Condemning Terror

Khalil Senosi / The Associated Press   Somalia's ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur, who lived in Toronto before taking up his post, attends the funeral of a Somali man who died in the Westgate mall attack in Nairobi. 

"We cannot be silent and go without making condemnation. It's the first time for the community to make this kind of effort, so it's a good thing. It's to help the community and get together in solidarity and condemn all the terror acts -- and everywhere, actually, not only for Kenya."
Hassan Abdillahi, Radio Ogaal
"Please come and join us to: condemn and stand united against terrorism; express our heartfelt condolences; pray for the victims of terror; console the survivors; show our solidarity with the people and government of Kenya."
"United Against Terror" rally flyer

J.P. Moczulski for National Post   Organizers Mahdi Abdurahman, left, and Mohamed Chek Omar talk while setting up for what they bill as "A public meeting to condemn the Westgate Mall Terror Attack" in Toronto, October 3, 2013.

"In the face of such acts of despicable terror, we must strengthen our resolve and as we've seen, as Somalia has been successful in rooting out al-Shabab, it's becoming a more regional and global challenge in which Canada is willing to do its part."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird

About twenty Canadians of Somali extraction are thought by Canada's security establishment to have left Canada for the specific purpose of enrolling themselves as part of the terror group al-Shabab, in Somalia. Four of the half-dozen students who left Toronto four years ago to join are now dead jihadists. Another two have purportedly left al-Shabab through disillusionment with its ruthless violence.

One Somali-Canadian is under arrest, facing charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act, stopped at Toronto's Pearson airport en route to Somalia to join al-Shabab. That interruption of his plans may just have saved his life, although he may not appreciate it under the circumstances. His case awaits trial.

There are reports that one of the Nairobi attackers of the Westgate Mall invasion came from Ontario. The RCMP has stated "investigative processes" are underway "that police must follow in gathering evidence to determine any potential involvement by Canadians in terrorist activities outside of Canada." The attackers were described as a multinational group.

The Somali-Canadian community has responded to the attack in Kenya by launching a rally. It was the inspiration and was organized by a popular Somali-language FM station host, Hassan Abdillahi of Radio Ogaal. The "United Against Terror" rally took place in the Toronto neighbourhood, home to ethnic Somalis. It must represent a first, the first time that any Muslim immigrant group raised such an event.

J.P. Moczulski for National Post   Kadra Mohanad distributes Somali flags prior to the start of "A public meeting to condemn the Westgate Mall Terror Attack" in Toronto, October 3, 2013.

 

Somali Canadians are particularly aware of the vulnerability of their young men, attracted to the prospect of being lauded by their religious community in Somalia for taking part in a group that portray themselves as youthful defenders of the faith. Some of the youth have responded to the appeals of recruiters and against the wishes of their families have joined the terror group.

It was expected that both Kenyan and Ethiopian community leaders might wish to join the rally, advertised as: "A public meeting to condemn the Westgate Mall terror attack", and timely in its presentation. Leaders of local mosques and local Members of Parliament were invited to attend.

And while one Somali-Canadian was held to have been among the attackers, two other Canadians were among those killed during the attack.

That the terrorists claimed to have permitted Muslim hostages free passage to safety and targeted only non-Muslims and Westerners has given no comfort to these Somali-Canadian Muslims. The torture and execution of innocent people represented a violation of all expectation of human decency. Such stark inhumanity should be condemned, and it is, universally.

But that the community from which these psychopathic religious fundamentalists have arisen to plague their own society and others as well, has seen its duty in condemning the horrifying acts of outrage against humanity is a comfort to the society within which they have chosen to live and to become an integral part of.