NSS Weekly: Ramadan, a Time of Remembering and Reflection

Transcript

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INTRO: You are listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota, produced by AMPERS, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota.

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HOST: This is North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live. I'm Chantel SinGs.

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and reflection, is underway, and Muslims around the world, including here in Minnesota, are observing the holy days. In today's program, we'll hear how Muslim communities across the state are celebrating and finding hope this Ramadan. We'll also look at how ongoing federal immigration operations are affecting renters and landlords, and what local and state leaders are doing in response.

But first, here are some of the top stories from around the state.

After months of secrecy, we now know Google is the tech giant behind the controversial data center planned for Hermantown. Google's reveal comes after it announced plans for a second data center in Pine Island last week. Community members are concerned about negative environmental consequences, as well as a lack of transparency in the process. County officials say they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements to negotiate the Hermantown center with developers, a highly unusual step that kept Google's name out of public view. Meanwhile, the south metro suburb of Eagan recently instituted a one-year ban on any new data centers.

Minnesota's dairy industry says small farms need help.

GARRETT LUTHENS: Every time a cow is milked in Minnesota it creates a ripple effect.

HOST: Garrett Luthens, president of Minnesota Milk, testified in support of expanding financial relief to new dairy farms in the state. The proposal opens loan applications to dairy farms that started operations during or 2022, and meet other qualifications. Supporters say updating the legislation is a targeted fix for struggling small and mid-sized dairies, one of Minnesota's key industries.

GARRETT LUTHENS: The dairy sector is driving twenty-seven billion dollars in total economic impact.

HOST: Go to the state's website to find out if you qualify for the dairy assistance, investment and relief initiative. It is open for applications through March 19th.

A new bill would let prosecutors file felony charges against adults who build trust with the student for the purpose of exploitation, even if no sexual contact has happened yet.

HANNAH LOPRESTO: Due to the years of grooming, I believed that I was an active participant in my abuse, and that I had caused it.

HOST: Survivor Hannah Lopresto says her band teacher started grooming her when she was in tenth grade and continued through graduation.

HANNAH LOPRESTO: It was years of psychological manipulation that harmed my understanding of intimate relationships, my own values, and my ability to trust others.

HOST: Prosecutors currently have to wait until abuse occurs to file charges. Supporters say this bill will help stop abuse earlier and prevent long-term harm. The bill would also expand training for mandatory reporters and prohibit adults from being alone with students on field trips.

The Mankato City Council passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday night that bans law enforcement agents from concealing their faces. Effective immediately, officers cannot wear masks, must use body cameras when possible, and notify the city ahead of operations. Mankato's city attorney says—

PAM WHITMORE: Just because they're a federal officer doesn't mean they can't violate one of our city codes. We're not telling them that they can't execute that warrant. We're telling them they can't have a face covering on.

HOST: The new law is in effect until April 24th and could become permanent then.

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HOST: After more than seven weeks of federal immigration operations in Minnesota, which followed high‑profile fraud allegations involving the Somali community, Muslims across the state are now observing Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and reflection. Reporter Jose Ozoria tells us how Ramadan's message of patience, resilience, charity, and unity is resonating with Minnesota's Muslim community.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: Ramadan is the ninth lunar month. It's a month that Muslims believe that God sent the last revelation, the Quran.

JOSE OZORIA: Dr Tamim Saidi is the resident scholar with the Islamic Resource Group, an organization that seeks to bring people of all faiths together by building bridges of understanding through conversation and dialog. He describes the importance of this mission, especially during Ramadan.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: To be able to go and speak with people about what Islam is, who are the Muslims? What is Ramadan? What do Muslims really believe? Because there's a lot of misunderstanding and misperception about Islam and Muslims.

JOSE OZORIA: This year, Minnesota's Muslim community entered Ramadan, the sacred period of fasting, prayer and reflection, with the echoes of Operation Metro Surge still reverberating throughout the state. Dr Tamim describes the significance Ramadan has in Islam.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: Muslims consider it to be a month of mercy, a month of forgiveness, a month of protection. And this is a month of generosity. Also, pretty much every mosque has a fundraiser.

JOSE OZORIA: And to those that observe the holy month, Ramadan carries a singular spiritual purpose to realign the soul.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: The purpose of Ramadan is to achieve what is called in Arabic Taqwa. And Taqwa is translated as a god consciousness, achieving piety and righteousness, essentially being conscientious of God.

JOSE OZORIA: Lasting 29 or 30 days based on the lunar cycle each year, from sunup till the sun drops below the horizon, Muslims collectively enter a time of restraint and remembrance, abstaining from food and drink, eliminating distractions, focusing instead on prayer, reflection and charity. Dr Tamim.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: Ramadan is supposed to be a holistic fast of the entire body, not just the stomach. So the tongue is supposed to fast from saying anything they're not supposed to say. The eyes are supposed to fast by not looking at anything you're not supposed to look at. The hands are supposed to fast. And even the heart and the mind is supposed to fast by not thinking about what we are not supposed to be thinking.

JOSE OZORIA: During the sacred time of prayer, reassessment and charity, the Imam, the person who leads the prayer and acts as the spiritual anchor of the community, helps the congregation to enter into the daily rhythm of worship during Ramadan.

IMAM MAKRAM: My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, we are thankful to Allah. We ask Allah to guide us to the results that we desire, inshallah, that we please Him, that we be pleasing unto him. Inshallah.

JOSE OZORIA: At mosque, Imam Makram guides the congregation through that rhythm, step by step, day by day, a community fasting together and praying together.

IMAM MAKRAM: Suhoor is the morning meal that we do before the prayer time. So it really prepares us to meet the day. And the Prophet, peace be upon him, Muhammad said that there's a blessing in taking the suhoor. It's a blessing in that morning meal. It's the only meal until sundown, and then we would have what's called Iftar, where that is, that's the breaking of the fast. Traditionally, it's dates, but it should be something that is natural from the earth that we would take to break our fast. And this culminates with a joyous gathering. And then we would generally pray our Maghrib prayers, our Sunset prayers. Then we take a meal, just a normal meal. It's the iftar time. It's generally a joyous occasion. It's lots of festivities. People are celebrating. And we have our fifth prayer of the day, Isha, which is the night prayer. And then beyond that, we have what's called Taraweeh prayers.

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KRISTI NOEM: Remember, we are there in search operations because of the largest fraud scheme in American history. We had people stealing from taxpayer.

NAT SOUND: Rationale the administration has offered for this surge is really a pretext. The government has said the purpose of the surge is to fight unauthorized immigration. Yet Minnesota ranks 28th among

NAT SOUND: …all the lawful gun owners. But he was immediately criticized for that, when in fact, the video showed very clearly, very clearly, because eyes don't lie.

GOVERNOR TIM WALZ: But the fact of the matter is, they left us with deep damage, generational trauma. They left us with economic ruin.

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JOSE OZORIA: An important aspect of Ramadan is that it's a time of reflection, allowing Muslims to build self-discipline and spiritual connections for the year to come. Dr Tamim describes how Operation Metro Surge has had a lasting impact on Minnesota's Muslim community.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: They also target just because they look like they might be immigrants, blacks and browns, which is, you know, in my opinion, you know, it's nothing short of being racist and ethnically profiling people because of those things. I know for sure there's some people who are not coming to the mosque during this time, and they, you know, so that is a challenge.

JOSE OZORIA: Imam Makram points out that the ramifications of Operation Metro Surge have been significant.

IMAM MAKRAM: Folks have been fearful, you know, to shops as they normally would, that has had a direct hit to business. Seeing a lot more people who normally don't need support in need of support right now.

JOSE OZORIA: Minnesota is home to a large, diverse Muslim community, deeply woven in the fabric of the state. Dr Tamim points out that gaining knowledge and familiarity of Muslim culture and traditions reinforces the sense of community among all Minnesotans.

DR TAMIM SAIDI: When you combine fear with ignorance, that leads to hate and prejudice, right? So knowing someone, knowing something, knowing a Muslim, knowing something about their faith and practices, it breaks that cycle of fear plus ignorance leading to hate and prejudice.

JOSE OZORIA: Imam Makram finds hope in how the broader non-Muslim Minnesota community has rallied to support Muslims in Minnesota.

IMAM MAKRAM: They are observers while we're inside praying. They stand outside sometimes in the cold, right, being another level of support to us. I see hope in that.

JOSE OZORIA: Ramadan began in the evening of February 17, and is observed through March 19. For North Star Stories, I'm Jose Ozoria.

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HOST: The estimated Muslim population in Minnesota represents about 2% of the state's total population, more than one hundred thousand people. The community is largely concentrated in the Twin Cities, with roots in Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, plus members of the Nation of Islam and other groups. To help us understand more about how Minnesotans celebrate this month, we are joined now by Huzaifa Ahmed, a member of the Masjid in Dakota County. This past November, the Lakeville city council unanimously approved the establishment of the city's first ever mosque. Thank you so much for joining us, Huzaifa, thank you for having me here. Tell us about how it was to start the first mosque in Lakeville and how the community is reviewing it.

HUZAIFA AHMED: It's definitely been a big need to have a central location for a lot of the residents in Lakeville, or the Muslim population, or the Muslim community, like the mosque, what we call the masjid. So you might hear that term be thrown around quite a bit, but the masjid serves as one of, like the biggest anchors for any Muslim community. Like that's the place where we hold on to our culture, where we hold on to our heritage, where we hold on to our tradition, our practices, our beliefs. I mean, it's natural that once you step outside into the rest of the world, like it's easy to assimilate and forget a lot of your roots, but the mosque or the masjid kind of acts as that anchor that helps make sure that generation after generation, there's still the flavor of what we who we are, and what we come from.

HOST: For listeners who may not be familiar, can you describe what a typical day of Ramadan looks like for Muslims in Minnesota?

HUZAIFA AHMED: Our fasting started about maybe I want to say 5:20am and then we'll fast all the way until, I think today, it's going to be right around about 6pm, so a little over 12 hours without food and not even water. I know that comes as a surprise to many people. It's essentially an opportunity for us to build discipline and self-control and willpower and things like that. You know, it's like a reset. You're at a boot camp where you can prepare yourself for the rest of the year. Yeah, every night has been different community gatherings. Ramadan is one of those occasions where people are just inviting all the time. Like you get so many invitations. You get so many different, oh, please, you know, visit us at our house, or come visit us at the mosque. And it's funny because you'll see people come to the mosque in large, large, large numbers. But Ramadan helps you connect with the larger community that you didn't know existed. It's a very beautiful thing to kind of just get together and eat and sharing meal together.

HOST: For people who are not Muslim but want to be supportive, what are some respectful ways they can engage during Ramadan, whether that's at work in schools or by visiting a mosque or community event?

HUZAIFA AHMED: There are so many things that can be done to be supportive, but I think the biggest and one of the most important things is just a willingness to be like to learn. We have to be able to be comfortable with stepping into what's uncomfortable. You and I are only going to build a bridge and build a connection if I'm willing to step into a space and meet you halfway. If you have friends at school or at work, and just dive into their culture a little bit, dive into their ideas a little bit. And maybe, you know, this is a challenge for some people. Just recommend someone say, hey, by the way, why don't we fast and then let's go get some food. You know, find a nice Muslim restaurant, Muslim old restaurant. I know much of the world around us is specifically trying to target us as a community in Minnesota, to kind of divide us and make us scared. But my invitation is always, hey, like, if you know there's a mosque near you, if you know there's a Muslim community center nearby, if you know some Muslims, why not spend some time get to know them? And you'll realize very quickly they're just like your regular, everyday neighbors. They're people who are nice, they're people who can crack good jokes, they're people who can have good conversations. They have amazing, delicious food. Sometimes it can be a little spicy, but that's just part of the flavor.

HOST: So yeah, that's all the time we have. Thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

HUZAIFA AHMED: Thank you for having me.

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HOST: After the break, how renters and landlords are still feeling the effects of federal immigration operations in Minnesota. This is North Star Stories, Voices from Where We Live, produced by AMPERS, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. We'll be right back.

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You are listening to North Star Stories. I’m Chantel SinGs.

HOST: Many communities across the state continue to feel the effects of the recent federal immigration crackdown. Officials say some families are struggling to keep a steady income and stay current on rent. Several cities are debating temporary eviction moratoriums while landlords worry about financial strain. Reporter Jamad Jama has more.

ANNIKA BERG: I'm here this evening to ask you, once again, to take urgent action to protect people in Duluth from federal immigration activity. I urge you to vote for the eviction moratorium resolution. This would provide major temporary relief to those most impacted by the current crisis.

JAMAD JAMA: That was a Duluth resident speaking at a recent city council meeting asking leaders to support an eviction moratorium, which would put a temporary pause on evictions to keep renters housed.

ANNIKA BERG: It's not just people in the Twin Cities being affected. It's an important part of our community here in Duluth. We need a full statewide eviction moratorium now.

JAMAD JAMA: Across Minnesota, concerns about housing stability are rising as federal immigration enforcement continues due to the presence of ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, agents. Community leaders say that some immigrant families, regardless of status, are afraid to leave their homes for work, leading to a loss of steady income. In Duluth, the city council voted five to four to postpone a decision on a resolution related to an eviction moratorium. Now, advocates across the state are calling for leadership to step in as the main operation concludes and communities adjust to the impact. Recently, the City of Minneapolis was able to approve $1 million in emergency rental assistance for residents facing eviction.

ROBIN WONSLEY: I am city councilmember Robin Wonsley. I represent Ward 2. One of the key effects that we've seen from Operation Metro Surge has been the destabilization of housing conditions. People haven't been able to earn a means to cover their everyday necessities. All of that means is that people don't have the money to pay rent.

JAMAD JAMA: This funding is aimed at helping residents cover rent and avoid displacement during this period of instability.

ROBIN WONSLEY: I was very proud to earn a majority of my colleagues' support in getting a million dollars towards rental assistance towards Hennepin County with the goal of helping stabilize residents. We are not just talking we're putting policies in place, and we're moving millions of dollars to be responsive to this crisis.

JAMAD JAMA: From the council's perspective, rental assistance isn't a cure all. It works hand in hand with an eviction moratorium.

ROBIN WONSLEY: The eviction moratorium is in many ways to stop the bleeding immediately. On the opposite side of that, we know there will be eviction.

JAMAD JAMA: Councilmember Wonsley says that when people are afraid to leave their homes and lose income, it's state and city leadership's responsibility to step in.

ROBIN WONSLEY: The whole purpose of government is to help, and that is the biggest piece of why we've pushed so hard to deliver resources for rental assistance, to push for relief in the form of funding to our small businesses, to make sure that we're extending and expanding legal services.

JAMAD JAMA: Opponents of the moratorium say that they don't agree that it's the right solution, arguing that the ripple effects will create financial strain for landlords.

BARBARA MONTEY: My name is Barbara Montey. I understand that these are times of high emotions, but an eviction moratorium, in my opinion, will hurt more than it will help.

JAMAD JAMA: Barbara, who rents properties in the Duluth area, says that during past eviction pauses, she lost substantial income, while still being responsible for the cost of maintaining her property.

BARBARA MONTEY: I'm speaking tonight so that you can hear from someone who currently provides housing to more than 70 renters in Duluth. I have experience from post eviction moratoriums. I lost thousands of dollars. Affordable housing providers are and will be most impacted if an eviction moratorium is passed.

JAMAD JAMA: For Minnesotans navigating housing instability, nonprofit organizations like HOME Line have been an essential source of support.

ERIC HAGUE: My name is Eric Hague, and I'm a co-executive director here at HOME Line, and our main program is a free and confidential tenant hotline that provides legal advice to renters throughout the state.

JAMAD JAMA: And the demand for that support is growing.

ERIC HAGUE: Our Eviction Prevention Project manually pulls every single residential tenant, landlord eviction filing in the state, and so we track that internally, and we send a multilingual letter to every household that has a filing against them. Last year, we mailed over 25,000 letters. It's the highest filing rate we've seen since our program began.

JAMAD JAMA: When tenants contact the HOME Line, they don't just get advice. They're given a road map for navigating their housing concerns.

ERIC HAGUE: People contact us, leave a message, and then one of our attorneys or tenant advocates will reach out to them and go through what the issue is, and then what options there are. Given the sensitive nature of a lot of folks that are in vulnerable positions, it's just heartbreaking some of the stories that we've heard. It's taken a long time for the state to step up and take action to protect renters.

JAMAD JAMA: Ultimately, the Duluth City Council voted against a proposal urging a statewide eviction moratorium but approved a separate resolution asking the state to provide rental assistance to residents impacted by Operation Metro Surge. And throughout the rest of Minnesota, lawmakers are urging similar measures, introducing bills that would fund rental assistance and expand eviction protections. For North Star Stories, I'm Jamad Jama.

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HOST: The housing crisis in Minnesota was already serious before the federal operation, and advocates now estimate it has added millions of dollars in rent debt and other ripple effects. We’re joined now by Cecil Smith, president and CEO of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association. This nonprofit trade group represents the rental housing industry. Thank you so much for joining us, Cecil. It’s good to be with you. Can you walk us through how an eviction moratorium will affect your sector?

CECIL SMITH: Specifically, sadly, we have some fairly recent experience with this, with what happened during COVID when there was an extended eviction moratorium in place. What we saw happening was very significant growth in what we call bad debt. It's folks that have been unable to pay as those balances grew for individual renters. It creates very serious solvency issues. And you know, the Minneapolis City Council considered what I would say is an eviction moratorium light. They wanted to extend the notice period to 60 days before filing an eviction. And the nonprofit housing sector came in very loudly and said, please don't do this. We're already still trying to recover financially from the COVID experience. There's real concerns about the solvency of housing providers that they will not be able to pay all of their bills.

HOST: It's a ripple effect, it sounds like on both ends. Advocates argue, though, that pairing a temporary eviction pause with emergency rental assistance can keep both renters and the landlords whole. If the state guaranteed faster, more reliable rental assistance, would you support any kind of short-term eviction pause?

CECIL SMITH: The question premises that state could guarantee fast and reliable rental assistance. And I think most of us, with our experience with government, fast and reliable are not the synonyms that we generally associate with performance in government assistance programs, especially. For that reason, it's hard to support an eviction pause, because we don't think the rental assistance can arrive in a timely fashion. And the other premise to the question is that, right, that there's a need. Our industry actually has sample data. Everybody else is speculating about what the need is. And my members, we have 2400 members with over 300,000 units of housing across the state. That's nearly half the rental market, and certainly almost all of the professionally managed properties in the state. And I polled my board, which has about 40,000 of their 300,000 units, and there are properties where there's been some pockets of challenges. But broadly rent collections in February were normal. In fact, some portfolios had higher rent collections than they had the previous than February of the previous year.

HOST: You know, Cecil, really quick before we run out of time, I just had a quick question about the short term eviction pause. Is there not a possible way to have a short term eviction pause fund, emergency fund? But it seems like there should be some funds aside for things like COVID and all of the, you know, things that we have no control over, that some people don't have savings, you know, and some of the property owners just only can bear so much. But it sounds like on both sides, people need to be protected.

CECIL SMITH: That's right. People do need to be protected, both in terms of stable housing operations, so that all the residents in a particular property can have safe, well maintained housing, properly staffed, etc. But to your question, we're not very good in our country at planning for bad things happening. In fact, increasingly the way things seem to work in our country is we only respond to things once there's a crisis, and then, and then we start to take action, and then we're scrambling. We don't have the funds set aside, and that's part of the problem that even the legislature is facing right now. And I think that's a much bigger question about, you know, how is government really set up to handle things like this?

HOST: Well, Cecil, it sounds like we all have a lot of room for growth on all parts, so that's the main thing. I think that's the biggest lesson here preparation and trying to make sure that we look at what has happened in history, and try to prepare better for the things that we don't know is going to happen in the future. We appreciate your time. Cecil Smith, thank you so much for joining us.

CECIL SMITH: No, thank you, Chantel, thank you for having me and great conversation.

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HOST: In other news from across the state, Minnesota officials released a new climate roadmap that aims to cut pollution while protecting health, jobs, and communities. The 2026 Climate Action Framework updates the state’s original 2022 plan . The Framework outlines more than 400 specific actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare Minnesotans for a warmer, wetter, and less predictable climate. Near-term priorities include moving to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, speeding up electric vehicle adoption, cutting emissions from building heat, and investing in infrastructure and disaster response. The plan states that nearly nine in 10 Minnesota communities already report feeling climate impacts.

We are ending today's program by celebrating a new recognition for the state as one of the best places in the country to raise kids. According to a ranking by the online personal finance platform WalletHub, the state is second best in the nation based on 50 measures. Governor Tim Walz says policies like paid family and medical leave, a new child tax credit, expanded access to affordable child care, and strong public schools help families thrive. Minnesota also stands out for high median family income adjusted for cost of living, low family poverty, strong access to retirement plans, and relatively small wealth gaps. The report highlights Minnesota's strong health outcomes, high life expectancy, quality public hospitals, and access to parks and recreation that support children's well-being. State officials say this latest ranking adds to a growing list of national recognition for Minnesota's quality of life, economy, and support for children and families.

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HOST: This is it for today's program. If you missed any part of today's newscast, you can find this and past episodes at AMPERS.org, or listen to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back next week with more stories and voices from the North Star State.

OUTRO: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at AMPERS.org.