Hennessy with the Somalian brothers

[At the party]
See that group there?
[I look across the room at a number of people around a couch arrangement, where they would serve bottle service]
  yeah.
They bought 10 bottles of Hennessy.
  Oh yeah?
Yeah.
  10?
Yeah.
  How much does each bottle cost?
$500
  Are you serious?
Yeah.
  Who are they?
Somalians.
  Somalians?
[nod]
  But they’re Muslims.
So what. This is Toronto. Anything goes.
  That’s $5000.
Yeah.
  Where do they get that kind of money from??
Some of these guys parents are rich, or they do their own thing…
[During the course of the night, I saw the young Somali guys holding bottles of Hennessy, partying, interacting with each other and some were making it known that they were holding a bottle of Hennessy like a status symbol. Not that I was in any better of a position per se, but I just couldn’t help feeling bad for these young guys. They had so much potential. Holding that bottle of Hennessy looked like a complete divorce from their cultural roots and possibly faith. Again not that I am any better but being young is a powerful feeling. And when you’re young and influenced in certain “negative” ways, it can lead to other things. I know that some Somali youth have dropped out which is a real dilemma for parents and educators. Some have also got involved with gangs and drugs. To me, that scene was gangster, or wanabe-gangster, the way they were drinking, fighting and interacting. Whatever but I made a silent prayer. Oh Allah please guide these young people and make them the best of people for our society.]