DNA proves Somali-Canadian woman is who she claims to be

immigrantwomeninfo.wordpress.com

August 17, 2009

tags: Hagi, Mohammud, racial profiling, Somali, Suad

Suad Hagi Mohammud, 31, left to visit family and friends in Kenya, three months ago on her Canadian passport feeling confident that she is under the protection of her government but found out that she does not have the protection when abroad and that her identity will come into question.  Having a Canadian passport is not enough.
Suad’s passport photo did not match her current face. The authorities branded her as a fraud and detained her for three months in Kenya.  She spent days in a Kenyan prison. To be fair, the passport picture that was shown on TV in fact does not actually look like Suad as she currently is.  That was taken five years ago and people change,  Sua was wear the hijab and looked a lot older and unsophisticated compared to the attractive woman without hijab. However, people change their hairstyles and their dress styles everyday.  Perhaps there was reason for the passport officer to take a pause and question Suad about her appearance and or identity.  But,  in today’s highly technological society, did they have to go to that extent to prove the person in the photo and the person standing before them are  one and the same?  Of course not. But Suad is a black woman and bears a certain stamp in the eyes of visa officers.
I think this is a case of racism and racial profiling. She is a black woman and not to be trusted, she is poor and every poor person is trying to get to the land of milk and honey, she is Muslim and all muslims are terrorists. She had a lot going against her.
 If Suad Hagi Mohammud was a white woman would she have needed to undergo DNA testing to prove her identity? Would the Canadian embassy in Kenya turn its citizen over to the Kenyan authorities without due diligence.
Canada is a multicultural society but those of us with foreign names, darker skin and belong to different religions from Christianity are always suspect.  There is definite need for more cultural sensitivity training for employees in embassies that deal with people of colour. Most of the time, decisions to allow or not to allow a person into Canada are based on stereotypes.
Suad’s worries are not over. She is dealing with medical psychological and financial problems.
This shows that if you are not white your citizenship may not worth as much when travelling abroad. Canada has to do better in this area and racial profiling must be brought under control.