THE lEFT IS THE rIGHT:

Ilhan Omar is Somali, a refugee, a Muslim and a woman. The collection of these identities shape the way she is perceived by a large percentage of voters. Some on the left see these as a cross-section of identities which make her the ideal candidate for a diverse modern state. Others on the right see the same identities as a threat to the country they believe in. It is clear that the view of some on the right has made Omar the target of virulent abuse and death threats. Her role as one of the most prominent and visible Muslim politicians in the West makes her vulnerable in a society that has painted Muslims as barbaric people whose views and way of life are antithetical to Western society. This would have significant impact on her physical safety and mental health and in this aspect, it is absolutely necessary that Muslims show support for Omar and defend her right as a Muslim to play an active role in American politics. [1]

However, as Muslims, there is an another harm that we must address when considering our role in politics. Spiritual harm is an aspect of life that is often disregarded when considering our involvement in a secular political world, one that refuses to understand the impact of politics and political decisions beyond the physical. This is where the politics of diversity and representation play an active role in harming individual Muslims and the community, despite the best intentions of Muslim activists. [2]

In recent years, there has been a call for increased diversity in politics. President Biden promised and delivered a diverse cabinet that he claimed represented America. [3] Similarly, in the UK, none of the Great Offices of the State are currently held by a white man. [4] But in achieving these goals, the failure of diversity politics has been exposed in broad daylight. When diverse individuals are only seen for the diversity they represent and not the politics they advocate for, not only are they able to perpetrate harm, but they are able to use the very same diversity language to deflect from criticisms levelled against them. In the UK, Priti Patel, Home Secretary of the UK until this September, was able to use her childhood experience of racism to deflect from the racism of some of her own policies in government, including the deportation of refugees to Rwanda. [5]

In the case of Omar, the way her identity is perceived by the left has led to two different outcomes, both of which should be a cause for concern among politically active Muslims in the West. The first of these issues is the reduction of being a Muslim to a part of her diverse identity, instead of an all-encompassing expression of her faith and belief in a set of values inspired by the command of Allah and the example of the Prophet ﷺ. The diminishing of faith means that instead of taking into account Islam and its practices, liberal diversity politics lumps together being Muslim with race, gender, and sexuality, all markers of marginalized identities.

This misconception of faith leads to the second issue. The left does not defend or stand with Muslims because it believes in their right to practice their faith in the manner ordained. Instead, they defend Muslims seeing them as yet another marginalized group targeted by government policy across the globe. This also means that Omar and many other Muslim activists establish transactional relationships based on mutual support for these different historically marginalized groups. This support can range from supporting clearly un-Islamic positions to attending un-Islamic events in solidarity with groups who claim to support the Muslim community on key issues. 

Unfortunately, in her role as one of the most visible Muslims politicians in the Western world, Omar has fallen into this trap. 

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