Shamefully Distinguishing Themselves

So is it then just coincidental that on many days of newspaper scrutiny Arab or Muslim names crop up in reports of malfeasance, of drug dealing, of criminal activity, of theft, of beatings, of murder? This has become so common it is impossible not to notice how disproportionately those names are mentioned in reportage of various types of criminal activities.

It is, of course, socially indelicate to bring attention to this type of thing; it is counter to the prevailing social attitudes of a country dedicated to full and unquestioning acceptance of its immigrant population. Canada is a country comprised of pluralities. And one cannot point a finger at any one given ethnicity, religion, culture or heritage. Truth is, no one group has a lock-hold on criminal or psychotic behaviour.

And it is always well to remember that Esmaili and Ahmadiyya Muslims not only profess amity with other religions, and comport themselves faultlessly as minority Islamic sects, they also do not represent among those who commit cardinal sins of human rights abuses against others.

Sunni and Shia Muslim youth, on the other hand, appear to be vulnerable to all manner of criminal activities, ranging from misogynistic violence, socially averse criminal acts, and outright acts of violent terrorism.

As example, Mohamed Jama Yusuf, 23, knocked an innocent 51-year-old man off his bicycle in Ottawa on August 26, 2008 (the case has just gone to trial) and then when the man fell off his bicycle, the larger, younger Yusuf proceeded to kick and stamp Sean Murphy in the head and body which caused a massive head injury and death.

Yusuf bragged later about what he had done, having run from the scene, leaving one of his friends to rifle through Mr. Murphy's pockets. It had been assumed that Mr. Murphy was a victim of a hit-and-run accident. A video from the bar to which Yusuf & company had returned showed him high-fiving his friends, after the attack.

Same newspaper, same date, other reports in the City section list an arrest in the January stabbing death of a 24-year-old in ByWard Market. Navid Niran died after being stabbed outside Studio nightclub. Ahmed Hafizi, 19, appeared in court to face a first-degree murder charge, ordered in the interim not to communicate with the family of Mr. Niran with whom he had got into an altercation, and whom he had stabbed to death.

Another updated report on Zakaria Dourhnou, 19, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death a week ago of 20-year-old Khalid Doreh. Additional charges of assault with a weapon, injuring Ibrahim Iman and Mohamud Ahmed are expected to be upgraded to attempted murder.

Ibrahim Iman was charged with weapons trafficking last March. The same Ibrahim Iman had been arrested in 2007 for trafficking in drugs in the city. Zakaria Dourhnou had recently been released from prison after having served a year as an accessory to murder after Yazdan Ghiasvand Ghiasi, 16, had been murdered over a bag of drugs in December 2010.

These are all manifestations of Muslim and Arab youth distinguishing themselves shamefully on the streets of Ottawa. Simply as an example of the type of reportage that is so commonly read in our local newspapers.