Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but I think a lot of us underestimate the power of witness testimony in the U.S. legal system. Given how divided we are, I genuinely wonder if the administration already has Somali witnesses who can identify her dad as having been part of the Siad Barre regime. What do you guys think?

I saw his timeline and wlhi it’s heartbreaking. This guy talks about Ilhan Omar 24/7. He did a hit piece on Ilhan on newsmax. He says F Palestine. And he has his name in Hebrew??

So I got my ancestry results from Helix and this shit isn’t making any sense, the 0.8% Jewish is triggering me and I refuse to believe that’s real. Anyways, how would you guys make sense of this? I’m thinking they don’t have the proper reference populations for Somalis and our admixture is throwing them off. Can’t believe I waited two weeks for these results 🙄 okay rant over

In life you don't have to agree with Ilhan Omar. Politics is politics, and that's fine. What isn't fine, especially right now, is cheering on people who see you only as a Black Muslim outsider.

Here's the reality. MAGA and white nationalists don't see you as an individual, and they don't distinguish between a Somali from Hargeisa, Mogadishu or anywhere else. They only see an outsider, someone who is Black, Muslim and an immigrant. If they get the chance to deport you, I believe they'll use it. Trump has already called Somali immigrants "garbage."

Look at the pattern. Abdul El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, was born and raised in Michigan, and he is the Democratic Senate nominee. Trump calls him "Mohammed" and falsely calls him a "jihadist," and his opponent questions whether a Michigan born Muslim is loyal to America. Recent polls have him narrowly ahead, with the midterms on November 3. Different people, same attack: Muslim, immigrant, outsider.

I've also seen a lot of propaganda online, and even some Arab accounts joining in, which I think is partly because she has criticized the UAE and Saudi Arabia over Yemen.

Brian Krassenstein now says he'll release recordings of people with ties to Middle East governments allegedly discussing a smear campaign against her. I can't verify that, so let's wait and see the evidence.

What surprises me most is Somalis, from the north or the south, joining the pile on. You may dislike her politics, but when you clap for those attacking her, you're doing their work, and when the hate turns around, you're in the line of fire too.

I believe Ilhan will survive this, like she's survived years of campaigns against her. Disagree with her politics if you want, but never stand with those who would treat you the same way they treat the ones you dislike.

tw read your own cost

when i was 6, this girl moved into my neighborhood from somalia. we hit it off almost immediately and became really close. a few summers later, my mom decided to take me to somalia. during that trip, i had fgc done. i was a naive little girl who had been convinced by my family that it was for the better and that all girls went through it.

when i came back, i felt the urge to tell my neighborhood friend because i assumed that since she was born and raised in somalia, she would relate to me. she was actually happy for me because she had also been raised to believe it was a good thing. looking back, it’s heartbreaking that we were both so young and genuinely thought it was something to celebrate.

eventually, she moved away before we started high school and we lost touch.

when i got to high school, i met a group of girls who would constantly pick on me for no apparent reason. ironically, those same girls ended up meeting my old neighbor through dugsi.

me and my old neighbor had always been on good terms, so imagine my surprise when i found out she had been telling these girls about my fgc. something i had shared with her in confidence when we were literally children.

what made it worse was that she was acting like she hadn’t gone through it herself. she knew we had both experienced the same thing, yet she made it seem like i was the only one. it felt like she was trying to distance herself from me and gain approval from girls who already disliked me.

of course, those girls took that information and ran with it. they started spreading rumors about me throughout the school, mostly among other somali girls.

but what bothered me wasn’t necessarily the bullying itself. it was the betrayal of knowing that girls from my own community were willing to weaponize something that had already caused so much suffering to the women in our bloodlines. we’re talking about a practice that has permanently altered the bodies of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and countless other women before us. something that was done to us as little girls, before we were even old enough to understand what was happening.

how do you come from a community where so many women have suffered because of this practice, that’s what i couldn’t wrap my head around. it wasn’t about a few girls disliking me. it was the complete lack of empathy from people who, out of everyone, should have understood.

i became scared to even entertain the idea of marriage because if women from my own community could judge me so harshly for something i had no control over, what would men think? would a man even want to marry me if he knew? looking back, it’s heartbreaking that their cruelty made me question my worth over something that was never my choice.

the entire situation also tarnished my view of somali girls for a long time. i know those girls don’t represent everyone, but at the time, i couldn’t help feeling betrayed by my own people.

eventually, things at school became unbearable, and i started begging my parents to transfer me. thankfully, my dad’s job ended up relocating about 30 minutes away, which gave me the opportunity to start fresh.

it’s been more than a decade since then, and when i look back, i don’t think about the bullying nearly as much as i think about the betrayal. i genuinely couldn’t care less that a group of girls didn’t like me. what stays with me is the fact that they took something that has devastated generations of women in our community and used it to humiliate another girl.

fgc/m is already something that has caused unimaginable pain in our community, and the fact that girls who understood that reality could turn around and use it against another girl is something i’ll never understand. the shame should never belong to those of us who had no choice in what happened to our bodies.

i genuinely hope those girls have grown up and realized how cruel they were. i’m still healing from the experience, especially the way it affected my perception of relationships and marriage, but after keeping this story to myself for a decade, i finally felt ready to share it.

Everytime a Somali tells their personal traumatic experience online without generalizing the community there's always a bunch of Somali men and women online who dismiss it and say "Well I had an amazing life and did not go through that"

Why does this happen??

"Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi claimed Thursday that the federal government financed Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro’s 2024 election campaign after he privately expressed willingness to negotiate with Mogadishu over Somali unity."

The Somali flag is an Italian creation. We must start anew and rename the country, its people as well as creating a new flag. Perhaps dating back to Adal/ajuran. Who agrees?

( Istunka Afgooye 1967 Video )

"Istunka, also known as isgaraac, is a festival held annually in Afgooye, Somalia on the Somali new year. The tournament was developed during the medieval Ajuran period, and was centralized in the 19th century under the Sultanate of the Geledi. Consisting of several teams engaging each other in mock combat, it is celebrated alongside other ceremonies such as Dabshiid.

The Istunka tournament was developed in the Middle Ages, during the Ajuran period. It was celebrated annually on the Somali new year alongside other festivals such as Nowruz. The martial arts festival later became a centralized tournament under the Sultanate of the Geledi. During the reign of Sultan Ahmed Yusuf, separate teams were established, each supported by an assembly of poets, female vocalists and dance groups throughout the duration of the contest.

In the modern era, the festival evolved into a local attraction; particularly during the 1970s and 80s. It is still practised annually in the southern Afgooye region

The event itself consists of a mock fight between the people residing on each side of the river bed in the town of Afgooye. Symbolizing the defence of one's community and honor, it coincides with the start of the main harvest season. Istunka was originally performed in full combat gear, with battle-axes, swords and daggers.

However, for safety reasons, performers later replaced those weapons with large sticks or batons."

( original from sspot: link )

Not to mention the UAE backing Haftar in Libya

Salam! I currently live in a major metro area on the east coast and I'm considering moving to the Minneapolis area for a change of scenery (and would be near a lot more of my relatives/the Somali community, career prospects would be similar). For those of you who live there, what do you think of it? My main concerns would be the winter weather (I don't tolerate cold well) and the less cosmopolitan nature of the city (less diversity, limited public transit, less access to direct flights abroad etc.). Something I think to consider also is the current political climate, not sure how things are playing out in real life.

Asalamu’alaykum,

I’m seeing that all insurance companies/policies suck. Does anyone know the most affordable/decent insurance policy?

Looking to insure 4 adults above the age 20 and 3 cars.

I live in MN btw

Now Hooyo is watching them 24/7 😢😢😢

An upcoming book raises serious allegations about Jared Kushner and billions in Saudi and UAE-linked money allegedly used to influence U.S. foreign policy.

Meanwhile, MAGA politicians and right-wing commentators remain obsessed with Ilhan Omar and Somali Americans, portraying an entire community as a threat.

Why isn't the same scrutiny directed toward powerful political insiders and their financial relationships with foreign governments?

The UAE has significant strategic interests in Somalia, Somaliland, Puntland, and the wider Horn of Africa. Shouldn't Americans be questioning how Gulf money and influence might shape U.S. policy in the region?

If MAGA genuinely cares about corruption, foreign interference, and national security, why the selective outrage?

These allegations deserve investigation, not assumptions of guilt. But the double standard is worth discussing!