On Saturday, August 20th, community members are encouraged to attend the Run for the Horn Marathon and BBQ at Britannia Beach to raise awareness about mental health issues in Ottawa and to raise funds to support the Habeeb Mental Health Foundation in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Muslim Link interviewed the team behind this event.
The Justice for Abdirahman Coalition is asking that members of the community contact their elected representatives at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels by September 5th to demand justice for Abdirahman Abdi.
The following is the statement released by the Justice for Abdirahman Abdi Coalition on August 14th at the City of Ottaa where several reccommendations were made to various government institutions in relation to this case.
To learn more about the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition visit their website here.
This is the Canadian Somali Mothers’ Association’s official statement regarding the vicious killing of Abdirahman Abdi by Ottawa Police Officers on Sunday, July 24 th , 2016, and the impact of the killing on the Ottawa Black Community.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatulaahi wa Barakatuhu
To our valued Somali Community of Ottawa,
On this most difficult time in our community, the Ottawa Police Service would like to express our sincere condolences first to Abdirahman Abdi’s family ( inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon) and to the entire Somali Community in Ottawa.
Hundreds gathered on Tuesday for a vigil in memory of Abdirahman Abdi in front of his home on Hilda Street.
“Racism in the Ummah”, a short film by a group of students from the University of Ottawa, received an Honourable Mention at the University of Ottawa Muslim Students’ Association (UOMSA) Film Festival in February.
Somali Canadian Abdirizak Mohamud has been a foster parent with the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa for over 10 years, during which time he has fostered over 15 children. The majority of these children have been from Muslim backgrounds. Muslim Link interviewed Abdirizak about his experience as a foster parent and why more Muslim foster parents are needed in Ottawa.
The Awakening: Reviving the Spirit of Somali Youth Conference has grown into an annual event that celebrates the achievements of Somali Canadians while also providing a platform to discuss community challenges. The conference returns for its fifth year on Saturday, January 30th.
Somali Canadian Mahdi Hassan studies Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ottawa. He plans to pursue a career in pediatric medicine. In his teens, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Muslim Link attended this year’s I.LEAD Conference and asked participants to reflect on what community means to them. Here is a response from Somali Canadian Faisa Omar, a graduate student in neuroscience, who regularly does photography and videography for community events and Muslim Link's A Muslim History of Ottawa, volunteers with Ottawa Islamic School, and runs a weekend duqsi (Quran School in Somali) in her home for neighbourhood children.