I have some sad news to report today.
Ethiopian refugee Abdulrauf Kadir was shot to death during a grocery store robbery in St. Louis on Sunday afternoon.  Mr. Kadir had recently arrived in the U.S. through the refugee resettlement process and the good work of the International Institute.
Mr. Kadir was working 2 jobs in the hopes of bringing his wife, his son and his daughter to the U.S. from a refugee camp in Kenya.
Kadir was a Muslim. As such, local Muslims worked to help get him buried as quickly as possible under Islamic law.
The funeral, which occurred yesterday, was held in Affton. Â Kadir's family members from throughout the U.S. drove through the night to attend the funeral.
Although the International Institute has pledged to try and bring Mr. Kadir's wife and children to the U.S. through the visa petition process, the job will be much more difficult given Mr. Kadir's tragic death.
Quite simply, there is no one to sponsor them.
Mr. Kadir's mosque is collecting money for funeral expenses. Â I am going to figure out how to donate and if you are interested, please let me know.
The Post-Dispatch wrote a story and posted pictures from the funeral here.
It is obviously tragic that Mr. Kadir fled violence in his own country, only to be shot to death in the town we call home. Â Like many immigrants, Mr. Kadir was simply trying to make enough money to bring his loved ones to be with him. Â So sad.