Articles by SA STAFF

Religion

Ask a Muslim Scholar Volume 1

This is the section where you, the reader gets to ask a Muslim scholar a question and if we think your question can benefit the community, we will feature it on this section. Question 1: Salaam Sheikh, I am going to Umrah InshaAllah next week. What is the minimum requirement to trim hair? Is it okay if I just trim hair evenly all over or does it HAVE to be 1/3 of my finger length? Answer 1: You have one of three options:   1. The first and the ideal one is to shave the head; you should do this if this is your first Umrah. 2. The second option is to get a haircut; it does not matter how short. 3. The third, which is the minimum requirement, according to some scholars is to take a few hair locks (at least three from any side).   Allah orders us in the Qur’an to come out of ihram (in the case of either hajj or umrah) after performing the essential rites by shaving our heads or cutting our hair short:  Allah says, “After that, let them bring to an end their state of consecration (ihram).”(Qur’an: 22:29)  “With your heads shaved…

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Community

Somali Non-Profits Team Up For a Stronger Voice

Minneapolis is home to hundreds of non-profit organizations that provide services tailored to the Somali community. Few months ago, the most influential Somali nonprofits joined forces to create a lobbying voice in the MN state legislature. This coalition of Somali non profits are hoping to overcome the obstacles that face the Somali-American community in Minnesota. The coalition currently consists of 8 organizations and it’s unclear if they will be expanding. The current members are African Immigrants Community Services; the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota; Isuroon; Ka Joog; New American Academy; Shanta Link; Somali Action Alliance; and Somali American Parent Association. The Somali community in Minnesota has faced recent scrutiny over the recruitment of young Somalis by international terrorist organization.. The Somali community faces countless challenges that include but are not limited to high unemployment rates, weak family structures, lack of education and the slow integration into their new communities. These challenges can only be overcome by community programs tailored to the under priveledged community. In April 2015, a study released by University of Southern California, funded by the Homeland security department found that most Somali nonprofits in Minnesota who secured government grants have not been effective. It is important…

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Coming Soon to Cedar Riverside: An Opportunity Center

Residents of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis are very excited about an upcoming community center that  is scheduled to open during the spring of 2017. Named after the neighborhood, The Cedar Riverside Opportunity Center has a mission to decrease the unemployment rate in the area. The twin cities is known to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. Sitting just over 3.5 percent, the unemployment rate in Minneapolis is quite below the national average of 4.8 percent. Job growth across a mix of industries in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area lowered the jobless rate to 3.7 percent in October, edging out cities like Austin, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio, who also proud themselves on their low unemployment rates. Those spectacular numbers do not represent the high unemployment rates among the Somalis who live in the cedar riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis. Almost 18 percent of the residents of the Cedar Riverside neighborhood don’t have jobs. That’s more than triple the unemployment rate in the city of Minneapolis. As discouraging as that sounds, unemployment rate is even higher among the young adults who live in that particular neighborhood. That is why Public officials as well as community leaders are very excited…

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Community

Somali-American Painter Draws Somalia Before the War

Aziz Osman of Colombia heights has been quietly painting gorgeous drawings of Somalia before the war. His work is displayed in public and private spaces across the twin cities. Vibrant paintings by Aziz can be found in Hennepin county Medical Center in Minneapolis, Thrivent financial services building and The African development center in Cedar riverside just to name a few. Aziz migrated to Minnesota in 1991 escaping a war torn Somalia to find a better life for him and his family. As an Italian educated painter, after arriving in Minnesota, Aziz had the urge to paint but did not have the money to buy supplies. So he improvised, Aziz used anything from Cereal Boxes, to shipping containers to create art he could sell. As a parking attendant during the day, Aziz found a small market for his very low budget paintings. “I want to remind these kids where they come from, to tell them: You have a lot of treasure,” said the soft spoken artist. Aziz paints murals and oil canvasses of scenes from back when Somali was peaceful. One of his main motivations is to keep the Somali American youth informed on how Somalia used to be and what…

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