In a silent way

One of the most interesting threads left dangling in the curious case of Ilhan Omar is the one hanging from Wilecia Harris. Harris signed the 2009 marriage certificate for Omar’s marriage to Ahmed Elmi. With Harris’s signature the clock strikes 13 (or higher) in the Omar saga. As I noted in “Whence Wilecia?,” I posted the certificate and commented in it in part 3 and part 7 of my “mixed-up files” series.

The Daily Mail’s Martin Gould has sought to contact Harris for clarification. He reports the results of his inquiry this afternoon in “‘It’s not going to happen, not now – and not never!’ Christian minister Wilecia Harris, who officiated at ceremony of Ilhan Omar’s wedding to her ‘brother,’ refuses to shed light on what she knows.”

Harris’s husband, Marcus Harris, responded on Mrs. Harris’s behalf: “he rebuff[ed] all attempts to shed light on how she — a Christian minister — got to perform the marriage for two Muslims.” He quotes Harris’s response in a Facebook message: “It’s not going to happen, not now and not never.” This is the modus operandi of the protagonists in the curious case.

Gould called me for comment yesterday. He quotes me toward the bottom of his story:

“Given what we now know, I infer that Ms. Harris must have known the marriage was a sham. I would guess that’s why she won’t talk,” said Johnson, who wrote one article entitled “Whence Wilecia?”

“Since I first asked Ilhan Omar straightforward questions about her marital arrangements, her modus operandi has consisted of nonresponse responses combined with imputations of bigotry,” added Johnson.

“Omar’s reference to her ‘faith tradition’ [in her public relations statement on her marital history] seems to be intended to warn off reporters from asking obvious follow-up questions like: “Does a Christian minister perform marriages in your faith tradition?”

“Her act has gotten old but it has worked for her so far,” he added.

And thus the song remains the same.

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