Citing her firsthand experience of the horrors of military conflict as a refugee from war-torn Somalia, Rep. Ilhan Omar Thursday night made an impassioned case against war with Iran amid reports that President Donald Trump approved — then abruptly called off — airstrikes on a number of Iranian targets.
“Mr. President, as a survivor of war, I want to tell you: going to war does not make you strong. It makes you weak,” Omar wrote in a series of tweets. “Sending teenagers to die, or return with lifelong wounds seen and unseen, does not make you a bigger person. It makes you smaller. Risking a regional or even global armed conflict does not strengthen our country. It weakens us.”
Omar was among a chorus of progressive voices denouncing the Trump administration’s march to war, but the Minnesota Democrat’s personal story as the first Somali refugee ever elected to Congress made her opposition to war with Iran uniquely compelling.
“I have seen firsthand the effects of war. Even in the best of cases, it never has the outcome you expect,” Omar wrote. “War is death, displacement, and terror. War is hell.”
“So I urge you: be strong,” Omar continued, addressing Trump. “Do not listen to the warmongers and war profiteers whispering in your ear. Do not send our men and women into harm’s way.”
Mr. President,
As a survivor of war, I want to tell you: going to war does not make you strong. It makes you weak.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 21, 2019
Omar also urged the American people to take action by speaking out against war and contacting their elected representatives.
“Let all our leaders know that a war with Iran would be a catastrophe,” she said.
And I urge the American people to make your voice heard. Organize. Call your member of Congress.
Let all our leaders know that a war with Iran would be a catastrophe. #NoWarOnIran
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 21, 2019
Omar was joined in warning against war with Iran on Thursday by a number of her Democratic colleagues, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Asked by CNN reporter Manu Raju whether she has any concerns about the Trump administration’s approach to Iran, Ocasio-Cortez said, “Yeah, I think they’re trying to goad us into a military conflict that’s completely irresponsible.”
.@AOC minced no words in her comments on Iran and the Trump administration pic.twitter.com/WH6UBeFyF1
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 20, 2019
On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez said the Trump administration “needs to put down its saber and pick up a phone.”
“Diplomacy is what grants us peace and stability — not war,” wrote the New York congresswoman.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $104,000 in one-time donations and to add 1340 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy