Bartamaha (Minnesota):- Federal agents have arrested 26 people in Minnesota and Tennessee for running an alleged prostitution ring that authorities said shuffled girls across state lines.
The wide-reaching sex-trafficking operation, controlled by Somali gangs, preyed on girls from the Twin Cities, including some who were 13 or younger, according to an indictment unsealed Monday in federal court. Authorities say three Minneapolis gangs operated the ring, which recruited pre-teen and teenage girls to have sex for cash, marijuana and other items.
For more perspective on Monday’s indictment, MPR’s Tom Crann talked with Abdirizak Bihi, the executive director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. Bihi has worked with Somali-American girls who have been caught up in prostitution, and he said many of those girls face similar social situations.
Abdirizak Bihi: There are no educational programs … or activities that engage these young girls. The social problems could be, one of them that we have seen in the past that young people always rebel. There are a lot of challenges with new families who come here, and when those challenges arise with young girls, they seem to be running away from home. There are no other organizations or resources where they can go or [find] shelter, and other people, unfortunately not so nice people, offer them that they should stay with them, and that is where they start to provide those young ladies to other men.
Tom Crann: When you talk about that issue of rebellion, teenage rebellion, we see this through the generations and in different communities, but is there something specifically in the family situations these young Somali women are facing? Is there more pressure than non-Somali teen girls?
Bihi: Yes. One of the problems that we see is that most of these young people who are being vulnerable to either recruitment of terror or have [an] agreement of prostitution are coming from households that do not have the father in the home. They most likely have cultural language barriers, and when such issues happen, the kids seem to be the only people who will be speaking English at home, and that the mom and the dad do not, or in this case, the mom, do not have access to resources to stop those problems with raising this young lady. And eventually, the crisis ends up that the kid or this young lady … runs away from home [and they see] other women who seem to be welcoming to the home and eventually giving them up to other men.
Crann: When you heard of these arrests, did any of this surprise you, or is this wide enough spread, are you wide enough aware of it that it didn’t surprise you at all?
Bihi: I’m not real surprised. I have been working with youth a long time. I know the challenges facing the youth. Eighty percent of those young men and women who are over 18 are employable, do not even have a part-time job, are not registered with any program. It’s really a very dire situation with the youth at this time. I’m expecting the situation to get worse because of the lack of resources on the ground for youth, but the community is shocked. We have had several issues, including gun violence, recruitment for al-Shabab, and now we have recruitment for prostitution.
Crann: In September, you did an interview on this topic with one of our reporters, Laura Yuen, who has done coverage on the Somali community. And you told her the root of the problem is that we are not addressing the real issues of the community, and that tends to make the problem worse. Give us an idea of what you’re talking about, the real issues of the community that need to be addressed here.
Bihi: The Somali-American community [does] not like anything negative. So we tend to … shy away from the facts are happening, thinking about our reputation. We are a hard-working community. We tend to shy away [from] anything that might have a negative impact, and that process itself, when the leaders do that and do not address the issue, that itself makes the problem worse.
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Source:- Minnesota.public radio.
i’m wondering when these people would stop making excuses blemin others, and start taking responsibility their duties as parents, the problem is the parent not kids, espcially father side not stabin up, all they do is drinkin tea in Fadhi gutiri and talke.
Parents are not to be blamed. Its funny how Mr. Bihi states his been working with young people for such a long time, but continues to state there are no programs for the youth. If he knows this why doesn’t he create the so called needed problems since he seems well knowledgeable about the problem.
I think we aren’t shying away from whats happening, but instead we have way too many folks running around calling themselves leaders when in fact they bring no faiido to the community.. Mr Bihi and others like him please do something other than talking to the media..
I really believe this story is false…..It seems made up…..like someone has a vendetta against these people
Hi Everyone. I really agree with you inspiretheyouth. Many of us so called leaders do not do that much for the community. But I want to tell that 80 percent the work I do is for the community and guess what it is free. I am not funded for the work I do. I even pay the expenses for my office. Besides I do run a gym every Saturday. Iit is called Ramadan Basketball Tournement. Again no body funds that again. Every week we beg around Somali businesses. Usually we do not get that much. And the gym fo hundreds of kids is about to be closed for the 1rst time because we could not ther Arbitaro, the gym and little other expense. .
My bro I do sacrifice my livelihood and the one of my family for the community for too ling. If you can help, please come help us. I know there many who are well funded , do not live in the community, do not impact. But blaming others is not usually the way. my bro/Sis I thank you for your crtisim and more is needed especially open forums abot the so called community leaders. Keep up the good work Thanks
Hi Bihi, I just want to ask you brother, if you already knew that this problem existed, why didn’t you ever talk about this with the Somali communities as you were helping with other issues?
Hi Bihi, I just want to ask you brother, if you already knew that this problem existed, why didn’t you ever talk about this with the Somali communities as you were helping with other issues? the reason that I asked this question is because I felt maybe we could prevented before.