# Apologies in order to SDMB member in light of new Ilhan Omar info? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971 "2019-06-24T15:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/181 "2019-06-29T03:14:12Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > глупый тролль Gosh, it’s been nearly 50 years since I studied Russian, and I can understand that. Maybe I’m not senile … yet. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/182 "2019-06-29T03:24:38Z")
> [@Helmut\_Doork](#): > > Like this entire thread pretty much? An OP possibly impugns the character of a person apparently beloved by the board, so we will ignore facts, wont read the thread, wont read the linked articles, wont comment on the two or three sensible, thought out posts that support the OP, just call the person a racist troll and there, I don’t have to think or do any self analysis? The mass psychology here is often rather frightening. I did read the article in your OP, although I strongly suspect that you yourself didn’t read much past the headline before posting here. Honestly, I kept wondering right to the end of the article when they were going to reveal the _shocking new evidence_. Seems to me your thesis is that people will change their opinion about a claim depending on the source. Which, I mean, . . . yeah, DAH! Except most responses you’ve gotten here aren’t indicating any kind of unquestioning acceptance of your “Liberal” source. Why on earth do you think they owe Shodan an apology? Even if, for fthe sake of argument, Ilham Omar were to come out herself and admit “Yeah, I shacked up with my brother and cheated on my taxes,” why would anyone owe _Shodan_ an apology? I mean, _this guy?_ > [@Shodan](#): > > Help, help! I’m being oppressed! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/183 "2019-06-29T04:20:58Z")
I have had no knowledge of or interest in this issue and the past thread that this references but this much is clear: the OP operates from a misconception that a “liberal” newspaper publishing something without any supporting evidence would make something be perceived as “reasonable” And while it is true that some sources are held to be less reliable than others, no source’s just repeating a rumor without evidence (as “possibly”) makes the rumor more or less “reasonable”. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/184 "2019-06-29T04:30:15Z")
> [@Helmut\_Doork](#): > > “I said someone was a horrible person for saying X, it turns out in light of new evidence they may be correct or were correct, therefore I apologize with the same vigor as my initial insult.” If I said someone was a horrible person for saying A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, and X and then it turned out in light of new evidence that it’s possible that they were correct about L, it wouldn’t change my opinion that they’re a horrible person overall. My apology would be more along the lines of _“Hey, it turns out this guy might not have been as wrong as he typically is.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/185 "2019-06-29T11:37:20Z")
> [@Helmut\_Doork](#): > > Huge chasm between a liberal newspaper posting an article simply mentioning that some fringe people on the right are questioning Obama’s citizenship, and same paper sending reporters to actively try to prove the birth certificate provided is fake. Yeah, one of those papers is practicing journalism and the other is repeating unfounded slander. fringe loonies believe stupid things. That isn’t news to be reported. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/186 "2019-06-29T11:40:02Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I have had no knowledge of or interest in this issue and the past thread that this references but this much is clear: the OP operates from a misconception that a “liberal” newspaper publishing something without any supporting evidence would make something be perceived as “reasonable” > > And while it is true that some sources are held to be less reliable than others, no source’s just repeating a rumor without evidence (as “possibly”) makes the rumor more or less “reasonable”. It is another example of projection. When the Conservative propaganda source says something that automatically becomes goodthink. They presume that their opponent reacts the same to “liberal” sources. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/187 "2019-06-29T15:01:51Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Gosh, it’s been nearly 50 years since I studied Russian, and I can understand that. Maybe I’m not senile … yet. I can ask where the library is at, and introduce my friend, Boris Sokoloff. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/188 "2019-07-18T23:14:52Z")
> [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](#): > > I haven’t denied the existence of any of these documents-just noted that you’re claiming they prove something they don’t, and hoping no one checks. Sure, it does not prove that they had that particular address. But likewise, if I go to your house, knock on your door, and you come out answering, that’s not proof that a human being lives at that house nor that he is you - it could all just be a holographic projection by an alien. So yes, I made the perverse and completely unreasonable assumption that a person, when asked for their address, would put down their home address. You didn’t do that. You correctly gleaned that it would be insanity to believe that a person, asked for their address, would put down…someplace that is not the place that they live. I wish to gain your powers. Do you mind elucidating your logic? ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/189 "2019-07-19T05:11:24Z")
Shit, I was expecting something of substance whe I saw this thread had been bumped. You’re clearly very smart, and never at a loss for words. But when you’ve got nothing, the former doesn’t necessitate the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/190 "2019-07-21T02:06:24Z")
Will Sommer of The Daily Beast did [an in-depth story on this](https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-ilhan-omar-marriage-smear-went-from-an-anonymous-post-on-an-obscure-forum-to-being-embraced-by-trump). What he found was that the original claim was made by a known Republican troll on a website called Somali Spot. The post has since been deleted. No evidence whatsoever has ever found proving that Elmi is her brother. None of the documentation that lists her family members includes a sibling with the name of Elmi. Furthermore, in the Somali language and culture, referring to someone you care about as “brother” or “sister” is common. We all know that it is impossible to prove a negative and that conspiracy theorists will simply insist that the evidence exists or existed and has been suppressed or destroyed. This is the same shit they did with Obama’s birth certificate and his schooling. The people propagating this myth include Dinesh D’Souza and Jacob Wohl, and that should tell anyone of sense and integrity that it’s of the same ilk as the child sex ring run out of the Washington, D.C., pizza parlor basement. Anyone who is still spreading these rumours is just JAQing off to the thrill of “oh, my god, she’s a democrat and she committed INCEST”. Y’all can kindly go fuck yourselves with a running chainsaw. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/191 "2019-07-21T05:37:32Z")
Not quite. It’s insinuating a Muslim congresswoman committed incest. No one is taking this seriously besides the right wing sites that promote fake news. And one guy’s blog. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/192 "2019-07-21T16:00:32Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Fair point. It is plausible and in fact almost certain that Hirsi didn’t change his address on his driver’s license, given the 2009 business license. > Here is the business license: > > [https://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/Business/SearchDetails?filingGuid=fd61ab15-94d4-e011-a886-001ec94ffe7f](https://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/Business/SearchDetails?filingGuid=fd61ab15-94d4-e011-a886-001ec94ffe7f) > > The home address for Hirsi is the same on the business license as the home address for Omar/Elmi on the marriage license: > > [Marriage License Duplicate - 062419 | PDF](https://www.scribd.com/document/414407024/Marriage-License-Duplicate-062419#fullscreen&from_embed) > > The marriage application is in February and the business license is given in May. Hirsi seems to think that he still lived with Omar, 3 months after she married another man. > > Elmi’s address changes to living in Eden Prairie by September of that same year. > > Unrelated to the previous, but apparently Omar’s sister started a new website called Grit Partners Consulting. It was created in January of this year: > > [https://www.godaddy.com/whois/results.aspx?domain=gritpartnersconsulting.com&recaptchaResponse=03AOLTBLTgEz79dS9HwtZ4e9VxbUkz\_ZgQsdWP5cDSCw\_pcmJO5thdjcabAsO5RyYdfA1dEPUTxUduJikzz-4B3mG0TtQP7FxvrEhgJwIM-H1mSLt7fq6A\_65XnZxDP9GgZDhRYB\_0HtDpabjflVGNbnjmxUMCW3BnSzbWZG9OVznfPHonnS9Rjd3SwF1zLd5Lt2KwaE3cGJeaFDm1\_yak2o7QcdXQ--\_90VXJcFZI-VhVQPm1T-X5aeQUeBg6Hf0QAX6tfo3IYO93IC7KP4Rbk0SVaJq8j-WLc90vz1vrMNdVwYdJf91K-Aj13TUfI7QgyF4Iu0eJDZCl](https://www.godaddy.com/whois/results.aspx?domain=gritpartnersconsulting.com&recaptchaResponse=03AOLTBLTgEz79dS9HwtZ4e9VxbUkz_ZgQsdWP5cDSCw_pcmJO5thdjcabAsO5RyYdfA1dEPUTxUduJikzz-4B3mG0TtQP7FxvrEhgJwIM-H1mSLt7fq6A_65XnZxDP9GgZDhRYB_0HtDpabjflVGNbnjmxUMCW3BnSzbWZG9OVznfPHonnS9Rjd3SwF1zLd5Lt2KwaE3cGJeaFDm1_yak2o7QcdXQ--_90VXJcFZI-VhVQPm1T-X5aeQUeBg6Hf0QAX6tfo3IYO93IC7KP4Rbk0SVaJq8j-WLc90vz1vrMNdVwYdJf91K-Aj13TUfI7QgyF4Iu0eJDZCl) > > Here is a portion of the HTML in the top page of the website: > > The timestamp listed next to the same instagram handle as London Elmi converts to Thursday, January 17, 2019 8:29:53.873 AM. Hey, just as a courtesy to the rest of us, could you please preview before you post a ginormous HTML like that? And then put it in spoiler tags? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/193 "2019-07-21T17:32:51Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > глупый тролль “Come and Take Them”? What the hell is THAT supposed to be all about? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/194 "2019-07-21T17:37:48Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Gosh, it’s been nearly 50 years since I studied Russian, and I can understand that. Maybe I’m not senile … yet. > [@elucidator](#): > > I can ask where the library is at, and introduce my friend, Boris Sokoloff. Commie. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/195 "2019-07-21T17:52:13Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > “Come and Take Them”? > > What the hell is THAT supposed to be all about? > > 😕 Duck Duck Go and Google translate report that it actually means: Stupid Troll. [This page](https://translate.vc/en/en-ru/troll)shows examples like: You are a stupid little troll: Ты глупый маленький тролль. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/196 "2019-07-21T17:59:12Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Duck Duck Go and Google translate report that it actually means: > > Stupid Troll. > [This page](https://translate.vc/en/en-ru/troll)shows examples like: > > You are a stupid little troll: Ты глупый маленький тролль. Thank you. I DID know that it wasn’t really Μολὼν λαβέ, but couldn’t be arsed to look it up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/197 "2019-07-22T02:13:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Not quite. It’s insinuating a Muslim congresswoman committed incest. > > No one is taking this seriously besides the right wing sites that promote fake news. And one guy’s blog. And a few jerks on this board. I get so \*tired \*of them and their glee in spreading lies. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/198 "2019-07-22T03:53:20Z")
> [@Helmut\_Doork](#): > > You may not care, but I am guessing the voting USA public would, and would probably not re-elect a siting congresswoman carrying on a sexual relationship with her brother, just a hunch, no facts to cite. > > And the bit about the original GD thread claimed incest? The moat egregious lie in this thread. Not a single hint of a mention of incest in the GD thread. Period. Not one. And you know this. So you are exposed as a liar and I dont interact with liars, so I will end this now, liar. Comrade Helmut Dork, would the voting US public care if the POTUS is carrying on a sexual relationship with his daughter(s)? I mean, he came out on the Howard Stern show talking about his daughter? Can you show where he isn’t having illicit, dare I say, incestuous relations? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apologies-in-order-to-sdmb-member-in-light-of-new-ilhan-omar-info/835971/199 "2019-07-22T08:39:12Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Will Sommer of The Daily Beast did [an in-depth story on this](https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-ilhan-omar-marriage-smear-went-from-an-anonymous-post-on-an-obscure-forum-to-being-embraced-by-trump). What he found was that the original claim was made by a known Republican troll on a website called Somali Spot. The post has since been deleted. Mr. Sommer’s process seems to have been to Google “AhbdiJohnson”, seen a bunch of headlines declaring him to be a troll, and calling himself done. If you repeat his search, but change the end date to one month **before** AbdiJohnson made the Omar post, and read through his posts and the comments by others about him, I can’t say that it supports the “Republican troll” hypothesis. Now I’ll grant that I only went through the first three or four pages of Google results but, so far as I can tell, Johnson seems to be: 1. A “Western” light skinned Somali. I’m not sure if that’s an indication that he grew up in the Americas or literally Western Somalia. I believe the former. 2. He’s a moderator. The people at the site ask for his protection and his thoughts, trying to summon him into their threads. Presumably he achieved that position via the process of seeming like a reasonable person compared to the rest. 3. The only political post that I see describes the friendship between Gerald Butts and Ahmed Hussen. That seems to be a [true statement](https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/ahmed-hussen-the-rise-and-rise-of-canadas-immigration-minister/). He seems to be well-informed on politics and can drop stuff like that at the drop of a hat. 4. The most controversial post that I see is one where Abdi claims that there are a decent number of Somali people cheat on their convictions and drink alcohol, secretly. I’ll grant that I know nothing about that, but my instinct would be that it’s probably a true statement, though he states it in a way that is more generally blaming of the whole community than of the individuals, so he does seem to be a bit conservative on the religious side of things and hard-nosed about hypocrisy. 5. That said, there are conversations of homosexuality and transexuality, and Abdi seems to be discussing those topics positively and, if I understand right, seems to support these as being traditions in Somali culture. 6. He mentions going to Tim Hortons - probably he’s Canadian. 7. There is a thread, “Post a picture that you think looks like how you envision that poster looks like in real life”. The person who started it, lead off with a dozen or so pictures. I can’t see the picture that was used for Abdi, but all of the pictures seem flattering and Abdi is just generally in the middle somewhere, not first nor last like there’s a joke. 8. He is somewhat racist against Muslims, but no one seems to mind that he’s interacting with. I take from that, that they’re all anti-Muslim and consider the Muslims of Somalia to not be true Somalis. Or, at least, it’s not a controversial view there. 9. He seems to be pro-Jew, using them as an example of how to get things done right. Again, this doesn’t seem to be controversial on the site. Overall, I don’t see any falsehoods. I don’t see any accusations of trolling and, in fact, the poster is a moderator - they elected him to be a person to deal with trolls. He seems to be well-informed and, compared to the other posters, well-spoken and less childish in his posts. Not to say that Abdi comes across as some genius sage, just a more scholastic person than the others, on average. The whole site seems to be - at that point in time - fairly forgiving of racist views and, in that sense, somewhat right-leaning. But that comes across more as a cultural thing than a political thing. Assuming that Johnson did in fact have a “Trump 2016” subline on his profile, I don’t see anyone remarking on it. Supporting Trump seems to have been a non-issue in the community, presumably because they largely don’t like Muslims or simply because most of them are too apolitical to care. In either case, it doesn’t seem like a particularly great website to go to, to try and troll people, politically. As to the original post that he made about Omar, it should be pointed out that he cited his work. So, while we don’t have screenshots of what is to be found at those links, it seems unlikely that he would post the links for everyone to click if they clearly indicated something other than he had described. Granted, that seems to be exactly what Mr. Will Sommers did. On the whole, I am not impressed by his deep dive. He dove shallow and wrote long. From what I can tell, Johnson was declared a pariah after his post about Omar and that is what we are seeing. Plausibly, most of the troll accusations were written by people who came to the site after the Omar post (though I haven’t checked that), due to having been informed of the site. Though, plausibly, the posters were amenable to a pro-Trump person but Omar - being a Somali - was not to be touched. In either case, the lyin’ troll accusation seems to be purely a post-hoc appellation. Until the Omar post, he was loved and the community seems to have been friendly to his views, on average. Those views seem to have been truthful and comparatively well-informed. In general, politics seems to have been outside of their realm. They’re more interested in who’s cheating on who and pictures of giraffes. From reading his posts, my take would be that he wrote the Omar post because he heard the rumor, started digging, and found evidence that he found corroborating. Since he’s a hard nose about cheaters and hypocrites, in the community, he wrote his findings up. From there, we see what we see. 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