If you go through the community and ask, they will tell you a variety of reasons. One thing I see is that the communities before us had maybe one common issue, so they could successfully integrate into the larger community. Maybe the Vietnamese sort of shared the mainstream identity in terms of faith or another issue that is acceptable. Maybe the Lebanese had a shared faith, but the colour issue came in.
When I ask the community the reason, there are two things. First, we are mostly Muslim--97% or 98%--and second, we are African. Those two--colour and faith--become issues. That means that for the majority of people who are here—we are the largest African diaspora in Canada—nothing has been done to address some of the issues that keep us from becoming Canadians.
What usually happened in Ontario, Quebec, and B.C., where we landed when we came to Canada, was that we were offered services that were culturally appropriate. They were only good for the first five years. What happened next is where the rubber meets the road, which means that nothing has been done in that sense. After 20 years, even though they have been Canadian, when they move outside Ontario and that comfort zone of large, ethnically diverse cities, how do they replace it? What do you have? You are still Somali, even though you've been here for 20 years. And you're afraid that you won't be accepted by Canadians, because Canadians are mostly of cultures based on Judeo-Christian faiths. For me, I cannot call myself a Muslim unless I practise my faith. I have to pray five times a day. Otherwise, I am not Muslim.
What I eat is a challenge. It is a socio-economic issue, because where I shop, it is 25% higher than the grocery stores. So in terms of fitting in....
As well, when we look at those people from other ethnic communities who are involved in the drug trade, usually it is about belonging. That is not the case in our community. The other thing is that it is not about social status within the community. We have people who are very successful and are, I could say, more than middle class. But their kid is still involved in...the issue of the people who could recruit at al-Shabaab. So I think, if that's the case, what I'm saying to you is a lack of integration.