Hill said that saying “Alhamdulillah” is an act of humility for Muslims.
Saying “alhamdulillah” is an “act of humility” because it ascribes to Allah, not to Ilhan Omar or her supporters, her election victory. All praise be to Allah. Despite the claims of Huda Hawa and Margaret Hill that Christian politicians make similar statements praising God for their victories, I have neither heard, nor read, of Christian politicians who routinely used those phrases. Indeed, by searching online, I found exactly one example: Senator Ted Cruz used the phrase “praise be to God” once, when he defeated Donald Trump in the Texas Republican primary. And no doubt such a phrase may have been uttered by a few holy-rollers among our politicians, especially in the past, but they would now be looked at askance for attributing their political triumphs to God. In a democracy, not a theocracy, politicians thank their families, their supporters, their party. They do not claim that it was because of God (“all praise be to God”) that they won.
“We don’t bat an [eye] when Christians reference their faith in victory speeches, in moments of silence, or opening prayers,” Hill said. “If we as Muslims are questioned for using phrases which are part of our daily life, then that speaks a lot to the climate of anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Actually, as I keep insisting, we would bat an eye — we would be deeply disturbed — were some Christian politician to proclaim “all praise be to God for my victory.” These Muslim defenders of Omar are engaged in Tu-Quoque, attributing to non-Muslim politicians the same kind of rhetoric as she employed. But how often have you heard language from Christians thanking God — “praise be to God” — for an election victory?
Hearing Omar open her acceptance speech by wishing blessings on her supporters and thanking God is “no different than hearing other members of Congress or public figures thank God for their successes,” Hoda Hawa, director of policy and advocacy at the Muslim Public Affairs Council, told HuffPost.”
Again, Hoda Hawa tries the tu-quoque: Omar “is no different than…other members of Congress…[who] thank God for their successes.” Hoda Hawa is simply plucking this supposedly widespread practice out of the air; she cannot produce any examples of non-Muslim politicians who have been “thanking God for their successes,” but hopes you won’t stop to think this through.
Omar’s election is seen by her and her supporters not as her victory, or theirs, alone, but as a victory for Islam. The two new Muslim members of Congress, Omar and her “sister” Rashida Tlaib, to whom she tweeted out her “inshallah” greeting, are signs that Islam is on the march. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah.
What ought to have been a dignified speech of thanks to her supporters became an occasion filled with the signs of a triumphant Islam. “Assalaam aleikum” is a Muslim-to-Muslim greeting, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah is a reminder that Muslims owe everything to Allah, and that includes election to a seat in Congress.
As for the repetition of “alhamdulillah” three times — “All praise be to Allah” — this diminishes the significance of democratic elections and of the voters. It implies instead a kind of inshallah-fatalism — we won because Allah wanted us to win, and Allah Knows Best. Omar’s victory was being treated by her as a victory for Islam. And Ilhan Omar tweeted only one other person who had similarly been victorious — Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American and fellow Muslim.
Rashida Tlaib, let’s not forget, chose for her victory night appearance to drape herself in the Palestinian flag. It was now time not to hide, but to flaunt her real sympathies.
That’s a sympathy shared by Ilhan Omar, who back in 2012 tweeted:
Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel. #Gaza #Palestine #Israel
9:15 AM – 16 Nov 2012
Ilhan Omar is young and mediagenic, with a winning smile. She proudly wears a hijab. She’s getting a lot of attention, held up as an inspirational model and example of our splendid diversity. Non-Muslim supporters at her victory speech did not realize that her “as-salaam aleikum” was not meant for them. And we are being misleadingly assured that her recital of “alhamdulillah” is no different from Christian politicians who attribute their victories to God.
Ilhan Omar is someone to watch. One can only hope that she doesn’t manage to snooker too many people during her resistible rise, as she has done so far. Let’s hope, too, that her curious arrangement with a man whom she once claimed to have “married” — and who turns out to have been her brother (or someone with the exact same name — Ahmed N. Elmi — and exact same birth date — April 4, 1985 — as her brother) — gets the public attention it deserves. She used campaign money for private expenses, including travel to Boston and to Estonia. Furthermore, as a member of the Minnesota House, she accepted speaking fees — since returned under pressure — from Minnesota colleges, which was a violation of the Minnesota House rules.
So far she’s been very lucky. But Ilhan Omar may stumble yet.
Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah.