Ilhan Omar, US congresswoman in eye of political storm

WASHINGTON: To her supporters, Ilhan Omar embodies the American dream, but to Donald Trump and his loyalists the refugee-turned-congresswoman has made clear with a string of controversial comments that she is a dangerous radical.
The Somali-born Muslim lawmaker came to the as a child and eventually won a seat in Congress.
On Thursday the first-term Democratic lawmaker became the focus of a raging debate on race and American values after Trump’s supporters began chanting “Send her back!” at a campaign rally with the president.
One of four ethnic minority Democrats who have been targeted by Trump in recent days, the outspoken Omar hit back hard on Thursday, branding the president both a “racist” and a “fascist.” For many, Omar’s story is quintessentially American: an immigrant accepted by neighbors with open arms who thrived, settling in Minnesota and making the best of her opportunities to become a trailblazing US political figure.
She is the first Somali-American in national politics, and one of the first two Muslim women ever to serve in Congress, a signal that adherents of Islam are gradually gaining acceptance in American society.