SOMALIA: Jama Dhoodi Shirar, "It is as if we don't exist"

BELETWEYNE, 19 March 2009 (IRIN) - Jama Dhoodi Shirar, in his 60s, hails from one of Somalia's marginalised minority groups, the Gabooyo. He lives in the town of Beletweyne in Hiiraan, central Somalia, with at least 400 other families (2,400 people).
Minority groups such as the Gabooyo are discriminated against, mostly for the work they do, such as shoemaking and iron-smelting. Despite the fact that they are Somalis and Muslims, these minority groups are not allowed to marry into the larger Somali community and do not socially interact with them.
Shirar spoke to IRIN about the plight of his people:
"I know everybody in Somalia is suffering but no one is suffering what we are suffering. We are suffering in silence. No one knows about our plight.
"They [the majority Somali community] don't acknowledge that we are here. It is as if we don't exist. ..more..http://www.irinnews.org/HOVReport.aspx?ReportId=83549