Reference: Edmonton Somali group wants Harper’s help to prevent ISIS recruitment, Sept 24,2014
To: Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper
CC: Minister of Public Safety , Honourable Steven Blaney ,
Alberta premier, Honourable Jim Prentice,
Justice Minster, Honourable Minster Jonathan Denis,
Honourable Mayor Don Iveson,
Honourable Mayor Naheed Nenshi,
CC: All the Media Outlets (Global Edmonton, Global Calgary, CBC, Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun,
Edmonton Metro, Calgary Herald, Fort McMurray Today, CTV Edmonton)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Somali Canadians like all Canadians are committed to the safety and security of Canada. Somali Canadians are as much concerned if not more for the security of our nation, and will never allow anything that will compromise its safety.
We the Somali Canadian community in Alberta condemn ISIS’ and its heinous crime in the strongest term and we are asking our Canadian youth to refrain from joining this group. ISIS’ actions have never been representative nor in accordance to the teachings of Islam. This act of murder and destruction cannot be justified according to the faith (Islam) practiced by over 1.6 billion people.
There is no doubt the threat posed by ISIS is very real and its global phenomenon and this is an issue we all Canadians have to worry about. Criminals are criminal no matter what community they belong to. Yes there has been number of young Canadians from all sectors leaving their comfortable life and families here in Canada to join terrorist organization and this phenomenon is not isolated to one particular community.
As per CBC source, approximately 160 Canadians are known to be fighting with foreign militant organizations; only two were identified to have originated with the Somali Canadian youth (one from Calgary and one from Hamilton). That shows it is Canadian issue not particularly connected to particular community.
We are very disappointed with the media, especially the CBC, to have accepted the claims of this self-appointed individual without verifying his sources. The individual interviewed does not speak for our community instead he speaks for himself.
Mohammed Accord has no authority to speak on behalf of Somali Canadians in Alberta as he has no base within our community. His sole purpose of talking to the media has always been and will be to get funding from the government even if he has to lie to the government. He has no evidence of the numbers he mentioned to have travelled from Alberta as he claims.
We, the Somali Community in Alberta are asking the media to act responsibly and verify their sourced before to putting it to air or to refrain as this kind of news can create backlash against our children and families and add more to portray our Somali Canadian youth in negative way in our society at large without justification.
The organizations listed below are the ones that help the Somali Canadian community in Edmonton-Alberta with their day to day issue and have no relationship with the so called Canadian Somali Congress and the individual who gave the interview to CBC. The organizations listed share and work together with the law enforcement agencies and are very close to the youth, their parent and interact with them. Yet no parent or youth have approached any of the organization listed below reporting these kinds of issues.
Community Organizations
Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization (SCERDO).
Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton (SCCSE)
Tools for Humanity
Somaliland Cultural Association of Edmonton
Somali Canadian Woman and Children Association (SCWCA)
Somali Media Society Of Alberta
Somali Canadian Society of Calgary
Somali Canadian Association of Fort McMurray
Sahaba Mosque (Downtown Islamic Association)
