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Waxa la yiri saddex abaarood baa jira: Abaar Rag Abaar Dumar iyo Abaar Geel Abaar Rag: Abaar rag waxa ugu weyn waa arin la’aan. Raggu hadduu meel wada joogo waxa haboon in ay arinsadaan oo wax isKu ogaadaan.  Hjaddii nin walba uu kelidii ama koox yari ay go’aan iska gaaraan iyagoo aan la tashan raggii ay meel wada joogeen,  arin kaasi wuxu keenayaa kala shaki wuxuuna ku dambeeyaa fashil iyo bur-bur. Weliba waxa dhici karta in dagaal uu ka dhex qarxo ragga arin isku maan dhaafa. Arintan wada tashiga ah waata keentay in dalalku ay yeeshaan gole wasiiru oo wada tashada iyo barlamaan lagaga dodo arimaha dalkaas. Inta badan wadamada ay xukumaan  niman digtaatoor ah way burburaan.  Sidaas darted raggu haddii uu wada tashado guul buu gaaraa.  Haddii ay wax qaldamaan cid gaar ah laguma eedeeyo. Abaar Dumar: Abaar dumar waa ubad la’aan. Dumarku wxay hoygooda hantaan marka ay ogyihiin in ubad ay u hayaan ninka ay wada joogaan.  Inta badan waxa dhacda in dumarku shaki badan ka qaadaan saygooda (ninkooda) haddii caruur labadooda isku xirta ay meesha ka maqanyihiin. Mar kasta  waxa ay Ku fikireysaa goorma ayuu naag kale kula guursandoonaa.  Naagta war-war qabta uma hagar baxayso ninkeeda. Ninkuna…

Laba fadhiga ayey ku fiicanyihiin: Dabka iyo Dumaraka. Dabka hadii kolba meel loo qaado wuuu bakhtiyaa. Haddii aad dhuxul qaadid dabeysha ayaa ku dhacaysa oo markiiba way baabaaysaa. Haddii aad qori ololaya qaadid isagana dabeysha ayaa u dhacaysa oo qorigii ololayey wuu dhamaanayaa. Dumarku waxay ku fiicanyihiin fadhiga. Dhaqanka Soomaaliyeed waxa caadu u ahaa in dumarku guryahooda joogaan. Naag ama gabar kolba meel lagu arko oo wareegeysa waxa loo arki jirey caado xun. Waxa laga yaabaa in naagtaas ama gabartaas wax xun aysan ku kicin, laakiin maadaama kolba meel lagu arkay iyadoo joogta waxa la oran jirey “way cag fududahay.” Laba socodka ayey ku fiicanyihiin: waa Dabeeysha iyo Roobka. Dabeyshu meel ma taagna oo wey socotaa. Socodkaa ay dabeyshu socoto wxay qaboojineysaa dadka, xoolaha iyo wixii kale ee qabow u baahan. Dabeyshaas wax qaboojineysa waxa loo yaqaanaa “layr/laydh.” Rookuna wuxuu ku fiicanyahay socodka. Haddii roobku meel keliya ka da’o, waxa dhacaysa in meelaha kale ay abaar noqodaan. Roobku meel marka uu ka muuqdo dadka meel kale jooga waxay Ilaahay ka baryaan in uu iyagana u shubo. Waxa la oran jirey farta ha ku fiiqina wuu inaga leexanayaaye. Daruuraha ayaa roobka keena, daruuruhuna way socdaan. Laba hadalka ayey ku fiicanyihiin: waa…

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…

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,…

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…

An effort to turn an old 94 exit ramp into a pedestrian friendly crossing has been postponed amid concerns from surrounding businesses and residents alike. The crossing will be called “Samatar Crossing”, named after the late Hussein Samatar, the former Hennepin county school board member who passed away unexpectedly in 2014 at the age of 45. It was championed by former city Mayor R.T. Rybak who started working on it before he left office in 2014. Rybak said, “the original idea was to have a pedestrian-only area so residents of the West Bank could feel more a part of downtown, I know there were some adjacent property owners who wanted car traffic but I never thought that was as important as having a rare oasis in a car-dominated city where people wouldn’t have to watch out for cars.” The plan was to create a pedestrian bridge that connects Cedar Riverside to downtown Minneapolis. Soon after, a hybrid design that includes both cars and pedestrians was presented to the city council which infuriated a lot of residents who already think the neighborhood has too many cars. In a city council meeting earlier this year, the west bank community coalition demanded the…

Hassan, a Somali American Olympian from Minnesota, recently made news after commenting on president Trump’s immigration ban. The executive order banned entry into the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries that includes Somalia, for 90 days and suspended the U.S. Refugee Program for 120 days. It also indefinitely suspended refugee intake from Syria. The Trump Administration has said the restrictions are a necessary measure to keep America safe. In a recent interview with Sport Illustrated, Mead said, “Even if I may not be denied right now, it starts to stress you out,” Mead says. “Airports are already a tension-filled environment with random selection because of your demographic and beliefs. Now there’s this order from someone with a lot of power, and I’m still trying to take it in as its happening.” Hassan Mead, 26, is a South Minneapolis high graduate, a gopher and a 2016 Olympian. Even though he is not a household name in Minnesota, he should definitely be more celebrated among the Somali American community in Minnesota. Hassan is a long distance runner that went to University of Minnesota and ran for team USA in the Rio Olympics 2016 after failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. He…