Community

Ayub HajiOmar is one of two local artists chosen to incorporate art into the Discovery Walk in downtown Rochester. It’s the latest commission for the self-supporting artist.   by Atra Mohamed   In a world that is often intolerant of Islam, Ayub HajiOmar tries to build bridges. The Rochester resident describes himself as an “Islamic contemporary fine artist.” And he makes the Qu’ran a living document, incorporating scripture into paintings with detailed brushwork that captures the spirit of each verse. Ayub, 27, recently took on one of his largest commissions: choosing poems in English, Arabic and Somali to decorate giant benches on a four-block Discovery Walk in downtown Rochester near the Mayo Clinic. He worked with Rochester artist Sophia Chai to make 2nd Avenue S.W. an inviting space for pedestrians as part of the Destination Medical Center (DMC) initiative. Chai created the lighting and Ayub chose the poetry for the walk. The public commission was another stepping stone for Ayub, who received an emerging artist grant in 2019 and held an exhibition show at the Rochester Art Center the following year. The DMC has a process in place that engages the community in co-designing efforts, where community members, artists, and architectural designers are invited to …

Measles outbreak affects at least 30 in Minnesota, closes Somali religious school   The highly contagious virus has been spreading in child care centers, other gathering places, health officials said. They urged families to seek out vaccines ahead of the new school year.   by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred   A measles outbreak that began in May in Minnesota has spread to 30 people, primarily infecting children in the Somali community. One dugsi, or Islamic religious school, has voluntarily closed in order to curtail the spread, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. About a third of the patients have required hospitalization, a state spokesperson said. All but one were unvaccinated. The outbreak brings the state to measles 36 cases this year. Measles is endemic in many countries, including African countries that Minnesota’s Somali families visit in the summer months. Seven people contracted the respiratory virus from travel, state health officials said. “So when people who didn’t vaccinate and then travel outside of the country where measles is still existing, they contract it and then it spreads here because we have a close-knit community with big families,” said Sheikh Yusuf Abdulle, executive director of Islamic Association of North America. He has requested that…

Minnesota’s largest Muslim cemetery breaks ground near Farmington after 10-year saga   Organizers faced multiple hurdles, from a reluctant township board to vandalism, in their quest to develop a new cemetery for the region’s Muslims.   by Katelyn Vue   In Arabic, “al maghfirah” means forgiveness. Forgiveness — and hope — were on display Tuesday as two dozen people gathered in a desiccated field south of Farmington to break ground on Al Maghfirah Cemetery after a decade of delays and legal challenges. The 72-acre parcel in Castle Rock township will be the largest Muslim cemetery in Minnesota, once it is developed. “It has been a long and challenging journey. Ten years of a struggle. Litigation. Vandalism. And countless obstacles,” said Mohamad Osman, director of the Muslim cemetery project. “But through our collective resolve, we have finally overcome.” The cemetery will offer nearly 50,000 burial plots and will serve Muslims from the Twin Cities metro area. It is expected to open in May 2025. The cemetery association spent $900,000 on the land. It will cost another $1.5 million for the development stage, according to Osman. The two existing buildings on the land will be converted for funerary purposes, and will include gathering areas…

Overcoming barriers to entry: Microgrants help Somali Sambusa maker, other food startups scale up The Market Entry Fund helps entrepreneurs get a leg up in the packaged food industry. This year’s grant recipients included a Taiwanese sausage maker and a cookie maker. by Alfonzo Galvan “Hoyo” is the Somali word for mother. When sisters Mariam, Halima and Asha Mohamed launched Hoyo in 2015, their goal was to employ Somali women making a much-loved Somali snack: the deep-fried, beef-filled pastries known as sambusas. Since that time, Hoyo has grown into a local food success story, serving 200,000 sambusas a year at schools across Minnesota. Hoyo sambusas are also sold in co-ops and supermarkets. The business is one of 12 local food producers that recently received microgrants from The Market Entry Fund (TMEF), a St. Paul nonprofit that works with food and beverage producers from underrepresented communities. TMEF’s Micro-Grants Program provides $5,000 to $20,000 grants to food startups. The goal is to help small businesses overcome barriers in the packaged food industry. This year’s recipients included a range of food producers, including Taiwanese sausage maker Linko Food and Junita’s Jar, which sells cookies at Target. “The only reason that we are still here and survived is really the support…

  Muslim spiritual care offers comfort — and improves patient outcomes — at HCMC The providers, who serve Hennepin Healthcare’s growing Muslim patient population, help ease anxiety and reduce the stigma around mental health and other medical issues. By: Hibah Ansari   In her 15 years as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Hennepin County Medical Center, Hawa Ali has often provided Qurans for her Muslim patients. She said having the holy text brings patients relief while they suffer through the worst of their mental health crises. For the last three years, patients had an additional resource: three Muslim spiritual care providers hired by Hennepin Healthcare. The care providers not only ease patients’ minds, but they have also helped reduce readmission rates for Muslim patients — by more than two-thirds in the hospital’s inpatient psychiatry department. “There’s mistrust of Western treatment, but I see people when they have a spiritual care member approach them, they can face their challenges and regulate their behaviors,” Hawa said. “Seeing someone you can relate to spiritually, that makes a difference.” In 2021, Hennepin Healthcare partnered with Open Path Resources, a nonprofit based in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, to integrate spiritual care as part of the medical…

Biden order streamlining path to citizenship for spouses could affect 40,000 Minnesotans The order allows undocumented spouses and children to stay in the U.S. while pursuing a green card, removing a major source of stress for many mixed-status families. by Hibah Ansari   Immigration advocates say a plan announced by the Biden administration this week could streamline the path to citizenship for thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens in Minnesota. The plan allows undocumented immigrants the ability to “parole in place,” if they have lived in the U.S. for 10 or more years and are legally married to a U.S. citizen, meaning they can pursue legal status without leaving the country. When Stephanie Kilpatrick Salazar, a leader for Latino advocacy organization Unidos, first read about the plan she was so shocked she thought it was spam. Kilpatrick Salazar’s husband from Mexico is currently trying to pursue status through marriage since she is a citizen. Their four children, ages 17, 13, 12, and 2, are also U.S. citizens. “If everything goes as planned,” Kilpatrick Salazar said, “this could streamline that process for us and allow my husband to stay without having to go back to Mexico for his exit interview. It’ll be way…