The Unbelievable Silencing of Aliya Rahman
February 24, 2026 — In a scene that feels more like a fever dream than a function of a modern democracy, Aliya Rahman was forcibly removed from the House gallery and arrested during the State of the Union address. Rahman, a disabled U.S. citizen and guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar, was charged with "Unlawful Conduct" for the "crime" of standing up.
The details are truly staggering. According to Capitol Police, Rahman was "demonstrating" by refusing to sit down. But Rahman and Rep. Omar maintain a much different reality: she was standing in total silence. She wasn't shouting; she wasn't holding a sign. She was simply using her body to bear witness to the rhetoric being broadcast from the podium.
The timing of her protest is what makes this so gut-wrenching. Rahman stood up at the exact moment President Trump began targeting the Somali community in Minnesota, labeling them "pirates" and accusing them of "pillaging" the state. For Rahman, this wasn't just political—it was personal. This is a woman who, only a month ago, became the face of a viral nightmare when immigration agents smashed her car window and dragged her out by her limbs while she was on her way to a doctor’s appointment.
As a Libertarian, I find this absolutely unacceptable. The core concern here isn't just about "politics"—it’s about the terrifying ease with which the state uses physical force to silence a peaceful, disabled citizen. When a person who is already recovering from injuries inflicted by federal agents is "aggressively handled" and hospitalized again—all for the act of standing silently—we have to ask ourselves: what happened to the right to peaceful protest?
If a citizen can be hauled away in handcuffs for standing still during a speech, does the First Amendment even exist inside the Capitol? Does anyone else find this unacceptable, or have we simply become numb to the sight of state boots on the necks of the vulnerable?
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