Friday December 4, 2015
By Michelle Doeden
The traveling exhibit, “Tracks in the Snow: The Minnesota Muslim Experience Since 1880,” aims to give insight on the growing segment of the state’s population.Eden Prairie has hosted various events such as a presentation and discussion with Valerie Shirley, teacher of deaf and hard-hearing, and a lecture by Mohamed Duale, community services technician for the city of Eden Prairie.
“The exhibit has had a positive response,” said Lindsey Danhauser, arts and recreation supervisor at the Eden Prairie Senior Center. “We wanted to bring this exhibit to Eden Prairie, but we also wanted to build educational events around it.”
Danhauser said she and Patricia Fenrick, community services coordinator, applied for a grant with the Eden Prairie Community Foundation in order to further build the program. The exhibit is on display at the city center, community center, library and the senior center until Dec. 3.
“We hope to bring this exhibit back in the future,” Danhauser said.Duale gave a presentation Nov. 30 to Eden Prairie residents at the Senior Center in which he highlighted the tenants of Islam, explained Somali cultural practices and gave insight on Muslim diversity worldwide.
Duale said that “Muslim Americans are not one ethnic group […], and many of them were born here.”
He also said that most Somalis in Minnesota are refugees, not immigrants.
“Somalia is in a very tough position right now,” Duale said. “There are many different factions, [and] there is no functional government.”
According to Duale, most Somali Muslims are Sunni Muslims.
Duale also told of several cultural beliefs held in Somalia.
“There are no ‘last names’ in Somalia,” Duale said. “Our names are three parts: we have a first name given at birth, then your dad’s first name and then your grandfather’s first name.”
Additionally, women do not change their names in marriage, Duale said.
Duale also said that birthdays are not celebrated in Somalia; rather, the mother and child remain indoors for 40 days after the birth and then a traditional welcoming celebration is held during which the child is named.
And, he said that “it is considered rude to point your finger at someone or to hold a thumbs up […] And avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect.”
Duale also added that the concept of time is very different to Somalis.
“In our culture, time is nothing,” Duale said. “When my wife’s sister visits, we just plan on ‘Friday.’”
He also said that bananas and spaghetti are common foods in Somali culture.
“We eat a lot of spaghetti because of the Italian influence in our country,” Duale said.
Duale said that some of the common challenges many Somali refugees face is a cultural gap in parenting; vulnerability of youth in organizations like ISIS; youth violence and language barriers.
Fenrick said that “Tracks in the Snow” has helped generate helpful conversations throughout Minnesota.
“It’s not a religious exhibit,” Fenrick said. “It’s about people.”
According to Fenrick, many people “think of the Muslim community as a homogenous group, but really there are many different sects […] it’s been fascinating for me to learn things I thought I knew.”