Rep. Ilhan Omar Blames Trump for New Zealand Massacre During CAIR Fundraiser While Hundreds Protest Outside

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) spoke Saturday at a fundraiser for the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) while hundreds of protesters gathered outside the event.

Omar was the keynote speaker for CAIR’s Fourth Annual Valley Banquet in Los Angeles focused on “advancing justice” and “empowering Valley Muslims,” according to an event invitation. As The Daily Caller explains, the U.S. Department of Justice found CAIR to be a co-conspirator in funneling millions of dollars to Hamas.

Its leaders have a history of making sympathetic comments about terrorist organizations, such as one comment from Hassan Shibly, chief executive director of CAIR-Florida, who suggested that Hezbollah and Hamas aren’t terrorist organizations. Shibly spoke alongside Omar during Saturday’s fundraiser.

During her remarks, Omar blamed President Donald Trump for the recent massacre at Christchurch mosque in New Zealand, according to audio obtained by Gateway Pundit.

“We all kind of knew this was happening, but the reason I think that many of us knew that this was going to get worse is that we finally have a leader, a world leader in the White House, who publicly says Islam hates us—who fuels hate against Muslims, who thinks it is OK to speak about a faith and a whole community in a way that is dehumanizing, vilifying, and doesn’t understand, or at least makes us want to think that he doesn’t understand, the consequences that his words might have,” Omar said.

“Some people, like me, know that he understands the consequences. He knows that there are people that he can influence to threaten our lives, to diminish our presence, but what we know and what Islam teaches us, and what I always say is that love trumps hate,” she continued.

Later in her address, she encouraged those in attendance to “raise hell” and “make people uncomfortable.”

“Because here’s the truth, for far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and frankly I am tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it,” she said.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Woodland Hills Hilton where the event was held to demonstrate against Omar. Video of the demonstration shows protesters holding Israeli flags and signs reading, “Your hate makes us stronger.” The protest, however, apparently turned ugly at points while some shouted, “burn the Koran,” “Ilhan Omar, go to hell,” and “shame on you terrorists.”

Hundreds outside the Woodland Hills Hilton right now protesting Rep. Ilhan Omar’s appearance at a CAIR fundraiser tonight. Crowd’s going wild for a bride walking out of the hotel pic.twitter.com/bJgOsdrrLE

— Ari Plachta (@AriPlachta) March 23, 2019

“There are very fascinating people outside who for so many years have spoken about an Islam that is oppressive, that lessens and isolates women,” Omar said during her speech in response to the protest. “And today they gather outside to protest a Muslim woman who is in Congress.”

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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Rep Ilhan Omar at CAIR event” by Ariella Plachta.