If you haven’t gone back to see what’s up in Shelbyville lately, here is a followup to our post on the Shelbyville Times-Gazette Reporter, Brian Mosely. The Somali Community of Nashville has been busy lately posting demands in Tennesee and then in Emporia, KS as well. (hat tip: Blulitespecial) I’m guessing they sent their lengthy, well written I might add, screed to Emporia as a threat.
The Somali Community of Nashville condemns the unprovoked and undeserved public defamation of Somalis in Shelbyville, TN, by Brian Mosley and the Shelbyville Times-Gazette. We also advocate the following:
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§ A prompt and public apology by Brian Mosley and the Shelbyville Times-Gazette to the Somali community in Shelbyville, TN,
§ The immediate cessation of the baseless and negative reporting on Somalis,
§ A sincere effort to build bridges of understanding between the residents of Shelbyville and the newcomers from Somalia instead of fueling the fires of prejudice and xenophobia,
§ And the adherence by the Shelbyville Times-Gazette to journalistic integrity by providing its readership with fair and accurate reporting on sensitive issues relating to community relations and refugee resettlement.
Sometime ago we told you about this case involving the Somali Community Center of Nashville and I’d like to know if it is the same group. Just now I tried to find the website that had existed at one time for this outfit and it seems to be gone. Is the Somali Community of Nashville the same people as the Somali Center of Nashville?
According to annual reports, the Somali Center in south Nashville receives $400,000 per year in taxpayer dollars from federal, state and local governments.
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But what has some asking questions is how the center’s executive director, Abdizirik Hassan, is still getting grants after pleading guilty to making false statements during a government investigation.
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In 2001, Hassan’s Nashville bank was shut down by counter-terrorism investigators because they said the bank was linked to Al-Barakat. Al-Barakat is a bank and wiring transfer service that is linked to al-Qaida, according to investigators.
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Hassan was arrested and charged with felony illegal banking.
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While out on bond, Hassan and the Somali Center were awarded a grant in the amount of nearly $500,000 by the same federal government that indicted him.
Check out the forum at the Emporia Gazette, there are over 1000 comments there stretching over the last couple of months. Scroll down to near the end to see the Somali Community of Nashville demands posted there too.