Omar Dines at 900-Unit Somali Mall After D.C. Raid

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., spent Friday at the Karmel Mall of Somalia in Minneapolis, marking her first public appearance since the October 12 federal raid on her Washington, D.C., home. She ate lunch in the complex’s dining area alongside State Attorney General Keith Ellison. The meal took place in a space where Somali, Palestinian, and American flags hang at the same height. A white star painted on the light blue ceiling above the food vendors mirrors the design of the Somali flag.

The Karmel Mall of Somalia is a four-story building housing 900 vendors. The owner, Basim Sabri, describes it as the largest Somali mall in the world. The structure functions more like a storage facility than a traditional American shopping center. Shop owners lift metal garage doors to indicate their stores are open. Fixed opening and closing times appear flexible for the businesses inside.

Sabri, who was born in Gaza, granted media access to film the congresswoman’s visit. The filming occurred shortly after Omar and Ellison cast early votes at a Minneapolis polling station. Security guards surrounded both officials during the lunch. Omar, whose legal name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmia according to sources familiar with the criminal investigation, chatted with smiling patrons and posed for photographs.

The mall’s food vendors serve traditional dishes. These include sambusas, a flaky fried pastry filled with meat and spices. Bijaye, a fried cornmeal dish similar to hush puppies or falafel, is also on the menu. Goat meat and basmati rice appear on the menu as well. Many patrons ate with their hands, while Omar and her acquaintances used forks during the Friday meal.

Retail spaces in the mall focus on services connecting the U.S. to East Africa and the Middle East. Shops sell prepaid electronic SIM cards for overseas calling. Money transfer stores, including World Direct Link Corp., advertise simple ways to send funds to Somalia and Kenya. Travel agencies offer arrangements for trips to the region. Traditional Somali clothiers and barbers also operate within the building. English serves as the second language in the complex.

Elderly men in traditional Somali clothing and white brimless caps called koofiyad sit in metal chairs along the open walls. They often stare into the distance in silence. Sabri told reporters that the mall and the surrounding area are referred to as the Islamic Peace Village by many people. He stated that the Karmel Mall is also the largest mall in the city of Minneapolis.

Sabri described the complex as an incubator for businesses. He said many entrepreneurs start in the space, succeed, and then move to larger locations. Although the mall is not explicitly for Somalis, an implicit understanding exists that it serves that community. Outsiders, particularly those with cameras, are closely scrutinized by security guards and patrons. Sabri instructed guards to stand down during a previous media walk-through last week.

The owner has a long history with local politics and business. He banned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey from the premises in February 2024 after Frey vetoed a ceasefire resolution. Sabri is friends with Omar and knew her late father, a rumored Somali National Army colonel. He owns several apartment complexes near his Lake Street mall, which are occupied mostly by Somalis.

Sabri faced legal issues earlier in his career. In 2005, he was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for bribing a local public official. He served time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Leavenworth, Kansas. He sends his son to Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, a secondary school with an annual cost of about $184,000. He arranged a media interview with Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman during his conversations with reporters.

In interviews, Sabri discussed his background and the role of the mall in the community. He described the Somali community as intelligent and hard-working. He acknowledged that some fraud scandals have affected the community in national headlines. He said he invites people to visit the mall to see individuals doing well and making a good living.