FBI Watching Somali Muslims In Minneapolis

(CBS)  On election night last November, the outcome was wildly celebrated by Somalis living in Minneapolis, 70,000-strong, mostly refugees from their war-torn country. It is the largest Somali community in the United States, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

But the evening was noteworthy for something else, too. That night, the latest in a line of young Somalis who grew up here, departed unannounced for Somalia itself, joining a civil war in a country few had ever seen and causing concern in the United States.

Hussein Samatar's 17-year old nephew left without a word to his family.

"He was an A student," says Samatar. "He has everything to hope for to attend any Ivy League school that he wanted to. Why he would do it is a mystery to us."

Some 20 vanished last year - all American citizens - an exodus the FBI has noticed for a troubling reason.

"A man from Minneapolis became what we believe to be the first U.S. citizen to carry out a terrorist suicide bombing," said agency director Robert Mueller.

The October attack by 27-year-old Shirwa Ahmed killed 30 near Mogadishu, and there is alarm that the skills acquired abroad could be brought back to America.

"He could have done it here," says Omar Jamal, a Somali advocate in Minnesota. "We don't see anything that would have prevented him from doing this right here in the heart of Minneapolis."

This much seems clear:

"It appears that this individual was radicalized in his hometown in Minnesota," Mueller said.

The missing men all came from one local mosque, according to the FBI. But officials at the mosque deny that they play any role in turning young people into radicals, Reynolds reports.

This week they held an open house to answer critics and confront recent harassment.

"We absolutely deny that such things happen in this mosque," says Omar Hurre, executive director at the Abubakar Islamic Center.

But Somalis here are deeply troubled. Who is behind this exodus? Who is paying for it? And who may be the next to go?

[tlwinslow]

Why does the West ignore the horrible things being done by Muslims to Christians in Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq and other countries and import Muslims? Answer: their governments are run by history ignoramuses when it comes to Islam.

Don't be like them, catch up with 1400 years of the hairy horrible history of Islam fast and free with the Historyscoper. Check it out and tell your friends.

http://go.to/islamhistory

[SomaliMuslim]

why r most of u so racist? hav u evr evn known an actual Muslim? ALLAhu qhairun, inshalla. most of us muslims are good people. u can't judge all muslims by a few bad ones! I used 2 liv in minneapolis and evr1 was so use to us but then wen i came to live in san diego, people could not believe i was muslim just cuz im black... an weni told them i was muslim all of a sudden evry1 became racist to me... if ur not an american muslm then u probably wouldnt know how infuriating all this racist BS people say is, honestly. it's as if evry1 thinks we're just plain stupid or don't speak english! mostof us younger muslims were born here and know plenty of english, plus our home language! don't be so quick to judge a whole race, especially on the internet when that race can read!

[BrwnQ]

is funny how people are quick to say "THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY" didnt u know that this country only belongs to native american...if ur not a native american then u dont have the rights to tell anyone to go back to their country...i was born in this country im a muslim girl n guess what u n me are the same just becouse ur christian doesnt give u the rights to claim this country as ur own country...saying oh these immigrants should go back well if we go back then u should go back to where ever u came from becouse clearly this aint ur country as well...so before u spread hate comments know what ur saying cuz to me if ur not native american u dont belong to this country...back to the topic i honestly dont support all these killing n terrorist activities going on around the world..ISLAM means PEACE n the way i learned the religion all these dont say in the quran...killing innocent people blowing up ur self none of this says in the quran so dont jump to the conclusion n say ohh islam means killing ur self...BECOUSE ITS NOT...n every religion has its good n bad people..just keep that in mind not all muslims r evils...if thats what u think i could say the same thing n say all christians are devils....

[iola09]

I never said Christians were worse than Muslims but every one has to realize that every religon has its good and bad people I live in Minnesota too I may not be a Somali but I am a Muslim I attend Hamline University and pursuing a double major in political science and engineering with a minor in film I am a citizen of this country. So for the ones who say go back to your own country where the heck will I go this is my country. I am not a terrorist and just because I am a Muslim woman does not mean I am oppressed either. I speak up for myself when I think some one is being disrespectful towards me. I am educated. I am a citizen. I am an American Muslim. So now what you still think I am a terrorist? Don't blame the religion blame the bad examples of people who claim to be part of the religion. One more thing the Aids rate in Saudi Arabia is way low compared to America think about that.

[scydka]

First of all, Hitler wasn't Christian. Although I'm sure you think Judaism is just a religion too.

If you're saying that Christianity is worse than Islam, you're so dangerously brainwashed and out of touch with reality that I have nothing to say to you.

I am FROM Minneapolis. I have to deal with these people who are rude and disrespectful to "infidels" and treat everyone as if they were dirty and of less worth. These people who wash their feet in the school sink and reek of camel meat and the taxi drivers that refuse to cater to blind people with guide dogs or someone with a bottle of wine.

People who accept our government money but have no willingness to adapt to American life and view Americans with the utmost contempt, despite our government saving them from their third-world, filthy, AIDS infested hellhole.

We need to start calling a spade a spade here. Stop worrying about political correctness.

[SomaliMuslim]

idon't know at ur religion is but, u r representing ur own religion and culture very badly! wat would u know about islam, and muslims except wat u here?and if u hav a problem w/ us people, then get the F out of minneapolis, nobody want ur b.i.t.c.h ass, ok?

[50richard]

If I had my way, I would deport every one of these 7th century throwbacks. The so called "prophet" himself made it ok for his followers to lie to and deceive their enemies (infidels and non-believers) so long as it furthered the cause of Islam. I do not trust them...I do not trust them... I never will trust them. Every time I see them walking around in their traditional pajamas and head dress, I see a potential sleeper Jihadi who wants to cut my head off, blow up a pizza parlor or shopping mall. Send these vermin back where they came from. I know we wont make them leave and so it is too late for that. But I will continue to cling to my own guns and my own religion, load hollow points and be ready for anything that comes because our elected leaders are asleep at the switch.

[iola09]

If you say Islam is not a religion then how about we say Christianity is not a religion. there are terrorist out there who are Christians too. How about the Oklahoma Bomber he was a christian and what about the pro-lifers who go around blowing up abortion clinics? The Sons of Freedom, a sect of Doukhobor anarchists, have protested nude, blown up power pylons, railroad bridges, and set fire to homes, often targeting their own property. The Klu Klux Klan they based everything they did off of religion. A group called Concerned Christians unsuccessfully planned to to attack holy sites in Jerusalem at the end of 1999, believing that their deaths would "lead them to heaven" or what about Hitler? so if Islam doesnt qualify as a religion then Christianity doesn't either.

[department64]

I have lived where this type of people are. They are dangerous but noone in the Immigration Department seems to understand this. When people only live to kill one another, how can you expect them to change just because they bought a new house in another country? This is not the religion this Country was born on; not the same principals of life and living. What makes you think they are going to change? THEY ARE NOT.

[ahiitman]

The problem is idiots at cnn, cbs, abc, nbc, msnbc, that are sooooo proooogressive they would rather be killed than loose their meal ticket from the democrats.
They should be watching the muslums not just the FBI.

[ahiitman]

Wow you mean the Political Ideology called Islam is using the USA as home base to fund Terrorists! wow thats really news lol. Islam is not a religion.