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!
