Sharia, Dhimmitude come to St. Cloud...

St. Cloud area banks now making special "interest free" loans for Muslims:

Specialty loan programs give Muslim buyers opportunities
By Britt Johnsen, bljohnsen@stcloudtimes.com

Published: March 26. 2008 12:30AM

It took more than two years, but Hassan Shire finally got a loan to start his business.

He hopes to get a permit soon to build his cafe — Kushite Gourmet Coffee — on West St. Germain Street.

"It was a happy ending," he said through interpreter Mohamoud Mohamed, founder and director of the St. Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization.

But those two years weren't easy. Shire, a Muslim, had difficulty obtaining a loan that would accommodate his faith. Islamic laws forbid Muslims from earning or paying interest.

SASSO is working with some area banks to help more Somali Muslims find success through home ownership or entrepreneurship.

Banks are creating loan programs that allow Muslims such as Shire to obtain financing for homes, businesses or cars. The programs meet American banking standards and regulations while complying with Islamic beliefs.

Now isn't that special? They have their own taxpayer-funded prayer rooms in public schools, their own taxpayer-footed footbaths at airports, now their own "interest free" loans.

Where the hell do I sign up?