www.cbc.ca
Open in
urlscan Pro
23.13.150.220
Public Scan
Submitted URL: http://cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2010/05/05/edmonton-somali-canadians-drug-gang-problems.html
Effective URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-s-young-somali-canadians-lose-hope-1.876788
Submission: On December 23 via api from AU — Scanned from CA
Effective URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-s-young-somali-canadians-lose-hope-1.876788
Submission: On December 23 via api from AU — Scanned from CA
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form class="searchForm">
<div class="search-autocomplete">
<div id="gn-compact-search-suggestions-status" class="a11y" role="status" aria-atomic="true" aria-live="polite"></div><input id="gn-compact-search" class="searchInput" data-cy="search-bar-input" name="query" placeholder="Search CBC.ca"
type="search" aria-haspopup="listbox" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" aria-autocomplete="both" aria-controls="gn-compact-search-autocomplete" aria-describedby="gn-compact-search-autocomplete-assistiveHint" aria-label="Search CBC.ca"><span
class="a11y" id="gn-compact-search-autocomplete-assistiveHint">When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.</span>
</div><button class="searchButton" data-cy="search-bar-button">Search</button>
</form>Text Content
Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Menu
When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter
to select.
Search
Search
Sign In
QUICK LINKS
* News
* Sports
* Radio
* Music
* Listen Live
* TV
* Watch
* news
* Top Stories
* Local
* Climate
* World
* Canada
* Politics
* Indigenous
* Opinion
* The National
* Business
* Health
* Entertainment
* Science
* CBC News Investigates
* Go Public
* About CBC News
* Being Black in Canada
* More
* Business
* Health
* Entertainment
* Science
* CBC News Investigates
* Go Public
* About CBC News
* Being Black in Canada
Alberta's young Somali-Canadians lose hope | CBC News Loaded
Edmonton
ALBERTA'S YOUNG SOMALI-CANADIANS LOSE HOPE
Ahmed Abdullahi, who works with Somali-Canadian high school students in Edmonton
says gangs prey on hopeless, underprivileged young men.
23 SOMALI-CANADIANS KILLED IN PROVINCE SINCE 2005
CBC News · Posted: May 05, 2010 4:08 PM PDT | Last Updated: May 5, 2010
SOCIAL SHARING
* Facebook
0
* X
0
* Email
0
* Reddit
0
* LinkedIn
0
Mohamed Abdi is at school early Tuesday, looking for extra chemistry help.
The 18-year-old Edmonton high school student said he struggles with financial
pressures all the time in his hopes of becoming an engineer.
The lure to make a fast dollar through illegal activity is everywhere in the
city, he said.
"Nobody knows [the gangs]. They come around all the time," Abdi said. "It's you
who has to control yourself."
About 23 young Somali-Canadian men have died violently in Alberta in the past
five years.
Many like Abdinasir Abdulkadir Dirie, who grew up in Ontario before moving to
Alberta during the economic boom.
Dirie, 19, was found dead in a Fort McMurray apartment on MacDonald Avenue on
the morning of April 21.
An autopsy confirmed Dirie was a victim of a homicide, Wood Buffalo RCMP said.
While a few of the victims were not involved in crime, most faced charges or
convictions for drugs and weapons. Police believe many were involved in gangs.
Abdi said he knew some of the young Somali-Canadians who were killed.
GANGS PREY ON HOPELESS YOUNG SOMALI-CANADIANS
Dealing drugs wasn't part of their original plan, he said.
"They lose hope over their future," Abdi said. "[Their] parents aren't here for
them. So the boy just loses aspirations."
Ahmed Abdullahi, who works with Somali-Canadian high school students in
Edmonton, said gangs prey on hopeless, underprivileged young men with absent
fathers lost to divorce, long work hours or war back home in Somalia.
"What happens is they get exposed and they have a lot of freedoms," he said.
"And when they see they don't belong in the community, they find belonging in
other negative ways or [with] bad friends. Illegal activity comes from that
hopeless and poverty and lack of support from [their] fathers."
The province's Somali community must find solutions before things escalate,
Abdullahi said.
The problem is many Somali-Canadians are in denial, he said.
COMMUNITY CALLS FOR PROVINCIAL TASK FORCE
"Issues and challenges are shielded and protected because blame would be on the
community leaders," Abdullahi said.
But some Somali-Canadians have started to take action.
Alberta's Somali community has long called on police to do more to find those
responsible.
Community members have signed a petition calling on the Alberta government to
form a task force to find ways to solve the cases and prevent more deaths.
Edmonton police have reached out to the city's Somali community in hopes of
generating some leads. The police commission has also offered a $40,000 reward
for any tip that leads to a conviction.
So far, the Alberta government has rejected the idea of a task force, believing
it would cost too much and take too long to show results.
CORRECTIONS
* About 23 young Somali-Canadian men have been slain in Alberta in the past
five years, not 30 as previously reported.
May 12, 2010 9:50 AM MT
With files from Andrea Huncar
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|Report error
RELATED STORIES
* Soccer steers Somali-Canadians from gangs
* Violent deaths frustrate Alberta Somalis
* Fort McMurray death a homicide: RCMP
* Toronto man found dead in Alberta
* Somali families want justice for slain sons
* Alta. homicides worry Somali-Canadians
* Somali community frustrated by Edmonton killings
* Police, Somalis pledge unity
* Somali-Canadian shooting victim identified
FOOTER LINKS
MY ACCOUNT
* Profile
* CBC Gem
* Newsletters
* About CBC Accounts
CONNECT WITH CBC
* Facebook
* Twitter
* YouTube
* Instagram
* Mobile
* RSS
* Podcasts
CONTACT CBC
* Submit Feedback
* Help Centre
Audience Relations, CBC
P.O. Box 500 Station A
Toronto, ON
Canada, M5W 1E6
Toll-free (Canada only):
1-866-306-4636
ABOUT CBC
* Corporate Info
* Sitemap
* Reuse & Permission
* Terms of Use
* Privacy
* Jobs
* Our Unions
* Independent Producers
* Political Ads Registry
* AdChoices
SERVICES
* Ombudsman
* Corrections and Clarifications
* Public Appearances
* Commercial Services
* CBC Shop
* Doing Business with Us
* Renting Facilities
* Radio Canada International
* CBC Lite
ACCESSIBILITY
It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada
including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on
CBC Gem.
* About CBC Accessibility
* Accessibility Feedback
*
* ©2023 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved.
* Visitez Radio-Canada.ca
now
INFORMATION ABOUT COOKIES
Please know that cookies are required to operate and enhance our services as
well as for advertising purposes. We value your privacy. If you are not
comfortable with us using this information, please review your settings before
continuing your visit.
Learn moreClose
0