HBO Passes On Minneapolis-Shot 'Mogadishu, Minnesota'

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — HBO says it won't pick up "Mogadishu, Minnesota," a proposed series about Somali immigrants.

HBO announced its decision Friday.

The proposed series directed by Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan shot a pilot episode last year in Minneapolis. At the time, K'naan told The Associated Press he wanted to tell the story of an immigrant trying to adjust in America.

Vocal opponents refused to allow filming in some areas, and when K'naan held a free performance in a Somali neighborhood, it was cut short by protests.

Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S. Opponents feared the show would present a negative image and focus on the recruitment of young Somalis to join terrorist groups. Nearly three dozen Minnesota men have joined militant groups in Somalia and Syria since 2007.

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