Ms Omar has promised to be a “voice for the marginalized”. Photo Credit: AP
A Somali-American has been sworn in as a lawmaker in the US.
Ilhan Omar has now become the first Somali-American to hold such a position in the US.
She was made history when Minnesotans in House District 60B elected her to the State Capitol.
Omar is not only the first Somali-American to be elected to Minnesota’s House of Representatives but also the second Muslim-American to be elected in the same house.
Ms Omar is a Somali-born former refugee. She is quoted by the Star Tribune to have said “We are privileged to be people that can live in unity and diversity, and we are privileged to have one another. So as much as I pledge to you to be the best that I can be, I hope you will pledge to me to be the best you can be as well”
Minnesota is has the largest Somali community in the US with 50,000 people. The community has been a target of terrorism recruitment.
More than 20 male Somalis have left Minnesota in recent years to join militant group al-Shabab with others joining militants in Syria.
Source: Africafeeds.com
