Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Ahmed Nur Ali

Sad news out of Minneapolis.


From Allah we come and to Allah do we return.



From the depths of civil war

to apartments in the sky

a boy turned into a man

and at twenty, he did die.



For what? A girl asked simply.

A newsman filmed her sigh.

Viewers watched and observed,

"Somalis sure did multiply."



They didn't see the bravery

he had to hope and to dream

to study hard and make good;

to maintain some self-esteem.




He wanted just to give back;

to mentor a younger one,

they were the last to see him

he was shot down with a gun.



Who could Ahmed have become?

God, why did it have to be?

A college freshman is gone

His family in misery.



Pray for Ahmed Nur Ali

who started today in prayer

his first day as a tutor

His sad death was most unfair.





9/23 Fear, Questions after Augsberg Student Ambushed
11/7 This would have been Ahmed Nur Ali's birthday. Though, in Islam, we don't celebrate birthdays (only the two eids), it is a time to remember young man who can never grow older.
I talk about him in my class every time some child pretends to play guns.

"Guns hurt people. We come here in peace, so no guns!"
Inshahallah, there doesn't have to be more bloodshed in the world among Somali youth.