Articles by SA STAFF

Religion

The Basics of Ramadan

A billion and a half Muslims around the world have ushered in the holy month of Ramadan during which they atone for their sins and, through fasting, grow closer to their god. Ramadan is the ninth month of the “Hiijri” or lunar, calendar, and it was during this month that the holy Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH.) “Sawm”, or fasting, during  Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam along with the belief in Allah, daily prayers, alms giving (charity) and a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). As such, its observance is obligatory for all able Muslims. During this month they must refrain from food, drink, sex and smoking from dawn until dusk. They must fast not only from food but also mischief. It is a month in which they strive to grow closer to Allah by following his commands and distancing themselves from that which is prohibited. The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) assured that “whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” “Iftar” is the meal Muslims eat at sunset to break the day-long fast. It is awaited with great anticipation and…

Community

A Bill That Criminalizes Parents of FGM Victims Passes the MN House

On Monday, May 15th, the Minnesota House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that puts harsher penalties on the parents who let their daughters undergo the female genital mutilation (FGM) surgery. The bill passed through house in less than two weeks with a 124-4 vote. Female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that limits a female’s sexual pleasure by cutting off a portion of the clitoris. Representative Mary Franson, who sponsored the bill, said, “We’re not going to stand for little girls being harmed in such an egregious way. This topic may make you uncomfortable, but in no way is it as uncomfortable as what little girls are experiencing in the state of Minnesota and across the world.” According to a CDC study, first-generation immigrant girls from Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia were most at risk to have their genitals ritually cut, which the health organization called “a traditional practice in various parts of the world since antiquity.” The same study suggested that there might be up to half a million girls in the US who are at risk of the FGM procedure. The bill was inspired by a recent event that made national news when two Minnesota girls were driven…

Community

The Old Minnesota Children’s Museum Reopens With 10 New Exhibits

It is summertime and kids need to be engaged and entertained, but where do you take them? So in every monthly issue this summer, we will feature a local hotspot for children. This month it is the Children’s Museum in Saint Paul which has undergone a major renovation and will soon reopen to the public. Everything is new at the Minnesota Children’s Museum where families have been going to play for more than 35 years. The museum, located in downtown St Paul, will re-open in June with 10 new exhibits. It is a place for children to have fun and learn at the same time. Kids can slide down a giant slide and climb two tall towers in an experience called The Scramble. There also is a laser maze, a studio with real tools, and a pretend town where children can put on costumes to be a firefighter or a postal worker. For families with babies and toddlers, a new exhibit called Sprouts gives young children a place to safely crawl, climb and play with water. And the museum has created two new outdoor places to play. “We like to say this is an all new museum,” said Dianne Krizan,…

Religion

Ask A Muslim Scholar Volume 4

Q: If I have my period, is it possible to read the Qur’an without touching the Qur’an? A: Scholars and jurists of Islam have been divided in their opinion about the issue whether women who are menstruating are allowed to read the Qur’an or not.  The generally accepted view among them is that women are not allowed to read the Qur’an while menstruating. Among other things, they have based this ruling on a report attributed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, which states, “Neither those who are sexually defiled nor those who are menstruating shall read the Qur’an.”  A group of scholars belonging to Maliki, Shafi and Hanbali schools, and others, however, have rejected the above position. As has been pointed out by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, there is nothing wrong for women from reading the Qur’an either from their heart or from mushaf itself, should they find it necessary to do so.  Even some of those scholars who are generally in favour of disallowing menstruating women from reading the Qur’an from mushaf have considered it permissible for them to do so if they are teachers or students or they are afraid of forgetting what they have memorized.  Having cited…

Health

Countering the Anti-Vaccine Movement

The measles outbreak in Minnesota is being blamed on Anti Vaccine activists who often target the Somali community with propaganda that falsely connects autism to vaccines. There are now 54 confirmed cases in Minnesota and 48 of them are unvaccinated Somali children under the age of 10. Measles is a highly infectious disease that can even be deadly. The outbreak in Minnesota started less than 6 weeks ago with one unvaccinated child and since then it has spread to 53 people in four different counties. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.” The unvaccinated rate among Somali Americans started plummeting back in 2008 when the anti-vaccine community started organizing events in Somali neighborhoods that linked autism to the MMR vaccine. Prior to that, Somali children had a higher than average vaccination rate of 94% and since then that rate has dropped to 42%. That is a dangerously low vaccination rate and it is being considered an epidemic by health officials in Minnesota. That led many to ask the question, is anti-vaccine propaganda protected under the…

Health

Secondhand Smoke Kills Too

Most of you know that smoking cigarettes is bad for you. The smoke gets into your lungs and over time causes cancer. But you may not know that secondhand smoke – the smoke released into the air by the smoker – is bad for everyone in the room with the smoker! Breathing in secondhand smoke makes it more likely to get lung cancer and many other types of cancer. Breathing in secondhand smoke is also not good for your heart. If you live with a smoker or frequently spend time in the company of people who smoke, this article is for you! It could change your life! Secondhand smoke is the smoke a smoker breathes out and that comes from the tip of burning cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. It contains about 4,000 chemicals. Let me explain more about what secondhand smoke is and why it is so harmful. When you are sitting with a person who is smoking, you inhale the same dangerous chemicals as the smoker. The smoker will inhale only 15% of the harmful smoke into his/her lungs, the rest is blown out in to the room. Everyone in this room breathes in the secondhand smoke into their…

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Community

Around the Diaspora May 2017

Somali Canadian named the Minister of Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussein is now in charge of the same government agency that sponsored him back in 1993 when he migrated to Canada from Somalia. In 2015, Hussein made history by being the first Somali elected to Canadian parliament and one year later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Ahmed Hussein to lead the Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship. Ahmed will take over a ministry that plans to accept 400,000 new immigrants in 2017.   British Somali Teenager Earns Full Scholarship to an Elite Boarding School in Berkshire, UK. Ahmed Roble, a Dutch Born, English educated youngster not only scored high on the GCSE but had to go through rigorous interviews to land a full scholarship with one of the most elite boarding schools in the world. Roble is one of nine students to win full scholarship to Eton College, a historical institution founded in 1440. Roble will be following in the footsteps of 19 prime ministers of England as well as Prince Harry and Prince Williams.   Students from Masjid Abu Bakr al Siddique Dominate Quran Competition in Chicago Out of the 19 winners at the annual Islamic convention, 15 were Somali American…

Health

Measles Outbreak in the Somali Community Continues to Grow

An outbreak that started with two brothers and their friend grew to 20 confirmed measles cases in Minneapolis. All the victims of the outbreak come from the Somali community and were not vaccinated. Health officials are tracing the outbreak back to one unvaccinated child who travelled outside the country. Minnesota Department of Health infectious disease director, Kris Ehersman said, “”This outbreak has nothing to do with being Somali. It is absolutely an outbreak that is driven by unvaccinated children and that is what the source is.” Measles is a serious disease that can lead to death. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes followed by a rash that typically spreads from head to the rest of the body. It is highly contagious and spreads easily by coughing, sneezing or even being in the same room with someone who has measles. Measles was eradicated in the US back in 2000 and all measles cases since then were linked to international travel. Random cases are reported around the country but are almost always linked to international travel. The last outbreak in Minnesota was in 2001. Before 2008, the vaccination rate among Somalis was considered to be slightly higher…

Religion

Ask a Muslim Scholar Volume 3

Q: We are a couple trying to have a baby for the last years and Allah did not allow it to happen yet. We have an option to do an In vitro fertilization. We have the money in a line of credit. Can we use this money even though we have a home mortgage and a credit card to pay every month? We would like to know what Islam say about it. Note that we are making our payments every month without any problems. A: If the process you have mentioned involves interest then the transaction is considered as haraam (unlawful), for interest is haraam. If, however, by paying your installments every month when they are due, you can avoid paying the interest, then there is nothing wrong with that. For in that case, it is not at all different from your credit card purchases; which may or may not involve interest, depending on whether you pay it of in full when it is due or you choose to pay it with interest. If, therefore, your payments involve interest it is considered as haraam. Q: My wife miscarried at the end of third month of gestation. Sonographic test in the th…

Community

Civic Responsibility in Full Display

Minneapolis saw a rise in caucus turn out on April 5, 2017. Thousands turned out to exercise their civic responsibility and the Somali community did not disappoint. Precinct caucuses saw an increase in the number of Somali Americans showing up to support their candidates early in voting process. Even in precincts that did not have a Somali candidate, residents showed their support and engaged their local leaders Precinct caucuses are meetings organized by the state’s political parties to start the process of selecting candidates for the election that will be held later in November. Residents and candidates discuss policy positions and vote in a straw poll. Caucus turn out is also an indicator of which candidates will do well in the real elections and who the party will endorse.   In Minneapolis, all 13 city council seats are up for grabs. The mayoral race will also be held in November with multiple candidates and the current mayor running for reelection.  It should be an eventful election year and everyone should come out and exercise their civic responsibility. In comparison, Somalia did not have a functioning government for over two decades after ousting a brutal dictator who held on to power…