Ilhan Omar On D.C. Cab Incident: 'Criminalizing Hate Is Not A Solution'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Incoming Minnesota state representative Ilhan Omar is speaking out about a hateful incident she experienced in the nation's capital.
Omar said in a Facebook post Wednesday that a cab driver in Washington, D.C. had called her "ISIS" and threatened to pull off her hijab. The newly elected representative was in Washington meeting with Democratic leaders learning about policies she could help implement in her upcoming term.
In a press release Monday, Omar says she reported the incident to the Department of For-Hire Vehicles and the Human Rights Commission in D.C. However, she said she did not report the incident to police, saying "I believe criminalizing hate is not a solution and will only strengthen individual malice. Bigotry is a product of ignorance; by educating people, we will move toward respect and understanding."
Omar said the cab driver -- who she described as an African immigrant -- picked them up at their hotel, and she was afraid to report the incident until she got back to Minnesota.
"It is essential we recognize, what happened to me is not an isolated incident nor is it an extreme example of such encounters," Omar said in the press release. "Women and Muslims share these experiences every day."