LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: After meeting victims of Indian ceasefire violations and seeing their miseries, US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said that it is inevitable to raise the Kashmir issue in Congress.
Talking to a reporters Omar said: “Having met the Kashmiris in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), who nurse bullet wounds due to ceasefire violations by India, was a shocking experience, which has put me under an obligation to stand for human rights and human dignity.”
Ilhan Omar said she had always taken up questions regarding Kashmir and Palestine in Congress. She, nonetheless, said that she never had the opportunity to visit the place in person.
‘Fight for the cause of weak and exploited’
About herself, Omar said her story was of trial and triumph. “I was born in Somalia but had to flee the country due to civil war and lived for four years in generous Kenya before me and my family were sponsored to reach the United States of America. Here I was able to continue my studies and live in a community of warm-hearted people, although Minnesota is very cold, for the past 20 years,” she said.
“I represent the people of my community in the US Congress. I am someone who has experienced oppression and violation of human rights at a young age, and since I have been put into a position of power by people, I deem it my duty to advocate for those who don’t have that power.”
Omar said living with people who were disenfranchised and faced economic challenges, had not had full opportunity to educational opportunities, and those who were dealing with Islamophobia and racial discrimination, had prepared her to fight for the cause of the weak and exploited.
Visit to Pakistan
The US congresswoman said the Pakistani diaspora provided a strong bond between Pakistan and the US, and noted that those relations had bolstered over the past 75 years. She said Americans had benefited from the entrepreneurial spirit of the Pakistanis, their innovation, and their focus on advancing technology and healthcare. For many Americans, she said, their first interaction with Pakistanis was when they had met them.
Recalling the experience of her first visit to Pakistan, Omar said: “I have been humbled by the generosity of political leaders in Pakistan, who put their differences aside and welcomed me with open arms during my visit to the federal capital.”
She dismissed negative stories that people might have heard about Pakistan and said they would be pleasantly shocked to know how smooth and joyful her trip had been. “I enjoyed every bit of my stay,” she added.
She said she was fascinated to find a church, a Sikh temple, and a Hindu temple in close proximity to a mosque when she visited the Walled City of Lahore, which was the best exponent of cultural harmony. She pointed out that visiting Pakistan would help people get over their misgivings about the country. Omar thanked the Pakistani government and the people for the warmth, generosity and hospitality, saying she had been treated as a family during her maiden short visit to the country.
