ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota made national history Tuesday when Rep. Ilhan Omar (DFL – 60B) was officially sworn-in as the first Somali Muslim woman in the state legislature.
Omar was officially sworn in at noon with the entire Minnesota House. Later in the afternoon, Omar recited her oath again in front of fellow Somali-Americans on the house floor in a ceremony sponsored by the Muslim American Society of Minnesota (MAS).
As Alpha News reported, MAS and 25 other Islamic groups sponsored Omar’s swearing-in celebration.
Many filtered into the Great Hall of the State Capitol to listen to keynote speakers congratulate and welcome Omar to the House.
Many of the speakers were prominent imams in Minnesota. One imam told the crowd that Omar would combine American values with those of the Quran – specifically Chapter 4 titled Al-Nisa’ or the woman.
The event began with an imam sharing a passage out of the Quran and the emcee, Asad Zaman, the Executive Director of MAS, welcomed everyone to the event.
A few politicians also shared the podium with the imams. Members of the House came down to show their support for Omar. Peggy Flanagan (D-46A), Karen Clark (D-62A), and Connie Bernardy (D-41A) took the podium where they greeted the guests in Somali and shared their excitement and hopes for Omar.
After the speeches concluded, Zaman ushered everyone to the floor of the House where Omar’s cultural husband, Ahmed Hirsi held the Quran as she recited her oath once again. The swearing-in ceremony can be viewed below.
Omar then gave a speech in which she thanked her family and community and encouraged them to keep her accountable during her time in office. Her speech can be viewed below.