Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota quoted the Quran on Twitter, Wednesday, to suggest that those who accuse her of infidelity should be flogged.
Omar’s suggestion came after Twitter user Retawa Agnihotri quoted a passage of the Quran that condemns adulterers beneath one of congresswoman’s tweets. Omar responded with a Quranic verse of her own that directs the faithful to “flog” those who make false accusations of against “chaste women.”
“And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the Faasiqoon (liars, rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)”
[al-Noor 24:4].
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 1, 2020
This exchange immediately drew significant criticism. Robby Starbuck, an accomplished music video producer and conservative political pundit chimed in, calling it “absolutely insane” that a “US Congresswoman encourages flogging those who are disobedient to Allah.”
Maajid Nawaz, the founder of a counter-extremism think tank also noted how “ISIS & other Islamists have only recently implemented such scripture with horrific results.”
“How appropriate do you [Omar] think it is for you to be publicly citing this passage advocating lashing other human beings, so publicly,” he asked.
Mohammad Tawhidi, also known as the Imam of Peace, weighed in, suggesting that it’s ironic how the congresswoman seemed to characterize herself as a “chaste woman.”
Agnihotri’s original mention of adultery is likely an allusion to Omar’s long history of relationship scandals. The progressive representative recently entered her fourth marriage, this time to her chief fundraiser, Tim Mynett.
This marriage came not long after Omar divorced her second husband, Ahmed Hirsi, in November after allegations broke that she was cheating on Hirsi with Mynett, according to the Daily Caller. Mynett’s ex-wife claims he admitted to his affair with the representative, according to the Caller, however both he and Omar have denied any scandalous relationship, reports the New York Post.
She has also been accused of marrying her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to help him gain an American citizenship. This is evidenced by a now-deleted Facebook post from 2013 in which Omar seems to identify Elmi as part of her family, reports the Caller.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
