Minnesota Somalis In Action

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Somali community encourages voting, queries candidates

 

Democratic U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and Republican challenger Norm Coleman tried out a few words of Somali on Saturday as they courted the support of more than 1000 people of Somali descent, many of whom who are expected to vote for the first time Nov. 5.

 

Somali leaders heralded the public meeting they had organized at Augsburg College in Minneapolis as a historic occasion for the growing community as members begin to put down roots in Minnesota and join the political process.

 

"We are not guests anymore," Abdirahman Sheikh Omar, an imam, said through a translator. "This is our home now. This is our homeland. And we have to participate. . . . We have to get our own piece of the pie."

 

More than a dozen Somali organizations, along with the nonprofit organization VOICE for Community Power, have been working for months to increase political participation and voter turnout among Somalis.

 

While many Somalis are not yet citizens and therefore aren't eligible to vote, some leaders have estimated that about 10,000 Somalis will cast ballots Nov. 5. It won't necessarily be a swing vote, they acknowledge, but it could have an effect on the outcome of some races and will be more important in coming years as more Somalis become citizens.

 

"I think it is a group that can make a difference if it is a tight race, especially in local elections," said Saeed Fahia, executive director of the Confederation of Somali Community of Minnesota.

 

Several candidates are taking notice of Somalis' burgeoning voting power.

 

Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny will attend a community forum Monday, and Somali leaders hope the others candidates will do the same.

 

The 2000 census counted 11,164 Somalis in Minnesota, most in the Twin Cities area. But many Somali leaders have said they believe the numbers are much higher.

 

There are more than 5,000 K-12 students in Minnesota who speak Somali as a first language, according to the state Department of Children, Families and Learning.

 

Learning to vote

 

Citizenship may be one hurdle to Somalis. Another is the whole idea of voting -- a concept as foreign to many recent immigrants as Tater Tot hot dish.

 

The last free elections in Somalia were in 1968, the year before a military junta took over, said Ali Khali Galaydh, a former Somali prime minister who now teaches at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. That means that Somalis under age 50 never had the opportunity to vote in Somalia.

 

In later decades, there were elections under a one-party system in which there was simply one candidate for whom to vote. "It was a sham," Galaydh said. "It was a foregone conclusion who it was going to be."

 

Fast forward to Minnesota in 2002.

 

Since May, Somalis have been spreading the word at Somali malls, mosques and workshops about the importance of voting. They've gone door-knocking in Minneapolis' Cedar-Riverside area. After Friday prayers and other events at mosques, religious leaders have been encouraging people to register to vote and to become informed. It has been a broad effort that has included young people and women's organizations.

 

At a recent workshop in Minneapolis about the link between Islam and democracy, an elections official was on hand with a voting booth to show Somalis the actual mechanics of voting so they know what to do on election day. The demonstrations attracted a large crowd, organizers said.

 

Hashi Abdi, a community organizer with VOICE, estimates that the effort has led to hundreds of Somalis registering to vote. He said he has been telling Somalis that voting is one of the most important ways to improve their lives.

 

"We don't want to be seen as just refugees,' he said. "No, we are citizens -- Somali Americans. We are not going to keep that name [refugees] all of this time."

 

The importance of practicing democracy has been particularly resonant in the community in a post-Sept. 11 world in which many Somalis have felt unjustly targeted. Somali money-wiring firms that many Somalis depend on to send money to family in their homeland continue to struggle to survive after the federal government alleged that some had links to terrorism. Concerns have also surfaced around deportations and racial profiling.

 

In light of such an atmosphere, voting is a proactive step Somalis can take to raise their voices, Abdi said.

 

"We are all together now -- united our voice to become Somali voters," he said.

 

Picking a candidate

 

Many leaders said there is no clear indication how Somalis will vote Nov. 5. There appears to be Democratic leanings as evidenced by the exuberant show of support Saturday for Wellstone, whom many community members see as an advocate for Somalis, said Debra Rodgers, an organizer with VOICE.

 

But support for Coleman was evident as well Saturday. And many Somalis remember that President George H.W. Bush ordered an airlift of food in 1992 to help ease a famine in Somalia caused by the civil war and drought, Rodgers said. Coleman didn't shy away from mentioning his relationship with the current President Bush and his father.

 

The main thrust of Saturday's meeting, leaders said, was to establish a relationship with whoever will take office -- not to endorse one candidate over another. That was why they talked to each candidate separately, rather than having a debate.

 

Each was asked five yes or no questions about their positions on certain issues around immigration, affordable housing, employment, education and continuing a relationship with the community.

 

Coleman said yes to each question except one: whether he would support basic human rights and direct the Immigration and Naturalization Service to stop the deportation of Somalis until a stable government has been established in Somalia.

 

He explained that he doesn't know enough about the situation to commit to an answer and said, "I will commit to this: I have a firm commitment to human rights."

 

In a time of heightened fears after Sept. 11, he said he would try to balance security concerns with human rights.

 

He ended his speech with "salaam aleikum." which means "peace be with you" in Arabic, and "mahad sanidiin," "thank you" in Somali, phrases that were greeted with many surprised and appreciative smiles.

 

Wellstone, like Coleman, received a warm reception from the crowd. It became even warmer when he answered "haa" or yes in Somali, to all five of the questions. Each time he responded with "haa," the cheers grew louder.

 

"I respect the effort of the Somalian community to become an empowered political force," he said.

 

After the meeting, Coleman said he had been brought to tears by a man who said Somalis haven't been a part of the decisionmaking process before. But now, "the community has been getting engaged," Coleman said. "And we are listening."

 

Said Wellstone, "What a turnout. . . . This is the heart of representative democracy."

 

-- Kavita Kumar

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As i was reviewing that article, guees what has happen?.****PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE*****

Now as sad as it seems. Many Somalis were Encouraging each other to vote for wellstone,

who's been there for the somalis ever sinse they

arrived at the state of Minnesota. Me myself and many

others including my family were planing on going to the booth and voting for wellstone.

today-friday the 25th oct,2002. sad Breeze of story came by,senator wellstone passed away.

i guess now it won't matter to spend anyt time

at the booth.

[SomaliaOnline-President]

Yea, thats really sad. I heard they were saying, they'll put some1 else's name on the polls. If so, do Yknow who those people are? Reps/Dems?

 

Sxb, whatever happened to that somalian guy anyways?

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Paul Wellstone just PASSED away an hour ago in a plane crash.

 

Sad news for the democrats.

[sYric-STiPHuLLa]

paul welstone his daughter and wife crashed in a wooded area by an eden praire runway...damnnnnn

[Alpha]

Mr.Somali Pres, there never was a somali guy whom

was running for a senate. But there was guy running for a mayor.Anyway, it's really sad, i guess i'ma go with next best on my vote, but never

a republican, they cut the cost of education and the help for poor people.

Plus i never ben a in favor of republican in

the beginning.

[Instinct.Poet]

Is sure is sad what has happen to Our senator.

I'm remmembering back every single summer as we celabrate our indapendence day, he never missed it.As always i threw my vote in for Wellstone,

But now come the real Question, Who can fill his shoes? Will the new democratic Candidate "Mondale" An ex-president do the job, as well as Wellstone?We'll see I'm gonna still go for Democratic....