The Feline Warrior

​ To Mr. Jaylani Hussein, Director of CAIR-Minnesota:

Please allow me to address some of the remarks you recently made regarding the shooting that occurred on December 30, 2020, involving the Minneapolis Police Department and Mr. Dolal Idd.

The Holy Quran requires everyone to always “speak the truth” (33:70), admonishing that “if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do” (4:135). Indeed, I am certain that you, as a religious man, would also undoubtedly abide by this principle, believing that loyalty to truth and facts is one of our utmost moral obligations. And, just like you yourself said at the scene of the shooting, “We want immediately, first of all, the narrative to be clear. We don’t want to paint a picture that is not true or not reflective or creates a great deal of ambiguity.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

In the CAIR press release, you claimed that “The video released today is inconclusive and warrants an independent and transparent investigation. We must see all the videos and we demand justice for Dolal Idd.” While an independent and transparent investigation is already underway — as it should be every time an incident like this occurs — I cannot help but feel quite bewildered by your claim that the video released is “inconclusive.”

In light of an uncompromisable need to preserve the integrity of the investigation, it is not legally possible to make the full-length body-cam video footage available to the general public immediately after the incident; but the most crucial portion of the footage, already released and viewed by many, is far from “inconclusive.” In fact, it is abundantly clear and obvious to any reasonable person.

Objective evidence such as video footage does not lie. In sharp contrast to how the infamous, repugnant cell phone video shows that Mr. George Floyd was murdered by a felonious criminal who abused his authority as a police officer, this video proves beyond all doubts that, consistent with initial police statements, it is indeed Mr. Dolal Idd who produced a handgun and opened fire first, proven by the puff of smoke seen near his gun muzzle.

It should be common sense that anyone who aims a firearm at and fires upon an armed, trained and competent police officer anywhere on this planet will prompt the officer to return fire in self-defense. I fail to think of even one jurisdiction — whether in the United States or Somalia (Mr. Idd’s birthplace) — in which behavior exhibited by Mr. Idd would be considered legally or morally acceptable. And if you disagree, perhaps you may enlighten me as to how, in your opinion, should the policeman have conducted himself instead?

You also commented that “They say that was gunfire exchange, but we’ve noticed that gunfire exchange between White police officers and White victims [sic] usually ends up in nobody dying.” Once again, I am rather puzzled by such observations you made, and cannot help but wonder whether — with all due respect — you reached this conclusion based upon misinformed and misled opinions, rather than objective and verifiable facts.

The Star Tribune, the largest newspaper in your state, maintains a database of every Minnesotan who died following interactions of any kind with law enforcement officers. The database lists about 200 deaths since the beginning of this century, averaging 10 deaths per year among 5,639,632 Minnesotans; notably, there are twice as many White deaths as Blacks, and nearly all deaths (97%) are male. Now, considering also the fact that over 100 police officers have been shot and killed in the state of Minnesota alone, the claim that an exchange of gunfire involving Whites “usually ends up in nobody dying” becomes self-evidently false.

Last but not least, you stated that “When it comes to Black people, it doesn’t matter if you have a gun. You could have a wallet and you’re gonna get shot.”

While I cannot think of such an incident in Minnesota, I am however reminded of a shooting in 2017 also involving the Minneapolis Police Department, resulting in the death of Mrs. Justine Damond, née Ruszczyk. Hearing her neighbor’s screams at midnight, a concerned Mrs. Damond promptly called 9-1-1 to report a suspected crime in progress; yet, incredibly, even though nothing was concealed in her hands or her pajamas — not a gun, and not even a wallet — she was nevertheless shot and killed by Officer Mohamed Noor merely seconds after his arrival. (As a matter fact, he shot at a “silhouette” of her, pulling the trigger before even having a clear view of his target.)

Curiously, to this day, the CAIR has somehow never commented a single word on this incident — certainly not immediately after the shooting occurred, as the CAIR did in the case of Mr. Idd; and certainly never called for Officer Noor to be brought to justice.

I wonder what the reason could be, Mr. Hussein. Surely it can’t be due to the fact that Mrs. Damond was White and Officer Noor is a Somali Muslim, can it?