Photos provided by Sahra Bashir
by Ramla Bile
[email protected]
Monday, May 11, 2009
Minneapolis, MN (HOL) - Hoping to restore the image of Somali-Americans and set the record straight, hundreds of people gathered at the Minneapolis Convention Center Saturday where more than 20 local organizations co-hosted an event seeking to demystify the Somali community. Representatives from the Somali community attempted to highlight their Somali-American identity, and shared their successes and struggles in Minnesota. Speakers expressed frustration at the raids on money-wiring businesses, intimidation by law enforcement agents, and reports on the Somali community by local media. Political leaders and community organizers expressed solidarity with their Somali-American neighbors.
Sh. Abdirahman Sheik Omar Ahmed set the stage with a message on unity and shared identities. He appealed to the concept of Somaalinimo – the consciousness as an ethnic population with a shared Somali language and cultural tradition. He addressed the notion of brotherhood in Islam and encouraged Somalis to hold fast to the rope of Allah. He added that the diaspora also shares refugeehood and resettlement. The experience of being uprooted, displaced, and then resettled to Minnesota exemplifies a unique experience, which he said ought to unite the local community. This sentiment was shared by other imams who also addressed the audience in Somali, one of them referred to Minnesota as "the cold land of peace," a bittersweet phrase expressing exile to a far and cold place, and the relief of refugee after conflict.
Photos provided by Sahra Bashir
“Let’s get this poppin’,” Aman H.D. Obsiye said before he delved into an intense critique on Twin Cities media, which he said depicts Somalis as either pirates or terrorists. He showed an image of a Fox news/KMSP reporter covering the Abubakar As-Saddique open house on February 10th with the headline, “Suicide Bomber Meeting.” He accused the local station of perpetuating hate and creating fear by depicting a gathering organized by Somalis as a terror plot. Obsiye said that the Star Tribune, Fox News, and other outlets exercise “sensational reporting.” He added that “they [local media] are taking advantage of their role as gatekeepers and are no longer honoring the truth.” Obsiye pounded his fist on the podium and said that the Somali community demands less bigotry, less slander, and more responsible reporting.
The soft-spoken and revered Islamic activist and lecturer, Mohamed Diini, also expressed frustration with religious institutions being associated with violence. Diini said, “the campaign to smear Islamic centers must cease… these centers bring out the unity, respect, dignity, and grace of the human race.” Diini called the mosque a healing center for the community, and argued that religion itself is not the common denominator in the various awful events that have occurred throughout history. Diini’s comments come after local mosques were accused of “radicalizing young Somalis.”
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Photos provided by Sahra Bashir
The Somali community has been under media spotlight in recent months, which according to organizers, further marginalizes this population and erodes its image. Organizers said they wanted to provide a space for Somali-Americans to respond. Over a dozen speakers addressed youth violence, foreign policy, immigration, economic contributions by Somalis, and a slew of other topics. The message organizers wanted to deliver was that the Somali community is not here in transition. In a statement by the coalition, organizers said, “the community is here for the long run, and it intends to produce the next generation of American leaders.” Regardless of whether or not that message is received, members of the Somali community broke the silence and shared their voices.