Montreal’s Maghrebi communities concerned about teens in street gangs

Leaders in Montreal’s Muslim and Maghrebi communities are speaking out about their concerns of teenagers being recruited into street gangs after the recent death of a 14-year-old from Montreal who was found dead near a Hells Angels club in Quebec’s Beauce region. 

Reports suggest that before the 14-year-old was allegedly killed, he travelled from Montreal with an AK-47-style assault rifle with another minor – as members of a street gang – to attack the Hells Angels club amidst a drug war. 

“Why was he there? What was he doing? Who pushed him to be there? Who gave him the weapon? Who paid him? Who incited? Who encouraged him? And we are still waiting for answers,” said Imam Hassan Guillet, a Quebec imam.

This is just one example of minors allegedly doing work for a street gang in the Montreal area, there are many more say community members.

“It could be fraud, it could be breaking and entering, it could be stealing vehicles, spotting them, stealing them, transporting them. It could be selling drugs. In the case of young girls, it could be prostitution,” said Nazar Saaty, a Montreal lawyer who works with young criminal offenders.

Two people – who want to remain anonymous because they provide services for vulnerable teenagers and their parents in Saint-Leonard – suggest that it’s often money as well as a feeling of belonging that attracts minors to street gangs.

“They want to look for easy money, quickly. And where we are going to find easy money and a lot of money, it is at this gang,” said a coordinator for the Bureau Associatif pour la Diversité et la Réinsertion (B.A.D.R.).

“The belonging side, perhaps teenagers, young people are in this search for identity, are in this search for belonging. And sometimes, they actually find in this group elements that allow them to satisfy that,” said a volunteer youth worker also with B.A.D.R.

There are now calls for the provincial and federal governments to do more to help stop teenagers from being involved with street gangs. 

“Governments, they have the police corps, they have specialists, and they have their program. They should realize that it’s about time to do something serious,” said Imam Guillet.

“There is injustice, there is inequality. So young people, they are trying to have their place, but they don’t know how. Unfortunately, there are many challenges for young people here, especially young immigrants,” explained Hadjira Belkacem, the president and founder of the Muslim Sepulcher Association of Quebec.

Montreal lawyer Nazar Saaty adds that adults recruiting minors into street gangs should face steeper penalties rather than having more severe consequences for young offenders.

“If we let this continue without any intervention, and if everyone keeps pointing fingers at each other while criminals laugh at us, while we squabble, they’re united and they’re doing their thing, pretty soon in a year from now or two years from now, I think we’re going to reach very, very high levels of violence,” said Saaty, adding, “and maybe at that point it’ll be too late to act.”