Ilhan Omar Posts Video with Controversial Somali Song
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) shared a video on Friday featuring herself walking near a lake in Minnesota alongside her husband, Tim Mynett. The video is set to a Somali song that, according to a translation by the Washington Free Beacon, speaks of humiliating foes and inflicting suffering on them.
The 27-second clip shows Omar and Mynett with the soundtrack of “Nimaan Ciilayba Icaaya,” a track by Somali rapper Ilkacase Qays and singer Hodan Abdirahman. In her post, Omar wrote, “Less scrolling, more strolling. Enjoying our beautiful Minnesota lakes.” Interestingly, she didn’t mention former President Donald Trump by name or specify any target for the lyrics.
The Free Beacon interpreted the choice of music as a possible jab at Trump amid ongoing federal inquiries into Omar’s immigration records and financial disclosures. They mentioned they had a certified English translation made of the Somali lyrics.
Parts of the translated lyrics convey a sense of strength and vengeance: “The almighty has given me strength. If I confront you in the afternoon, by evening, I will teach you a lesson and keep you awake throughout the night. Yes, you will suffer and cry in seething. You will scream like a demon.”
Another segment of the song challenges adversaries: “Let me show you who I am. No enemy dares to threaten me. Let the enemies die of seething. We are the ones who rule this land.” The lyrics discuss subjugating and humiliating foes, but it’s important to note that these lines come from the song itself and not from any statements Omar made in the video.
Omar has been seen with both performers previously; footage from YouTube reveals her singing and dancing with Qays and Abdirahman at an event in May. She was also caught on camera enjoying a dance with Qays at the Somali Global Awards in Minneapolis a month later.
This video post by Omar surfaced less than two weeks after agents from Homeland Security Investigations conducted a search of her Washington, D.C. home on October 12. The Justice Department confirmed that the search was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
Investigators are looking into whether Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration documents, including her birth date and her eligibility for citizenship through her father’s naturalization in 2000. Omar has denied any wrongdoing related to these matters.
A court document referred to her as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” However, this wording alone doesn’t confirm longstanding allegations that she married her brother, which she has consistently denied.
At a rally on Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa, Trump suggested that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) should be aware of the filing and argued that Omar should step down from Congress. He stated, “So it’s not looking good, because she used a fake name to be sworn in. I assume she must immediately have to resign from Congress.”
