Ed Felien writes: > My understanding, from talking with Basim this morning, is that Basim wanted > the neighborhood organization to discuss and hopefully approve a small > change in one of his development projects. Many Somali businesspeople from > his Somali bazaar came to the meeting to hear the discussion and they wanted > to participate. They were continually ruled out of order by the Chair. > They were told they didn't understand Robert's Rules of Order. They got > frustrated. The chair got frustrated. Some Somalis were upset that they > were always asked to identify themselves with proper ID, but white people > walked into the room and were recognized and allowed to participate. There > were rules that said you had to attend a meeting before you could become a > member, but even Somalis that were members of the organization were forced > to show ID. They felt they were being racially discriminated against.
The Neighborhood had actually put the item on the agenda at the very beginning of the meeting at John Bergin's request, without any thing to do with Basim Sabri. Though Basim's story brings up an interesting thing. John Bergin (Bergin Fruit) has been presented as the owner of the "Market", now we hear Basim Sabri claims he owns it. What is the truth? Ed Felien says, "Many Somali businesspeople from his Somali bazaar came to the meeting to hear the discussion and they wanted to participate." Came from "HIS Somali bazaar"? I wonder what those people had been told before coming? I also wonder what John Bergin thinks? John told me at the meeting that Basim Sabri was not a partner in the business. Perhaps someone should tell one or the other who really owns and who really CONTROLS the "Village Market". John Bergin, who seems to be a sincere honest man, may be being taken advantage of. Basim and "Zippin Zack" have attempted such a takeover of a Ventura Village meeting once before, at that time Basim presented himself as being part of the "Development Team" with PPL and Steve Wash on the CVI project. (We have pictures of him on the podium with them when only the development team was allowed there.) I believe Basim's people lied to the Somali people about that meeting also. Many were angry that they were deceived into believing the housing was for them when in truth the housing would NOT be for them. The Chair attempted to explain the rules the meeting was being conducted under, but Basim Sabri and his minion "Zippin Zack" continually yelled and disrupted the meeting. The problem was not with the Somali people, the problem was with the Sabri's and Zack. Every time a Somali person attempted to ask a reasonable question Basim or Zack began screaming. At one time a Somali man made a motion that passed and the Sabri's were interrupting and screaming because it was not the motion they wanted. After the motion passed one of the Sabri's gave the interpreter a tongue lashing for not "interpreting" so the Somali people would vote against the Somali man. What had they ordered the interpreter to say or do? > At one point a Somali member called the question. The Chair ignored him. > Basim reminded the Chair that according to Robert's Rules of Order he was > required to allow the body to vote on whether to end debate. The Chair left > the room in a huff. At that point Basim thought the proper thing to do > would be to elect a new Chair. Eventually, Jim Graham talked to the Chair > and convinced him to go back in the room. This ended the election of a new > chair. But in a final act of frustration the Chair came over and screamed > at Zach Metoyer just inches away from his face. As I understand it, that > busted Zach's cool and Zach screamed back. At that point someone called the > police. To eliminate a source of tension, Zach willingly left the meeting. The following report of Basim's words bring up an interesting question, "At that point Basim thought the proper thing to do would be to elect a new Chair. Eventually, Jim Graham talked to the Chair and convinced him to go back in the room. This ended the election of a new chair." What gives Basim Sabri the power to conduct an election in a neighborhood where he does not live, or in an organization where he is not a member? It reminds me of a movie where the Mafia "Boss" does not like the "Union" vote so he orders the replacement of the leadership and has his own rigged election. Basim, with his minions, such as Zack, were able to pull the intimidation act successfully in Central. But they should not have bragged about it so much. I know it worked in Central, but Basim warned others with that takeover. How long before the City Council, the County Attorney, and the United States Attorney begin investigations into what Eddie Felien reports Basim admitted to him? Since I showed my Drivers License to get in, (and get a voting card), I am pretty sure I am the Jim Graham being referred to. As for as my talking Ray Peterson into coming back, that is not true. I told him that I believed people from the community and school had called the police. John Bergin may have had more to do with assuring Ray that there would be order than myself. I do not know. Zack's cool? Zack began his yelling from the beginning when Basim Sabri seemed to direct him. Ray Peterson never confronted Zack. During a break Robert Albee from American Indian Housing asked what Zack was doing acting like that in someone else's neighborhood. Zack became almost assaultive. Tony Collins from City County Credit Union commented afterwards that it was the first tome she ever saw someone stick his nose on someone's face, force them into the wall, and not let them off the wall, while all the time screaming "Get out of my face" as loud as he could for several minutes. Her question was "Where could he back up to?" Zack and Basim were clearly attempting to intimidate anyone who did not agree with them. Zack left because "the source of tension" for him appeared to be the very real possibility of going to jail. > Basim's "tactics" seem a lot more reasonable given the context. Reasonable in the context of attempting to intimidate and take over another Neighborhood for his own benefit? Possibly! > But, certainly, there seems to be room for more understanding and more > self-control on both sides of the debate. It is unfortunate that the first > taste of neighborhood democracy must have seemed bitter to the Somalis, and > it is unfortunate that the wonderful hard work that the people of Ventura > Village have done to improve their community is not widely known and > appreciated. And, it is doubly unfortunate that two groups who want to > improve their community seem to be at odds. Yes, there is a lot of room for more understanding at meetings. There is room for the Somali community to be empowered so they can independently participate. The chair of Ventura Village was attempting to do just that, explain the rules so that ALL people may have the opportunity to independently participate in meetings. Most of the Somali people attending the meetings are respectful, thoughtful people. They need an opportunity to independently participate. This was NOT the first time Somalis have participated at Ventura Village meetings. Mohamed A. Mohamed has been a Ventura Village Board member for several years. Hopefully he, and thoughtful people like Faysal Omar, will be at the next meeting to insure a better understanding. I do not believe there is anything more than misunderstanding of process causing problems between Ventura Village and any Somali people. That misunderstanding might create opportunities for disreputable people to take advantage, but that will go away as understanding increases. An example of such "coming together" was when I spoke supporting an elderly Somali man and his request that Ventura Village oppose all PPL actions until PPL begins to act as a good neighbor and stops discriminating against people. I said that even though I supported the specific project being brought forward that I believed Ventura Village should honor that fine gentleman's request. This brought a cheer from the Somalis in the audience and what I believe was a unanimous vote from the membership. The Somali people and Ventura Village are not at odds, we share the same interests. The Somali people are part of Ventura Village. Ventura Village wants to guarantee that Somali people are not being taken advantage of in their desire and eagerness to do business in our shared community. For that reason Ventura Village has attempted to encourage Somali people to Co-op own the buildings where they can have their shops and do business. Own and control them in order to avoid the exploitation that many suffer. Jim Graham, Ventura Village >"Cricket, if you can be patient in one moment of anger, you may avoid a hundred days of sorrow. In swallowing of one ounce of pride, you may allow the creation of several pounds of happiness." - TOE TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
