public Servant of 2021 award today, Saturday, at a virtual gala hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Rep. Ilhan Omar

In a press release, CAIR stated that Omar will be given the award for her activism in the U.S. House of Representatives in light of her recent feud with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who made Islamophobic remarks about her fellow congresswoman.

Rep. Ilhan Omar

CAIR affirmed that Omar deserved the award for her "commitment to public service and courage in the face of anti-Muslim bigotry from fellow members of Congress."

"Representative Omar has time and again proven her deep dedication to public service," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad in the statement. "Her work representing the interests not only of her constituents but of the American people as a whole serves as an example to our community and to the nation."

Rep. Ilhan Omar

In a widely condemned video that surfaced over Thanksgiving weekend, Boebert joked Omar was a terrorist, leading to a public back-and-forth row over the matter that only worsened after the two shared a phone call to discuss it.

https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1463903881553920004

 

Accordingly, CAIR issued a statement on Nov. 26, calling Boebert's remarks "disgusting" and asking Congress to censure the congresswoman. The U.S. House of Representatives has so far not acted to censure Boebert.

https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1465830674317914115

The annual gala's theme this year is "Turning the Tide, Building a Just Future," and attendees will celebrate CAIR's impact in America for the past 27 years.

The event will also be attended by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Islamic studies scholar Omar Suleiman and civil rights activist Linda Sarsour.