Sarah Idan, a former Miss Universe Iraq contestant, has announced her intention to run for Congress as a Democrat in California. The 33-year-old, born in Baghdad, was a translator for the U.S. Army during the Iraq War and is now a U.S. citizen.
Idan has expressed her commitment to traditional liberal values, but has also voiced her disapproval of the “woke” wing of her party, a wing represented by Congresswomen including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and “the Squad”. She stated that she believes they are not representative of the Democratic Party and that she wants to run to represent people who think like her but may not have a voice.
“Let me be clear, I do stand for old-fashioned, classic liberal values, but when I see people like Ilhan Omar, AOC and ‘The Squad’ who are trying to pull our party to the far left, I have to say something,” she said.
“Sadly, these far-left voices, like ‘The Squad,’ they are very loud, and they do talk a lot. They get a lot of attention from the media, but I do believe there are a lot of Democrats who don’t agree with them, who love this country and want to make it better.”
Idan has spoken out against antisemitism from Islamic extremists and has even faced repercussions for posting a selfie with Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, at the 2017 Miss Universe pageant. As a result, she had to leave Iraq and her family eventually followed. In 2018, she visited Israel to promote peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.
She is also an advocate for understanding one’s privilege and taking advantage of it. Idan believes that many Americans do not recognize the privilege they have and that she is proud to be an American, as she can voice her concerns without fear of being killed.
In terms of her platform, Idan has said that she will focus on issues such as crime, inflation, and foreign and domestic policy. She has noted that crime in her district near Los Angeles has spiked by 11% in the past year, and hence this is an area of focus.
“That’s why I’m trying to run, just to represent people like me, who think like me but don’t have a voice.”
It remains to be seen how Idan’s campaign will fare in the upcoming Congressional elections, but her decision to run has certainly brought her experiences as a Muslim immigrant to the forefront of the political discourse. Her commitment to traditional liberalism and her desire to represent the voiceless make her a unique and compelling candidate.
