OAKLAND, Calif. – Family and community members in Oakland gathered to bury Maged Alazzani, a father who was shot and killed during an armed robbery at the family-owned Orlando Market in West Oakland on Saturday night. Maged, an immigrant from Yemen, was well-respected throughout the community. He leaves behind a wife and four children, and was well-known for his hardworking nature.
During the funeral prayer, held according to Islamic tradition at the Oakland Islamic Center, Maged’s body was brought to the mosque in a cardboard casket and wrapped in a white shroud. He was then buried in accordance with Muslim customs, where only the wrapped body is placed into the ground within 72 hours of death. Community members expressed shock at Maged’s untimely death and the impact it has had on the family, especially the children.
A family friend, Samir Aldabashi, described Maged as a hardworking man and expressed sadness at the senseless killing. The President of the Bay Area Small Merchant Chamber of Commerce, Ali AlBasiery, echoed these sentiments, condemning the violence and emphasizing the need for the community and police to apprehend the criminals responsible for Maged’s death. AlBasiery had previously raised concerns about the ongoing robberies at Yemeni-owned neighborhood community markets in Oakland, warning that the situation could become deadly.
Maged’s funeral prayer and burial at a Muslim cemetery in Livermore were somber occasions for the community. The tragic loss of Maged has sparked a conversation about the need for justice and safety in the community, with comparisons drawn to the swift apprehension of suspects in the killing of an Oakland police officer. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with Maged’s death.
The grieving community, along with friends and family of Maged Alazzani, continue to mourn their loss and advocate for a resolution to the ongoing violence in their neighborhood.