Congratulations to the first Muslim women elected to Congress, Rashida Tlaib (who wrapped herself in a Palestinian flag on election night) and Somali-born Ilhan Omar, (who allegedly married and divorced her brother to help him illegally gain entry to the US, which would make her guilty of immigration/marriage fraud and bigamy.) The two women have just been sworn in as members of the 116th U.S. Congress. Here is the oath of office they were required to take.

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) Photo credit: Lorie Shaull

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) Photo credit: US Dept of State

We wish them every success as newly-elected American leaders.  But because our politically correct, left-leaning media will likely never ask, we feel obligated to pose several questions for these new congresspersons. I am confident they will want their fellow Americans to know how they stand on a number of important issues.

It’s already clear how they feel about America’s close ally, Israel. During her campaign, Omar said she did not support the hateful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), describing it as counterproductive to peace. Immediately after the election, she flipped. Her campaign office told Muslim Girl she supports BDS despite "reservations on the effectiveness of the movement in accomplishing a lasting solution."  

During her time in the Minnesota legislature, Omar referred to Israel as "the apartheid Israeli regime."  She recommended that the University of Minnesota divest from Israel bonds and criticized a law intended to prohibit the BDS movement. In a 2012 tweet, she said Israel had “hypnotized the world” and was guilty of “evil doings.” Omar accused journalists of Islamophobia for reporting her statements.

As for Tlaib, she openly supports punishing Israel economically in order to bring attention to issues of alleged racism and international human rights violations. “I personally support the BDS movement,” she said.  Tlaib, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, supports a one-state solution: It has to be one state," she has said; two states for two peoples "does not work." She opposes United States aid to Israel.

I suppose these positions are somewhat predictable, but what about other more fundamental issues that the media won’t touch?

One of the nastiest aspects of Islam is the tradition in some places of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a gruesome practice used to suppress female sexuality, typically found in African or fundamentalist Islamic societies. Genital mutilation of girls involves cutting out all or part of the clitoris. This disgusting practice is a common cultural or religious practice in some African countries including Sudan, Egypt, and Ilhan Omar’s country of birth, Somalia, although it has been outlawed by several international treaties. Even so, in 2017 two Muslim doctors in Michigan were arrested for carrying out this barbaric religious “rite of passage.”  

What is Omar’s position on this? Will she campaign to have it stopped? Will she denounce its use in Africa and the Middle East?  What about Tlaib?

Other women’s issues are important to Americans. The Qur’an says a husband has the right to “beat” a “disobedient wife.” (Qur’an 4:34). Have the two women ever been beaten by their husbands? Would they willingly accept it? Do they agree that Muslims wives are required to be “obedient?” Or, will Omar and Tlaib openly denounce this aspect of Islam?

Under Islamic Sharia law, homosexuals are oppressed and killed. We’ve all seen the videos of blindfolded gay men being thrown off of buildings in the Middle East in the name of Allah. In addition, women are abused and forced to wear the hijab. Do the two new congresswomen believe Sharia law should be followed in any form in the US? Will they denounce the practice of Sharia Law as a challenge to constitutional law in the United States? Will they campaign against it? If not, why not?

Islam teaches that blasphemers must be put to death.  Apostates who leave Islam are subject to the death penalty. Mohammad said, "Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.  Those who reject Islam must be killed."  Islamic law enforces dhimmi status on non-Muslims, prohibiting them from observing their religious practices publicly, raising their voices during prayer, ringing church bells, or saying anything considered "insulting to Islam."  Islamic law relegates non-Muslims to "dhimmi" status, where they are forbidden to propagate their customs among Muslims and cannot display a cross, Christmas decorations or the Star of David.  It would be useful for Omar and Tlaib to clarify their positions on these fundamental Islamic issues of tolerance, a key value of American culture.

ISIS, Iran and other Muslim entities have declared themselves to be enemies of the US.  Beyond that is the fundamental threat of traditional Islam to the concept of pluralistic democracy.  In its widespread current form, with the explicit goal of a global caliphate under Sharia law, Islam must be regarded as an existential threat.  Specific ways are needed to deal with an ideology that openly seeks to destroy Western civilization.  What should be done to deal with this threat? What steps as American leaders will these two new Congresspersons take to defend our country and our Constitution? Will they insist that Islamic institutions formally and in practice reject violent jihad as a condition for tax-exempt status?

Do the two new congresswomen believe that Islam needs to be reformed to more closely reflect the values of the country that they now represent in Congress? The generally accepted values of modern America stress a wide range of freedoms involving tolerance, speech, sexuality, and lifestyles, as well as equal rights for women and minorities and a long list of others.   But much, if not all of this, is contrary to Islamic law.

 Linda Sarsour, a leading Muslim activist, once told the North American Islamic Society,

“I hope that when we stand up to those who oppress our community struggling against tyrants and rulers that Allah will accept this as a form of jihad not only in the Middle East but here against the fascists, white supremacists and Islamophobes here and reigning in the White House.  Our top priority is to protect and defend our community and not to assimilate and please any other people or authority.  Our top priority is to please Allah and only Allah.”

Could the two congresswomen please explain if their views are different from those of their friend Linda Sarsour and, if so, how?

The Qur’an describes Muslims as “the best of peoples” (3:110) and non-Muslims as “the most vile of creatures” (98:6). Muslims are told not to take “Christians or Jews as friends, for they are friends only with each other.” Do Omar and Tlaib agree with the Qu’ran on this?  If not, how do they plan to educate their fellow Muslims on this issue? Are they willing to denounce the Qu’ran on this issue? Are there other parts of the Qu’ran they disagree with? Or, are they firm believers?

Of course, no matter what they say, we must remember that Muhammad was quoted in Sahih Bukhari, the most authoritative Hadith collection, at 52:269 -- “War is deceit."  Lying is permitted to deceive an "enemy."  The Qur'an defines the "enemy" as "disbelievers."  Ahh, what to believe? Who to believe?

Frank Hawkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Associated Press foreign correspondent, international businessman, senior newspaper company executive, founder and owner of several marketing companies and published novelist.  He currently lives in retirement in North Carolina.