St. Cloud woman seeks Somali presidential seat in 2016

A St. Cloud woman wants to do what not many have done before: run for the presidency in Somalia.

Anab Dahir has lived in St. Cloud since 2008, but hopes the experience and education she’s gained in the U.S. will help repair her native country. Elections are next year, but she’s already spreading the word among friends, family and colleagues.

“I think the country needs me … and other people like me,” she said.

Last year, she was considering running for St. Cloud City Council, but then other Somali-American candidates came as options.

“Since that day, I’m thinking about Somalia problems, never changing, (worse) every day,” she said, “So that’s maybe the motivation. … I think, ‘Your country needs you.’ ”

She is joined by a few other women, including Fadumo Dayib, who currently lives in Finland.

“My goal is, I want to be the woman who is challenging the man,” she said. For 25 years, men have had a chance to rebuild the country, she says, but they haven’t succeeded.

“Now, it’s the turn of women,” she said.

Dahir works as an interpreter at medical clinics. She has the support of family and friends. Dahir came to St. Cloud via Europe, then Tennessee. She has family in Europe, Australia and Africa. Her six children, ranging in age from 8 to 19, have mixed feelings about her candidacy.

Her oldest daughter doesn’t like it, asking Dahir why she’s challenging men, but her younger children are supportive.

Her brother asked if Dahir was just doing this for the fame.

No, she says.

“I have heart and I know I am a capable person. And I feel like I can change my country,” she said. “If I have a brain, have the memory, have eyes, legs, hands, and I am an understanding person,” then she can make a difference, she said.

Somalia needs true leadership to stop conflicts with other countries.

“It is dangerous (to run),” she said.

“I know someone might like to kill me there,” she said. “But I want to die changing my country.”

She says there are educated Somali women around the world, and she challenges them to help solve Somalia’s problems.

“I want to show we can do something,” she said.

Even though the U.S. has not yet had a female president, she takes inspiration from women in workplaces such as hospitals, colleges and schools.

“There (are) educated Somali women. … They are professors, Ph.D. holders, but they’re scared. … They never get this chance I have. For me, I have God helping me. I have a big heart. … I’m not a professor, I don’t have any money. But money and education is not leadership. Leadership is something God gives to you,” she said. “So I think I’m going to inspire them. They will follow me.”

Being a leader is something Dahir has imagined doing since she was a little girl. She has had plenty of leadership opportunities in St. Cloud.

Somali elder Jama Alimad said Dahir has been very active in the community.

“She’s a well-rounded person, a leader in this community. I admire her,” he said. “It shows commitment from Somali women, that they were always the backbone of our economy and breadwinners in our community. Now if they run for presidency and they can show the value … and can do something for rebuilding.”

Dahir is also a community organizer, volunteering everywhere she can.

She has been the leader of Central Minnesota Somali Women and Youth Support for almost four years. The group works for integration of the St. Cloud and Somali people.

That included educating women new to the country on how to get an apartment; drive a car; be part of citizenship, English and GED classes; get a job; and work with the schools.

Fawzia Mohamed has worked with Dahir in the Somali women’s group for several years. Mohamed said Dahir is a strong, smart woman who is very driven.

“She can change the Somali people’s (lives),” she said. “That’s why she is running, and we support (her). She can do so many solutions.”

She was very helpful to St. Cloud police early on, said John Justin, crime prevention specialist and community service officer, who has been the principal outreach person to the Somali community for the past 14 years.

Dahir helped get women to attend police outreach activities, he said, which was an accomplishment, considering many were inherently afraid of the police.

“I learned a lot of skills,” she said, mentioning management, community leadership, public speaking, integration and about human rights.

She was involved with the Parents in Action group for St. Cloud schools.

“I think … women in America in particular … (see) that she can export this confidence she has and the leadership she feels she’s developing into something back in her home country,” said Bruce Mohs, school board member. “For a woman to be bold and step out where other women may not have gone is inspiring.”

She hopes to return to St. Cloud State University this year to complete her bachelor’s degree in political science, and by 2018, get her master’s degree in management.

In 2013, Mayor Dave Kleis appointed Dahir to the board of the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

“She’s very enthusiastic and really had a passion for the community. She wanted to volunteer,” he said. “She’s been a very productive member of the board. … It’s extremely important … our advisory boards should reflect the community.”

Dahir was the first Somali person to be appointed to the board. She was able to suggest ways HRA programs might work better for Somali people, said Louise Reis, executive director of the HRA.

She looks up to other female leaders — Angela Merkel in Germany and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia. Sirleaf fought corruption and ushered in other changes.

Dahir hopes to travel back to Somalia in 2016 to campaign, either with a support team or by gathering supporters there.

She doesn’t want to join the current system in some position below president because she thinks it could damage her credibility and prevent her from being effective.

If elected, her plan would be to first ensure security, so that other development could happen.

“When you have security, you can go shopping … get the food. When you have security, you can … invite people to your home. … If you don’t have that, you are in jail,” she said.

When there’s no economic opportunity and education, children can be easily lured by promises of money by terrorist organizations, she said.

To boost security, she would hire youth to make a military. They would be from a mix of clans from all over Somalia. The key is to give them good pay consistently.

Then the country can improve health, economic conditions and education. She would also target corruption.

“When you have security you can start something else,” she said. “But if you don’t have any security, how do you do that?”

When Somalia is more secure, nations such as Ethiopia, Kenya and even the U.S will be safer.

Dahir compares violence in Somalia to Ebola in west Africa. It’s a virus, causing an epidemic.

“This virus, if we don’t stop, is spreading everywhere in the world,” she said.”Because this virus is going everywhere now. This young generation, they’re going everywhere … and you don’t know who they are.”

Ultimately, whether she wins or not, she hopes her run will inspire others to lead.

“I am running to change my people’s lives,” she said.

“I know there are a lot of women in the world, non-Muslim, who are leaders,” she said. “Particular to Somali women, our country needs us. And we are smart. And we are capable. When we come to the other country … we change a lot. We do a lot. We get the education. We have good jobs. So I think it’s time to go back to our country and change the direction.”

Follow Stephanie Dickrell on Twitter @SctimesSteph, call her at 255-8749 or find more stories at www.sctimes.com/sdickrell.