Minneapolis Muslims wary of man trying to enforce Sharia

Abdullah Rashid, 22, a Georgia native who moved to Cedar-Riverside last year, says his group, General Presidency of the Religious Affairs and Welfare of the Ummah, is trying to enforce what he calls 'the civil part of the sharia law' in the area. Muslim leaders in Minneapolis are wary of Rashid, who has been patrolling a predominantly Somali neighborhood to enforce the Islamic civil code. (Faiza Mahamud/Star Tribune via AP) (The Associated Press)

MINNEAPOLIS – Muslim leaders in Minneapolis are wary of a man who has been patrolling a predominantly Somali neighborhood to enforce the Islamic civil code.

The Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/2p0uS8J ) reports that Abdullah Rashid has been telling residents of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood not to drink, use drugs or interact with the opposite sex, according to his interpretation of Sharia law. He's been telling Muslim women to wear a head-to-toe garment called a jilbab.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says what the 22-year-old man is doing "is wrong and doesn't reflect the community at all." Rashid claims to have enlisted 10 others to help him patrol.

Police say Rashid has been told he can't patrol the Cedar-Riverside or he'll be cited for trespassing.

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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com