Canada defends refugee system as Somali immigrant charged in attack

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Canada defends refugee system as Somali immigrant charged in attack

By Ethan Lou

 

Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, 30, a Somali immigrant, is shown in this police booking photo provided in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 2, 2017. Sharif faces charges including five for attempted murder linked the weekend vehicle and knife attack that injured five including a police officer. Edmonton Police Department/Handout via REUTERS              

 

EDMONTON, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada defended its immigration and refugee vetting system on Monday after a Somali immigrant, who had drawn scrutiny for his alleged extremist views, was charged with attempted murder for a weekend vehicle and knife attack that injured five.

 

Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, 30, is accused of running down a police officer with his car in Edmonton, Alberta, and then stabbing him repeatedly. He then ran down four pedestrians during an attempt to evade capture.

 

Sharif faces 11 charges including five for attempted murder linked to the rampage in the western Canadian city on Saturday night and police said more charges could be laid.

 

He came to Canada in 2012 and was granted refugee status in the same year, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.

 

Though targeted in a probe two years ago for promoting extremist ideology, Sharif was deemed to pose no threat after what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) described on Sunday as an "exhaustive investigation."

 

Goodale said it would be wrong to blame the attack on any shortcomings in Canada's immigration and refugee vetting system.

 

"There’s absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever. The investigation is ongoing, but that conclusion is just not supported by the facts," Goodale told reporters in Ottawa.

 

Still, the attack could leave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau open to more criticism from conservatives for the welcoming message he extended to refugees earlier this year, after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries.

 

Canada has seen a surge in illegal border crossings this year as people fearing a U.S. immigration crackdown and possible deportation sought asylum.

 

Opposition Conservative parliamentarian Michelle Rempel said the incident raised questions about how police and immigration officials share information.

 

"If there are gaps in the system that allowed this to happen, what are we going to do to fix those?" Rempel asked in comments to Reuters.

 

Edmonton's refugee and Somali communities are bracing for a backlash in the wake of the attack, and met on Monday to discuss how to move forward, said Ahmed Abdulkadir, executive director of the Ogaden Somali Community of Alberta.

 

"We’ve been receiving phone calls from moms asking us what to do" and whether it's safe to send their children to school, Abdulkadir said.

 

Sharif's bail hearing was delayed until Tuesday but police released a photo of Sharif taken after his capture, showing a young man gazing directly at the camera, a large bruise on his forehead.

 

Karen King, one of Sharif's neighbours in an Edmonton, said he kept to himself and lived alone. Another, Jeff Dearman, said he played loud music and chanted sometimes.

 

"It was all normal other than that," Dearman said.

 

Two of the four people injured on Saturday remained in hospital, with one listed in serious condition, RCMP Superintendent Stacey Talbot told a news conference.

 

Despite the incident, Canada's government said it was keeping the terrorism threat level at medium, where it has been since late 2014 after two deadly attacks attributed to homegrown radicals. The incidents led to tougher new anti-terrorism measures.

 

In October, 2014, a gunman killed a soldier at Ottawa's national war memorial before launching an attack on the Canadian Parliament. In the same week, a man ran down two soldiers in Quebec, killing one.

 

(Additional reporting by Andrea Hopkins in Ottawa, Nia Williams in Calgary and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, Writing by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-03

[realenglish1]

Oh please The refugees that are being taken into Canada are some of the real scum of the earth

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

It's a very tough thing make a policy on. Canada and America were both built on immigration. It is has always been very easy to hate whichever new group was coming in, and many usually did and still do.

 

My Grandparents immigrated from the Ukraine in about 1912 (crossed the same time the Titanic sunk). When they settled in Saskatchewan there were many other people (also immigrants) that weren't happy to have Ukrainians invading their country too. 

 

It is human nature to fear what is different and hate what we don't understand.

 

Yes, we need to do everything to keep religious lunatics out. 

 

But there will always be lunatics that live among us, what happened in Las Vegas is a clear example.

 

I don't have the answers either just some thoughts.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

European immigrants in the 20th century to North America largely strove to integrate.

No welfare state.  The best of today's wave  largely have no intention other that getting all the benefits they are entitled to while expecting accommodation to their customs no matter how alien. Trying to remake Canada/US in the model of the <deleted>-holes they fled. The worst actual subversives biting the hand that feeds them with attacks in the name of a medieval religion.

[kwonitoy]

48 minutes ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

It's a very tough thing make a policy on. Canada and America were both built on immigration. It is has always been very easy to hate whichever new group was coming in, and many usually did and still do.

 

My Grandparents immigrated from the Ukraine in about 1912 (crossed the same time the Titanic sunk). When they settled in Saskatchewan there were many other people (also immigrants) that weren't happy to have Ukrainians invading their country too. 

 

It is human nature to fear what is different and hate what we don't understand.

 

Yes, we need to do everything to keep religious lunatics out. 

 

But there will always be lunatics that live among us, what happened in Las Vegas is a clear example.

 

I don't have the answers either just some thoughts.

My Great grandparents also came from Ukraine, generation earlier, Also homesteaded in Sask.

When I asked my greatuncle where them came from in Ukraine at a family gathering he got quite upset. Forget that place he yelled we are CANADIANS now

Problem with a lot of immigrants, they want to import there culture and lifestyle and forget about the integrating part. 

 

I'm from Edmonton but live in Thailand now, I'm used to being a minority here

Last year on a visit home staying with my brother is northern Edmonton I felt out of place, a minority in my old hometown, and when I left I told my brother it's only a matter of time untill something happens. 14 months later.............

[phantomfiddler]

Why not save everyone a lot of money and just ship him back to where he came from ?

[lovelomsak]

1 hour ago, kwonitoy said:

My Great grandparents also came from Ukraine, generation earlier, Also homesteaded in Sask.

When I asked my greatuncle where them came from in Ukraine at a family gathering he got quite upset. Forget that place he yelled we are CANADIANS now

Problem with a lot of immigrants, they want to import there culture and lifestyle and forget about the integrating part. 

 

I'm from Edmonton but live in Thailand now, I'm used to being a minority here

Last year on a visit home staying with my brother is northern Edmonton I felt out of place, a minority in my old hometown, and when I left I told my brother it's only a matter of time untill something happens. 14 months later.............

I was raised in southern Alberta. I remember how Ukraine and other European family's came to Canada after WW2. They integrated quickly. Hard working honest people. We were good to them and they showed their appreciation by becoming good Canadians.. 

  I know of land owners back then giving land to immigrants to build their houses. that land now is worth a lot at the time it was just what was needed to give the family a start .Back then it was simpler and people were more humanitarian.

  But now the immigrants appear to see Canadians as a soft touch.  And they bring their way of living with them. The crime rate rises,welfare cases are rampant etc. the new immigrant is not like those of the past. If they were there would be no problems. 

[Stargeezr]

Let you commenters forget, Canada and USA were mostly founded by Christian Immigrants from Europe and such. Some of these Muslim Islamist refugees have a hate on for non Muslims and are easily  changed in their thinking to feel that they hae to kill to be happy. The term used is radicalized but I think it is deeper than that.  Of course I am a Christian who just does not get what the

government is trying to make us believe.

Geezer

[simple1]

6 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Let you commenters forget, Canada and USA were mostly founded by Christian Immigrants from Europe and such. Some of these Muslim Islamist refugees have a hate on for non Muslims and are easily  changed in their thinking to feel that they hae to kill to be happy. The term used is radicalized but I think it is deeper than that.  Of course I am a Christian who just does not get what the

government is trying to make us believe.

Geezer

 

The same "Christians" who implemented the Manifest Destiny policy - LOL

[farang62]

Quote

The term "Manifest Destiny," which American writer John L. O'Sullivan coined in 1845, describes what most 19th-Century Americans believed was their God-given mission to expand westward, occupy a continental nation, and extend U.S. constitutional government to unenlightened peoples.May 5, 2017

 

Many explanations, google "Manifest Destiny,"  an interesting read and many opinions!

 

 

[Scott]

Baiting post removed.  

[Stargeezr]

I heard that this refugee was also a refugee in the USA but came up to Canada as the USA did not

want him. He should have been sent back to Africa from the USA, not allowed to escape to Canada

where he did this crime.

Geezer

[LammyTS1]

 

Wow. He came from Somalia(which is on USA's travel ban list) & was promoting extremist ideology. How can the RCMP possibly conclude no threat?

Edited October 5, 2017 by LammyTS1

[canuckamuck]

If put to a vote, there is no way Canadians would be in favor of this style of immigration.

Edited October 5, 2017 by canuckamuck