Boarding house keepers had a lot of power, they would be de facto guardians to men new to the country, they were their post office, bank and social centre.
In Cardiff in 1951, one boarding house keeper, Sheir, was accused by Somali sailor, Khaireh, of not returning £200 he had left with him for safe keeping. As Sheir played dice in the street, Khaireh approached him from behind and shot him three times, killing him.
Despite saying he killed in self-defence Khaireh was convicted. He was found 'insane' and sent to Broadmoor rather than the gallows, before deportation to Somaliland the next year.
Sheir has been first secretary of the Peel Street Mosque and it was first thought that the killing had a political/religious motivation. The mosque was split into 2 factions, one more Sufi and one more hardline, & at one fractious meeting the police had had to intervene.
"According to the original caption, Kaid is a seamen, originally from Aden, who was torpedoed during the Norway campaign and spent 18 days on a raft, suffering terrible frostbite. He and one other man were the only survivors on the 38-strong crew."
https://flashbak.com/fascinating-photos-of-the-muslim-community-in-cardiffs-tiger-bay-1943-416750/…
. I wonder if these men are still alive?
