A violent assault and subsequent death of a 27-year-old Ethiopian man, Ali Ahmed Mohammed, occurred in Washington D.C. on October 15, 2010 at the hands of the owner and four employees of the popular DC nightclub, DC 9. Mr. Mohammed was said to not have been allowed into the club because it was closed. Out of anger, he threw a rock into the window and fled.
The owner and four of his employees chased him down the street, threw him to the ground and savagely beat him and stomped on his head and body. He died soon after. This unfortunate occurrence is highly unacceptable, and the case as it unfolds will be closely watched by many from around the world.
This unfortunate occurrence which is a case of vigilante justice will be heavily scrutinized, because although Ali Mohammed may be an immigrant, the power of the Ethiopian community is not to be underestimated. They are a united, organized and well funded group in the DC area, and they will ensure that this case is not swept under the rug.
A question that comes to mind is, had Ali been a Caucasian would his treatment have been the same or different? You can answer that question yourself; however, it is no secret that black immigrants in America often bear most negative occurrences that happen to them in silence.
Their thoughts and actions are not unfounded, more often than not, once it is known that one is an immigrant of colour, you are stereotyped as someone who can be taken advantage of. Because of this many immigrants don’t report their problems and many unscrupulous people to take advantage of them. They turn the other cheek, because they often don’t get justice or other issues such as their immigration status, which they don’t want disclosed, may be called to question.
Thankfully this is not the situation in this case. Though Ali shouldn’t have thrown a rock through the club’s window, and I don’t believe the perpetrators of the crime meant to kill him, they probably only meant to teach him a lesson by chasing him down and making him pay for the broken window, however, things quickly got out of hand. This is a civilized society and both parties were wrong, however, because he lost his life they must be punished.
The question I have for all of the people concerned is was it worth it? What would it have cost Ali to go home if he wasn’t allowed into the club? It definitely wouldn’t have cost him his life. How much would the replacement glass have cost the nightclub? That’s if the establishment’s insurance didn’t cover it. Now so much time, effort and money will be spent on the events that will follow this occurrence, just because all concerned, including Ali, don’t have enough anger management skills to enable them to take the time to think and count the cost of their actions before acting.
This just goes to show that a moment of thoughtlessness can lead to a lifetime of regret. As you read you read this, please be committed to being a peacemaker and thinking things through before acting. Even the bible states in Mathew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. A word is enough for the wise......
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