American Muslims describe fear of Brussels backlash
MINNEAPOLIS -- In a recent survey, 60 percent of American Muslims said they faced discrimination in the past year because of their religion.
High-profile terror attacks, and anti-Muslim rhetoric from some of the presidential candidates, are adding to the backlash.
In Minneapolis, home to America's largest Muslim Somali community, we sat down with Aman Obsiye, Asma Jama and Abdirizak Bihi in a coffee shop.
Bihi has been working to stem radicalization there since 2008, when young Somali Americans started joining terror groups abroad. He worries comments from candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz about Muslims could make things worse.
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Bihi agreed when asked if their words are being used as ammunition by terrorist groups. "Big time. They are already using those statements in the propaganda video."
In the last four months, there have been reports of several hundred attacks against Muslims.
Asma Jama says a woman smashed her face with a beer mug in October because she was speaking Swahili. The attacker yelled at her to go back to her country.
"It has changed me completely, and I do not have trust in anybody outside. I cannot go outside by myself," Jama said of the incident.
"You can't put everybody in the same box, I'm an American and if an attack happens in this coffee shop right now we will be casualties. All of us, they don't pick and choose," she continued.
"These people who use Islam to kill people have killed so many Muslims. I'm not a terrorist, I'm an American citizen, I want what's good for this country. I want to leave in peace, just like everybody else."
Concerns about backlash stretch beyond the Minneapolis community. After the brussels attacks, leaders in seven states from New York to California spoke out against targeting Muslims