Aaliyyah Posted June 9, 2009 HENRY STANCU/TORONTO STAR Sirad Mohamed lost her husband and elder son to violence. Now, son Ayoob Adam has been killed. He was the last male in the family to be killed but the first Canadian. Ayoob Adam, 16, was visiting his aunt on the weekend on Dixon Rd., between Islington and Kipling Aves., when he heard a commotion below, between the highrises. He went down to investigate and ended up fatally stabbed in the chest. "Wrong place, wrong time," his grieving mother, Sirad Mohamed, 52, said yesterday, dressed head-to-ankles Somali style in black robes at her apartment, several kilometres east of the crime scene. In 1992, the boy's father disappeared in Mogadishu soon after the Somali civil war broke out, she said. His body was never recovered. That same year, the boy's older brother was killed on his way to Yemen trying to escape the fighting, she said. Three daughters, in their early 20s, complete the family. Canada was to be their safe refuge. Shortly after Adam went downstairs, at around 5a.m. Sunday, police responded to sounds of gunfire at 340 Dixon Rd. They found Adam on the ground behind the building along with another youth, who had been shot. Both were taken to hospital. Adam was pronounced dead. The other victim remains alive but police have not released his name or details of his condition. No witnesses have come forward, Adam's mother said, leaving her with almost no information about what took place. Her features pinched and lined, she stood at her apartment door surrounded by similarly dressed women who helped comfort her and translated, while others occasionally arrived with bowls of salads and platters of hot food covered in foil. "This has to be stopped," the mother said quietly of the youth violence plaguing the community. "Nobody is helping." On the family's arrival in Canada, they moved to the Kingsview Complex on Dixon Rd., one friend said. Mohamed volunteered at the community centre. Adam made lasting boyhood friendships, which he kept up after the family moved several years ago to the Jane St. and Highway 401 area. Adam was in Grade 11 at Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate Institute, on Falstaff Ave., a school of 400 students with the motto, "Good things come from small schools." "We need a stepping stone," said one woman who declined to give her name but said her nephew was "gunned down" in 2005. "We live in a ghetto," she said. "The system is designed for us to stay here. Our kids are at risk every day. There are no jobs for them. Their only opportunity is to be killed." Another woman said security cameras might have made up for uncooperative witnesses, but the complex has none. The killing, said a third, calls to mind the shooting last year in nearby Lawrence Heights of 18-year-old Abdikarim Ahmed Abdikarim. It was caught on video but the quality was too poor to positively identify the shooter or his companion. Five survivors of that shooting sustained wounds but all refused to testify, and the jailed suspects were released. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kool_Kat Posted June 9, 2009 Horta hore, allaha unaxariisto wiilka, cidiisana samir iyo iimaan kasiiyo... Tan xigta, caruurtii Soomaaliyeed saas bey udhamaadeen leaving hooyooyinkii with xanuun aan waligiis dhamaaneyn... Tan sadaxaad, although qalad tahay, markaan aqriyo wararkaanoo kale, wexey ila noqotay 'another shooting, another Somali youth dead', like inee wax caadi ah tahay... "We live in a ghetto," she said. "The system is designed for us to stay here. Our kids are at risk every day. There are no jobs for them. Their only opportunity is to be killed." I can't help but think wexey madowga many many years ago ku hadli jireen inaan anaga maanta ku hadloyno...It is very sad! These people do not have to live in the ghetto, guryo dowlad, just to save a buck...While on the other hand, you see those very same mothers oo hagbad after hagbad ku jirto oo meelaha ugu xun Toronto dagan...Or cid wata the latest model Honda or Nissan cars/vans oo meelahaas dagan...Ma'anigaa mise sawirkaas waxbaa ka qaldan? :confused: Aloow noosoo maciin!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aaliyyah Posted June 9, 2009 My heart aches for that family and for every family who lost a child. Also, those kids who are prone to such circumstances. Koolkat aamin to your ducas, but allah swt said put your faith in me. However, one must not stop there but rather do something about the situations. All those somali organizations that reside in toronto need to get together and do something to improve the lives of their youngesters (ie encourage them to educate themselves, after school programs..you name it) Also, the point you made about somalis living in ghetto areas just to save money just hits home. It's exactly whats going thru somali families. I hope they are smart enough to buy houses or rent apartment in good environments so their kids won't mingle with the wrong crowd. The other thing I wanted to mention is am not here to say this kid was with the wrong kids. I was simply making general points inshallah to avoid such situations. salaam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kool_Kat Posted June 9, 2009 ^It makes me question too what was he doing outside at that hour? Who hears a commotion at 5am and actually goes down to have a look? Specially at the age of 16? Shouldn't he be in bed, mise salaad subax buu usoo kacay? I know malagaaga maseegeysid, but certain things just don't make sense to begin with... Again allaha unaxariisto, hooyadiis iyo walaalihiisna ufududeeyo xanuunkooda... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aaliyyah Posted June 10, 2009 subhanalah those questions came to my mind too. Like say you lived in an apartment its hard to hear a commotion in another floor, and even if there was a commotion going on at 5 am I wouldn't be brave enough to go down and have a look.... LAAKIN walaaley lets allow him to rest in peace, its not good to talk about the dead. make more duca inshallah that allah bestows upon him his mercy and blessings.. salaam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nin-Yaaban Posted June 10, 2009 Allaha unaxariisto. Minnesota is getting bad too, homicides among Somalis stands 7 since the start of the yr. Time to move out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cawaale Posted June 10, 2009 Innaa Lillah wo inna ilah rajicuun.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
osman_nz Posted June 10, 2009 We don't have that problems here in new zealand, the population of somali is like 1000 that's probably why. PPL either study or work here and that's it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NASSIR Posted June 10, 2009 Allaha u naxariisto, samir iyo iimaan. KK, dadkeena siiba waaladiinteen weli waxay xasuustaan dhibka Somalia ka jiro. Almost half of their income are spent on helping extended families at home. So there is a major financial burden on the Diaspora family units. Besides, bad drug habits have eroded family values, lack of strong educational background or skills for most of our people adds to the list of societal ills. There are still some successful families I have seen whose kids go to the best schools as well as establishing some type of fixed property for their families--Parents who are educated, physically fit, industrious, financially secure, and have set clear and realistic objectives for themselves. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IsseRiyole Posted June 10, 2009 Naxariis illaah ha siiyo, Marka labaad I live in Minneapolis/St paul, and where i reside i did not see a single Homicide, but the problem is somalis always like to cocoon a 6sq ft area and every one wants to live happier, it is time ppl to spread Minnesota is soooo big and good place to raise family. why not move to far from the crime infested areas,why subject your family this sorry *** living condition,move and enjoy live. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Valenteenah. Posted June 10, 2009 Very sad. I hate reading about teenage deaths. Allah ha u naxariisto. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nehanda Posted June 10, 2009 Not everyone has the means to move these ideal neighbourhoods that most of you are harping about. Unfortunately there are single mothers/ fathers with their only source of income from the government. In addition, many of these families have dependents in Somalia who they have to support. If any of these unfortunate families were given the choice to move to less crime infested areas I am sure they would have done so. KK- walaal under the human right conventions we all have the right to security and liberty. Hence we should not be stabbed or shot because we simply chose to be curious. Our sympathy lies with the victim and implying that he is to be blame partly because of his decision to investigate the commotions is wrong and unfair. Isse- Do you wonder why these families have decided to live within their own community? Imagine arriving in an alien country and language wouldn't you prefer to live near individuals who can understand and help you until you are able to do so yourself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted June 10, 2009 Very sad. Allah yarxamhu Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hassan_B Posted June 10, 2009 This is indeed very sad. ina lillahi wa ina ilayhi rajicuun. what is even sadder is the fact that the witnesses didn't come forward. This could mean that well developed gangs are active in those community, with their 'don't snitch' policy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kool_Kat Posted June 10, 2009 Originally posted by Nehanda: KK- walaal under the human right conventions we all have the right to security and liberty. Hence we should not be stabbed or shot because we simply chose to be curious. Our sympathy lies with the victim and implying that he is to be blame partly because of his decision to investigate the commotions is wrong and unfair. Like I said 'malagiisaa watay' wiilka...However, I doubt any sane person (iskaba iloow a 16 year old) will be going downstairs at 5am out of curiousity to investigate a commotion...So dearest, spare me the details of what rights we have under the human right convention... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites