Hijab Mandated in Qur’an and Sunnah (Hadith)  Muslim women wear hijab, veil, or headscarf to conceal the body from unrelated males  Hijab requirements:  Extent of covering (long)  Thickness (not transparent)  Loose (not too tight) The face and hands are generally not covered  Niqab/burqah conceals the face as well  Biggest concern – Gender specific facilities

Muslim men cover from the navel to the knees Men not to wear pure silk or gold material Men may wear a cap called kufi or kofiyad Men encouraged to grow beard Some men object to wearing a tie

 Intoxicants or alcohol forbidden  Muslims do not consume any food containing pork or its derivatives  Halal food especially meat processing encouraged  Kasher signs-  Check ingredients before buying  Regular Somali meals serve anjero (flat pancake-like bread), spaghetti, rice, meat, juice, bananas.  Sambusa popular meat or fish patty snack

 Somalis normally use three names: a given (first) name, father's name and grandfather's name  There is no family, clan, or tribal name that remains consistent over the generations  Somali women keep their maiden name after marriage  Somali names have Islamic or indigenous roots. Names relating to Prophet Muhammad (personal, family, companions are the most common)  Common male names are Mohamed and Ali (Islamic); Liban and Samatar (Somali)  Common female names are Fadumo (Fatima) and Asha (Islamic); Ubah and Fartun (Somali)  Somali greet warmly with a handshake or hug.  Many avoid shaking hands with the opposite gender for religious reasons  Common expressions:  Iska warran (how are you?)  Fii’an (fine, good, OK)  Nabad (peace)  Soo dhawaw? (welcome)  Nabad gelyo (Goodbye )  Subax wanaagsan (Good morning)  Galab wanaagsan (Good afternoon)  Somalis widely use the Islamic greeting, “assalamu alaikum” meaning, (Peace be upon you). The response is, “waa alaikumu salam” (and peace be upon you, too.) Ramadan Fasting: Muslims abstain from food, fluids, smoking, sexual intimacy, and vulgar speech from dawn to sunset.  Ramadan (May 15 – June 14, 2018)  Eid Al-Fitr: Feast of Breaking the fast observed at the end of Ramadan (Thursday June 14, 2018)  Eid Al Adha: Feast of Sacrifice observed during the pilgrimage to Mecca in August 20, 2018  July 1st: Somali Independent Day Many ideas are expressed through specific hand gestures.

 It is considered impolite to use curled index finger to call someone. It means “inferior person” Placing both index fingers parallel to one another to indicate "the same“

 A swift twist of the open palm and wrist means "nothing" or "no”  A thumb under the chin indicates “full” to capacity  Snapping fingers may mean "long ago” or “quickly”  Winking with opposite gender is discouraged  Maintaining physical space with the opposite gender at puberty and beyond  Minimizing direct eye contact with opposite gender  Feeling uncomfortable with gestures that include touching, especially from the opposite gender  Many Muslims may feel great fear or discomfort around dogs and pigs due to the belief that the saliva and waste products of these animals are ritually impure and must be washed scrupulously before one can pray.  Restrain dogs in close proximity to Muslims  If visiting a Mosque:  Make an appointment  Shoes are removed in prayer hall  Dress modestly  Men and women pray in separate areas or rows usually men in front for modesty  People praying cannot respond to others until they finish  Knock and wait as the women may take to cover especially if the visitor is a man  Remove shoes  Home is considered a sanctuary for women  May feel the aroma of incense used to make the house smell better

 1991 to present: Over one million people fled the country to the neighboring countries such as Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Yemen. Many people were internally displaced. Some are returning to Somalia now  Over a million Somalis dispersed all over the world as refugees/immigrants. Most live in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Italy, Scandinavian countries, and the Middle East  Refugee Camps: Dadaab in Kenya hosts nearly half a million Somali refugees and is the largest camp in the world Coping with traumatic experiences related to civil war, torture, human rights violations, grief and loss, and detention while seeking asylum Illiteracy or interrupted education Long and often difficult process toward final settlement Loss of status and financial independence

 Employment opportunities  Accommodating educational system  Social and public services  Existing community support system & family unification  Early arrivals in 1993 2010 census estimates 32,000 but community estimates more than 70,000 Areas of concentration: Twin Cities Metro, Rochester, Faribault, Owatonna, Marshall, St. Cloud, Willmar, Mankato  Educational achievement a high priority for the Somali-American community Somali parents value education highly for their children. This is a huge advantage for Somali children. Empower parents and give them tools to be able to participate in their students’ education  Somali children enrolled in traditional public, public charter, and private schools  Approximately15,000 students in K-12  Somali-American students enrolling in higher education institutions at increasing numbers  Health Education  Diabetes  Special Education  Hypertension  Lack of character and quality  Mental illness education  Autisms spectrum  Economic development  Cultural  Business opportunity  Integrational gap  Housing and home ownership  Identity crisis with young people Current political  Change of social status climate  Language and system navigation barriers  Immigration polices  Concerns about values and  Religious biases culture  Parents lack of familiarity with education system in U.S.  Placement by age rather than educational experience  Unprepared youth may become disaffected  English Language Learners  Oral skills may develop faster than reading and writing domains  Parent Engagement: Barriers include the need for transportation, interpreting, and childcare Navigating School system: report cards, calculating GPAs, grading system, resources in and outside of the school, parent- teacher conferences  Communication: all options including phone calls  Communication . All forms of communications . Email, mail . Phone call- the most effective way . One-on-one conversation with the student . Parent meeting Abdikadir Ibrahim Somali Cultural Liaison Edina Public Schools 952-848-4051 [email protected]