Elmi’s Academic Paper Renews Scrutiny of Omar Marriage

Ahmed Nur Said Elmi described himself as a gay man in an academic paper published August 27, renewing attention to his former marriage to Rep. Ilhan Omar as federal investigators review evidence in an inquiry involving her immigration history. Elmi’s paper, “Out in the Field: Notes on Researching Queer Violence in Kenya,” discusses research on violence against LGBTQ people. In it, he refers to himself as “a gay man of the East African diaspora” and describes how his identity shaped fieldwork, including access, safety and relationships with interviewees. The paper does not discuss his marriage to Omar or establish the circumstances of their relationship. Omar and Elmi legally married in 2009. Omar has said their relationship ended in 2011, while their divorce was finalized in 2017. Critics have alleged that Elmi is Omar’s brother and that the marriage was intended to help him obtain U.S. immigration status. The sibling relationship has not been publicly established, and the paper’s disclosure of Elmi’s identity does not prove either allegation. Omar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In an October 21 interview, she called the claim that she married her brother “insane.” Asked...