According to a report, Democrat Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, who was expelled from her House committees earlier this year for prior anti-Israel statements, will give prepared remarks via pre-recorded video at a worldwide religious freedom event on May 1.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) documents systematic and egregious infringements on religious freedom which have occurred in the past year. It also provides recommendations to Congress for advancing religious liberty around the world.
The congresswoman from Minnesota was originally slated to speak at the event, but an aide confirmed that she would be delivering her thoughts digitally instead.
In February, when members of Congress voiced concerns over Omar’s anti-Israel sentiments, she was removed from her position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Omar made comments that Israel had hypnotized the world and that the U.S.-Israel connection was “all about the Benjamins.” Omar said Israel and the U.S. were comparable to the terrorist group Hamas.
A 2019 article reports that Turkish President Erdogan called on his country’s citizens and Iranians to contribute to Ilhan Omar’s congressional campaign.
According to the FBI website, Director Christopher Wray formed the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) in the autumn of 2017 to detect and neutralize harmful foreign influence activities aimed at the United States. Those influence campaigns are the efforts of foreign governments to shape public opinion or political debate in the United States.
The article reveals Rep. Ilhan Omar received a phone call from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt avuşolu in 2016 to offer his congratulations on her win. He sent his congratulations once again after Omar was re-elected to the US House in November of 2018.
The Minnesota congresswoman also met with the Turkish President, Foreign Minister, and Consul General. Ilhan Omar was asked to appear on a panel at the “Who Is A Defender?” conference shortly after the 2016 elections in Istanbul, Turkey.
On July 1, 2017, when Omar and her then-husband Ahmed Hirsi were visiting Chicago, she tweeted about having lunch with the Turkish Consul General, Umut Acar, and taking a tour of the city.
The report wondered why Turkey has such an interest in Rep. Omar.
