Somali leaders and the local Catholic community have come together to condemn the actions of a Somali man who attacked and injured nine people with a knife in a busy shopping centre in St Cloud, Minnesota before being shot dead by police.
"Please join me in praying for the victims of [the] mall attack, for our first responders & for peace and unity in our community," the Bishop of St Cloud Donald J. Kettler said.
The man who was was fatally shot by an off-duty officer was later identified as Dahir Adan, 22, who had worked as a security guard for a shop in the centre, according to news reports. Adan was a member of the local Somali community. St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said the attacker reportedly made references to Allah during the attack, and the FBI was investigating the incident as a possible terrorist act.
Several local Somali-American leaders denounced the attack during a press conference after the attack, offered condolences to the victims and their families, and called for ongoing efforts on behalf of peace and unity in the community. "We condemn what happened in the strongest words we can possibly use," said Abdul Kulane, a graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville and leader in the Somali community. "We strongly condemn any terroristic action in America or around the world. ... We don't believe in violence."
Benedictine Sister Michaela Hedican, the head of the nearby St Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, who attended the news conference, said she felt "profound sadness" when she learned about the attacks. "The sisters have been praying and will continue to pray at St Benedict's Monastery. We have great hope that somehow we can walk over this bridge together," said Sister Michaela, a member of the Greater St Cloud Area Faith Leaders Group, which was formed in 2015 to promote interfaith dialogue and build relationships. Bishop Kettler also is a member.
Local Catholics can help by also turning to prayer "for the wisdom to know what best to say and do and how to offer support," Sister Michaela said. "And then to reach out, not only to the Somali community, but to support each other and (support) the beliefs we have, including the Gospel mandate of loving our neighbour, no matter who our neighbour is. We also need to recognise that none of us want to be judged as to who we are by the action of one person," she said.
Several speakers at the news conference stressed that Islam does not condone violence and that terrorist groups such as the Islamic State are not representative of Muslims or Somalis. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said many local Somalis and Muslims are concerned about potential backlash in the wake of the attack. The incident is a tragedy for everyone, including Muslims, he said, but it also is an opportunity for people to come together and build a stronger community.
"How we come out of this will define who we are as a community," added Haji Yusuf, community director for UniteCloud, a grass-roots community-building organisation.
“We are in deep shock as everyone else is in the state of Minnesota,” Adan’s family said in a statement released by their attorney, Abdulwahid Osman after the incident. The family expressed its “deepest sympathy and condolences” to those injured and affected by the attacks, adding that “we pray for their speedy recovery.” It also urged residents to “stay united” and “not rush to judgment or conclusions” as investigators carry out their work.
PICTURE: Abdulwahid Osman, the lawyer for the family of Dahir Adan, speaks during a press conference on Monday, September 19, 2016 at St. Cloud City Hall in Minnesota
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