Rape: A Conspiracy of Silence Yameen Maxamuud January 22, 2006 “We will enforce without fear of favour the laws against rape" Ellen Johnson Sirleaf The newly elected President of Liberia Background Warring factions have always used rape as a weapon of war to control the minds of enemies particularly through the bodies of woman. Women in general pay a higher price in civil wars. Invading women’s bodies the enemy leaves a permanent legacy of suffering much after the battlefields have ceased. Women often suffer from the hands of those they hold dear and close, sometimes never understanding the reason men whom they share lineage, culture and religion with as well as men who are allien to them equally use rape to shame their opponents through their bodies. Many ask the question why, but simply put women have always been the easiest target to dishonor and torment the enemy. Rape in the context of war is a very murky and complex phenomenon. Much scholarly research has revealed that rape, as a weapon of war has been a permanent episode of torture where men demoralize their male enemy to perhaps increase fear and create a feeling of power. Somali women have suffered their share of rape during the civil war, and afterwards, and until today as refugees in foreign camps. It is a four-letter word that many shun for one reason or another, but for women who have to bear the ugly pain of rape, it is a life sentence handed to them by neighbors, friends and their compatriots. A taboo topic that needs to loose the walls of disgrace that hide its raw truth. It is simply a mere luxury to avoid it and to hope it shall never appear on the horizon of debate for reasons of guilt and infamy of those who have perpetrated it and the many others who have contributed their share of indignity by silence. Rape and the way it has been shunned in the Somali community as if it has never occurred is inhumane and unmerited. For the women whose dignity, humanity and self respect has been stolen through rape, avoiding the topic when all other aspects of the war are discussed is simply an unfair, and chauvinistic marginilzation that warrants some debate to shed light on the horrendous ordeal that has transpired on the bodies of the most innocent and meek of society. No amount of Justification can ever grant evenhandedness for the havoc that has transpired on women when men caused one of the merciless civil unrest for reasons of greed and arrogance. In the least, the topic warrants an awareness to disgrace those that partook the painful infliction of everlasting dishonor on daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers, even children as young as nine years of age. Victimized to Silence Rape for Somali women did not appear on the onset of the civil war. For many years before the start of the civil war, a group of young men from the ruling elite of the time has wreaked mayhem on the streets of Mogadishu on the heydays of the Barre tyranny. Since rape is not discussed openly, for some cultural/traditional reasons, the families whose young daughters have vanished as a direct result of it only know the numbers of young women raped by these thugs, but the sad stories that are whispered in the privacy of homes are many. In particular, two young women’s saga has recurrently been told for years because of the pure brutality and wicked cruelty involved. One particular girl was gang raped in the late eighties by a number of these delinquents headed by a Micheal Maxamed Sh. Cusmaan aka Michael Jiis, the son of the then powerful finance Minster General Maxamed Sheekh Cusmaan, and the son of a prominent business man (Xoosh) who had close shady ties with Barre. She was a college student at the Somali National University, the victim’s name passes through as “Ina Carys Ciise†having lineage to the great Somali poet and Radio personality Carays Ciisa Kaarshe. They cooperated to jointly rape the girl. Luckily, due to the famous name she hailed from. The entire city of Mogadishu blistered with the news as the businessman and the Minister did the unthinkable and smuggled their sons out of the country to Europe within the space of a week of the incident. Another young woman has also suffered in the hands of this elite unforgiving group, rather viciously. This young girl named Subeyda Sh. Ibrahim God bless her soul came from a prominent religious family. She lost her life around December 1990 through the rape that finally claimed her precious young life. Her limp lifeless body, which was intended for a discard to the high seas of Jazeera beach, was latter transported to Medina hospital where the assailant carried the body to rid himself of it when an attempt to abandon the body at the ocean proved impossible due to the presence of others. The attendants at the hospital, also from the ruling elite admitted the lifeless body, later informing the parents of Subeyda of her death. What took place immediately following the brutal rape of Subeyda is a travesty of justice as the family was given the run around. In this particular case according to Subeyda’s brother, the rapist was non other than Kooshin Caano Geel the son of the Chief of the CID with close family ties to Barre. This time the assailant was not even smuggled out of town, but continued his business in Mogadishu. The family of Subeyda demanded justice to prosecute the rapist; unfortunately, justice was nowhere to be found, as the police slammed every door shut on their faces. A true injustice indeed. In the heydays of the totalitarianism, raping young innocent victims by the sons of the ruling elite was the norm. The criminals are splashing the scenes of cities around the globe alongside their participatory families. They assume normal lives pushing aside the saga of the horrendous rape they have committed against incident civilians from their new lavish lives while the families of the victims buried their violated daughters muted by the authoritarian government and its supporters. Using Somali women’s bodies as a terrain of war, rape took an animalistic and sadistic form when gang militias in Mogadishu began to rape women in the most inhumane, immoral, cruel hostile manner. At the advent of war, women were raped not only in their homes, but also in the holly Masjid where they sought refuge. The violence of rape was committed in the presence of children, mothers, fathers and community elders. An unrelenting militia gangster groups wrecked the homes of many innocent less protected groups such as reer Xamar & Barawani women in in Mogadishu, Merka, Brava and elsewhere in the region. These groups were preyed upon for their defenselessness and for being innocent victims of a war they had never partook. Pregnant women were knifed to death to spill the guts that contained live fetuses to end the continuity of one particular group or another. There are stories of women who were inserted battery carbon and other objects to extend the pain and torture of war. Many other incidents that have transpired on the bodies of innocent victims are too painful to describe. The gang rapes came from militia groups that used women to prove their manhood and torment their enemy. Some of the warlords turn ministers in Mogadishu were at the helm of some of these militias. The attacks were committed often with intension of shaming entire communities. With rape, not only community values but also cultural, spiritual and sisterhood values are perpetually hampered. Some of the militia who execute such vile, whose immorality led to raping old women in mosques, has since fled the scene as refugees. They may be your next-door neighbor anywhere around the globe as a refugee or worse, they could be preaching to your children as religious figures. Others continue to profit from the ambiance they have created where younger males who have known nothing but war and violence in their lives continue the vicious cycle. In more recent times in 2004, a rape ignominy was committed against a sixteen-year-old prisoner by the name of Samsam Dualeh who has suffered multiple rapes in the hands of various CID members in Hargeysa. Samsam personally named the men who raped her repeatedly while she was in their custody. They are Siciid foolxun, Ibrahim, Cabdi Jilic, Faracade and two others who cowardly covered their faces while they committed rape against the sixteen year old. All are members of Hargeysa’s CID. As you read these lines, another Somali refugee has just suffered the wicked act of rape in Dhadhaab and other camps in Kenya where vigilantes menace to gang rape women who travel to the outskirts of the camps to gather firewood for survival. It is a well-documented problem, which many NGOs and International Organizations such as the UN wrestle with. Far from any help with the need of family, they are often gang raped, knifed, beaten and shot into submission. The statistics of rape in Dhadhaab have been going up and women of all ages risk the incidence of rape every time they venture out to collect firewood to survive. Most of these women do not report the rape for fear of being ostracized by their communities and are stigmatized to silence. With no other alternatives they venture out knowing they could come back violated. Their husbands, brothers and fathers are aware of the dangers that lie ahead in these woods. They say they are unable to come up with a solution, in the words of one man “gathering fire wood is a women’s task, there is nothing we can do about itâ€, such is the sad nonchalant attitude most men hold about rape on women, simply no feeling. Psychological Stigma The gross underreporting of the rape brought about by the guilt and stigma attached to rape halts any physical and physiological treatments necessary for a rape victim. Rape victims risk a more acute transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Women suffer silently as the psychological impacts of rape are profound and never dealt with for cultural reasons. There are feelings of isolation, shame, and a continuous blame. Pain and suffering is stamped on entire families as the devastation of rape erodes the fabric of the community. The suspect and hate that these reprehensible acts against women have created are evident in all Somali communities today where there is much mistrust and polarization. Whether rape was committed by elite ruling parties as an arrogant leisurely activity or by waring factions as a psychological war tactic, rape is a criminal act. The perpetrators of rape are splashing many cities in the Diaspora leading comfortable lives. Law and justice may lag slowly but it will finally catch up to these criminals. Families who have suffered in the hands of the criminals deserve the backing of the community to finally have their day in court and bring the criminals who have robbed their innocent daughters to justice. Conclusion These acts are horrendous and inhumane; they defy human normalcy, Somali humanity and goodwill. It still brings tears to the eyes of many especially the elderly grandmothers who still pray against its remembrance. Some may regard the violent acts of rape war against women during the civil war to be more appalling and atrocious when in fact carrying out rape under the watchful eye of a sitting government in the case of the Barre days and the current administration in Hargeysa are more vulgar, because the thugs seem to have the blessings of their leaders. The rope of despair that has been thrown to these women has stolen their rights and humanity. The great words of wisdom from the recently elected first woman president in the continent linger with hope for victims of rape. She bravely embraced a taboo issue by most standards and extended optimism to the multiple violated victims of rape. It is indeed a heroic step for President Sirleaf as she chooses a topic, which has been ignored by many on the fore of the agenda. It is with great sadness that various female parliamentary members of the current TFG have chosen to employ a Margaret Thatcher style politics where they ignore social issues that are dear and near to women. They seem to have abonded the cause all together as they align themselves with various warlords. Even worse, is Madame Foreign Minster who seems to hop around the world preaching venom instead of making a difference in the lives of women after all isn’t her only expertise as a nurse to attend to the affairs of the family?. These women should take a cue from the wise words of President Sirleaf. In addition, for the victims of rape, we all hope one day they will have their day in court and justice will prevail. In the mean time, we need to encourage them to come forward with their stories to begin some sort of healing that may remove the stigma of pain that has wretched their hearts for years and place humiliation, abhorrence and immorality its rightful place. Yasmeen Maxamuud E-Mail: Yasmeen_Maxmuud@yahoo.com Contributing Editor, WardheerNews.com Reference: Mary Anne Fitzgerald and Shep Lowman from THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, Paris For Somali Refugees No Safe Heaven By Karl Vick Breaking the silence – why do soldiers rape in war? Report from a conference organised by the World Veterans Federation’s (WVF) Committee on African Affairs held in Rabat, Marocco, March 12, 1999. Marius van Niekerk C.C. Affey WWW.somalitribune.com WWW.Agabso.com (Listen to the entire Samsam interview)

Astonishing!

Jeylaani first of all Seyidka (may Allah rest his soul in peace) was born in the outskirts of the district of Buuhoodle that alone without going further elaborations makes him being resident of the area. In the recorded human history, all freedom fighters in the colonial era in spite of where they were from in any considered area, most of them were group of people who could not resist the despair and hopelessness in which their brethren endured, and in the ninety percentiles the towns of their birth places differed than where the core of their struggle concentrated, for instance Moa was not from Beijing but wanted to free his people from Japanese in the areas between the yellow sea to Taibei, Hu Chi was not from Hanoi but wanted to drive out French from his land, Nelson Mandela was neither from Suweto, Cape Town nor Johannesburg and I guess by now you don't want me revisit that history. That proves the nonsense ness of binding once birth place and his ideology. So, saaxiib your argument has its shortcomings, plus believing that Mr. Riyaale being your legitimate president now and Seyidka being your enemy because he resisted the British is mind boggling and adds insult to the injury. All in all intelligent people have an option of retraction when they make mistakes.

Hope the Suldaan's message resonates in the hearts of his audience for their own sake, N. thanks for the info

God Bless Beautiful Bosaso The port city of Bosaso might not be as beautiful as you put it but it definitely hosts peace and bright people. I believe in the case of Hon. Adde denouncing the police's actions were the right thing to do .Unfortunately, members of two agencies of PL administration have clashed, what triggered this dispute is open to a debate and an investigation but as far as the law of the land is concerned, police forces shouldn’t be conducting their duties as they please. However, Adde's competence of running the state appears doubtful to me since 100 days of his inauguration elapsed, but I will reserve my comments about his leadership’s rating till the president’s tenure lets up in two years as SW indicated. Remember if you are not fair unto others nobody will be fair unto you.

This article sums up who Omar Guelleh realy is; classic reading if you got the time A Reality Check on Ismail Omar Guelleh

As self-evident the theme of the discussion has been sidetracked on its purpose. The core of the subject was whether Marwo Edna fits her post or has failed miserably delivering her promises to her subjects.

Thanks Caamir for the piece

Solution to the tribal predicament is known. However, since we are ignorant people driven by greed and self-interest, usability of tribalism preventive procedures are long way off. In any rate we aint ready yet

Mr. Qudhac, the longer such logic, as yours, continues, the more withdrawn I become. However, your fundamentalism and obscure ethnocentric agenda have no place in somali politics

Better ask them first, the secessionists, then we critique their reasoning

U very much welcome saaxiib!, ha is martiyen, minanka minankaa waaye!

I remember them bombing a warlord and his thugs in their hideouts. Suldaanka, how about if I go ahead and say that Siyad Barre bombarded Hargeisa because it became the home of SNM thugs and their hideouts. I am sure it would have caused some chemical imbalances in your brain but I've a good news for you, CAN WE GET ALONE?, mise seefahaynu isula baxnaa oo eegnaa ninkii reerka u hadha!

An article worth reading, somewhat it keeps you in suspend and yet it rekindles the Somali peace process read the article @ Watching the Aden Declaration with Guarded Caution:

I think it is about time that Marwo Edna needs seriously to reconsider her position regarding who her subjects are and who aint! Because I've been observent about her political statements for some time and so often her remarks are not reflecting the reality on the ground. In addition, she emulates to exercise an authority which is beyond her scope therefore I am afraid that she may cross the redline inadvertently and then subsequent detrimental events may be triggered.

Edna Aden Ismail and her terrorist threats against Sool Mohsin Mahad January 13, 2006 Marwo Edna Aden Ismail, the foreign minister of the regional administration of Somaliland, has come to acquire notoriety for her serial blunders in the world of foreign affairs in which she still remains a novice. It is amazing that the secessionists who spare no effort to solicit recognition have put all their eggs in her shaky basket. With her at the helm in the key ministry that is supposed to deal with the outside world, she often occupies herself playing to the local gallery and saying outlandish statements that may appeal to the crowd but will do nothing to further their doomed aspiration. Judging by her latest outburst and her usual unbridled demagogy, she is certainly a danger to Somalia and the region. Edna Aden Ismail - Somaliland Minister of Foreign Affairs As reported by WardheerNews, Marwo Edna has given a dire warning against a recent deal between Somalia’s Puntland Regional Administration and an Australian company which wishes to prospect for mineral resources in the Puntland regions of Sool. For her and her fellow secessionists who are warped in their world of fantasy and make-believe, these regions are not part of Somalia but belong to their self-styled Somaliland, a region other Somalis and the rest of the world see as the North West region of Somalia. Ms Edna Ismail was trained in Britain as a nurse and later on joined WHO’s regional office in Alexanderia. While no one can question her competence as a nurse, her understading of the Somali culture and heritage, in terms of its clan structurte, as well as her knowledge of other parts of the United Nations and in particular the UN charter and international relations, seem to be no better than that of the ordinary man or woman in the streets of Hargeisa. In claiming Sool and Sanaag, this is what she has said in Somali at a press conference in Hargeisa: “waxaanu ogaannay in markii taariikhdu ahayd 18/10/2005, ay dawlad goboleedka ******teeniya ee waqooyiga Soomaaliya, ay heshiis la gashay shirkad Australian ah oo la yidhaahdo Range Resources Limited. Heshiiskaas oo shirkaddaas ruqsad u siiyay inay ka baadhato macdan iyo Baatrol, meelo ka mid ah Somaliland oo ay ka mid yihiin gobolada Sool iyo Sanaag, sida ku cad khariidada ay *********** iska samaysatay. †Then she spells out her justification for their claim to Sool and Sanaag: "Waxaan halkan ku cadaynayaa in Jamhuuriyadda Somaliland ay leedahay xuduud Caalamku aqoonsan yahay oo ku salaysan xuduudihii Isticmaarka ee xadiday xuduudaha dalalka Afrika oo dhan. Waxa kuwaas ka mid ah dalkii uu Talyaanigu gumaysan jiray ee loo yaqaanay ‘La Somalia Italiana’, iyo dalkii Ingiriisku illaalin jiray ee ahaa ‘Somaliland Protectorate. Xuduudahaas oo ka wada diiwaan gashan Xarunta Ururka Qaramada Midoobay (United Nations). Waxa kale oo dhigaya inaan la bedeli Karin xuduudaha dalalka Afrika Sharciga Ururka Dalalka Africa(Organization of African Unity, iyo ka African Union.)â€. Her claim that Somaliland’s borders are based on the boundaries inherited from the former colonial powers and that these borders are recognized by the international commuinity, in particular the United Nations, the former Organization for African Unity and its successsor the current African Union, is simply preposterous. Who are those countries among the international community that are supposed to have recognized Somaliland’s borders? When did the UN, the OAU or the African Unioin recognize Somaliland’s borders as Edna claims? Since all her claims are baseless, Marwo Edna must obviously be indulging in fairy tales. Like the rest of her fellow secessionists, her claims and justifications are typically Orwellian double speak: when the unreal is presented as real and lies as truth. When the Minister speaks like this, she may win plaudits among the mob that are fed all this crude propaganda but such travesty of the facts will not cut much ice with the rest of the world who recognize Puntland as consisting of its various constituent parts including Sool and Sanaag. Like most other secessionists, Marwo Edna’s statement exhibits her obsessive xenophopia towards the ********** and to see their invisible mischievous hands always behind every action freely taken by others. What is conspicuous in her statement is her contemptuous denial of the existence of the clans who inhabit in Sool, Eastern Sanaag and Cayn, namely the Dhulbahnata and Warsangeli. And even if their existence is grudgingly acknowledged at other times, they are seen as either belonging to Somaliland whether they like or not or else as a territory grabbed from Somaliland by the “perfidious†********** . For her and the secessionists generally, only ********** exists but not Puntland. What more effrontery could you have towards us in Sool, Eastern Sanaag and Cayn than the denial of our existence and our mastry of our own destiny and regions? If we were to join the secessionists they would have hailed us as honourable, patriotic Somalilanders. But to join the ********** to form Puntland that is something else. Theirs is typically a perverted logic in which they can claim the right to bond together as clan but would deny the same right to others who also wish to form their own clan-based regional administration as the Puntland Regional Administration entails. As the saying goes, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander and hence what is right for the ***** is right for other clans. Having claimed Sool, Eastern Sanaag and Cayn, Marwo Edna then plunges into the uncharted world of terrorism with a bloodcurdling threat against the Australian company that is the subject of the deal. This is what she has to say: “Waxaanu digniin culus siinaynaa shirkadaha Shisheeye ee heshiisyada been beenta ah loo saxeexo inaanay xuduuda Somaliland soo geli Karin, waxna ka baadhi Karin, una soo dirsan Karin sahan. Haddii ay yeelaanna aanu ka qaadayno tallaabooyinka ku haboon. Kuwaas oo halis gelin doona xasiloonida iyo degenaanshaha Geeska Afrika, kana lumin doona hanti wixii ay shirkadahaasu dalkayaga sharci darro ku soo geliyeen." Claiming Sool and invading it was bad enough for those of us from the area but to threaten dire actions against foreign firms as she did is to go over the top: Her threats are clearly tantamount to planned acts of terrorism. Whether such threats are implemented or not is irrelevant. What is important is that it was made. It gives a clear signal to any individual secessionist to engage in acts of terrorism now or in the future believing that he or she has the blessing of their government. Both the Australain Company, through their government, and the appropriate minister in the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia should report Marwo Edna’s terrorist threats to concerned countries of the international community. Her president and his government should also be held equally responsible unless they can publicly distance themselves from her outburst. Marwo Edna could plunge the region into a disastrous war. That is the last thing we need after 15 years of civil war and suffering in Somalia. Nothing could be better for all concerned than putting her in charge of Hargeisa hospital where her undoubted expertise will be highly appreciated. In the meantime, it behoves us - those of us in Sool ,Sanaag sand Cayn - to speak up for ourselves, loudly and clearly, and state whether we are an appendage of [qabiil's name] or an independent people who freely chose their destiny in July 1960 to be part and parcel of Somalia for ever and ever. Mohsin Mahad E-Mail:mohsinmahad@yahoo.co.uk source: Edna Aden Ismail and her terrorist threats against Sool _______________________ Waxaa soo guurineysid ka tir tir all references to qabiil names intaadan soo guurin, baliis. [ January 13, 2006, 04:06: Message edited by: Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar ]

Waa maqaal aad u wacan una qalma in la akhriyo!! Cade ma cad yahay?

that is for A/Llahi Yusuf, In the case of Indha Cade, it is beyond believe what does he benefit from praying if he clothes, nourishes himself Haraam?, :confused:

Waan ku farxay iyadoo weliba xilli ciideed lagu jiro in Alle-Ubaahane iyo Castro ku kala baxaan hab xeerkeenii soomaaliyeed intaan arrinta la horgeyn xaakin iyo qaadiyo go'aan ka gaara sida wadamada reer galbeed markii labo qof was iska dhexgalaan intay doontaba ha le'ekaate waxaa hal ku dheg u ah, haduu mid ka midi yiraahdo maxaa inoo dan ah oon ka yeelaa arrinta, ka kale waa inuu ku jawaabaa "Talk to your Lawyer and I will talk to my lawyer" not even considering the burden that comes with legal proceedings. My advice, don't go to court unless you've to.

Ciid Wacan oo Wanaagsan.

Alexus, I guess you can not plug the holocaust in here cause it just doesn't fit.

Hijab, Veil, cover or call it whatever reasonable other name you like; it is commanded deed in the Qur'an to the believers, meaning that in religion you can not have second thoughts or be selective, take it as it is. otherwise Wallahay beertaad gelaysaa. However, how to wear it is a matter open to a debate.

30 Day Countdown has esoteric and exoteric meanings therefore to Somalis 30 Day Countdown means 30 days of jubilation of the agreement, plus 30 days of circulating the news within different political spheres of the government, plus 30 days of either accepting or rejecting the accord, plus 30 days of formalizing the declaration of each respective group, plus 30 days of agreeing not to agree, I can not even keep track on how many days has already passed?, roughly 180 days and where are we?, exactly in the same place that we were on Jan. 05, 05. What did we achieve?, nothing significant to mention except that we proved one more time to the world that we are true Somalis who can run their country without the influence of any legitimate government and international organizations as we've done for the last fifteen years or so and we should be commended of our achievement of unyielding to one another because it is only we in the world who can do this and yet be proud of. it is a matter of time till first week of July, 05 comes around and being able to see that peace is within reach yet not available to us as such it is now.

All of us who served in the BBC have willy-nilly participated in that propaganda. If we have tolerated performing this propaganda as a price for keeping our jobs (you might say we were mercenaries), at least we had always resisted any physical harm being done to our country. The above quote is an indication of that Mr. Hassan is credible man by admitting his constraints, compromises during his tenure and displaying the motives behind the BBC.

Nayruus, taking that position over the case seems premature to me, let me tell you this, unless you are an insider of the case how can you prophecy how the verdict will outplay?, nonetheles, agreed that this is a heinous crime and should be treated as such. Nevertheless, in the court room all considerable variables will be discussed as harsh as it may sound, like was Singub intoxicated, crazy or on crack?, was the victim girl really 10 years old at the time of faraxumaynta if it exists?, is there any trap setting that the victim participated?, all these afore-mentioned Qs. and others will be given attention. However, If the alleged man found to be rapist, I personally strongly believe that he receives maximum punishment possible because on the one hand he is an old Somali man who knows what is norm and what is not, on the other hand he is a Muslim who is aware of that Allah forbade this. But inasmuch we are jumping into conclusions, it is sad to see that our emotional exercises will remain to be in futility.