Sheikh Hassan Dhooye

Alhamdulillah. History was made in Minnesota and America last night. Congratulations to Governor-elect Amy, Senator-elect Peggy, Attorney General Keith, Congresswoman Ilhan, and leaders elected across this state. Our community showed up. Grandmothers with canes. First-time voters who registered same-day and cast their ballot with pride. Families who drove their neighbors to the polls. That is what democracy looks like. And the world saw it. America won over bigotry last night. The ballot was our answer. Allah says: “O mankind, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.” (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:13) Last night, Minnesota came to know us a little better. We are not a headline. We are neighbors, workers, parents, students, and citizens. But a victory is not a finish line. It is an Amanah, a trust. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.” That applies to those who hold office now. You made promises. We heard them. The voters are watching. It is time to deliver for our youth, our safety, our families, and our dignity. Celebrate. Give thanks to Allah. And be humble.

A man from our community saved 18 children in Saint Paul this week. Ebro Ahmed was standing outside a shop in Dayton's Bluff when a school bus rolled past his driver seizing, doors open, 18 kids inside with no one at the wheel. He didn't calculate. He ran. He jumped onto a moving bus he had never driven, stopped it, and then called the police and the ambulance to help the driver. When asked why he did it, he said: "Youth are the most innocent humans on Earth so anything you can do to save them, help them." And then: "Saving lives is something God will never forget. God will definitely reward you heavily for it." Allah already told us: "Whoever saves a life, it is as though he has saved the lives of all mankind." (Qur'an 5:32) That is who we are. Our community produces heroes every single day. Now notice what the headlines said: "Minnesota man." "St. Paul man." "27-year-old man." No background. No community. No identity. We all know what those same headlines would say if the story were different. In this election season, some are running ads trying to define our community by our worst moments. Ebro Ahmed is the answer to those ads, and he did it without asking for credit. Vote like he stopped that bus. Without hesitation. 🗳️ Early voting is open NOW. Find your polling place: Minneapolis early voting: vote.minneapolismn.gov/voter… All Minnesota counties: mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us @nomoresilnce2026 @Somaliamerican — Imam Hassan Jama

I voted today. Early. And I want you to do the same. To all Minnesotans: early voting is open now. You do not have to wait until November 3rd. Go today. Go tomorrow. Take someone with you. To young Somali Americans especially, I need you to hear this: Your name is being used in political ads across this state. Not to honor you. Not to celebrate what you have built here. To make you a symbol of everything they want voters to fear. You have an answer to that. It is not on social media. It is in the ballot box. If you are 18 or older and a U.S. citizen, you can register AND vote at the same location, same day, right now during early voting. You do not need to register beforehand. Bring a photo ID or proof of your address. This election is different. The attacks are louder. The stakes are higher. Our community's response needs to be bigger than anything we have shown before. Go vote. Bring your friends. Bring your siblings. Bring anyone who has been told their voice does not matter. Minneapolis early voting: vote.minneapolismn.gov/voter… All Minnesota counties: mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us — Imam Hassan Jama @nomoresilnce2026 @Somaliamerican

MPR News is reporting that multiple campaign ads in Minnesota target the Somali community by name, blaming us for fraud, linking our community to crime, and using our identity as a political weapon in the final days before an election. I want to name this for what it is: explicit racial attacks in paid political form. And I want to offer one fact these ads are not telling you: in the Feeding Our Future fraud case the very case being used to attack this community the convicted ringleader is a white American citizen. That fact does not fit the ad, so they leave it out. This community did not come to Minnesota to become a campaign prop. We came to work, worship, raise families, and contribute, and by every measure, that is exactly what we have done. Using an entire community as a symbol of corruption, in the final weeks before an election, is not a political strategy. It is a moral failure. And it will be answered not with anger, but with votes. To my community: do not wait until November 3rd. Early voting is open now. Go today. Go tomorrow. Take your family. Find your early voting location: mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us No fear. Go vote. — Imam Hassan Jama | Al-Hikmah Islamic Center @nomoresilence2026

Jumu’ah Mubarak. Happy Friday to all. May your prayers today be accepted, your hearts at peace, and your homes filled with warmth and gratitude. To my brothers and sisters in the community: enjoy this blessed day. Gather with your families. Pray together. Hold each other close. To my fellow imams and mosque leaders across the region: I ask that we all remain vigilant this Friday and in the Fridays ahead. The climate we are navigating requires heightened awareness. Islamophobia and Somaliphobia are on the horizon not as distant threats, but as present realities that demand our attention and our care. Please ensure your congregations feel safe. Check in with your security teams. Know your rights. Know your community’s rights. If you see something that concerns you, speak up to each other, to law enforcement, and to your community. We have faced difficult seasons before. We face them together. Stay safe. Stay united. And may Allah protect every house of worship and every community gathered in His name. — Imam Hassan Jama | Al-Hikmah Islamic Center

I couldn't make it to today's rally at Powder Horn Park, but here is what I came to say. This is not about one person. Ilhan Omar is from here. She is Minnesota. She represents Minnesota. And when you come after her, you are coming after all of us. We know what it costs to stand with this community. When ICE came to intimidate and target us, Minnesotans stood in the way. People put themselves on the line to protect their Somali neighbors. Some paid a terrible price. We do not forget that. We carry it. The Qur'an commands us: stand firmly for justice, as witnesses for God, even if it is against yourselves. Justice is not only for when it is easy. It is especially for when it is hard. This is our home. Our children were born here. We built here. We buried our loved ones here. We are not guests. We are Minnesota. So here is my ask: early voting is open right now. Don't wait. Go and vote. Bring your neighbor. Let's send a strong message as one Minnesota, and vote for leaders who represent all of us — all Minnesotans, all Americans, no matter where they came from or how they pray. Let's go and vote. 🗳️ #StandWithIlhan #Minnesota #VoteEarly @WCCO @MPRnews @KSTP @StarTribune @Ilhan

The President of the United States just called on non-Somali Minnesotans to “fight back” against our community. That is not a political statement. That is a threat. And it puts children, elders, and worshippers at real risk. KSTP is calling it “Somali gang violence.” The BCA Superintendent called it “a gang and violence problem where the Somali American community is not the problem.” One of those statements serves public safety. The other serves as a narrative. An 18-year-old has been charged. The justice system is doing its job. Tens of thousands of law-abiding families, children, and neighbors did not commit this crime. I have watched this conversation get politicized before the investigation was finished. I have watched a community get blamed before a single arrest was made. I have watched politicians fundraise off a tragedy while real families were still grieving. Those families don't need more profiling. They need investment, mental health resources, jobs, youth programming, and the same developmental opportunities every other community in this state takes for granted. Here is what I know works: mentorship, employment, and violence interruption. Thirty years of data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The U.S. Department of Justice. Every credible researcher on youth crime. And to my community: you are not what he says you are. You do not owe anyone a defense of your humanity. Stay together. Stay safe. Know your rights. And do not be silent. Your voice is your power. Election Day is November 3. Early voting is open now. Register. Show up. Vote your issues. Hold every elected official — regardless of party — accountable to policies that serve ALL Minnesotans, not some Minnesotans. The police are doing their job. I am asking politicians to let them. @MPRnews @Clay_Masters @WCCO @KSTP @StarTribNews

Heartbroken by the shooting at the Eden Prairie homecoming game. My prayers are with everyone in Eden Prairie. To my community in Minnesota: enough is enough. Youth violence has long been our priority, and we will keep working together for a lasting solution.I also warn politicians not to use this tragedy for political gain or to label an entire community. This is gun violence, and we must call it what it is. Let law enforcement and the justice system do their work. — Imam Hassan Jama, Al-Hikmah Islamic Center

In my view, Sahan Journal has been at the center of one of the greatest challenges facing Minnesota's Somali community: the false image painted of us and the damage done to our name, with Sahan Journal acting as the contractor. No matter how many times the organization changes its appearance or messaging, we remember what was done to our community, and what continues to be done. "A hyena wrapped in sheepskin is still a hyena." We remember. And we are watching.