The Mayor of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Nadia Mohamed, has faced criticism for taking a trip to Somalia during the 4th of July weekend, a time when America celebrated its 250th anniversary of independence. Rather than apologizing for the timing of her trip, Mohamed responded with a smirky, mocking video on social media.
Mohamed was in Somalia over the 4th of July weekend, according to reports. She arrived in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, on Friday, July 3, and was welcomed by Somali government officials. Photos of her arrival show a large welcoming party waving American and Somali flags.
The mayor visited with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud at the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Saturday, July 4. The meeting focused on the role of the Somali diaspora in national development and ways to strengthen relations between Somalia and the United States. Mohamed also met with other Somali government officials during her trip.
Mohamed responded to criticism by brushing it off with a sarcastic apology. In a video posted on social media, she said she was "sincere" in her apology for taking vacation time to visit family members she had not seen in 10 years. She also claimed that she was unfairly criticized for using federal holiday time to visit her grandmothers, whom she had not seen in 10 years.
Mohamed implied that questions about her trip were motivated by a desire for clicks and views, rather than a genuine interest in her actions. She also characterized criticism of her trip as "bullying" and claimed that she was being unfairly targeted because of her Somali heritage.
The city officials claimed that the trip was personal, privately funded, and unrelated to city business. However, Somali news outlet Hiiraan Online characterized the trip as an "official visit." The meeting between Mohamed and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud focused on strengthening relations between Somalia and the United States, as well as the role of the Somali diaspora in national development.
