Recently, I have been shocked by the increase of violence among Somali youngsters from Toronto to Alberta; Minneapolis to Seattle. Every week, a Somali youngster is found dead due to gang related crimes. These killings have not generated the same outcry, intense scrutiny, and speculation seen in the cases of disappearing Somali youth in Minnesota and now Canada. Among the Somali populace, gang-related killings have become an issue of non importance.
The American government has spent a great deal of resources in investigating the disappearance of Somali youth in major urban areas populated by Somali immigrants. While the authorities have the jurisdiction to investigate those who train, fight, or provide material support to designated terrorist entities, there has been a negative side effect that has been impacting mosques and Islamic centers. There is a prevailing fear among many parents who are hesitant to allow their teenage boys to go to mosques or become active there. Parents are taking the “safe-side” of not letting the youth get involved. Some have naively stashed away their children’s passports hoping these measures will prevent the youngsters from joining subversive groups. Some of the mosques, though under investigation, have been in the forefront for saving many youth from drugs, chemical dependency, and gangs. There are no statistical figures, of course, that show the number of youth saved by religious institutions. But one thing that is glaringly apparent is the number of youth killed in the streets of London, Toronto, Edmonton, Minneapolis, or Seattle due to gang wars is much higher than the number that has joined terrorist organizations like Al-Shabaab. Currently, in many Somali mosques, there are a large number of youth who are committed to studying their religion and not interested in going back to Somalia to fight in an unjust war. I wonder if all the negative campaigning waged against some of these Islamic centers can be partially blamed for the increase of juvenile delinquency. Of course, there are other variables that might explain the rise of Somali youth killings.
No one can expect the Department of Justice or the FBI to help in tackling the Somali youth killings in the streets of America’s finest cities. The American and Canadian governments are interested in ensuring that the youth do not pose a security threat to their respective governments, first, and to Somalia, second. This is an understandable and legitimate national security concern. What is not understandable is what happens when the pursuit of this goal leads to the weakening of the very institutions that are designed to serve the youth and their parents. A climate generating ‘fear of mosques’ and a veritable barrage of calumny directed against some Imams have gained currency in various Somali communities. Unfortunately, these have inadvertently led to some of the youth to eschew, perhaps, in places where they could have gotten guidance and counseling. The Somali mosques have been somewhat successful in communicating with the youth when their parents were unable to do so. Of course, a mosque cannot be a substitute for a caring and engaging parent. But the fact of the matter is, many of the Somali parents are absent, figuratively, and sometimes, literally.
The American federal government, perhaps, can take a ‘Marshall Plan’ type approach in assisting the Somali youth. Agencies like the Health and Human Services, the Labor and Education departments can undertake various projects to assess this phenomenon of gang killings and find viable solutions. Of course, these will likely never happen because, to the American authorities, the Somali youth are only seen through the prism of ‘terrorism’. The Feds will always claim that the killings are local matters. Unfortunately, more killings will happen if Somali youth have no access to all the resources that they need (parents, schools, mosques, community based-organizations, etc). I must add here that there are some elements in some mosques that are, in the simplest terms, “bad news”. I have no qualms whatsoever seeing these dangerous elements rooted out from the Somali communities. Fortunately, these individuals are numbered and insignificant. So far, the federal indictments, in the Somali Youth cases of disappearance, have only produced a few convictions.
It is tragic that the Somali young men are dying violently while so many of the resource are spent on matters that are of no value to the safety, well-being, and future advancement of our children. It is the most opportune time for all Somalis in the West to start speaking against this new phenomenon that is leading to the gradual attrition of our youth. Parents, community organizations, local and federal governments all need to address this important matter before it is too late. Most of all, it is time that we listen to the youth themselves and see them as part of the solution. The process may be daunting but we should remain undaunted until there is a way out of these tragic events.
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