Interracial marriage still new in Somali community

[Jacaylbaro]

FULL STORY

 

 

St. Paul, Minn. — When Idil Mohamed walks down the street with her husband, they often attract stares, and sometimes rude comments.

 

"Just the other day we were walking together and this guy yelled out the window and he said, 'interracial,'" Mohamed said. "Yeah, obviously, you can see that."

 

Idil Mohamed is Somali, and wears the Muslim headscarf. Her husband, Julian Chippendale, is white. He converted to Islam before they met on a Muslim dating website. Chippendale agrees that he and his wife attract attention when they're in public.

 

"We get very strange looks any time we are together," Chippendale said. "Often times, I myself wouldn't feel necessarily as uncomfortable, but my wife often does not even want to be seen holding my hand, because it's awkward because of all the looks."

 

Idil Mohamed came to America when she was 12 years old. She said culture and race were not factors for her in choosing a husband, but her family did not feel the same way.

 

"My family were shocked, because I was the first person to actually marry outside of my race," Mohamed said. "Except for my aunt. My aunt was very supportive of me marrying him, but everyone else was totally opposed to it."

 

After she married Chippendale, Idil Mohamed's relationship with some of her family members frayed. Some close family members started to distance themselves from her.

 

"They really want this to work out but they don't fully accept it. It sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable," Mohamed said. "I want to have a good relationship with everyone in my family. I want to be able to visit my relatives and feel well accepted. But hopefully with time it'll change."

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Guurku wa calaf inkasto ay fiicantahay inad dadkaga ka guursatid .. Maybe she wanted. White skin babies

[A_Khadar]

Wax kaluu qoruu waayey miyaa the dude. Better write about Ramadan and educate others with useful information. I see somali men/women with other races around dialy and hardly are noticed and I didn't see anyone staring @ them either..

[Che -Guevara]

looooooool@intericial.....I didn't know this was just offensive word.

[Aaliyyah]

I don't really see the point of why he would want to hold her hand outside lol..somali hada nahay waxaas dhaqan mano aha..diintuna horta kama so hor jeedo baan filaya laakin macno badan ma sameenaso..is it show and tell

 

Anyways, insha'allah her family members will slowly accept him when they see the good side of him. And, hopefully they will overlook his skin color.

 

As for the community at large they need to mind their business seriously..or she could always move to a city with a lil less somalis

 

I wish them khyr. May Allah swt bless their marriage..

 

salaam

[Che -Guevara]

^Isfiilito baaku qabata miyaa hadaad meel Soomaali badan aragto.

[Aaliyyah]

^Isfilito maxa la dhaha lol??...I have a feeling its prolly something bad...

 

I love my somali ppl...nothing but love walaal!

 

salaam

[Che -Guevara]

^It's nothing bad I assure and you love Somalis, let's not perpetuate the idea of running away from them. It destroys community cohesion and understanding.

[Aaliyyah]

Like I said in some of my posts it is not that I hate somalis, im just against the idea of raising kids in a cluttered somali areas...I can go and live in a somali area without being afraid to lose my sharaf iyo dhaqan cuz i'm old enough. The same can't be said for young teenagers..that's all my point was!...it is the truth that anywhere somalis ku bataan caruurta goes crazy...that's just what I observed! I will say it as it is with no sugar coating..I can love my people and at same time say the truth...the truth is usually bitter but hey it is the truth..

 

salaam

[Che -Guevara]

Truth has many dimensions, without making any excuses for them, I am sure you can understand and appreciate there are many factors contributing to the current state of the Somali family. The simple fact of being Somali is not determinant of how kids turn out in Somali neighborhoods, there are known and unknown variables such economic disparity, single parenthood, bad schools that form the core issues or problems that hinders progress amongst our youth.

 

Would your child be any better if they grew up in all white poor neighborhood, black ghetto?

[Aaliyyah]

I will answer this hypothetical scenerio no way I would wanna raise my kids in all white poor neighborhood, inshallah they will grow up in a middle class area lol..*living in my lalaland..LOL

 

lets go back to the question, my answer would be yes. Not because those white poor kids behave any different than those jamaican kids but the fact that a somali child will distinguish himself...will see himself as somali kid vs white kid..

where now when they grow up with jamacains or african americans/canadians they think they are one of them. I have seen enough ghetto areas where pakistanis even though they also live in that ghetto area by large they do not mix with somalis or jamaican kids the reason being they see themselves that they are different..somalida waxa qalday madogooda oo ay modeen in ay jamacainka iyo yaguba walaalo yihiin..LOL..sorry guys thats just the way I see it! anyways enough abt other ppl..I am off to my afur. I hope you guys enjoy it too

 

salaam

[RaMpAgE]

Uff, ceeb badana...naago bila sharaf.

[burahadeer]

good luck sis..nothing new about interacial marriage.I can count enough 60yr olds who r part somali/european/american/indian/arab etc.Your family will accept when kids come around.

[Lidia]

Lol @ the last name Chippendale;)

[Che -Guevara]

^loooooool...I did skip over the name, now I'm questing where have they met?

 

Aaliyah...We just need to be careful with idea that being Somalis predisposes you to certain undesirable things.