Syrian refugee among first lady’s guests for State of Union

Hamo has been invited by the White House to sit in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box in the House chamber during the State of the Union address Tuesday night.

“We’ve invited people from around the country who represent the progress we’ve made over the past seven years to come watch it from the guest box”, The White House official Facebook page announced.

“I was thrilled when I heard that President Barack Obama is welcoming us into the United States”, Hamo said in a statement released by the White House. The 54-year-old, who suffers from stomach cancer, fled to Turkey from Syria after a missile attack on his home killed his wife and one daughter.

The invitation creates a sharp contrast to Republicans who want to block refugees from war-ravaged Middle East nations because Islamic State radicals and other terrorists might try to sneak into the country by claiming refugee status.

The selection of Hamo is a stinging reply from the Obamas to those Republican members of Congress who, in a preliminary vote, sought to block Syrian refugees from entering the country, for fear that terrorists might slip in among them.

Also representing the Muslim community in the U.S. will be Naveed Shah, a Muslim and U.S. Army Veteran, originally from Saudi Arabia, of Pakistani descent, who grew up in the Washington D.C. area.

Jim Obergefell: Obergefell’s name will go down in history as the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage nationwide.

The Syrian scientist stricken with cancer and seeking a new start for his family in the United States will represent Syrian refugees as a guest of Michelle Obama for the president’s address.

Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have upped their criticism of accepting more Syrian refugees under the current vetting process.

In discussing the presidential race, McConnell refused to say whether the Senate would pass a resolution declaring that Sen. Last week, the arrest of two Iraqi-born refugees in the United States on terrorism charges brought the issue back to the forefront. They landed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in December.

He received worldwide attention last month after featuring on the popular blog, Humans of NY, which tells the stories of normal people in the city.

– Dannel P. Malloy of Hartford, Connecticut, a Democratic governor who has led efforts to increase the minimum wage and tighten gun laws following the massacre of 20 elementary school students in Newtown.

This year, Obama will spotlight two people who inspired him when he first ran for president in 2008, including the SC woman who coined the famous “Fired up, ready to go” slogan. He also couldn’t receive treatment either without insurance or health benefits.