A deleted Father’s Day post from Ilhan Omar has resurfaced, drawing fresh attention to the US congresswoman’s family and identity. The 2013 post, in which Omar referred to her father as “Nur Said,” has come back into focus as federal investigators examine questions about her identity and immigration records.
What the post said
In June 2013, Omar wrote on X: “Happy Father’s Day to my aabo Nur Said, I am forever grateful to Allah for giving me the best father …”
As per Fox News, she deleted the post on the morning of September 19, 2019. The Daily Caller first reported on an archived copy of it in 2019. It resurfaced after federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, DC home on October 12. The search was part of a criminal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents.
Why the name matters
According to Fox News, many records call Omar’s father “Nur Omar Mohamed.” One example is a post by the Congressional Black Caucus after he died in 2020. But in her deleted post, Omar called him “Nur Said.” As per Fox News, this name looks similar to the name of her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.
Some reports use “Nur Said” for her father. New York Post story quoted Oxford University historian Mohamed Haji Ingiriis calling him “Nur Said.”
The New York Post alleges her father’s name was Nur Said Elmi Mohamed.
According to Fox News, Somali names usually have three parts: the person’s own name, their father’s name and their grandfather’s name. But two people having similar names does not prove they are related.
What Omar’s office has said
Fox News says a statement allegedly from Omar’s spokesperson has been shared online. It says “Nur Said” was her father’s childhood nickname and that he used it on a public page. It also says the post was deleted because Omar and her family had received threats.
Omar and her office have said many times that her former husband is not her brother. Omar has denied any wrongdoing and has called the probe a political attack.
On Thursday, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Omar has “repeatedly and unequivocally denied” the “baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory” that she married her brother.
The spokesperson pointed to Omar’s interview on MS NOW on Wednesday. She was asked there if her one-time husband could be a “distant relative.” Omar replied: “Not to my knowledge.”
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The name in court papers
According to Fox News, recent court papers about the search warrant name Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” aka Ilhan Abdullahi Omar. As per the report, the filing does not explain why the name appears. It also does not show that Omar used a false identity.
Omar told Fox News Digital on Friday that her “real name” is “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” not “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.” She said: “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, you know it. It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”
Fox News says two people who know about the probe told it that “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” may be her legal name. Omar’s office disputes this.
According to Fox News, Omar’s marriage to Elmi ended in 2017. She legally married Ahmed Hirsi in 2018.
What the law says
Former federal immigration judge in Minnesota told Fox News that if investigators prove Omar knowingly used a false name on federal forms, it could raise questions under the federal false-statements law, 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
According to the judge, whether the law applies depends on the documents involved, how important the alleged false statement was, and whether there is proof that it was made knowingly.