Rep. Ismail Mohamed is not one to back down from a fight. He has a job to do.
“I swore to represent, support and protect all 135,000 people in my district,” the 31-year-old lawyer said of his Franklin County district, which includes most of Columbus. That oath means advocating for a range of constituents representing the diverse make-up of District 3 with regards to political affiliation, faith and country of origin.
A former Somali refugee who fled the country with his family as a child, Mohamed and fellow Democratic state Rep. Munira Abdullahi in 2022 became the first Somali Americans serving in Ohio’s state legislature.
Mohamed’s district includes a large Muslim population, some of which is conservative both religiously and politically and doesn’t always understand or support LGBTQ+ communities. Still, he felt that he could explain that there is more that unites these seemingly disparate Ohioans than divides them.
“Muslims, immigrants, refugees, we all have a responsibility to really understand that there are other marginalized groups as well that we need to support,” Mohamed said. “It’s your right to disagree and, of course, you have freedom of religion, but you have to respect and defend others’ right to live happily and freely.”
Such was the case when he recently cast votes to protect Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community. On June 21, Mohamed stood with the rest of the Democratic caucus in opposing HB 8 (to force school staff to out LGBTQ+ students to parents) and HB 68 (to ban gender-affirming care and trans female athletes).
“There was no question those were the right votes to protect LGBTQ+ kids from harm,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed expected he would have detractors for his vote; facing criticism is part of his job. But what he did not fully anticipate was how violent and targeted some of those objections would be.
After that House session, he planned to make an educational video and host a town-hall forum to explain to his constituents the rationale for his votes.
But before he could provide that rationale publicly, other voices online beat him to the punch. Mohamed was harangued by conservative critics on social media, attacked on the basis of his faith and his very Somali identity. He cited one of the loudest critics as Columbus City Council candidate Farxaan Jeyte, also a former Somali refugee.
“You have Republicans like Jeyte who are fanning the flames to try to scare Muslim community members that Democrats are trying to do things like turn their kids gay,” Mohamed said. “Republicans used these votes as an opportunity to attack me.”
The Buckeye Flame reached out to Jeyte for comment and this piece will be updated if a response is received.
Acts of Vandalism
In late June, Mohamed did make a video in Somali explaining his votes and calling out individuals including Jeyte for what he sees as “abusing [the Muslim] community.”
The next morning, he got in his car to make his normal drive to his law office. He soon felt his car shaking on the highway and discovered a tire was completely flat.
“My first reaction wasn’t anything bad. I figured I must have run over something,” Mohamed said.
When he got home later that day, he found that someone had damaged his back door, trying to cut through it in an attempt to break into his house.
“Luckily they didn’t get in because the second door was locked,” Mohamed said.
He immediately called Ohio House Minority Leader Alison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and filed a police report to local law enforcement.
Although Mohamed said he has not been the target of specific threats from specific individuals, he said that the small but vocal minority of conservative voices has helped enable acts of vandalism.
“They are fanning the flames and creating a split within our community,” Mohamed said.
Support from Other Elected Officials
Despite the hate he has received online and the targeted attacks on his property, Mohamed is undeterred. And he is not alone. He has spoken with other Muslim elected officials, particularly in Minnesota, which boasts a roster that notably includes U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.
“What I have dealt with pales in comparison to the hate she has received,” Mohamed said.
He explained that he has found great comfort and support through interacting with other elected officials who have experienced the same pushback.
“They also are living in communities where Republicans are trying to gaslight the local communities, but they are standing strong,” Mohamed said. “That inspires me.”
United in Struggle
Mohamed admits that constantly walking a tightrope between protecting all of his constituents and explaining his actions to a more conservative Somali community can take its toll (“it’s exhausting.”), but still moves forward with hope.
He is bolstered by the conversations he is having with Muslim community members, particularly younger generations of Muslim youth, whom he described as very LGBTQ+ supportive.
To move the needle for the rest of the population, he said it is incumbent upon elected officials and clergy to combat the misinformation that conservative Muslim leaders have spread.
Ultimately, Mohamed’s message for his community is one that stresses that all of their struggles are bound together, no matter their faith, country of origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.
“If God forbid tomorrow there’s a horrible piece of legislation attacking your community, you definitely want the LGBTQ+ community and others to come to your aid,” Mohamed said. “We have to support each other as minorities. We just have to.” 🔥
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