Islamic center writes ‘community support letter’ for Somali immigrant convicted of raping a 12-year-oldA Somali immigrant living in the United States has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl in Minneapolis last year. After the conviction, an Islamic center in St. Paul wrote a “community support letter” for the perpetrator.
In 2006, Dirie immigrated to the United States and initially spent time in Minnesota before moving to North Dakota for several years. He eventually moved back to Minnesota in 2014 where he has since lived.
In July of 2024, Dirie was charged with raping a 12-year-old girl. According to the criminal complaint in the case, the victim said she was playing in the backyard of her family’s home in Minneapolis when a man started talking to her from an alley behind the house. The man reportedly asked if the victim’s mother was home, and the victim said she was not.
Court documents say the man left the scene for a few minutes but returned, putting his hand over her mouth, forcing her into a car, and striking her over the head. The victim said the man drove a short distance away from the home, pulled over, and sexually assaulted her. Eventually, the victim was able to run home.
According to criminal charges, the victim had contact information for a “Mohamed Muuse” in her phone. When asked about that person, the victim said “Mohamed Muuse” was the man who assaulted her. Using that cellphone contact, a sting operation was set up by the victim’s family several weeks after the assault. Dirie arrived at the victim’s home and was taken into police custody.
Islamic center writes ‘community support letter’ for Dirie
On May 28, 2025, a jury found Dirie guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. After he was convicted, Dirie’s family submitted letters to Judge Michael E. Burns which asked the judge to consider Dirie’s “character” when making a sentencing decision.
“[Dirie] is a deeply good man whose presence enriches the lives of those around him,” said one of the letters. “I respectfully ask that you consider his character, his contributions, and his ongoing potential when making your decision.”
Among other things, the letters portrayed Dirie as a hardworking, family man “who genuinely strives to make meaningful contributions.” In addition to the letters from family, the Al-Ihsan Islamic Center in St. Paul submitted a “Community Support Letter for Qalinle Dirie” to the judge.
“We, the undersigned members of the Somali community, write this letter to express our strong and heartfelt support for Qalinle Dirie, a member of our community,” says the letter.
The Islamic center wrote that the convicted felon has faced “the challenge of starting over in a new culture,” and Dirie was known as an outgoing, family-oriented person before “this situation.” The Islamic center said the community has “witnessed his love for his family and kids” and noted that Dirie sends money back to Somalia to support family members.
“[Dirie] has also been an active volunteer in our mosque, Al-Ihsan Islamic Center, where he regularly visited during Friday prayers, Ramadan, and community events,” said the letter. “You’ll often find him helping elders find rides home or staying after to help clean up. His service has never been about recognition — just a quiet commitment to supporting the spaces that hold our community together.”
The letter was signed by Ahmed Anshur, the executive director of the Al-Ihsan Islamic Center. No other signatures were on the document.
Alpha News reached out to the Al-Ihsan Islamic Center to ask why it would submit a community support letter for a felon who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl.
Neither Anshur nor the Islamic center responded to media inquiries. "
"...According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey of 2015, 1 in 5 women are victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. The majority of sexual assault victims choose not to report. While the research on the prevalence of sexual violence and reporting in Muslim communities is limited, studies indicate that the prevalence of sexual violence in Muslim communities is similar, or slightly higher. >>>
"...A 2014 study on intimate partner violence
found that high rates of psychological (75%),
physical (97%), and sexual (91%) abuse were
experienced by most Muslim immigrant women
in the sample (90%) of the study..."
"...More than 80 percent of respondents said they
knew one or more other students, including
themselves, who had been subjected to sexual
harassment while attending their university ..."
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did you also send a, support letter, ?
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