Officers attend training on Muslim and Somali communities

Officers attend training on Muslim and Somali communities

Members of law enforcement participated in a workshop at Hamline University on Wednesday to help strengthen their relationship with members of the Muslim and Somali Communities.
The program, which allowed law enforcement members to obtain continuing education credits, was sponsored by CAIR-MN.
CAIR-MN is the state's leading Muslim civil rights and legal advocacy organization.
About 25 people attended the seminar. Sgt. Derwin Ellis with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department was among the participants. Ellis said his department frequently participates in training similar to Wednesday's seminar, however, he said some officers lack strategies for building effective relationships with the Muslim and Somali communities.
"And that is the key thing, communication. There is no aggressive communication until you see something on the news and it should be interactive on a daily basis," Ellis said.
Hamline University Sophomore Bri Gay is president of the school's Muslim School Association. She said she wishes more people, outside of law enforcement, would dedicate time to learn about her culture.
"People don't understand why (we) do certain things, or the way they pray," she said.
"Especially for Muslim women. They don't understand why we cover or wear hijab."
Hijab is the traditional covering for the hair and neck that is worn by Muslim women.
Saly Abda Alla, civil rights director at CAIR-MN, was one of the first presenters. Her presentation covered everything from Muslim praying traditions to diet to wardrobe.
She said her goal was to help bridge the gap and eliminate biases.
She started her presentation with a true or false quiz. The majority of those participating got the first question wrong. It stated that 25 percent of U.S. Muslims were born in the U.S. The correct answer was 50 percent.
She also addressed potential concerns that could arise if someone from the Muslim community was arrested.
"Asking a Muslim woman to remove her head scarf in front of an unrelated male is like asking her to remove her shirt," she said. "She will want to wear it for booking photos."
One of the event organizers, Amber Michel said the seminar, which was $50 for each participant, was an answer to a call from the community.
"Not because the officers are terrible or have any hatred toward our community, but just because there is a lot they don't know," she said. "That is true for all of us."
Many of the participants left with more knowledge that what they had when they first arrived.