Press Release
For immediate release
Friday, January 16, 2009\
The Canadian Somali Congress is deeply concerned by comments that have appeared in a recent Maclean's magazine news article written by Mr. Jonathon Gatehouse on Monday, January 12, 2009 titled "This cabbie hunts pirates " (source: http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/01/12/this-cabbie-hunts-pirates). While we have no problem with the various issues covered by this article, we are very concerned about comments attributed to Mr. Osman Ali of the Somali-Canadian Association of Etobicoke. In the article, Mr. Osman Ali is quoted as saying "They are all here in Canada—the government, the pirates, the terrorists." Mr. Osman is also quoted as saying "They go back and forth, especially around election time."
It is the opinion of the Canadian Somali Congress that such a blanket statement about Canadian Somalis is harmful to a community that continues to face many challenges. To our knowledge, there is no clear evidence that has been provided to support this serious allegation. Canadian Somalis value the peace and tranquility that they continue to enjoy in Canada. They would certainly not tolerate anyone or anything that jeopardizes the security of this country. We desire to live in harmony with other Canadians especially given the fact that we have experienced a civil war and the attending consequences.
It is the opinion of the Canadian Somali Congress that if Mr. Osman Ali has detailed knowledge of the presence of pirates and terrorists who go back and forth then he has an obligation as a Canadian citizen to bring this information to the attention of Canadian security agencies. These agencies have the mandate to look into matters relating to security in Canadian communities. However, it is also our opinion that if Mr. Osman Ali does not have any credible information or evidence to back up his comments, then such serious unsubstantiated allegations only cause further harm to the community.
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