An interview with Mohammed Dini, executive director of the African Diaspora Institute, founder of Portland Forward and former candidate for state representative.  Mohammed talks about his experience moving to Maine at age 13 and learning to identify himself as a Mainer.  He introduces us to the Somali concept of furfurnaan, which means openness, inviting an open-hearted dialogue about our differences so that we can learn from each other.  He discussed Lewiston’s  Mayor, Bob MacDonald’s recent pronouncements that Somalis should, “leave your culture at the door,” and how he feels that is an attack on women’s head scarves.  We discussed the meaning of the scarves and how negative associations to Islam are conveyed by relatively small numbers of extremists.  We also talked about racism in Maine today, and how running for office exposed some of the bias about race that exists in day to day encounters.

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