Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Files for Divorce

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar has filed for divorce from her husband, Ahmed Hirsi, TMZ reports. The [...]

By Libby Birk

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar has filed for divorce from her husband, Ahmed Hirsi, TMZ reports. The freshman congresswoman reportedly filed for divorce on Friday, which was coincidentally her birthday. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 29, according to court records. Omar, 37, cited "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship," according to TMZ, and is seeking joint custody of her three children with Hirsi, 39.

A spokesperson for Omar told TMZ that "As with all marriages, this is intensely personal and a difficult time for their family. Just like any other family navigating this kind of transition, Ilhan wishes to have their privacy respected for themselves and their children and will not be commenting any further."

The spokesperson also cited what they called years of "speculation and innuendo from political opponents and the media" which had "taken a significant toll on Ilhan, Ahmed, and their three children." The spokesperson was most likely referring to reports this year based on court documents from her political consultant Tim Mynett's estranged wife alleging that Omar had an affair with the consultant, who reportedly denied the affair, charging the accusation was part of a smear campaign.

Two years before that, Omar shot down a claim, which she called "absurd and offensive" that her previous husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was actually her brother and that the two had really wed to advance his own immigration case.

Omar arrived in the U.S. as a young Somali refugee and later became a citizen. She was elected to Minnesota's House of Representatives in 2016 and joined the U.S. House last fall. She is one of the first Muslims elected to Congress and is an outspoken progressive critic of President Donald Trump, who told her to "go back" to where she came from earlier this year.

In response to his remark, Omar tweeted in July, "I am where I belong, at the people's house and you're just gonna have to deal!"

Also this year, Fox News Channel did not air an episode of Jeanine Pirro's Justice With Judge Jeanine after she suggested Omar wearing a hijab meant she might not be loyal to the Constitution. FNC pulled the episode from the schedule, as reported by Deadline in March, and replaced it with Scandalous: The Trial of William Kennedy Smith.

At the time, Fox News told PopCulture.com that it was "not commenting non internal scheduling matters."

"Think about it — Omar wears a hijab," Pirro said during her March 9 episode, as reported by USA Today. "Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law, which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?"

After the remarks were broadcast, Fox News quickly issued a statement condemning them. "We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro's comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar," the network said at the time. "They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly."

Pirro denied questioning Omar's loyalty to the Constitution in a statement.

"I've seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday night's show and I did not call Rep. Omar un-American," Pirro said. "My intention was to ask a question and start a debate, but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you don't support the Constitution. I invite Rep. Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today."

Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty

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