If this is the same meeting that I remember having attended, it was not Basim Sabri, it was his brother, Omar Sabri. It is Omar that has a Somali Bazaar within the limits of Ventura Village, not Basim.
Connie Nompelis Ventura Village --- Ed Felien <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > What did happen at Ventura Village the evening that > Basim Sabri and Zack > Metoyer tried to "take over the meeting?" > > 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. > > 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. > > Basim's "tactics" seem a lot more reasonable given > the context. > > 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. > > Ed Felien > Powderhorn > > > 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 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com 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
