WHY SOMALI ISLAMISTS DID NOT STOP THE CIVIL WAR
Kanini Evans Kariuki
June 13, 2009
ACCORDING to Islamic principles, the killing of innocent persons is so grave a sin that one is destined to fire hell come Doomsday.
The prophet Mohammed (PBU) had communicated with the Roman empire, persian empire and other rulers of his time and throughout, his communications were cordially gentle and heart-appealing.
Why then did Somali Islamists fail to follow the footsteps of their prophet? Were they not practicing Muslims?
When the Somali civil war erupted in 1991, property worth millions of dollars was looted including gold, vehicles of different models and sizes, houses, farms were illegally obtained and used as residences of commercial sites, and their owners displaced to North East and North West of Somalia, South and South West of Somalia to neighboring countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen.
This was followed by the confrontation between interim president Ali Mahdi and General Aideed, who had a bitter fighting for more than four months outside Mogadishu in which hundreds died and a similar number left maimed, as thousands got displaced.
The same scenario was replicated between Gen Aideed and the former Somalia president His Excellency Mohammed Siad Barre in South West (lower Shabbele, Bay, Bakaal and Gedo regions).
As a result, thousands fled to Kenya and hundreds died. The people of Bay and Bakal regions suffered from man-made salvation while the warlords who had committed the atrocities were enjoying lavish lifestyles in their militia camps, eating the best food and gulping the best drinks.
The world has been obsessed by the tragedy caused by the starvation in Bay region particularly Baidawa city which was christened-The City of Death.
It is for this reason that the Store Hope mission headed by the Americans started to conduct relief and humanitarian operations in Somalia in December 1992.
The continuation of the confrontation between General Aideed and his allies called Somali National alliance (SNA) and General Morgan and his alliance Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM),
General Aden Abdullahi Gabowy- chairman of the SPM in the regions of lower Juba and middle Juba, resulted to the same macabre killings and displacement.
In the North West, the same happened between Somaliland President Mohammed Igal and his opposition headed by former Somaliland president Abdul Rahman Ahmed Ali.
Similarly, Dahir Awes group fought with the North East administration of Somalia, while Dahir Awes and his group were representing AL-ITHAD AL-ISLAMI claiming that they would introduce Sharia law.
Although they had been tested to administer the North East sea ports for collection of customs duties, AL-ITHAD betrayed and trust and attempted a coupīdetat on the regional administration, and brought the leadership of North East regions into Garrue, the capital of Puntland; among the detained leaders were Gen Mohammed Abshir Musa and former president of Somalia and Puntland Abdulahi Yusuf.
In the same token, the fighting raged,albeit in a lesser magnitude, in Puntland between Abdulahi Yusuf and Jama Ali Jama.
It is a known fact that Islam calls for the intervention between Muslim fighting brothers to reconcile them and support the one that accepts the intervention of the reconciliation against the one who rejects the same.
The fighting groups in Mogadishu- both the government and the opposition groups are claiming that they stand for the ideal of preserving and promoting Islam.
The world is questioning why the two groups are locked in fighting and accordingly having the alliance of two christian governmentīs- Eritrea and Ethiopia.
If we compare the Muslims of Eritrea and Ethiopia, it will emerge definitely that the Ethiopian Muslim enjoys greater freedom and political participation as well as freedom of religion and language.
Please do desist from your personal ambition of using Islam as a means of acquiring political power and ask for repentance from your Creator for misusing the Muslim religion for your own self- aggrandizement.
In Kenya, where the Muslims are the minority, they are wholly respected for practicing their religion freely and actively participating in the political process as well as taking part in the business of the day,besides holding senior government positions.
In the East and Horn of Africa, Islam can flourish if you (Islamic groups in Somalia) quit the habit of issuing inflammatory statements and baseless claims, as well as harbouring foreigners who had failed to practice Islam in their countries or misunderstood the concept of Islam which allows the freedom of religion or the people of the books, and promotes peaceful co-existence.
You have to ponder or brood over the plight of your brethren who are destitutes in Somalia and outside dying in the high seas, the destruction of your motherlandīs environment, the dumping of toxic waste and illegal fishing in your sea waters.
If you continue destroying the remaining pillars of your native country, you will be called to account for your misdeeds on the Day of Judgment, besides being judged very harshly by history.
Save yourself and your country before the enemies of Somalia capitalize on your wickedness!
The prophet Mohammed (PBU) had communicated with the Roman empire, persian empire and other rulers of his time and throughout, his communications were cordially gentle and heart-appealing.
Why then did Somali Islamists fail to follow the footsteps of their prophet? Were they not practicing Muslims?
When the Somali civil war erupted in 1991, property worth millions of dollars was looted including gold, vehicles of different models and sizes, houses, farms were illegally obtained and used as residences of commercial sites, and their owners displaced to North East and North West of Somalia, South and South West of Somalia to neighboring countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen.
This was followed by the confrontation between interim president Ali Mahdi and General Aideed, who had a bitter fighting for more than four months outside Mogadishu in which hundreds died and a similar number left maimed, as thousands got displaced.
The same scenario was replicated between Gen Aideed and the former Somalia president His Excellency Mohammed Siad Barre in South West (lower Shabbele, Bay, Bakaal and Gedo regions).
As a result, thousands fled to Kenya and hundreds died. The people of Bay and Bakal regions suffered from man-made salvation while the warlords who had committed the atrocities were enjoying lavish lifestyles in their militia camps, eating the best food and gulping the best drinks.
The world has been obsessed by the tragedy caused by the starvation in Bay region particularly Baidawa city which was christened-The City of Death.
It is for this reason that the Store Hope mission headed by the Americans started to conduct relief and humanitarian operations in Somalia in December 1992.
The continuation of the confrontation between General Aideed and his allies called Somali National alliance (SNA) and General Morgan and his alliance Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM),
General Aden Abdullahi Gabowy- chairman of the SPM in the regions of lower Juba and middle Juba, resulted to the same macabre killings and displacement.
In the North West, the same happened between Somaliland President Mohammed Igal and his opposition headed by former Somaliland president Abdul Rahman Ahmed Ali.
Similarly, Dahir Awes group fought with the North East administration of Somalia, while Dahir Awes and his group were representing AL-ITHAD AL-ISLAMI claiming that they would introduce Sharia law.
Although they had been tested to administer the North East sea ports for collection of customs duties, AL-ITHAD betrayed and trust and attempted a coupīdetat on the regional administration, and brought the leadership of North East regions into Garrue, the capital of Puntland; among the detained leaders were Gen Mohammed Abshir Musa and former president of Somalia and Puntland Abdulahi Yusuf.
In the same token, the fighting raged,albeit in a lesser magnitude, in Puntland between Abdulahi Yusuf and Jama Ali Jama.
It is a known fact that Islam calls for the intervention between Muslim fighting brothers to reconcile them and support the one that accepts the intervention of the reconciliation against the one who rejects the same.
The fighting groups in Mogadishu- both the government and the opposition groups are claiming that they stand for the ideal of preserving and promoting Islam.
The world is questioning why the two groups are locked in fighting and accordingly having the alliance of two christian governmentīs- Eritrea and Ethiopia.
If we compare the Muslims of Eritrea and Ethiopia, it will emerge definitely that the Ethiopian Muslim enjoys greater freedom and political participation as well as freedom of religion and language.
Please do desist from your personal ambition of using Islam as a means of acquiring political power and ask for repentance from your Creator for misusing the Muslim religion for your own self- aggrandizement.
In Kenya, where the Muslims are the minority, they are wholly respected for practicing their religion freely and actively participating in the political process as well as taking part in the business of the day,besides holding senior government positions.
In the East and Horn of Africa, Islam can flourish if you (Islamic groups in Somalia) quit the habit of issuing inflammatory statements and baseless claims, as well as harbouring foreigners who had failed to practice Islam in their countries or misunderstood the concept of Islam which allows the freedom of religion or the people of the books, and promotes peaceful co-existence.
You have to ponder or brood over the plight of your brethren who are destitutes in Somalia and outside dying in the high seas, the destruction of your motherlandīs environment, the dumping of toxic waste and illegal fishing in your sea waters.
If you continue destroying the remaining pillars of your native country, you will be called to account for your misdeeds on the Day of Judgment, besides being judged very harshly by history.
Save yourself and your country before the enemies of Somalia capitalize on your wickedness!
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