FACT CHECK: Viral X Post Falsely Claims To Show Ilhan Omar At An Al-Qaeda Training Camp

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A viral image shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar at an Al-Qaeda training camp.

Verdict: False

The image, which originally stems from The Associated Press Newsroom, shows a female Somali Army recruit in 1978. Omar was not born until October 1982, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, making it impossible for her to appear in the image.

Fact Check:

Omar’s office recently shared threatening voicemails she and her family received with NBC News, according to The Hill. Omar said she fears for her children’s safety as a result of these messages, NBC News reported.

The X image, viewed over 30,000 times, purports to show a black and white photo of Omar holding a gun at an Al-Qaeda training camp. A text caption on the image also claims Omar is supposedly trying to have the image blocked.

The claim is false, however. The image, which originally stems from The Associated Press Newsroom, shows a female Somali Army recruit in 1978.

“A woman recruit of the Somali Army checks her automatic weapon at a military training campus at Halane, Mogadishu, on Feb. 25, 1978. On the right is her instructor. President Siad Barre said at a news conference that regular Somali military units have not yet been dispatched in the Ogaden region to avoid international complications,” the image’s caption reads.

Likewise, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, Omar was not born until October 1982, making it impossible for her to appear in the image. In addition, Omar’s Britannica entry also lists her birth year as October 1982. (RELATED: No, John Kerry Has Not Called For Depopulation As A Part Of The United Nations’ Agenda 2030)

Omar responded to the claim, calling it “pure propaganda” after the image previously circulated on Facebook back in 2019.

“This is pure propaganda designed to stir up hate and violence coming from a GOP state rep. Facebook’s unwillingness to crack down on hate speech and misinformation is not just threatening my life, but our democracy,” Omar wrote.

The image had been posted to Facebook by Republican North Dakota State Sen. Oley Larsen at the time, MPR News reported.

Check Your Fact has contacted Omar’s office for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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