'Invisible Community' Dragged into the spotlight

[SOO MAAL]

'Invisible Community' Dragged into the spotlight

- Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 15:53

 

By Jean Eaglesham

 

Yasin Hassan Omar has focused attention on an ethnic minority group self-referentially known as the "invisible community," raising the profile of Somalis in the UK in the worst way possible, writes Jean Eaglesham.

 

The suspected suicide bomber arrested in Birmingham yesterday came to Britain from Somalia in 1992. One of the houses raided by police was said by neighbours to be occupied by three young Somali men.

 

The US has long suspected Somalia of being an important breeding ground for al-Qaeda cells. Its anarchic state - torn apart by civil war, the East African country is effectively ruled by feuding clans and radical Islamist groups - ensures extremists can operate with virtually no surveillance.

 

But Mr Omar's background suggests the root cause of radicalisation within the Somali community in the UK lies in London, rather than the Horn of Africa. Only 11 when he came to Britain without his family, he was placed in foster care by Enfield council before being granted indefinite leave to remain in May 2000.

 

Mr Omar was one of thousands of Somalians seeking asylum in Britain from the famine and conflict ravaging their country in the 1990s. Between 1995 and 2003, more than 43,000 Somalians - excluding dependants - applied for asylum, according to the Home Office. About 16,000 were granted asylum and a further 15,000 exceptional leave to remain. Somalia remains a significant source of refugees, providing the third biggest number of asylum seekers in the first quarter of this year.

 

Those allowed to stay join one of the oldest African communities in Britain, dating back to the mid-19th century.

 

Source: FT.com

[Dhagax-Tuur]

"invisible community,"

That is absolute bollocks. Of course, there are hundreds of communities from around the world in this city and elsewhere in the UK, but to brand somalis as invisible is going a bit too far. There are many ways that the somali falks are making the presence felt in the UK, educationally and business related activities. Lest you forget that we are a young community, when one considers the length of time somalis have been here. There are great stuff to come from this community. The incident of 21-07 was unfortunate, and that is common and shared with the Ummah around the globe.

 

SOMEBODY TELL THAT REPORTER TO RETRACT THAT ****** PHRASE, PLEASE.

[Emerald]

Geel-jire,

 

I can understand where your frustration is coming from, however Somalis in the U.K have to firstly acknowledge that we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves and locate in bundles(i.e Wembley, Ealing, Birmingham ect..) Secondly we are RARELY ever present in the media, compared to our indian counterparts and I find this is appauling, we simply haven't put ourselves on the map here in Britain. &thus the white man has come to the logical conclusion that we are an 'invisible group' a result of our absence from the British media and political spectrums.

Let us be realistic and bite the bullet there are already handful of Indian M.P's & if it is true that we have settled here since the early 1900's how can it be that there are no Somali M.P's ?? ??

 

It saddens me that I largely agree with the journalist..... however the sheer fact remains that we are Somalis and not an 'invisible community'...if not to anyone else to ourselves at least.