MINNESOTA: New Somali influx possible

Pioneer Press ^ | 5-11-03 | TODD NELSON

[SheLion]

Ballpoint pens, disposable diapers, doors that open when you turn a knob.

Everyday things, easily overlooked — unless you're a member of the Somali Bantu, an ethnic minority whose members had little exposure to modern society even before spending the last decade in African refugee camps, where they huddle in mud huts and cook over open fires.

A crash course in American life now awaits the 12,000 Somali Bantu refugees when they begin arriving sometime this year in the United States.

None of the 50 cities where the Somali Bantu are to resettle is in Minnesota, already believed to have the country's largest population of refugees from the 1991 civil war that plunged much of Somalia into chaos. The closest destinations are Chicago, Milwaukee and Sioux Falls, S.D.

The decision to accept the Somali Bantu has generated much speculation among Somalis, refugee advocates and resettlement officials who wonder whether the new arrivals eventually will move to Minnesota. The subject is a sensitive one because the Somali Bantu faced widespread discrimination and suffering in their native land.

"Mainstream Somalis and Somali Bantu have both expressed this concern," said Joel Luedtke, director of refugee services for the Minnesota Council of Churches. "They're going to feel like the familiarity of being around other Somalis is very enticing, even if those are not folks they would have socialized with in their homeland."

Somali leaders and refugee advocates in the Twin Cities say they expect some Somali Bantu to arrive here. Most of Minnesota's estimated 20,000 or more Somalis made their way here from California and other states in waves of secondary migration beginning in the mid-1990s.

The United States agreed to receive the Somali Bantu refugees on humanitarian grounds in 1999, two years after a United Nations plan to resettle them in Mozambique fell apart.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

The Somali Bantu face a number of challenges, including a cultural chasm that some liken to that encountered 25 years ago by the Hmong, a tribal people from Laos who had had little contact with the modern world before resettling in Minnesota.

Descendants of African slaves taken to southern Somalia in the 18th century, the Somali Bantu were largely excluded from educational, political and economic opportunities. They survived as subsistence farmers until the civil war erupted, bringing wholesale massacre and rape to the isolated, unprotected minority.

The native Somali refugees who live here also suffered greatly during the civil war. The question is whether native Somalis and any Somali Bantu who move here can set aside their past differences, in much the way members of various native Somali clans largely have done since resettling.

Mohammed H. Rashid, executive director of the Somali Mai Community of Minnesota, estimates that many of the Somali Bantu who reach the United States would move to Minnesota. The Somali Mai, an indigenous minority group, lived peaceably alongside the Somali Bantu in southern Somalia, with many in both groups farming the relatively fertile zone between the Shabelle and Juba rivers.

The two groups also share the Mai language, which is distinct from the Maha language northern Somalis speak.

"They will move definitely," said Rashid, who has received a letter from a national group, the Somali Bantu Community Organization of Clarkston, Ga., authorizing his nonprofit organization to assist Somali Bantu in Minnesota.

"They're not scared, because this is the United States," Rashid said. "There is the rule of law. Everyone has to obey the law."

In contrast, Abdullahi Abdullahi, executive director of the Somali Bantu Community Organization, said he expected conflicts between Somali Bantu and native Somalis to continue.

"The victimizer might think he is still in the same situation, that he could abuse or oppress this person," Abdullahi said. "This person would feel that he is no longer in the custody of these people, and he might revolt. That kind of anger can manifest itself."

The Somali Bantu refugees were to begin arriving this spring, according to the State Department. But few, if any, have made it so far, in part because of tighter security measures after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

'ALL IN THE SAME BOAT'

Leaders of some of Minnesota's largest Somali organizations said they would welcome Somali Bantu refugees and were preparing to assist them.

"In America, most of them will prefer to be with other Somalis," said Osman Sahardeed, assistant executive director of the Somali Community of Minnesota. "We are all in the same boat. There are a lot of unpleasant things that did happen in Somalia. That's why we are refugees. Since we are here, we should try as much as we can to heal here."

Professor Ahmed Samatar, dean of international studies and programming at Macalester College in St. Paul, said he believes that the Somali Bantu would have much in common with other Somalis and that setting the past aside will be crucial.

"Privilege of pain is not the way to get on with building a new future," Samatar said. "I don't know of any Somali anywhere who doesn't carry massive difficulties and liabilities and huge problems. … The key is not to dwell on that; the key is to build new relationships with each other, with their new host country and with the new society."

---

Todd Nelson can be reached at tanelson@pioneerpress.com or (651) 228-5575.

[SheLion]

Wow!  Not MAINE AGAIN?????

We have 1,100 in Lewiston.  Well, good luck Minnesota!!!!!!  Be ready to pay for more welfare.  Be ready for your own poor to go without just so the Somali's can have the benefits of the welfare program.  Be ready for the Somali's not to speak English, and to hold a job because they refuse to work between the hours of 10am and 2pm.

Be prepared for your schools to hire on teachers who will teach the American kids how to speak Somali!!!!!!!

Be prepared for your farmers to grow CHICKENS for them.

Ask any Mainer about the Somali's in Lewiston, Maine.

I'm all for helping people, but when so many states are broke in the budget, we need to take care of our OWN first!

Good luck Minnesota!

[SheLion]

Hmmmmmmmm......are we getting a break for a change Mainers?

[sarcasm]

Maine simply must increase its welfare grants in order to attract these newcomers.

[VOA]

Mohammed H. Rashid, executive director of the Somali Mai Community of Minnesota

Sounds like Muslims On The Move to me.

The smug liberals of Minneapolis deserve Shari'a law.
But the good folks who voted for Norm Coleman should start a "Minnesota for Minneostans"
campaign STAT!

[blam]

"Maine simply must increase its welfare grants in order to attract these newcomers."

We probably ought to consider one of them for the head coaching job at the University of Alabama. Fair is fair, huh?

[Drew68]

A crash course in American life now awaits the 12,000 Somali Bantu refugees when they begin arriving sometime this year in the United States.

Who the hell is behind this? Why are we bringing these unskilled, illiterate, stone-age people here? They have nothing to offer us and will only drain our social services.

I'm sorry there are a lot of people suffering in Africa. That is a real bummer, really. But Africa has a lot of problems. Those problems are generally man-made and the men who made those problems have generally been Africans.

I'm certain that your average man-on-the-street Minnesotan is less than thrilled.

[dagnabbit]

I'm sure the Bush administration will protect Americans and put a stop to this.

/sarcasm

[alnitak]

Who the hell is behind this?

The United States agreed to receive the Somali Bantu refugees on humanitarian grounds in 1999

I'll let you connect the dots.....

[sarcasm]

Why not President of the University of Alabama?

[headsonpikes]

"Be prepared for your farmers to grow CHICKENS for them..."

NO! Not chickens! Anything but chickens!

I'm obviously missing something here.

[blam]

"Why not President of the University of Alabama?"

Well, Jesse is down here wanting a black head coach, this could satisfy that demand, huh? Alabama has had four head coaches in the last 42 months.
May as well be someone that doesn't know a thing about coaching.

[sarcasm]

I think that you're in favor of discrimination against those who don't have knowledge or ability.

[Euro-American Scum]

Why are we bringing these unskilled, illiterate, stone-age people here?

Hey! Today's unskilled, illiterate, stone-age people are tomorrow's high-tech, underpaid, H-1B wage slaves.

[blam]

"I think that you're in favor of discrimination against those who don't have knowledge or ability."

Yeah, you're right. It's not their fault huh?

[sarcasm]

You must be some kind of elitist.

[Capt. Tom]

Who are the Somali Bantu?

The descendants of six African tribes in East Africa, the Somali Bantu are not native Somalis. Their ancestors were taken from their native lands by Arab slave traders in the 18th and 19th centuries and sold through the Zanzibar slave market.

Why are they coming to the United States?

They have nowhere else to go. Kenya, the country they fled to, has refused to allow them to stay permanently. Tanzania accepted some Somali Bantu who fled via ship from Somalia, but that country is already swamped by refugees fleeing the Rwandan civil war. The United States, which accepts a set number of refugees annually, agreed to take those left.

What religion do they practice?

Islam and some African animism. Many converted to Islam while enslaved because the Quran teaches that one Muslim cannot hold another Muslim as a slave.

What is African animism?

Animism is the belief that spirits, which are made known through ancestors, can help or harm people.

[Age of Reason]

I'm all for helping people

I'm not.

[henderson field]

Note to Minnesota: hope you like dem Somali folks!

[henderson field]

A lot of people suffering in Africa? Yes, it's truly a tragedy. Makes one wonder why "African-Americans" don't do something effective to help. Africa has 690 million people. 40 million have aids. There are 83 million new babies born every year in Africa. Most of the "leaders" have bank accounts in Switzerland. To do the right thing, we must bring all 690 million here. People, that is; not dollars-per-"leader." And the Chinese too. Let's not forget the Brazilians.

[henderson field]

The dumber the people are, the more easily they are "led."

[henderson field]

They have nowhere else to go? Rediculous. They can go to France.

[junta]

Agreed. Its time for serious people to realize that even in America Third World people are going to revert to Third World conditions and what we are creating are dead zones in our country. With welfare being reduced even by Democrats the reversion to mean is beginning for these people. While money is being lavished on these stars of "diversity" from Somalia it is being taken away from less "glamorous" dependents and they in turn are replacating what they know how to create as they increasingly fend for themselves. American culture/civilization will retreat to gated communities and cold weather climates when we finally become tapped out and the checks our government cuts bounce like basketballs.

[cibco]

"Note to Minnesota: hope you like dem Somali folks!"

News flash! They have been here for years...

[Consort]

[sarcasm]

The Great Somali Welfare Hunt

[blam]

The Good 'ol UN!

"Logic would suggest that these 12,000 black, African Muslims be resettled in their former homeland, the black, African nation of Tanzania, which is more than a third Muslim and borders Kenya, instead of being transported thousands of miles to the United States. But somehow, the UN commissioners and American officials think the good, old U.S.A. is just right for the Somali Bantu—and other Somali refugees as well."

[CarmelValleyite]

Whaaat????? Many Somalis LEFT California for the colder climes of Minnesota????? What a shock THAT is. Except, of course, that these newcomers are understandably clannish and with Mexicans and other latinos comprising the majority in California, there's not much room for Somalis.

The Minnesota liberals are in for quite a treat, aren't they? They won't know what hit 'em until it's too late. Pity....

[CarmelValleyite]

Regarding dead zones created in the U.S. -- you got that right -- just take a look at HUGE (hugh :) areas in California, filled to the gills with non-English speakers who have zero education or skills but are quite adept at creating pockets of hell out of formerly perfectly nice cities and towns, all the while sucking up everything from welfare $$ to medical benefits, ad nauseum, and reproducing like rabbits. Ain't we got fun!

[El Sordo]

I knew a Somali girl back in college. She was from a well off family, and was not a refugee. What I'll always remember was that before she came to Pullman, WA, she had never owned a coat and thought 50 degrees was cold.

Good luck to them in Montana.

[TheCrusader]

"Mohammed H. Rashid, executive director of the Somali Mai Community of Minnesota Sounds like Muslims On The Move to me. The smug liberals of Minneapolis deserve Shari'a law.

I dont think they are Muslims. In fact, while the article barely mentions the fact that their ancestors were slaves in the 1800's, the author convenienty forgot to mention that the Somali Bantus were enslaved by MUSLIMS. Muslims captured the Somali Bantu and sold them into slavery in the middle east, from Zanzibar. So the ancestors of these Somali Bantu know what it's like to live under Islamic "law". So the good news, at least, is that this group of Somali Bantu will not come to America as friends of Islam.

[El Sordo]

Uhh...

Minnesota.

[TheCrusader]

"I think that you're in favor of discrimination against those who don't have knowledge or ability".

I think you're in favor of making America the dumping ground for every illiterate, backwards group of people on the planet. A nation can only stand so much of this befor it implodes.

[TheCrusader]

"I'm all for helping people"

There is helping people, and then there is creating a situation in your own country that does NOT help your fellow countrymen. Helping = teaching the hungry how to fish. YOUR view of helping = bring every poor person on earth to America and feed them free fish forever.

[VOA]

Thanks for the info.
I know some refugees from Somalia are Christians...
Maybe I was being a bit reflexive about seeing the name Mohammed and the ladies with head
coverings.

LOL, I'm old enough to remember when every woman wore a hat to churches in our town
(partly for style, partly due to a passage in The New Testament about prostitutes
not having their heads covered, IIRC)

[sarcasm]

LOL - you don't know me very well.

[Joe Hadenuf]

American's have been screaming and voting for relief from this attack on our borders, and out of control immigration policies for years.

For example, California voted for and passed Proposition 187, three to one voted in support of this Proposition. We won big. ! The proposition would have eliminated most all tax paid support of illegal aliens.!

The Federal government stepped in and told the people of California to go to hell, they burned our ballots and declared our free election illegal.

The government will continiue to debate and talk about this issue until the United States is on the same level as most garden varity third world countries.

American citizens are being FORCED to pay for hundreds of thousands of these criminals and this titanic lawlessness, while our local, state, and federal politicians, continue to stand around and talk about this, while confiscating your hard earned money to pay for this nation wide lawlessness.

But if you fail to pay that parking fine, or send in your taxes late, they will be coming after you. Bet the rent. You will be threatened with fines, jail, or worse.

America refuses to wake the hell up.

The government attack on the American people, and the invasion of our borders continues to escalate, while government forces the American citizens to pay for it, or else.

[Dustbunny]

Just what we need. (sarcasm off)

[cake_crumb]

They'll probably all gravitate to Maine, where all state programs are specifically designed for the benefit of lazy-bum Somalis living in public housing.

[varon]

The United States agreed to receive the Somali Bantu refugees on humanitarian grounds in 1999

I'll let you connect the dots.....

Wouldn't it be just great if all 12,000 were somehow redirected to Chappaqua?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Wouldn't it be just great if all 12,000 were somehow redirected to Chappaqua?

Better choice would be Crawford Texas, next door to President Bush's ranch.

[sarcasm]

The climate in Crawford might be to their liking.

[Leisler]

"I'm certain that your average man-on-the-street Minnesotan is less than thrilled."

Well, tell them to stuff it. Socialist/Farm League Democrat leaders have decided and they run the show, always have, always will. So get back to your second and third job and keep those tax payment coming. < sarcasm/never off >

[illbenice]

Please, no more.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

NO! Not chickens! Anything but chickens! I'm obviously missing something here.

Chickens don't smoke, therefore chickens are bad.

[Katya]

The closest destinations are Chicago, Milwaukee and Sioux Falls, S.D.

Ahhaaaaa....part of Daschle's voting block too.

[rdb3]

Yo, Mike! Threads like this sure bring out the best of FreeRepublic.com, doesn't it?

Doing bad things to bad people...

[sushiman]

U.S. will be unrecognizable in another 50 years ...Conspiracy theories anyone ?

[SheLion]

Maine simply must increase its welfare grants in order to attract these newcomers

Oh yes. Maine, the poorest state in the Union. How do you purpose we do THAT? We have enough of our OWN poor to look after!

[SheLion]

We probably ought to consider one of them for the head coaching job at the University of Alabama. Fair is fair, huh?

Who's going to teach them ENGLISH???

[SheLion]

Who the hell is behind this? Why are we bringing these unskilled, illiterate, stone-age people here? They have nothing to offer us and will only drain our social services.

Well, you can blame the now Governor Baldacci and Rep. Tom Allen both DemocRATS AND the Catholic Charities for bringing in the 1,100 Somali's to Lewiston, Maine!

One American homeless gal went to a shelter to get diapers for her baby. The Somali women got there first and cleaned out ALL the diapers. There was none left for this American homeless gal. Now.........THIS makes me SICK!