It’s an old Minnesota greeting: “As-salaamu aleikum.” (That’s what proud Minnesotans say when they mean “Peace be upon you.”) Peggy Flanagan (ah, the sweet sound of an old Somali name) is now lieutenant governor of Northwest Somalia, that is, Minnesota, and she just made a video praising the Somalis of Minnesota for all they have done for the state. It’s a brief video, to be sure, and it starts with that greeting.
Flanagan, who would no doubt be pleased as (non-alcoholic) punch if you referred to her as Umm Siobhan, that is, Mother of Siobhan, in accord with the long traditional practice of the Somali people, donned a hijab and took her place between two Somalis for the video. The contrast is striking. The leftist American woman is grinning, ingratiating, hoping to win your favor, while the Somalis on either side of her are grim, haughty, and unsmiling. As Flanagan refers to the woman to her left as her dear friend of two decades, the Somali woman manages a brief, tight smile, but even then, the contrast between Flanagan’s obsequiousness and the Somalis’ arrogance couldn’t be starker.
Read Full Article: https://thewashingtonstandard.com/its-been-a-quiet-week-in-lake-al-wobegon/
