Posted by
Aaron on Thursday, August 16, 2007 3:04:37 PM
On August 8, 2007
the New York Times published an article written by Monica Davey
entitled “Collapse is New Ordeal for Somali Community." This
news story, which should have been on the op-ed page, sympathized with the
Somali community located near the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
According to Davey, these immigrants that once had to endure a life of war, now
are force to "deal with family and friends injured or missing in the
collapse." This unfortunate disaster has apparently created new
"anxiety" and the feeling they can't escape disaster. The
article goes on to explain that this bridge is a critical piece of
infrastructure for these Somali immigrants. So much so in fact that the
locals call the 35W bridge the "Somali
Bridge." The main point
the article tries to make, however, is the Somali immigrants came here to
escape disaster, and America
has let them down by allowing this tragedy to occur. Abdi Osman, a
resident in this community, confirms this point. "I didn't think
that was possible here," said Osman, "In a developed country?
In America?
Shame."
On August 10, 2007 the Minneapolis
Star Tribune published an article written by Pat Pheifer entitled "Brutal
Attack Tears Apart Family, Community." This article is about Afif
Abdiaziz Ahmed, a member of the Somali community. Ahmed brutally beat his
wife for so many years she is now mentally handicapped, and not able to care
for herself. According to Pheifer law
enforcement officials feel that it is against Somali culture to report cases of
domestic violence. In other words
domestic violence is culturally acceptable within the Minneapolis Somali
community. Powerlineblog.com, which covers this same article in a blog
entitled "Taboos" also points out that due to the shortcomings of
Somali culture, the Minnesota
legislature had to make a law prohibiting the practice of female genital
mutilation. It was also a cultural norm for Somali men to circumcise the
clitorises of their wives so they don't receive pleasure from sexual
intercourse.
Of course, individuals that have seen and experienced
the community in question, unlike Davey, know first of all, no one calls the
35W bridge the “Somali Bridge.”
Unfortunately, we also know other characteristics of the Somali Cedar Ave. community.
This is a neighborhood plagued by violence, crime, and unruliness. It is a place where pizza can’t be delivered
due to bad checks and pizza carriers having knifes put in their face. It’s a place where one can’t walk down the
street and feel safe, day or night, from getting mugged and/or beat up. It’s a place were women can never go to their
cars by themselves after work, for fears of their safety. It’s a place unrecognizable to the social
contract of safety America provides. It’s
a place where women have to walk around under the hot summer sun in full
Islamic dress. It’s a place where women
are not worthy enough to protest next to a man.
During a Somali political protest in a park, the men were protesting on
one side and the women the other, using our developed political system while
displaying undeveloped characteristics of their community, a non-belief in
women equality. Sadly, it is place where
this undeveloped community is excused under the name of multiculturalism. So I say, ‘I didn’t think that was possible
here.’ ‘In a developed country?’ ‘In America?’ ‘Shame.’