Ilhan Omar: Ignorance is pervasive in many parts of country

The Representative accused Republicans of "misinformation" and " reorganizing facts to sort of paint a picture that really eventually is not rooted in facts".

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) participates in a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, US, April 10, 2019 (photo credit: JIM BOURG/ REUTERS)
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) participates in a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, US, April 10, 2019
(photo credit: JIM BOURG/ REUTERS)
Freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) criticize Republican supporters by saying America's problem with ignorance is "pervasive," while being interviewed on The Nation's 'Next Left' podcast on Tuesday.
Speaking on the subject of refugees, Omar said U.S. voters "have a misconception" about refugees and the process they face getting into the country.
She then moved on to Republicans, accusing them of "misinformation" and " reorganizing facts to sort of paint a picture that really eventually is not rooted in facts."
She said Minnesota Republicans who want to prevent refugees from settling there are not honest about how refugee resettlement works.
Omar then described how refugee-settlement agencies work saying, "There are agencies that run the resettlement program. This is a process that’s run through them. If you end that contract, it’s not that refugees are not going to be resettled, it’s that the state just doesn’t get informed," adding that the only option is "part of the negotiations on how many people get resettled in your state."
 
"And so it is not that they might not be knowledgeable about this, but they use it as a tool to stir up hate and division. And ignorance really is pervasive in many parts of this country. And as someone who was raised by educators, I really like to inform people about things that they might be ignorant to, willingly or unwillingly," she continued.
Omar's comments have provoked controversy in the past, and comments about Israel and Jews led to a protest in Times Square where hundreds of people turned out.