Charles Onyango-Obbo 6 July 2009 -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- column Nairobi — A few days ago Somalia's radical al Shabaab insurgents, who control large parts of the country and might well overrun the fragile government in Mogadishu, made an example of four teenage thieves. The rebels, who follow a strict form of Islamic law, cut a hand and a leg each off the teenagers as punishment for robbery. Earlier, they stoned a rapist to death. To the human rights community, and to the East African middle class, this is barbarism. But, I suspect, in the crime-riddled slums, working class quarters, and countrysides in many parts of the region, not to mention Africa, these bloody measures are winning al Shabaab many brownie points. Abhorrable as al Shabaab's extreme actions might be, and their alleged links to al-Qaeda notwithstanding, they would probably win elections against many sitting governments in several African countries if the contest was based on the single issue of crime. In Kenya, in parts of the country like central Kenya where citizens are besieged by criminals and extortion gangs, highly lethal vigilantes have been formed to fight back. The methods they are using against suspected members of the outlawed Mungiki sect, for example, make al Shabaab's amputations look like a sweet scent-filled massage. In South Africa, another country whose towns have been all but taken over by vicious criminals and rapists, not too long ago a popular people's vigilante group, People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD), emerged to clean up the streets. The reason vigilantism is finding appeal, is that people know that rogue elements in the security services are keepers of the law by day, but at night they are leaders of criminal gangs. The appeal of citizen action against crime can thus only grow. For example, though I am a pacifist and oppose the death penalty, I am extremely conflicted where rapists and mass murderers are involved because I think the level of these and other crimes in Africa has reached levels that could destroy our societies. If al Shabaab had asked me whether the rapist who was stoned to death should be spared and given a life sentence instead, I probably would have offered an ambiguous answer that gave them the impression that I favoured the stoning. The greatest "instability" that an al Shabaab regime would cause, therefore, might not be through spreading the al Qaeda menace in East Africa, but in showing up the other governments. So Al Shabaab takes power: It beheads hundreds of thieves, chops off a hand and leg from every Mogadishu pickpocket, hangs rapists in the market squares, blinds all bribe-taking policemen, and drowns the pirates who have become a menace in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, and clears khat off the streets. Mogadishu could become a mini-paradise where people don't have to lock their doors, and little girls can walk from their grandparents' house two streets away back home at 7:30 pm without fear of being molested. Pressure would grow in other fear-ruled East African capitals for al Shabaab-style crackdowns on crime. That would be tricky for some governments, because they need crime and corruption to survive. Charles Onyango-Obbo is executive editor for the Nation Media Group's Africa Media Division

Ngonge - awaiting for your guru's permission i see - let me know when you get it. Funny enough thinking about it. All the female volunteers where from Waqooyi, All male volunteers were from Bari (i mean the east, not the gobol) majority of the attendees where and combinations of males and female volunteers were from Koonfur and there were handful of reer Gabbal/Galbeed and two Djaboutins; and one Al Shabaab sympatheser and football hooligan - all somalis catered for in my events.

Warya Che - dhig Qardho - taas waa iga digniin! intiina kale - Af gaalo ama af muslim mid aan idinku imaado - markan soo noqdo.

LOL@Paragon - it seems that way Malika - that is good idea, i am not sure about UK wide but we can do London wide provided that you can bring Ngonge and his guru on board - on seriouse note - that is actually do able - but my conditions stands - what you say my allergy???

LOL@hunguri - are you impleying that is actually indhacade who wears them rather than mr godane? Duke - do you now support indhacade?

Malika - i made big mess of the whole thing to be frank on the day. 1st of July for me is not about indepedence day - more somali day - plus i am not one for great speeches. simple man with simple mind - nothing to write home about.

sensitive eh?? yaa - war maxaad tidhi?? how big did you wanted the vision have being?? big enough for you to see??

:rolleyes: ar yaadhehe - afka maxaa idinka galay - waadinkaas is cuncuneyaha? Cajiib!

ngonge what happened to your affectionate slogan "stuff and nonesense" mise waad ii qarineysaa with your "good stuff" nonsense. i am fishing for my vision at the moment - but i know this much - it is much bigger than opportunist slogan weaver named ngonge - who apparently rains on parades on serious note saxiib - i hold the princeple: 'being an example to others thru good deeds and make tangible changes' PAragon - did they accept it? - proper lastminute.com dheh BTW: what is with the new lingos "marayaa", "isku dheceysaa" and what do they mean??

P.s - Marx that Blue Flag with the white star belongs to all somalis regardless of political orientation. plus it was first hoisted in Hargeisa.

^^ maxaan marayaa?? BTW: we will hold this event again next year on Saturday 26th of June 2010 at the Oval Cricket ground insha'Allah. Soomaaliyeey Qabyaladda iska daayo oo kasoo qayb gala xafladda. or better yet ensure you celebrate the wonderful work done by our youngersters - we must acknowledge their hard work and effort in trying to better themselves and their people by their ambitions. i would encourage those of who are willing and able to do similar celebratory events in your neck of the woods so that the good ones are of young generations are talked about and they can be example to others.

Originally posted by Kool_Kat: quote:Originally posted by nuune: Sayid Somali is in there in da link Wiilka yaroo garka cad leh miyaa toloow? Very well done SS, Mansha'allah!!! No i am the ninka Weyn oo Garka Cad leh Nuune - dadka ha waalin - i am not in any of the pictures. Marx - i thought you were coming what happened? Btw - it is Sayid not Siyad - polar opposites yaah!

:rolleyes: :cool: :mad: :eek: WTF is going here???? No wonder my head couldn't fit thru the door this morning and my ears have being burning over the weekend. Listend Folks! - i am not the one deserving of praise here - i get paid to do this - if anybody should be praised and thanked for their selfless acts of charitable deeds to their fellow somalis are the volunteers such as Sheherazade, Baraf Ibtisaam, Paragon, Nahenda, Fabregas and the many others who are not members of SOL, nevertheless whose contrubition withouth this event would have not being possible. Also people like Juxa (her firm Levenes) who sponsored this event - without even being asked i may add and of course the Somali business Dahabshiil and Qaran express who came thru for me and really represented everything good about Somalis. May Allah (SWT) reward you lot for your effort and subsitute it with many Barakas. Aamiin. Edit: forget to add the lovely ladies from Australia one being former member 'Nomadic Princess' i think she use go by. thank you two - you were stars.

LOL@Juxa - is the heat getting to you - becareful now - apparently there is a lots of Hargabka Dofaarka in that place. LOL@4 faarax - why four?? Lily, Suprise eh?? it is all good walaalo - it was something in the food or the drink - it wasn't me, i suspect they added daroogo.

Malika, Juxa & Cara - Salaan Sare. Torres - Salaamu Calaykum Ikhwaan :cool: Lily - just a simple salaams - i hear you still haven't recovered from our first encounter - hence the simple salaam - i don't want you to have relapse now i am exhausted - how are the trollers?

^^^LOOOOOOL - talk about wakh wakh iyo waali - "held talks" kulaha - mada isla hadlay? Duke Show is the best entertainment in town - better than all the rest - keep up the good work Duke - remember to spice it up thought, as we say in UK - sexy it up.

i am of the opinion that you are 'afka-kala-haye' (on the right handside) probably uttering something along the line "addeer they bore me, those successionist, who are orphaned by the queen and those clan wailers from the south are now wrestling with the snake they spooned - macsonkor celen shaax - mwahahaha" what do you mean - you were at home that night??? you G.Duke - Mr P to the L.A.N.D has missed the el presidente, the right honourable member Dr Fingers' welcome dinner??? Something is not right here - i smell a fish on the net - you mean you were not allowed to enter the place after orgnisaors realised that are in fact not Plander, but rather a spy. :cool:

Originally posted by General Duke: [QB] - Duke; which one of above three is you then??

May Allah reward her for good work.

on serious note he is certified and his son (my friend) is currently in his second year of medical school. he has accolades of medical qualification from Somalia, Italy, Germany and UK.

^^ fair enough, i guess you have point. however i haven't seen any viable solutions yet apart from tv channel thing and Dr Macaow is a specialist in Somalis and their cagaarshow in 1970s, hence why he knows about everything.

LOL@NG nin waalan! myths, waxaa la yiri, i heard, Somalis this and that, heblaayo, run iyo been, and finally - Walaahi dheh Wareer badanaa!! to borrow garab tuujiyes phrase.

LOOOOOOOOOOOL - that was funny

Salaams Ninka Brownka ahow - how have you being?? have people being refusing to let you operate on them and coming with weird excuses? couple years ago - i had an operation for tonsiles and these women from imperil college wanted the tissue they removed to study on - i said - of course you can have them as long as you wont it or feed to your dog

Innalilaahi Wa inna Ilayhi Rajicuun! & Aamiin To All The Ducas - may Allah (SWT) accepted from us. May Allah (SWT),also have mercy on the sould our departed brother and us as well. samir iyo imaan to brothers BOB & Fu-Fu and family of the brother. it was last month that a friend was telling about a brother whose healthy wife passed after clapsing in neighbour's house leaving four girls under ten. May Allah accept our prayers.