Top 40 Ilhan Omar Quotes

My family called me the ‘why kid’ growing up. I always needed to know why something is happening, why I had to do something, why whatever.

I come from people who dreamed of a free democratic system. I believe so strongly in the process and equal access.

I believe women and minorities often wait for permission to be invited to something; we need to stop doing that.

We have people who will take votes that they can’t defend. They’ll say they stand for a policy, but when it comes to vote for it, they won’t take the vote.

I grew up in a household where we all celebrated who we were. There was no space to make people feel different or ‘less than.’

I have a great sense of who I am.

The house I was born in in Somalia was right next to a big market. A lot of beggars or panhandlers would be in front of our house constantly, and my grandfather and grandmother would always invite them in to have food with us and have them take whatever was left over.

My kids have been around politics since they were little.

Here in Minnesota, we don’t only welcome immigrants; we send them to Washington.

I’m not easily scared; from the age of 8, I learned what it means to have everything you know taken away and what it means to persevere. I approach politics the same way.

When I first arrived in the country, I really didn’t speak much of the language. I knew two words coming here, and they were ‘Hello’ and ‘Shut up.’

I am committed to growing participation in the political process and doing it the right way.

I think a big part of my faith teachings is to work together towards equality: that we’re all created equal, and under the eyes of God, we all have a right to freedom and to access our rights equally.

We say this is a land of immigrants, and we forget that this was a land that belonged to people. And those of us who are new immigrants and those of us who come from generations of immigrants have to realize we are not that much different from one another.

In just my own neighborhood, you can’t go one block without seeing a sign that says, you know, ‘Everyone’s welcome here,’ ‘Refugees are welcome here.’ I love my Muslim neighbors, and so there is truly this spirit of generosity and compassion and openness that still exists.

I know how it feels to be hated because of my religious beliefs.

I’ve always said you get what you organize for.

My kids are the reason I continue to strive for something better. They know – as kids who are Muslim, Somali, black Americans – that they’ve always been part of a struggle and that change isn’t easy.

Somalis in Minnesota have worked so hard to get their voices heard in the political process.

I want to go to Washington to make sure we really have an opportunity to expand health care for folks so that is accessible to them.

I invited President Trump twice now to come meet my family and my community because he seems to have a lot of opinions about the kind of people we are.

Truly, this is a nation that sees itself as one that instills hope and is really about allowing people to pursue their dreams.

Every student has something to offer, and every student deserves a nurturing learning environment.

I think my faith as a Muslim is very important. One of the core values is that you are always trying to build consensus. So when it comes to figuring out if something is permissible or not in Islam, it’s usually a discussion, and people have to come to a consensus in order for something to be approved.

I will never apologize for standing up against oppression and injustice in Israel or anywhere else.

I try not to think of my life in terms of separation.

One night, militia tried to break into our home, and the exterior was riddled with bullets.

We’ve become the party that wants to appease everyone and no one. And I think the only way that the Democrats become viable again is if we have people who have moral clarity and courage to say what they need to say and fight for what they need to fight for.

I think we forget that, for a really long time, this country has been a place that has welcomed many refugees who have made it home and have tremendously contributed to this country.

This country gave us hope. This country allowed for us to develop our own identity and to create our own home. And we should not look down on the next person that is trying to do that.

I want my children to attend inclusive schools where diversity is respected and acknowledged as a sign of strength.

Since 2011, I am happy to say that I have reconciled with Ahmed Hirsi; we have married in our faith tradition and are raising our family together. Like all families, we have had our ups and downs, but we are proud to have come through it together.

We are accountable to each other; having an equitable Minnesota benefits everyone, not just the disenfranchised.

I grew up under a dictatorship. I knew what it meant for people to not have the ability to freely express themselves.

Insinuations that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is my brother are absurd and offensive.

I have a duty to teach my people about their rights and protect them from being bamboozled.

ICE has only become increasingly militarized, brutal, and unaccountable.

It’s our time to fight for the America we know we can have.

Some suggest that, as a woman, I meddle in political affairs and need to be ‘put in my place.’

American hate is not new – and it is not scarce.