Ardent Victimization in the Somali/Muslim Community

"We need to feel safe in our city. Change needs to happen, not empty gestures."

"Enough is enough. The time is now. Justice may have been denied in the trial of the killer of Abdirahman Abdi, but we can still choose justice as a city and make community safer for us."

"We need to stop sending untrained people with guns when our neighbours and loved ones are in crisis."

IfrahYusuf, chair, Justice For Abdirahman Coalition

 

"I don't mind screaming because we need to scream our voices very loud of [sic] what's been going on to our people."

"We must come together. I'm going to say it as loud as I can: Their fists may beat us, their guns may kill us, but they will never, ever silence our voices. Our voices are the most powerful of tools and the most powerful of weapons ..."

"The killings of Indigenous peoples and Black people, it must stop."

Claudette Commanda, Algonquin Anishinaabe, Kitigan Zibi First Nation

Ifrah Yusuf, incoming chair of the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition, leads the march from its starting point at McNabb Park on Saturday. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

Black, Muslim and Indigenous communities in Canada have forged a bond of victimization. They hold the greater white community at fault for their colonialist past and their current attitudes, citing them as being racist and prejudiced against people of colour, against Islam, against First Nations. These are groups within the larger society that see themselves as vulnerable minorities whose rights and entitlements are given short shrift, and who are constantly victims of an unjust legal system. 

What they also have in common is that they frequently live at or below the poverty line. As well, they tend to sequester themselves in deliberately separated blocs, choosing not to integrate with the greater society. A feeling of alienation, of victimhood and vulnerability to unfair treatment and public condemnation is also shared between them. Needless to say that in the greater society there are people living in poverty who are not of colour, not representing any religion, and downtrodden primarily because life has been unkind to them in the circumstances of their lives. Including mental illness and substance dependency.

 

Another issue both communities have in common is that of criminal activity disproportionate to their share of numbers in the community. Gangs, violence, weapons, smuggling, drug dealing, gang rivalry, and intimidation of members of their own communities who fear reporting their illegal and often violent behaviour for fear of retribution. Minor details which keep police busy, involved in their duty to uphold the law and ensure community safety.

Abdi Abdirahman was a 37-year-old Somali refugee, living with his family in Ottawa as a member of the extended Somali community. He had a mental illness for which he received medical treatment as an out-patient and was prescribed anti-psychotic medication to control his outbursts of mental illness. It appears his family failed to agree with the medical professionals who diagnosed, treated and prescribed medication for this man, and they were successful in having that medication dropped as a therapy to keep h8is mental instability in check.

The Justice for Abdirahman Coalition protest started in McNabb Park before turning into a march, blocking traffic on several nearby streets. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

One day in July of 2016 Mr. Abdirahman went to a neighbourhood cafe as apparently he often did. A busy place, there were many others at the cafe and they were witness to his violently forcing himself on a few women, one after another, at the cafe. One woman was so viciously gripped by him that others present came to her rescue and with difficulty detached him, escorting him out to the street. And there, on the street was a young mother with an infant in a bicycle carrier who had just stopped outside the cafe. His attention turned to her, in turn.

Police had been called about the altercation, and one police officer arrived in a police car and attempted to take Abdirahman into custody, struggling to place him in handcuffs. Abdirahman picked up a 30-pound road construction standard swinging it about wildly. Pepper spray failed to stop him. He then sprinted toward the apartment where he lived nearby with his family, the police officer in chase, having radioed for help. When the first officer finally caught up with Abdirahman, again struggling to place him in handcuffs, he was unable to overcome Abdirahman's physical resistance.

A second police officer soon arrived, appraised the situation, and added his physical presence to the struggle where both officers together appeared unable to overcome the resistance of the man in full psychotic fervour. The second officer, Const.Daniel Montsion, hit Abdirahman several times with his gloved hand in the face and on his thigh. Mr. Abdirahman's nose was broken, and suddenly he became still and stopped breathing. The two officers applied CPR attempting to restore him to consciousness. When soon afterward responding paramedics arrived they pronounced Mr. Abdirahman dead.

A coroner's report pointed out that Mr.Abdirahman had died of a heart attack. Brought on by the episode of psychotic attack, and that he had a previously undiagnosed serious heart condition. Const.Montsion was charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon (the police-force-issued reinforced gloves). At his trial witnesses for the prosecution were found to have given testimony that was contradicted by surveillance videos. Ontario Court Justice Robert Kelly found Const.Montsion innocent of all charges after taking all evidence and testimony into account.

 

The Justice for Abdirahman protest started in McNabb Park on Saturday. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

But some raucous members of the Ottawa-Somali community will not be convinced that Const.Montsion is not a murderer and was simply discharging his professional duty to the security and safety of the public in extremely difficult circumstances. An ongoing saga of victimization and blame has been released anew by the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition which launched another protest through downtown streets shouting "No justice, no peace", carrying placards and shouting "Black lives, they matter here" and "They say get back, we say fight back".

Traffic was brought to a standstill by the march of several hundred people while organizers unfurled yellow caution tape about the intersection. And five demands were delivered through a megaphone announcement with the coalition calling on the Ottawa Police Services board to freeze the budget for police and city council to oppose any budget increase for police so funding should instead be targeted for public health and social services for the city's Black and indigenous communities.

They also called for "demonstrably racist, misogynist and/or violent officers" to be fired, starting with Const.Montsion, including the Ottawa Police Association president, along with other instructions to be fulfilled to their satisfaction by the City of Ottawa. An alternative to a police response to interventions with people in mental health crisis to be immediately substituted. "No more deaths, fire OPS" was chanted by people in the crowd. "Defund the police", protesters shouted holding Black Lives Matter and Justice for Abdirahman banners.

 

A Justice for Abdirahman protest started in McNabb Park and then turned into a march, stopping traffic on nearby streets, Saturday October 24, 2020. Before the protest began a group of the supporters took a moment to pray. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia