![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.t-g.com/images/nameplate.png)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (41)
Share link
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Furl
Reddit
Google
 Miguel Gonzalez introduces fellow Shelbyville resident Imam Mohammad Ali during last Sunday's event intended to educate the community about Shelbyville's Somali residents. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge] |
Leaders of the Somali community, along with El Centro Latino, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, Nashville Public Television and the Welcoming Tennessee Initiative, organized this event "to address the growing concerns and misunderstandings within the city."
Nearly 50 local residents attended the event, according to organizers, which was hosted in the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce function room.
Panelist Salaad Nur realized the urgency and importance of hosting an event after "the recent wave of negative press towards the Somali community in Shelbyville," according to a press release from the Welcoming Tennessee Initiative.
"We are Americans just like all other immigrants before us and we contribute to the community in many manners, including taxes," Salaad said.
"Even with some cultural differences we have much in common, and it is important that we educate people about our culture so that there is no fear or misconceptions."
The event featured a screening of the Nashville Public Television documentary "Somali | Somaali," (which can be viewed online at www.wnpt.org/productions/nextdoorneighbo... ). Nur was a participant in the documentary.
Following the short film was a panel discussion moderated by Miguel Gonzales, director of El Centro Latino in Shelbyville. The panel featured Somali community leaders from throughout Tennessee, including Mohammad Ali, the local Imam (Muslim faith leader) from Shelbyville.
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please
The best way to get to know the Somalis is to live next to them and then you see their true nature and culture. Events like the one mentioned here are nothing more than media blitzes to gloss over any of the real problems.
i think the reason alot of people give a negative feelings to different cultures is they dont understand or care too.there is good and bad in all cultures.i do believe though that no matter where a person is born,outside of the US,if you want to be considered a American you need to live by our rules and beliefs.no matter what country you are from even the USA,it isnt ok for a man to put his hands on women other than give her a hug.all the cultures that move to the United States need to remember one thing,you chose to move to the USA we didnt offer .If someone from the US moved to another country,we would be expected to live by that countries rules.the best lesson is put yourself in someone elses shoes.We now need to find the way to exist together,GOD no one else is who made us all.GOD BLESS THIS UNITED STATES.
i work with all types of cultures everyday,i have found that Somali women tend to be nicer than the men,i see how men of every culture treat their women and its sad,would these people treat their own moms this way . no matter where you are from we welcome you,but, if you have a problem with our laws here in the US,maybe think why you moved here.dont treat the people that is helping you out bad,and then when somthing is said or done you dont approve of you want those same people to help.
jax, you are exactly right. As with any population, I'm sure that there are some who really are good people and try to do the right thing. But, I have a very hard time accepting with open arms a culture that wants to behead me for being a Christian. People might be more receptive if we didn't feel like someone is trying to ram Islam down our throats every time we turn around. The fact is, the Somali's have not assimilated very well. They stick out for a million different reasons, and it's by their own choosing. They have no desire to become Americans...they just want to enjoy our freedoms while living in their own culture with their own rules. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. You are either American or you aren't.
I think we have this backwards I do not live in Somalia so why should I need to learn their culture. It seems to me the Somalis should be given the forums on American Culture if they are going to live here.
think we have this backwards I do not live in Somalia so why should I need to learn their culture. It seems to me the Somalis should be given the forums on American Culture if they are going to live here.
-- Posted by Dianatn on Fri, Apr 24, 2009, at 11:01 AM
AMEN
"We are Americans just like all other immigrants before us and we contribute to the community in many manners, including taxes," Salaad said.
I take personal affront at this statement.
My ancestors learned English when they arrived. They dressed as their neighbors. Their womenfolk were not treated as chattel property either.
MY ancestors assimilated and became American, not some weird hyphenated concoction.
"manners" What a joke ! Salaad, you need to follow most of the Somali's here and see how they behave prior to making public statements that are idiotic lies.
I think we've made our minds up a long time ago. You know how we feel. Stop with the, "lets educate the dumb hillbillies thing"....go bleed all over someone else's shoes.
This makes my blood BOIL. Send ALL of them home. I find it hard to believe people showed up for this kind of thing!
Maybe if they weren't so RUDE, they just might be more accepted...just maybe - I will say this - the next time one cuts in front of me in line at Wal-Mart, then glances back at me like I did something wrong to them...you'll be reading my name in the jail listings!!!
I'm with Angie!! I also heard one stood by the register, lifted her skirt and peed all over the floor- Yeah I tell ya I am so excited to learn their culture!
I am a member of Save Our Cumberland Mountains and I am so tired of people judging other people and their cultures. God made us all. I don't care if you Baptist, Islam, or whatever title your people wear, African American, Caucasian,Muslim; GOD created you. He is the only one that will judge when Jesus returns. So, shut up and deal with the different people and cultures that make up what we loving and respectfully call The United States of America! All Our home, not just yours.
Are all these Somalis here legal?
I agree that they are very rude.
and understand that they are plain
old nasty.
Dianatn . . . you are exactly right. When I visit a foreign country, I don't expect them to bend over and accommodate my every need. I am in their country and must adapt to their ways and language and the same goes for here too.
Anyway, I gave the Somalis a chance when I lived at Davis Estates for almost two years and they never changed and created a negative environment there. It wasn't just one individual or one family . . . it was the whole group there. I am not just making up this stuff because I hate a certain group of people . . . I had personal experience dealing with these people on a daily basis. They are the only group of people I have ever had a problem with as a whole.
Anyway, why aren't these organizations have meetings and seminars for the Somalis on American culture and customs instead of offering the opposite? I agree with Dianatn on this one!
Excuse me but The United States of America is not home for all. That is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard of in my entire life. France is not my home nor is Africa. Why should America be the home to every other nation in the world just because they say so?
When you have a home you are there to protect it and contribute to the success of that home and I do not see the Somalis doing any of this.. All I see is the Somalis wanting to bring their culture and their way of life into America. My ancestors fought and died for this thing you call freedom for all Americans. My grand father would turn over in his grave if he could see us giving away our freedom and our rights to the very people who have tired to take it away. We, the United States of America offer these people a better way of life, our way of life. We should not have to bend to theirs. If they do not like the way the United States is run or our culture they are more than free to go back the same way they got here..
If you Can Not be American and Nothing But American Then you are NO American at All!!
The Somalis just need to take their campy selves back to wherever they came from and leave us countryfolk alone.
If you all can't adjust to life in this culture. By all means go home or go some place else. We just plain don't want or need you here stinking up our days with your rude and inconsiderate selves. We don't want to use the time it takes to understand why your culture allows people to pee in the floor in public place sor anything else you do that is crazy.
next thing you know the extremists ; (somalis) will try and initiate sharia law here in Bedford County just as they are doing in other communities world wide. WE DO NOT NEED YOU HERE TO TRY AND TEACH US ABOUT YOUR CULTURE; LEARN THE AMERICAN WAY OR LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE DO NOT NEED YOU HERE TO TRY AND TEACH US ABOUT YOUR CULTURE; LEARN THE AMERICAN WAY OR LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- Posted by chopper on Fri, Apr 24, 2009, at 2:59 PM
Amen to that! If I wanted to learn another culture, I'd go to that particular place---whether is Somalia, France, wherever....We need to take care of our own problems here at home and stop accommodating everyone else!
These are the exact same things Iraqi's, Afghan's and others have felt for years... Now, you suddenly know what it feels like to be the victim rather than the perpetrator :)
Tell ya what, if you want to send every nationality to "their country", why don't we withdraw our presence from every nation that (as a whole) doesn't want us there. It's only fair.
Tell ya what, if you want to send every nationality to "their country", why don't we withdraw our presence from every nation that (as a whole) doesn't want us there. It's only fair.
-- Posted by darrick_04 on Fri, Apr 24, 2009, at 6:36 PM
Suits me just fine, it does nothing but cost us billions of dollars providing them with protection not to mention it would save us a heck of a lot of tax dollars feeding those people in other nations too.
yeah , let's bring back all of our men and women in the military back to u.s soil. we occupy every land we have ever faught in. lets bring back democracy in our own land and quit pushing it on countries that do not want it. THEN MAYBE , JUST MAYBE WE COULD PROTECT OUR OWN FROM ALL THE ILLEGALS AND OTHER HATEFUL CULTURES THAT ENTER THE U.S.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is just how these extremist work , they butter-up all the city and county officials and say they want to learn and adapt to us , WHAT A LOAD OF *&$@!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME THAT THE U.S WILL LET ITS GUARD DOWN AND THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE AROUND HERE NEED TO SOME REAL RESEARCH ON THE EXTREMIST CULTURES THAT ARE AROUND HERE SUCH AS (MUSLIMS AND THEIR ISLAMIC WAYS!!!!!!!!!!! HELLO??????
The Navy knows how to deal with Somolis. One torpedo to one of the 'mother' ships the pirates operate out of would solve all the pirate problems.
Miguel Gonzalez introduces fellow Shelbyville resident Imam Mohammad Ali during last Sunday's event intended to educate the community about Shelbyville's Somali residents.
We As Americans............
Pink Floyd here..........
We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.
Tyson is to blame for all of this. If you hate feeling like you live in a third world country in the middle of Bedford county, blame Tyson. If you don't like being cut off in line at Wal-Mart by some pirate throwback, blame Tyson. If you don't like your nieghbors having roosters running free getting in your yard, blame Tyson. If you don't like sending you child to public school where he/she is the minority that speaks english, blame Tyson. BUT.. what do you do? Shop at Wal-Mart and by Tyson products, shop at Save A Lot and buy Tyson products, eat at KFC and eat Tyson products prepared by people that wipe thier rears with thier hands. All of you complain and complain but still feed the beast that causes all the problems. With all the factory closures and layoffs whay not the biggest pain to Shelbyville? Because we keep it alive. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
I get a chuckle every time I read a post from darrick_04 . . . I think he actually believes in the ignorance he spouts forth as commentary.
BTW . . . your comparison is so far off base and both situations are not alike. Maybe if you had an understanding of social environments and stratification then you could make a valid point. But hey, we don't expect darrick_04 to actually make an unbias valid point based on knowledge or fact anyway. He is kind of like the one armed man calling the one legged man handicapped when it comes to his views because he believes that anyone that doesn't share his limited viewpoint must be some raging right wing Republican. That is definitely some enlightened thinking . . .
BUT.. what do you do? Shop at Wal-Mart and by Tyson products, shop at Save A Lot and buy Tyson products, eat at KFC and eat Tyson products prepared by people that wipe thier rears with thier hands.
-- Posted by AKIA on Sat, Apr 25, 2009, at 12:32 AM
That's funny stuff and true.
I'm not a big fan of the Somolians, but some of these comments are just hateful and ignorant. If any one here moved to another country you wouldn't take on their culture too easily. And I'm not talking about a fellow first world country like us. I'm talking about some third world country, where there were no sit down toilets (which is most of the world). And, don't just blame Tyson for them being here. If Clinton hadn't screwed around in Somolia (Blackhawk Down), he wouldn't have had to bring them all over. The simple fact is, they aren't going anywhere soon, so the best thing to do is to develop relationships with them, through things like this forum, and change them slowly. There's some saying about leading a horse to water, and not being able to make him drink. Our culture in the US is so diverse now, but most of you don't know it, because you have spent your whole life in Bedford County and only see the world through cable TV. Asian American Culture is different from African American Culture, and European American Culture is different from the two of those. America was founded on being a place to make your own. A place that you can come and have a better life without the government, or other people telling you how to live. How do you think the Native American's felt when Columbus came over. We gave them small pox. At lease we haven't precured some kind of disease from the Somolians...yet.
Jax = Troll.
acoustik that is so true, "Very well said".
I have lived in several differant places in the world. I have always been respectful of the other cultures and customs of the country I am in.
I deal with other people like i would like to be treated, however if someone shows their rear and starts acting arrogant and rude to me i will jerk the slack out of them. Culture or not.
I am respectful of the somoli women and will make a point to talk to both the men and the women.
I am not going to stand behind some man, nor will i ever allow a Burkah to hide me.
As my husband once told a Amish man why his wife (me) was not covered up, (bonnet long sleeves and dress) he replied, Well, God is her covering..
My husband is a very smart man.
I personally have not spent my entire life in Bedford County I have been around many different immigrants and have no problem with anyone coming into the United States when they go thru the correct channels and actually have the desire to be a Citizen of the United States. I don't even care what religion they are or what their culture is as long as they keep it to themselves. Don't try and educate me on their culture I have no desire to learn about their culture or their religion. We have Mennonites, Mormons, Amish all around here, their culture and religion is much different than most of ours and none of them try and push their way of life on the public.
If they want to live here and practice their culture, do it without us.. Learn what our laws are and that they are not above them, learn what a toilet is for and that bathing is not an option it is a necessity, learn that when you are rude to people you will receive the same treatment. I don't think that is too much to ask for allowing them to live a better life with my tax dollars.
acoustik, have you checked the TB records in Middle Tennessee for the last 5 years ????
darrick_04 . . . just another example of your supposed superior intellect and reasoning skills?
That is why your arguments are invalid . . . you have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting. You still amuse me though like a dog that chases its tail but doesn't have the intelligence to know that it will never catch it. :-)
Lamey, I sure do get a kick out of your comments. A true smart aleck after my own heart...I know tatersue is lurking around with a good one too. I can't read the police reports anymore without thinking...Somebody's going to the pokey:-)
Jax,
Lol. Seriously. You really should sit in on one of these forums and tell these people, in person, just how you feel about them invading your city. After all, you talk about validating an argument, show me how its done.
darrick_04 . . . I have talked to the Somalis on numerous occasions while living at Davis Estates and voiced my opinion to them about how they changed the living environment there but they didn't care to hear what I had to say. I have no problem with anyone living here as long as they are considerate and respectful just as I was to the other residents there.
So, tell me what you have done? What experiences have you had with them that makes you more knowledgeable than me and that makes you believe that my viewpoint must be invalid(I am not saying I know everything about them because I don't . . . I just question why you feel you I am in the wrong)? Also, my major in college was sociology and criminology so I do have a little understanding of cultures and social environments. It's ok though because I know with your reasoning skills, anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint must be evil and must be a "Republican" and pray to Bush every night. Fortunately for me I know better.
I mean really, please explain to me how you know I am wrong in a way that doesn't involve name calling and the like.
The funny thing is Jax... I never said you were wrong. You just assumed that was my position, because I simply made a statement about a balancing act of removing unwanted invaders from our country and thus removing our presence from every nation around the world. That's it. I never made this, or any recent argument political. Just injected a few thoughts that varied from your position. I just don't understand how you can support Miss California in her position "even if you don't agree with it", yet every single time I make a comment you have a two or three paragraph rebuttal about how I'm invalid with an argument. That is all.
Maybe because Miss California didn't resort to calling me a "troll" plus she probably looks better in a bathing suit than you. :-)
I admit that after reading back I misread one statement of yours . . . "Tell ya what, if you want to send every nationality to "their country", why don't we withdraw our presence from every nation that (as a whole) doesn't want us there. It's only fair". I thought it said something else which I am sorry for.
But really, your condescending attitude at times just really provokes me at times but I just need to learn to ignore it and just state what I believe and move on. Fighting fire with fire really doesn't accomplish anything.
What a gift Bill Clinton has given us all. Now your all going to love this; Barrack Obama has given the same status of entry to a new group of terrorist losers from SYRIA and PALESTINE who are HAMMAS MILITANTS.
I haven't yet figured out what community they will be dumped in, but if its Shelbyville......
MILLION PERSON GUN OWNER MARCH ON D.C.
Walk methodlically, carry an appropriate size fire arm.