The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew Luger met with the state's Somali communtiy to discuss efforts to prevent the radicaliztion of Somali youth and stress that the United States wants to support the diaspora community.
Luger addressed a conference organized by a Somali mothers' group called Voice of East Africa Women. The conference was attended by U.S. security and law enforcement officials.
Luger said the U.S. government wants to support the Somali community in the fight against terrorism. He stressed the importance of collaboration between the Somalis and the law enforcement personals.
Lugar said the "aim of the government is to support the Somali youth and that is not meant to spy on the Somali youth, but this step will prevent the acts of terrorism ahead”
The head of the Voice of East African Women organization, Farhiya Kalif Mohamud told VOA Somali service after the meeting that her group fully supports the cooperation between local state administration and the Somali community.
She added that the meetig was "the fourth part of a continuous program that I have started on the October of last year."
“As a mother," she added, "when we are outside our homes, we talk much about our children, but at home when we watch our TVs we see what our children are doing, we see when the law enforcement personals hold and arrest them, and we ask ourselves what happened to them? Who is behind this? And so on."
Kalif said that mothers should know where their children go and what they are doing when they are at home. She said that would reduce the risk of their children becoming radicalized.