The largest Somali community in the United States is centered just blocks from the site of this year’s Super Bowl, but that is too close for comfort for some of the mostly Muslim residents of the “Little Mogadishu” neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Some Somali residents worry about being a target of the heightened security that always surrounds one of the biggest sports events - but especially this year, when fear and suspicions about Muslims and immigrants in general are running high.
With thousands of visitors expected ahead of the National Football League’s championship game on Feb. 4, Somali residents say they are concerned about the potential for harassment or random violence directed at members of the Somali community, long vilified as a hotbed of extremism.