From: The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples/Somalis/John Sorenson
Somali community leaders are concerned that Somalis in Canada suffer from negative stereotyping because of the images of war and famine in Somalia that have been presented in the mass media and also because of the illegal activities of a few individuals in the Somali community in Canada. They note that some Somalis had been involved in welfare fraud in Canada, and they are concerned that this will colour the view of other Canadians towards the entire Somali population. Others leaders have suggested that Somalis entered a society in which negative stereotypes regarding black people already existed and that they are thus in a disadvantaged position regardless of their actual behaviour. The belief that Canadians of other backgrounds dislike Somalis appears to be widespread.
Tensions were exacerbated by the actions of Canadian military personnel who served in Somalia in 1992–95. Racists and members of neo-Nazi groups such as the Aryan Nations were discovered in the Canadian Airborne Regiment and a number of its soldiers were found guilty of the torture of prisoners and the murder of a Somali civilian, Shidane Arone, although only one soldier, Private Kyle Brown, was imprisoned. The Airborne Regiment was eventually disbanded, but many members of the Somali community regarded its activities as evidence of widespread racism in Canada. At a public inquiry into the regiment’s actions in Somalia, Isaac Sechere, lawyer for the Coalition of Somali Canadian Organizations, charged that six Somali civilians had been killed by Canadian troops and suggested that evidence existed of other atrocities. In 1997 the inquiry was ordered by the government to conclude its work even though it had not finished its investigation of events in Somalia.
As recent arrivals in Canada, Somalis settled in somewhat isolated communities and have remained within them, engaged in the first stages of the difficult process of establishing themselves in conditions that are vastly different from their homeland, and under circumstances of financial, legal, and psychological stress. There are also a number of other factors that limit their interaction with other Canadian communities. These include linguistic and religious differences, as well as racism and the expectation of racism. For some Somalis who are strongly religious, there is a desire to create an Islamic environment separate from what they perceive as the decadence of Canadian society. Some contacts have been created with other Muslim communities, such as Pakistanis, through attendance at shared religious facilities, but these interactions are limited to the religious sphere and have not led to any sustained joint activities.
Relations between Somalis and members of other ethnic groups who have come to Canada from the Horn of Africa do not appear to be extensive. Somalia and Ethiopia were at war in 1977–78 over disputed claims to the Ogaden region, and refugees flowed across the border in both directions. Although some individual friendships exist between Somalis and Eritreans, there has been no joint activity at a broader level. There are also cultural links between the Somalis and the Oromos, particularly those living in the eastern part of Ethiopia, but their political relationship has been inconsistent and convoluted, and there has been no attempt on the part of the two groups to initiate community interaction in Canada.
