Abdoul Aziz Sarr lay in the centre of the small room, his body in a bare wood casket, draped in dark fabric adorned with bright orange, green and yellow embroidery.
Everyone he loved was there 鈥 his parents, brothers and friends 鈥 passing by to see him one last time.
After dozens of his young friends had filed in for the 14-year-old’s funeral Wednesday, sitting knees up and cross-legged on the turquoise carpet, the casket was looming over them. They listened, some of them weeping quietly, as Sarr鈥檚 mentor spoke to them directly of their friend and their futures.
鈥淚 want you to look across the room and see his mother,鈥 Omar Qadri, Sarr鈥檚 Islamic teacher told the teens. 鈥淭hat’s number one. Because today, his mom weeps the death of a son. And I want you to look at his father.鈥 He was sitting with them.
The death of Sarr, who was fatally stabbed Saturday night near a McDonald鈥檚 in Leslieville, comes as the city struggles with a troubling rise in youth violence, including what police said Wednesday was the “senseless” shooting death of a 15-year-old in Weston last month.
Abdoul Aziz Sarr, 14, was identified by police as the victim of a fatal stabbing in Leslieville on Saturday.
色色啦 Police ServiceQadri, who grew up in Malvern and teaches at the Mecca Islamic Center, said he washed Sarr鈥檚 body with his father and uncle the day before. He had seen the stab wounds that took his life. He shrouded him in funeral dressings to prepare him for burial after his parents waited in agony for his body to be released by the coroner.
鈥淚 know what you guys are growing up with,” Qadri continued. 鈥淚 did the exact same thing. I have friends who are dead as well. I have friends who are in jail as well. I didn’t choose that life. No matter how much you think you’re a gangster, you’re not. I’m telling you, it’s not going to work.鈥
On Saturday, Sarr was near Eastern and Woodward avenues when he was stabbed. An ambulance was flagged to the fast food restaurant where paramedics raced him to hospital. He did not survive.
鈥淗ow many of you remember his smile?鈥 Qadri asked the young people. Hands shot up in front of him.
The teacher pushed against stereotypes often levelled at young Black boys. He wanted Sarr remembered the way he saw him 鈥 a top student whose favourite NBA player was Steph Curry. The kid who came with his mom and older brother to the mosque in Scarborough to help clean ahead of Friday prayers, which he rarely missed.
鈥淎bdoul Aziz was a gift to all of us,鈥 Qadri said. He met with the boy, who had just graduated Grade 8, the Friday before his death following prayers.
鈥淗e said to me, Imam, I want greatness.鈥
Mourners says outdoor prayers as they wait for the casket at the end of the service for 14-year-old Abdoul Aziz Sarr
Richard Lautens 色色啦 StarQadri encouraged Sarr鈥檚 friends to honour him by seeking the same.
鈥淚 want to see you guys do greatness. He had dreams. His dream was to get out of Scarborough. His dream was to buy his mother a house. His dream was to live in a suburb. My brothers, you guys gotta do that. You gotta do it for yourself, you gotta do it for your mom, you gotta do for your dad, your grandparents, whoever it is. Aim high.鈥
He said the doors of their mosque would be open to anyone who needed support. .
As prayers began, people lined up to say their final goodbyes. Some of Sarr鈥檚 loved ones were overwhelmed with grief, his mother collapsing to the ground as women rushed to comfort and fan her, propping her up.
Outside the Spiritual Society Canada mosque where the funeral was held Wednesday, mourners lined the parking lot to escort the casket into the back of a waiting van, headed to the burial site. Those gathered raised their voices in prayer one last time as he went, laying their hands on the casket as it passed.
Qadri said Sarr had loved to play basketball, including with a program their mosque started six years ago.
He played the boy, not yet 10 years old, one-on-one back then and beat him handily. They would chirp each other about their friendly rivalry and a month ago, Sarr said he wanted a rematch. Qadri said it never happened.
鈥淭ime is not promised to you.鈥
Abdoul Aziz Sarr is remembered by his Islamic teacher Omar Qadri as always smiling.
SuppliedPolice continue to investigate Sarr鈥檚 death as a homicide. No one has been arrested. Investigators said there were 鈥渉undreds鈥 of people in the area after the聽Afrofest concert in nearby Woodbine Park.
Police were present to help with public safety and spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said in an email that higher-than-expected attendees 鈥 30,000 people when a city spokesperson said 22,000 were expected Saturday 鈥 鈥減osed challenges.”
鈥淥fficers on site supported event security with crowd and traffic management throughout the evening,鈥 her email said.
Both police and the city said they would be reviewing the event to identify any future public safety needs.
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