Local Somalis condemn suicide bombing in homeland

Minneapolis — Even Somali-Americans hardened by the bloodshed of their homeland were sickened by the latest attack, a suicide bombing in Mogadishu on Dec. 3. Many say the bombing was one of the saddest moments in recent Somali history. The bomber killed at least 22 people at a graduation ceremony for medical students. Some people have even called the attack "Somalia's 9/11." On Sunday, about 100 Somali-Americans scrounged up their last shreds of hope for their homeland as part of a community rally in Minneapolis to condemn the violence and pray for the victims' families. Some of the peaceful protesters were young people like Mukhtar Osman, who consider the bombing victims their own peers. Osman, a 26-year-old civil engineer from Minneapolis, knew at least five people who were injured or killed in the graduation ceremony, on a day that should have been one of the happiest of their lives.
"I had a lot of friends who made the decision to stay in Somalia to become doctors," he said. "I made the decision to leave Somalia, and I was given the opportunity. But my friends were not to be given the opportunity." One of Osman's former classmates logged onto the social networking site Facebook just two days before the event to announce his upcoming graduation. That friend lost an eye in the bombing and is one of about 60 people who were wounded...more..http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/12/13/somali-rally/