Quran Verse for Plaque Commemorating Ottawa Muslim Who Died in Police Custody
This verse from the Quran, chosen for the plaque commemorating the life and death of Abdirahman Abdi in Ottawa, Canada, is a specific choice: it is the Quranic verse enshrined at the entrance of the Harvard Law School library, described by the institution as one of the purest expressions of the concept of justice in the modern canon.
Justice—for Abdirahman, for the Somali community, and for Ottawa at large—was an inescapable presence at Monday night’s gathering marking the one-year anniversary of Abdi’s death. Dozens of people gathered together in Somerset Square Park, steps away from the entrance to 55 Hilda, where Abdi died while being arrested by Ottawa Police.
For many, it was simply a chance to stand together and support both the Somali community and the Abdi family. "The grief and shock we felt in the community,” said Coun. Jeff Leiper, "can only be a fraction of the grief and shock felt by the family and friends of Abdirahman.”
The rain, seemingly intensifying as the memorial went on, did little to hamper the spirit of the event; there were tents, and more than a few shared umbrellas.
There were those who spoke to justice in a literal sense, outlining what the Justice for Abdirahman coalition was doing and the progress they have made; some assured the crowd that justice would be served. Others spoke to justice more figuratively, as if the community’s resilience and coming together is a form of justice in and of itself.
"Tragedy,” said one speaker, "will never divide, but unite us.”
Source: metronews.ca
