Bob CollinsThe chances are pretty good that when you stopped in for your coffee this morning, you didn’t get approached by federal agents.
That’s not the case for people in St. Cloud, the St. Cloud Times reports today.
The newspaper says federal agents approached people at a strip mall which houses several Somali-American-owned businesses.
They’re trying to find out more about Dahir Adan, the man responsible for the attacks on 10 people at Crossroads Center.
Some are comfortable with the tactic. Some aren’t.
Hassan Salah, who works at a coffee shop and lounge called Sport Center, said he cooperated with the agents by answering the questions, but disagreed with their approach. He said by entering Somali-American-owned businesses and questioning patrons and workers it’s as though the agents are putting guilt on the whole community.
“There are a lot in the Somali community, almost 17,000 or 18,000,” Salah said. “Why are you asking everybody?”
“Ask friends, go to his school, go to his job, that’s good,” Salah said. “But asking everybody? That’s not fair.”
Abdi Mohamud, who was an acquaintance of Adan, spoke with agents, but had a different view.
Mohamud said he wanted to give any potential assistance to help reveal what happened Saturday night and what led to Adan’s actions. He said he felt labeling Adan as a terrorist when the motive of Saturday’s attacks has not been discovered is harmful to the Somali-American community of St. Cloud.
It’s only been a few days since the mall attacks. And people are already complaining that they don’t know more than they do.
