HEARTLESS: School Board Member Votes Against Honoring 9/11 Victims

Fairfax GOP Blasts Abrar Omeish’s “Incredibly Tone Deaf” Rant

Press Release | Fairfax GOP

Abrar Omeish derailed another school board meeting last night, as the embattled at-large member detailed her reasons for voting against a resolution to honor the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “Why can we not also explicitly recognize the extensive and unwarranted structural discrimination and ethnic and religious profiling following 9/11 that tens of thousands of FCPS students experience on a daily basis,” Omeish asked.

WATCH OMEISH’S RANT:

In her often-meandering statement, Omeish invoked her own 2019 arrest, calling it one of her life’s “most traumatic experiences.” Omeish claimed that she was “profiled as a threat.” However, investigative journalist Luke Rosiak notes that dash-cam video of Omeish’s arrest “shows an obvious traffic infraction and that the officer could not see her appearance when he pulled her over.”

WATCH VIDEO OF OMEISH’S ARREST:

Omeish’s rant drew jeers from the audience, and was followed by a lengthy debate among board members. In a rejoinder to Omeish’s divisive comments, board member Karen Corbett Sanders hailed the “unity” Americans felt in the days following 9/11.

“I want to make sure that this recognition of this solemn moment is not lost in this conversation,” said board member Karen Keys-Gamarra. “I know that there are many cultural issues or concerns, but when I think of 9/11 what stands out most in my mind is people who didn’t just think of themselves.”

Fairfax GOP Chairman Steve Knotts blasted Omeish’s “incredibly tone deaf” rhetoric today. “It is not enough for board members to disagree with Omeish’s bigotry and hatred,” Knotts said. “It is time for Omeish to finally resign from the board or be removed.”

In today’s statement, Knotts recounted Omeish’s long history of sowing division. “From her incendiary tweets against Israel to her radical 2021 commencement address, Omeish has made it painfully clear that her focus is not on core educational issues,” the chairman noted. “Her cruel attacks on the memory of 9/11’s victims and heroes should be the last straw. They were not just incredibly tone deaf — they were vicious and, frankly, anti-American.”

Knotts concluded with a plea for unity: “As we mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, our focus must remain on the innocent victims as well as the many heroes of that day. In the days that follow this year’s solemn anniversary, let’s also recall — and strive to restore — the patriotism and unity that we felt 20 years ago.”

The Fairfax GOP is the Republican Party of Virginia’s largest political unit. Follow us on Twitter (@FairfaxGOP).