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Support Family of Murdered Uber Driver

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With heavy hearts, we share that Riaz Ahmed, a DRUM member from Pakistan, was shot and killed while working as an Uber driver in Brampton, Canada In December. Our love and prayers are with his four children and wife who survive him in Pakistan. 
 
We have been in touch with Riaz’s family, and between coming from an already devastated area in Pakistan, and now with the loss of Riaz who was the primary earner, the family is facing economic turmoil. We are collecting donations to send to his family.
 
Read more about Riaz below:
 
Riaz joined DRUM while he lived in New York by way of a friend who was already an existing member. In the absence of his family in the US, Riaz devoted attention and care to the friendships and relationships he made with us. He worked a lot, but when he could, he would check in on how other people were doing and see if there was anything he could do for them. He had a level of care and gentleness that was hard to find among men who migrate alone to the US. Riaz put himself out there when he could. He occasionally attended membership meetings and one of the yearly picnics. 

Riaz had a hard time finding the necessary economic stability that he needed to support his family. He worked in a fried chicken restaurant in Brooklyn, then drove Uber, then moved to Maryland, then moved back to NYC. Three years ago, he moved to Canada because he felt that there were no opportunities for him in the US and he would find better working conditions elsewhere.

The economic uncertainty took a toll on Riaz. Everytime we saw him, he had gotten physically weaker, and physically unrecognizable. He shared that the struggles to provide for his family were overwhelming. Riaz was from a religious minority in Parachinar, Pakistan, an area in the absolute crosshairs of fallout from the decades of conflict, militarism, and sectarianism. He shared that constantly worried about the safety of his family, friends, and people. Even while struggling to survive, Riaz was active in mobilizations for the protection of Shia communities in Pakistan. Riaz was deeply cared for, and his loss has shaken both our membership and the larger community. 



Riaz was killed while working. It was a senseless death which happened months ago but one which we only came to know about in the past few weeks. Why did it take so long for the news to reach his community in the US? Riaz was constantly working and unable to stay connected with the people he made connections with in the US while he was in Canada. Working to survive like that leaves little room for maintaining essential connections and relationships. 

Yet, those bonds were not broken. We hold Riaz in our hearts. Another life taken by a dehumanizing system. He was a dear friend and comrade who mattered to so many of us. In honor of his memory, we continue to organize, build connections and combat the isolation as we struggle towards a less violent world. 

 
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  • Anonymous
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  • Anonymous
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