Blog Archives
Trump’s attack on Somalis illustrates the harm he could do
By Jamal Abdulahi, Star Tribune
And Minnesota’s GOP leaders have a moral duty to speak out.
Donald Trump, who plans to visit the Twin Cities on Friday, recently unleashed a hateful attack on Minnesota’s Somali community in a speech delivered to a large crowd in Portland, Maine. It was beyond the pale.
Trump’s attack inspired more attacks. A hateful message left on the Somali Museum of Minnesota’s voice mail is the latest example.
Unfortunately, state Republican Party leaders such as Chairman Keith Downey, House Speaker Kurt Daudt, and U.S. Reps Erik Paulsen and Tom Emmer not only remain silent but continue to support Trump for president.
The unabated support by the top state GOP brass is a moral scandal. To preach of outreach and a possible partnership with the community while tolerating Trump’s outrageous attack is tantamount to moral turpitude and could lead to catastrophe.
Partisan politics is far from pure. Party leaders often accommodate fringe elements in the spirit of building a big political tent. But Trump is not a fringe figure in a large political party. He is an unhinged and dangerous nominee who hijacked a major American political institution and uses the power and the prestige that came with it to attack vulnerable groups.
Continue reading at Star Tribune
Jamal Abdulahi of Rosemount, is a community organizer, blogger and essayist.
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Trumped into silence
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
“Silence is the best way to answer a fool.”
After the Democratic National Convention (DNC, Donald Trump said the reason Ghazala Khan didn’t speak at the DNC is because she wasn’t allowed to. He played on stereotypes of Muslim women as oppressed and voiceless.
Some women will respond through a twitter campaign to demonstrate that we don’t need anyone’s permission to speak.
Today, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (EDT), Monday, August 1, using the hashtag #CanYouHearUsNow, some Muslim women will share a bit about who they are and how they speak out.
I respect these women’s right to express their outrage in this manner. However, I disagree with this approach. Why? As a direct speaker, I have faced harsh criticism for my not speaking in a way that adheres to a stereotypical view of a Muslim woman by Muslims and non-Muslims, both men and women alike. Hence, boxing women to speak in one way to appease a bigot or a group of bigots plays right into their game. A show of false bravado is not necessary. Rather, what is needed is an educational lesson on silence.
As someone who is a direct speaker, I heard a woman, Ghazala Khan’s message on stage very loud and clear. A wise woman who stood dignified and respectfully – expressed her pain and suffering at Trump with her silence. She was not silenced by her husband, but, too stunned by Trump’s stupidity to even respond. She was genuine, open and authentic. She was being herself, not putting on an act of false bravado like Trump has been doing since the Presidential campaign.
Al Shabab recruitment video with Trump
By Engage Minnesota
A new video was released by the extremist group Al Shabab. The video uses excerpts from Donald Trump’s political rhetoric against Muslims as well as cases of discrimination against blacks.
It attempts to incite and lure young Somalis by playing on their pain and feelings of being discriminated against.
Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California responded to the recruitment video in the following interview.
Donald Trump does not speak for all Americans, nor represent the American people. Many Americans have spoken up against his anti-Muslim rhetoric.
US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), a coalition of leading national and local Muslim organizations, are implementing major initiatives to address growing Islamophobia in America and to enhance national security.
#BlackLivesMatter and Muslim ARC are dealing with racism against blacks within the US including within the Muslim community.
Somali or Muslim Youth should participate in these organizations and movements and get involved in fighting discrimination. Stay away from extremists.
Don’t be manipulated.
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If you like this piece, share it on social media. We invite you to join us in this project on our social media sites. We welcome your voice to the Comment section below — or consider writing a commentary, podcast or photo story. (For more information, email engageminnesota@gmail.com.)
