Nearly twenty years have passed since the terrorist attack in
New York City on September 11th. The event set into motion a
paradigm shift in the United States affecting policy, media, and a new era of
blanket racism. After all this time, and after all the information that we have
learned since that day, the Anti-Muslim sentiment still remains staunchly prevalent
as an inflammatory media and political tool. The currents administration’s actions
have definitely reignited a flame beneath these feelings and thwarts any progress
made by our country towards healing. Facing the brunt of the misinformation and
manipulation of meaning is Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. The New York
Times took a speech she gave at a banquet hosted by the Council on American-Islamic
Relations and threw context out the window with a rabble-rousing cover, and otherAmerican media and politicians took it and ran amok. When this happens, and our president and people of respected office respond in such ways as calling Rep. Omar a "disgrace" or questioning if Omar is ". . . an American first," or spread videos of the terrorist attack itself, the intention is not to honor
those who died or were affected that day. The intent is to create unrest and division.
The fact that Omar’s words, when denouncing Islamophobia, were twisted and used
to create the very thing she strives to change, is a sad irony that has
resulted in Rep. Omar facing threats on her life.
