MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) — Mohamed Noor was celebrated when he became a Minneapolis police officer 21 months ago, joining a handful of other Somalis on the police force in a city with one of the United States’ largest Somali communities. …
But some are worried about a backlash in the Somali community, while one former politician had only harsh words.
The eldest of 10 children, Noor came to the United States as a child and has been held up by the Somali community as an example. He was one of only about 20 Somali police officers in Minnesota.
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges had touted his arrival to the police force in a Facebook post.
“I want to take a moment to recognize Officer Mohamed Noor, the newest Somali officer in the Minneapolis Police Department,” she said in a May 2016 post, a few months after he joined the department, alongside photos of Noor smiling at a community meet-and-greet. “His arrival has been highly celebrated, particularly by the Somali community.”
He remains a role model for some.
“He is inspiring to young people in the community,” Abdikadir Hassan, a candidate for a Minneapolis Park Board seat, told the Star Tribune this week.
Others said the community could suffer.
“A lot of people are holding the Somali community accountable,” said Abdirizak Bihi, director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. “That’s absolutely wrong.”
Among the most vocal critics was Michele Bachmann, a Republican former U.S. representative. On Wednesday she called Noor an “affirmative-action hire by the hijab-wearing mayor of Minneapolis,” the Star Tribune reported.