 |  |  |  |  |  |
| WIMAM ADMINISTRATION 2006 - 2008 |
| LATEST NEWS IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD |
| SERVICES FOR MEMBERS |
| Copyright © 2006 The Wisconsin Mandingo Association of Milwaukee ( WIMAM ) Inc. All rights reserved. |
| AFFILIATES LINKS |
| MEDIA LINKS |
| THIS SITE IS SPONSORED BY: |
| Omu Afracan Hair Braiding 6439 West North Ave. (414) 443-3200 |
| Shiama African Hair Braiding 5321 West Lisbon Ave. (414) 447-6240 |
| Fatima's African Hair Braiding 5617 West North Ave. (414)871-8774 |
| Safee African Hair Braiding 4715 West Burleigh St. (414)445-1672 |
| Oumou Professional Hair Braiding 3801 West Vliet St. (414)391-8417 |
| CLUB TIMBUKTU African Night Club And Restaurant 520 East Center Street Minutes From Down Town Milwaukee |
| BACK STORIES |
| FREE TRANSLATION SERVICES OFFERED BY Abraham A.S. Bility FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL (414) 467-7555 Services include: Mandingo to English French to English And verse-versa We also review immigration cases and give prompt advice |
| Alpha African Hair Braiding 4107 West North Ave. (414)442-9292 cell (414)416-0522 |
| PRESIDENT Mamadee Konneh |
| VICE PRESIDENT Assata Sheriff |
| SECRETARY GENERAL Morris M. Kromah |
| Arts & Culture |
| ARTICLE |
| Abraham Kromah Speech WIMAM Inauguration |
| Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Bility |
| ANNOUNCEMENTS |
| Thus the wheels of this discussion have been set in motion once again, seeking not only to defame Islam but even more specifically to erode the very identity of the Muslim woman. BY: Bro. Akim @MMA |
| Let us come together as one and let go our differences. By: Mr. Mamadee Konneh, WIMAM's President, July 9, 2006 |
It has been said and as we all are aware, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”. Why can't we be good listeners and allow others to express their opinions? I would like to point out some issues that are affecting our community, and my administration will do every thing to solve this dispute if Allah’s agree. |
March 12, 2007
Hundreds of mourners, many kneeling in prayer on tarps and newspapers, lined the street outside a mosque Monday during
the tear-filled funeral for the 10 African immigrants, nine of them children, killed in the city's deadliest fire in two decades.
Eight tiny caskets were brought into the mosque one at a time. One coffin held 7-month-old twins. All the plain, unfinished
caskets were pointed toward Mecca in adherence to Islamic traditions.
"I haven't stopped crying yet," said Ethel Hogue, 63, who was among those gathered outside the mosque. "You understand
with adults, but children who haven't had a chance. The whole area is numb. We just can't believe this has happened."
Thursday's early morning fire, apparently caused by a space heater, roared through a row house shared by two families from
the west African nation of Mali. Twenty-two people lived in the home, 17 of the children. As smoke and flames quickly spread,
a woman threw two children out of an upstairs windows to men on the ground. Three remain hospitalized.
Monday's funeral was closed to the public, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from filling nearby streets to pay their
respects.
Mosque leaders put down blue plastic tarps so Muslim mourners could kneel and pray for the victims. Worshippers who did
not fit on the tarps placed their prayer rugs directly on the street or knelt on newspapers.
When the call to prayer was given before the funeral, hundreds of worshippers outdoors began standing, kneeling and
prostrating themselves in unison.
Moussa Magassa and Mamadou Soumare _ the two fathers of the children _ joined other family members at the service.
Imam Konate Souleimane said family members "came to us and said 'don't cry.' They said 'we know God did it.' They have a
strong belief."
The funeral "was really something," Souleimane said. "I don't know how to describe it. People crying, making prayers, giving
donations."
After the ceremony, pallbearers carried the caskets out of the mosque toward a procession of waiting hearses. The bodies of
Magassa's five children _ ranging in age from 1 to 7 _ were then taken to a Muslim cemetery in New Jersey for burial;
Soumare's four children _ from 7 months to 7 years old _ and wife will be flown back to Mali, the victims' homeland.
One woman sobbed as the hearses passed. Fatoumata Sylla said she also hailed from Mali and knew the families.
"They're all children. They didn't do anything in life. They didn't see anything. They didn't do anything to God. Everybody has
to go, but it's too early for them," she said, trying to dry her tears.
The fire has prompted a huge outpouring of support among New Yorkers. The family received nearly $200,000 in donations,
and took up Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on his offer to pay for the funeral. The victims lived just a few blocks from
Yankee Stadium.
The family also accepted the offer from Air France to fly the victims' bodies to Mali. Other donations included a contractor's
offer to rebuild the ravaged house, free of charge.
The emotional service attracted many strangers who never knew the families.
"I was home watching the news and I felt I just had to be here," said Clinton Makel, who stood in a barricaded area about two
blocks from the mosque. "I don't know them, but I feel like I know them. I was born and raised in the Bronx and I'm just so sad
for the families."
Several dignitaries also visited the mosque to pay their respects, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mayor Michael
Bloomberg.
Hospital officials said the three surviving fire victims were improving. The Magassas' 6-year-old daughter was upgraded to
good condition Monday. Two other members of the Magassa family, ages 5 and 23, have been upgraded to fair condition.
The immigration status of the surviving family members has emerged as a potential problem. Rep. Jose Serrano of the Bonx
said it was not clear whether some family members would be allowed to go to Mali for the burials and then return to the U.S.
because they may be here illegally. He was trying to address the problem with the State Department.
The blaze was New York City's deadliest since a 1990 fire at a Bronx social club killed 87 people.
Hundreds of mourners, many kneeling in prayer on tarps and newspapers, lined the street outside a mosque Monday during
the tear-filled funeral for the 10 African immigrants, nine of them children, killed in the city's deadliest fire in two decades.
Eight tiny caskets were brought into the mosque one at a time. One coffin held 7-month-old twins. All the plain, unfinished
caskets were pointed toward Mecca in adherence to Islamic traditions.
"I haven't stopped crying yet," said Ethel Hogue, 63, who was among those gathered outside the mosque. "You understand
with adults, but children who haven't had a chance. The whole area is numb. We just can't believe this has happened."
Thursday's early morning fire, apparently caused by a space heater, roared through a row house shared by two families from
the west African nation of Mali. Twenty-two people lived in the home, 17 of the children. As smoke and flames quickly spread,
a woman threw two children out of an upstairs windows to men on the ground. Three remain hospitalized.
Monday's funeral was closed to the public, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from filling nearby streets to pay their
respects.
Mosque leaders put down blue plastic tarps so Muslim mourners could kneel and pray for the victims. Worshippers who did
not fit on the tarps placed their prayer rugs directly on the street or knelt on newspapers.
When the call to prayer was given before the funeral, hundreds of worshippers outdoors began standing, kneeling and
prostrating themselves in unison.
Moussa Magassa and Mamadou Soumare _ the two fathers of the children _ joined other family members at the service.
Imam Konate Souleimane said family members "came to us and said 'don't cry.' They said 'we know God did it.' They have a
strong belief."
The funeral "was really something," Souleimane said. "I don't know how to describe it. People crying, making prayers, giving
donations."
After the ceremony, pallbearers carried the caskets out of the mosque toward a procession of waiting hearses. The bodies of
Magassa's five children _ ranging in age from 1 to 7 _ were then taken to a Muslim cemetery in New Jersey for burial;
Soumare's four children _ from 7 months to 7 years old _ and wife will be flown back to Mali, the victims' homeland.
One woman sobbed as the hearses passed. Fatoumata Sylla said she also hailed from Mali and knew the families.
"They're all children. They didn't do anything in life. They didn't see anything. They didn't do anything to God. Everybody has
to go, but it's too early for them," she said, trying to dry her tears.
The fire has prompted a huge outpouring of support among New Yorkers. The family received nearly $200,000 in donations,
and took up Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on his offer to pay for the funeral. The victims lived just a few blocks from
Yankee Stadium.
The family also accepted the offer from Air France to fly the victims' bodies to Mali. Other donations included a contractor's
offer to rebuild the ravaged house, free of charge.
The emotional service attracted many strangers who never knew the families.
"I was home watching the news and I felt I just had to be here," said Clinton Makel, who stood in a barricaded area about two
blocks from the mosque. "I don't know them, but I feel like I know them. I was born and raised in the Bronx and I'm just so sad
for the families."
Several dignitaries also visited the mosque to pay their respects, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mayor Michael
Bloomberg.
Hospital officials said the three surviving fire victims were improving. The Magassas' 6-year-old daughter was upgraded to
good condition Monday. Two other members of the Magassa family, ages 5 and 23, have been upgraded to fair condition.
The immigration status of the surviving family members has emerged as a potential problem. Rep. Jose Serrano of the Bonx
said it was not clear whether some family members would be allowed to go to Mali for the burials and then return to the U.S.
because they may be here illegally. He was trying to address the problem with the State Department.
The blaze was New York City's deadliest since a 1990 fire at a Bronx social club killed 87 people.
| Mourners Remember Victims Of Bronx Fire By: CBSNEWS |
