Ilhan Omar, Dialogue, and Democracy
Ilhan Omar, Dialogue, and Democracy
After a series of comments concerning her position on particular manifestations of support regarding Israel, freshly sworn in Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has become the unintentional public face of the rapidly intensifying debate around dialogue and public discourse, as well as the conversation about U.S.-Israel relations.
While her comments brought to the surface a thread of national commentary on antisemitism, the very response to her comments also brings up questions of communicative efficacy, cross-ideological understanding, and the politics of the Israel question.
Here at NewGround, we do not shy away from difficult conversations; indeed, it is a way for us to further understand one another, learn how to effectively address issues that we disagree on, and ultimately grow in the process.
NewGround executive director Aziza Hasan addressed these themes, and more, in a series of articles released by the Atlantic, the Huffington Post, Stars & Stripes, and the Independent, among others. Aziza emphasizes:
“Being able to talk through and seek deeper understanding with integrity and honesty, with respect, isn’t in fashion—it’s literally … not expedient. My biggest worry is that if we are so focused on winning all the time, where is that going to lead us…? …We’re going to be a minority-majority country here pretty soon, and we need to figure out how we’re going to interact in society.”
You can read her full comments by following the links provided above.
