On Wednesday, February 24th, 2016 our cousins Taha Omar and Muhannad Tairab, and their friend Adam Mekki were tragically and gruesomely murdered execution style in their hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our families had fled genocide and violence in Africa so their kids - us - could have a safer and brighter future, but as their passing shows even in America there can be great risks, especially for refugee families.

#OurThreeBrothers

All three young men - our three brothers - Taha, Adam and Muhannad were just starting their adult lives. Like most young men, they hung out with friends and enjoyed having a good time; they went to school, were ambitious and were working for a brighter future. They were not into drugs, gangs or any type of violence, making their brutal murders all the more difficult to understand.

Taha: A friend to everyone

Taha Omar was just 23 years old, a beloved brother to his siblings and a friend to everyone he met. Taha did not have any enemies, he found time to help anyone that needed help. Taha was always a happy person, forever smiling and brightening everyone's day. His death came as a great shock to his mother and sister, leaving them hospitalized.

Adam: Bringing joy to others

Adam Mekki was the friend with a sense of humor that was friends with everyone. His presence was filled with positivity and he always made everyone laugh. His death has brought shock and confusion to his friends and family. He was not the type to hurt others or have enemies. He was the funny and respectful guy that got along with everyone.Adam Mekki, just a few days shy of his 21st birthday, was a source of happiness to his mother and siblings. Adam was a devout Christian and lived his life as such.

Muhannad: Studious & loyal

Muhannad Tairab was the youngest one. He attended school and returned back home. He supported himself by working close to home. He was quiet and he was not the type to agitate others. Muhannad was studious and wanted to make something great of himself and was excited to be going back to school. He was the sweet and kind kid who will do anything to uplift your day.

The struggles of immigrant families

Unlike many young men, though, Taha, Adam and Muhannad had great responsibilities with their families and worked in order to support them. They also worked together to help one another, because it is really difficult to be a refugee/immigrant in America.  As African immigrants in America, finding the proper resources to help a family adapt to life in America and the American lifestyle proved to be an obstacle. Only being able to speak their mother tongue and no hint of English, these kids had to struggle to be understood through a language barrier. With the stereotype that “Africans stink” being the first thing they are faced with upon telling people they are from Africa and bullied because they didn’t have a voice, the kids had to fight to establish that they weren’t afraid. For the girls wearing hijabs, a religious garment, they were often pulled from their heads, over and over again. It was not a strange occurrence to go home crying day after day. School became a mandatory nightmare. The bullying would continue for years until little by little, they were able to learn English, able to make friends, and able to speak up. Even then, “Africans stink” and various slurs followed them throughout their school careers. Some started to make sure that they were not associated with anything African in public. Not their African clothes, their African culture nor speaking their language in public. All they wanted was to fit in, and nobody would accept them as they were. So they had to find a balance of what society would accept and what could be tolerated from their culture.

            The parents focused more on the girls than the boys. They had heard horror stories of other girls “going bad,” and they did not want to let that happen to their daughters. So they directed all their energy to raising their daughters “properly,” restricting them from after school activities, making sure we were home at all times, if not at school, and making sure we were focused on our schoolwork. This left the boys without much guidance from their parents, resulting in finding older male friends that could maybe be role models as well friends that they looked upto. It’s safe to say that some of those “friends” would only lead to trouble down the road. The young men had to find their niches, be it good or bad, a place to fit in so they could be regarded as cool, tough, and ready to be there for their friends no matter what. They started focusing on buying the latest fashion, the newest shoes, the coolest electronics. They did what they could to be considered one of the guys. There was a very narrow box of what could be acceptable for them to be and they had to conform to it in order to survive being a growing teenager in America.

            These families come to this country expecting peace, expecting acceptance, and expecting a chance to show the world what they can be. Instead, they are bullied from a young age because of their origins and shunned until they change to what is “acceptable.” They grow up having dreams of changing the world, despite all that they have faced, and remain optimistic despite the harshness of reality. Unlike many young men, though,Taha, Adam and Muhannad had great responsibilities with their families and worked in order to support them. They also worked together to help one another, because of the harsh reality of being an immigrant in America. Separate from the struggles of adjusting to a different culture and country, we also deal with the realities of overcoming economic obstacles. Having parents who are uneducated, unable to speak English, and are unable to find a decent job, we faced the pressure and reality of caring for our families.

In a country where freedom is preached constantly and acceptance daily, these kids found that their culture was unacceptable, their religion viewed as a reason to hate them, and now, their lives not good enough for the greater America to mourn them. Our brothers could have been somewhere different. They could have been in a place where it was safe for them and others around them. They could have been gathered together with all other like them who have aspirations and goals to accomplish. They could have been together motivating, helping and shaping each others focus in life. The outcome for the immigrant families and youth in the community could have been different if the opportunities for improvement are present. The past cannot be changed but the future of our community can be changed. Our community can be different and a little brighter with your help. 

Family support & a youth center