Religious leaders show support for Somali community

MN faith leaders react to Trump's comments on Somalis

Minnesota leaders across many faiths denounced President Donald Trump's comments on the Somali community. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the latest.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The religious leaders say their faith teaches them to love their neighbors.

‘I am angry’

Local perspective:

For religious leaders from across the state, being good neighbors to the Somali community is an act of faith.

"An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," said Imam Yusef Abdulle from the Islamic Association Of North America.

"In Minnesota, we won't fall for the rhetoric and division our President is trying to evoke," said Khalid Omar of the Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH.

'The fabric of our country and our state'

The backstory:

A coalition of imams, pastors, rabbis and other clergy members got together at a mosque in South Minneapolis to show their support for the Somali community after recent rhetoric from President Donald Trump.

Some say the President's verbal attacks on Somali immigrants go against their Christian teachings that all people are created in God's image.

"No human being is garbage. No human being in garbage Mr. President, and shame on you for saying so," said Reverend Paul Graham of St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls.

‘We won’t be divided'

What they're saying:

Others want to add to the chorus of voices against sending federal ICE agents to the Twin Cities this week to target the Somali community, in response to several cases of fraud from social service programs, where a large number of those found guilty are of Somali descent.

"We know that when a few people commit crimes, it does not implicate an entire community and to say so is racist is xenophobic and just wrong," said Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker of Mount Zion Temple in St Paul.