By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent, Sep 2013.
Singer Aar Maanta has lived in London most of his life and is followed by fellow Somalis not just in Britain but in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
He believes it is important for men like him to be a positive influence and intends to push his message when he begins the first UK tour by a Somali singer next month.
“If there are more people who excel in education, in culture, in sports, if people have these kinds of role models there will be less isolation and young people can relate to us more than they can relate to people who want to put ideas in their minds and try to take advantage of them,” he said.
Somalis living in the UK have voiced their frustration that the image of young people from their home country are being tarnished by the actions of the few.
Al Shabaab, which means ‘The Youth’, has claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
Mohamed Ibrahim works with Somali teenagers in north London and as a young man himself is angry that any link is made with a group holding such abhorrent views.