N.O.R.F Posted December 1, 2007 I think this documentary will air some time this week so look out for it. Lost Boys By: Rageh Omaar & Paul Sapin Lost to their community and lost to their faith, young Somali men of London are turning to ever more violent forms of street crime. But it was only when 18-year-old Somali Mahir Osman was murdered in Camden by a 30-strong Somali gang in January 2006, did Somali clan elders realise that things had spiralled beyond their control. The police got involved and the outcome was three gang members sentenced to life imprisonment, with five others sentenced to lesser jail terms. Somalis today form the largest ethnic group among young offenders incarcerated in the notorious Feltham Young Offender Institution south of London. In this powerful authored documentary, Rageh Omaar pursues the stories of three recent murders – in Woolwich, Camden and Southall - to try to understand why this new generation of young Somali men are underachieving in education - and what makes them turn on each other. He speaks to Mahir Osman’s mother, Asha, who believes that the boys struggle because they don't identify with any culture. "They haven’t got Somali culture, they haven't got English culture. They don’t know what they're doing. Really, they don't know. They're a lost generation." Rageh also goes on the airwaves at a local Muslim radio station to appeal for insight. Through personal meetings with disgruntled Somali boys, with elders who have taken to patrolling the streets by night for loiterers, and with an extraordinary reconciliation between the parents of Mahir Osman and his killer's parents, Rageh learns that a lack of guidance could be the basis of the youth falling astray. "Quite a lot of things struck me about what they said," he explains, "But two things stand out. One of them was when one of the boys said: 'You see them, the older Somali guys? They're here day and night, chewing qat, they're spending the family's money, they're not with the kids, they're certainly not giving us any guidance…how on earth can we respect them? And if they dare to try and discipline us, none of us would stand for it.' "And just as I was leaving," Rageh continues, "one of the boys said something that was really powerful. He said: 'Why are we talking about this when it's ten years too late?'" Witness Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Intuition Posted December 1, 2007 The state of our Somali youths is deteriorating. Subxan'Allah it's like back home in Somalia again, only this time they kill each other over gang rivalry rather than qabil Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacaylbaro Posted December 2, 2007 No, we can't respect them Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lois Lane Posted December 2, 2007 ^^^ Respect who walal? Back to the post, I agreed with the mother in the documentary, theres simply no guidance. While its not right to put all the blame on either parents that arent there to guide their kids or the education , social and justice systems of foreign countries that dont always have at heart the advancement of our youth, I think its important to understand that no one will do for you, what you can for yourself. Meaning that at 18 you have a great share of the responsabilities in your failures! That being said, im glad that Rageh decided to do this documentary. Hopefully more somali men in their respective fields will give time to this problematic issue that our youth face in every diaspora, from London to Montreal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baluug Posted December 2, 2007 While the community should share a small portion of the blame for the state of their teenagers, the brunt of it lays squarely on the teenagers themselves. This is a DIY world and don't expect any help from anyone. Your parents and elders can only guise you so far before you have to stay on your own feet, and if they're not there to help you, you have to help yourself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sharmarkee Posted December 3, 2007 I didnt read the intial post the poster posted, but no one cares about the dilemma of somali youth in london, they got the best opportunity any young person in africa can dreaming about, free education, free boarding and allowance, but unfortunately most not all of them ended up in british jails and belive me i was listening Universal TV few nights ago and there was those three young guests one of them claiming all the somali youth in jails are raped intentionallay, or waiting to be raped. The program co-ordiantor or anchorman as u called asked: What was your crime he said = drugs how did you come across drugs and what age? He said a somali girl taught me how to use The Anchorman asked how old she was? He said she was about 16 and i was about 12 he said. The anchorman asked how old are you now He said about 20 now. What did you understnad from all this. its a dire situations but worse of that the community in uk in general are in denial, as nothing happens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted December 3, 2007 It was inevitable. I just hope it doesnt get worse. Waiting to see tonights edition of Witness. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LayZie G. Posted December 3, 2007 ^You can say no one cares and end it right there. The reason why this problem exists is because most of these children have parents that have your type of mentality @sharmarke. There problems with the youth are everywhere, uk, u.s.a, canada, africa, other parts of europe, australia, asia. These children need to be taught right from wrong. They need to be believed that they can be anything they want to be and that getting into trouble isn't the way of life. They need to be shown that there is more to life than hanging out late at night on the streets and wasting time away. If the father isn't there and the mother is busy having more babies and doesnt have time to sit and talk with their children and ask how their day went and what they learned from school today, then what makes you think inuu cunugaas meel gaaraayo? Who do kids turn to when there is no home at home to turn to? Their friends, and by god if those friends are kumo tuugo eh, cunugaas iyo gabadhaas wey udhamaatay because their role model is another 14 yr old who knows nothing but stealing and aiming for wealth by force and not knowing that you can work hard for whatever they are trying to steal and earn 10x more than its worth. Unless the child is smart and is meant for greatness by allah, he/she has no chance in hell in making it, thats a reality. The process of rebuilding starts at home, parents need to show interest, first and foremost, but if they have no interest or no faith in their children, then the child in turn will have no faith in him or herself. That article above was very powerful, so maybe you sharmarke need to take the time to read it before aad meelaha kusoo qorin "no one cares". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chimera Posted December 3, 2007 Shamaarkee stop spreading fables, what was the name of the program or headline/story? "Quite a lot of things struck me about what they said," he explains, "But two things stand out. One of them was when one of the boys said: 'You see them, the older Somali guys? They're here day and night, chewing qat, they're spending the family's money, they're not with the kids, they're certainly not giving us any guidance…how on earth can we respect them? And if they dare to try and discipline us, none of us would stand for it.' "And just as I was leaving," Rageh continues, "one of the boys said something that was really powerful. He said: 'Why are we talking about this when it's ten years too late?' What about your little brothers ,sisters ,nephews nieces? it's not too late for them. Do you want to receive the same type of ''respect'' your currently giving the older generation? i hate these excuses my childhood - my childhood. There are two Somali brothers i personally know who arrived in the UK in 2002 and are now succeeding in college and god knows the attrocities and traumas they experienced as kids community leaders need to sit down with the current 12-25 age category and guide them towards goals that will enable them become successfull individuals but like i said it's quite selfish for them to give up like that when they know the younger generation will follow them wherever they are heading including 'failure' Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Faheema. Posted December 3, 2007 We Somalis have mastered the art of blame and how to effectively conceal (or sweep it under the rug) the real issues at hand. i.e. the article above. I wonder goor la soo toosi. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-Lily- Posted December 3, 2007 It's too easy to blame parents, although I admit they play a central role i n the lives of their children. I think using left-over parenting skills from Somalia is what causes a lot of clashes between children and parents. No child goes wild all of a sudden, there must have been signs. I also feel that boys in particular have been given free reign to do as they please whilst parents are more overprotective of girls. A police officer years ago said at a community meeting that if only Somali parents watched over their boys as they do their girls there would be less of them getting into trouble. It takes more than just abo iyo hoyo to raise a child, negative friends from bad homes, bad housing, bad neighbourhoods, under achieving schools are all part of the problem. If there was an easy solution everyone would jump on it, may our youth be protected from harm & Ilahey ha garab galo all the parents, that’s all I can say. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sharmarkee Posted December 4, 2007 Originally posted by Dhulqarnayn -alSumaale: [QB] Shamaarkee stop spreading fables, what was the name of the program or headline/story? Waryaa How could you attack my Integrity without doing a little effort to find out the Somali TV and ask them the programme itself or do so a little research, no wonder why Somalia is doomed people like you are rife, just jumping on the gun. Walaahi your ignorance have no bounds. FYI W aa ka Somali tv ee waydii jaahil foqal jaahil. Universl TV - Barnaamijka Dhalinta - London Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fabregas Posted December 4, 2007 wen dis brogram on? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chimera Posted December 4, 2007 Sharmarkee lol@ your response usually when members accuse another forumer of being a limitless ignoramus they have a history of past encounters from which they deduce the person belongs to the beforementioned category of ignorance. We on the other hand don't have a history on this forum so caadi iskadhig sxb it's like i hurt your feelings or something which wasn't even my intention. I used 'fables' as a substitute for 'hearsay dogma' i have seen in the past people claiming 70% of the Somali youth are in incarceration, 55% have abortions, 89% use Jaad and all of these claims were accompanied by: ''i saw once one this program..(program not mentioned)'' or a recent study says..(study not mentioned) etc etc again my intentions were not to demean you, if i offended you i apoligize, this is internet sxb sometimes words reflect a different intention from what it's author projected. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuujiye Posted December 5, 2007 loooool.. UK kids gone wild!!! looooooool.. I heard that little group kids rap in Somali and english and I was laughing walaahi.. Anyways.. Somali kids are all F-ed UP!! and I blame it all the parenting and the circle of life stayle we live in.... Here in West of Canada a place called Edmonton is the number one murder city in Canada for the past 2 years now winning it over toronto for more than 100 death in 3 month.... For Somali kids well just in 2007 their was 30 kids and out of the 30 kids, their was 20 cases on TV and on the papers... is a sad thing to witness and see it happening... The bad part is that, they will be more kids that will get killed soon because of the road they taking here in the west of Canada.... CADAAN BOY LEE could Explain the rest lol... Wareer Badanaa!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
