The dark ugly reality no one wants to see- Al-Shabaab and the dominance of wahabism in Somalia. Mogadishu under seige.

[Khadafi]

As a parent, a couple of years ago during  foregin trip I visited some relatives of mine.  A young girl was completely disabled. As we were having the dinner the poor girl went nuts. She dragged the table and the casho-sharaf for me and my wife was completely destroyed.  The relative of mine simply bought a pizza and we usally commented on somali politics.  What amazed me what his complete deny of the situation. Out of courtesy neither did I mention anything about the girls condition. Thats how the somali mindset is. Ignore what you can, qari waxi la qari karo, but we have a saying, "waxii la qariyo qurun aa ku jiro".   While many here are busy commenting on Fahad Yasin,  or Farmaajo or Xassan Sheikh Maxamud and isolated fufu-lands that completeyt even lacks the basic requirments to give its sacred clan members basic water and education, no one wants talk about the big pink  elephant in the room.  We Somalis have tendency to be full of emotions but including me lack complete sense of honesty on describing the situation on the ground.  When the taleban literally stormed the Kabul the president fled  no Afghan political commentary would talk about the future.  We are not afghans. We are not pashtuans. We are Somalis.

But a foot-note, during a cabinet meeting headed by Rooble to adress security issues in the full company of all ministers asked the defence minister "wasiir, how are our armed forces in Somalia". A minister who I do not like to name who is famous for cracking jokes said  "what army,. heck I cant event go to ceelasha biyaha, yet alone to Baladwayne by car". The ministers laughed while the poor defence minister tried reply in the priestly cermonial way of "dear prime minister, the army is ready to defend the countrey". That night according to my source many folks went home terrified or fully aware of how things could unfold..

Somalia is a former failed state.Clan- Federalism was adopted  in order rid Mogadishu those from the arid cenral places of Somalia. It was created to defuse clan-tensions and was way 30-years of population who has only seen anarchy to go back to the fufu-lands and ask their basic rights. It was a way to give time to FGS rebuild vital instututions.  Even the the SNM clan-based triangle state seperatists have not been able to build a single road since the devestatating 1991-civil war.  Somalis say, and even the Koran affirms it, yaqiin, real facts on the grounds is gained by true insights. I visisted Somalia pre farmaajo and what I saw was a huge NGO-funded government.  A government guarded by emotional clan-actors by thousands of Amisom soldiers.  The roads linking Mogadishu to Gaalkacayo, baladwayne, Baidoa and to kismaayo are completely cut off.  I asked a general who guess what: Was working in his 80-ties about the state.  He simply responded "well we are under seige".  

While our glorious Islam and its traditional sunni islam, shafite madhab and asharite caqiidah have today a resennance in southern Somalia and are a strong factor in maths of Somalia the truth is that the 30-years of anarchy wahabism and its ofshoot al-qaida had a upswing. Hey who can judge them? No law no nothing.  Who remembers the days when Mogadishu was like a scene from a apocolyptic film like madmax where the town was divided by certain clans.?  Anyways  while Somalia is today bickering from Farmaajo, or Xassan Sh Maxamud or another non-actor, note the word "non-actor".   The Somali FGS is western funded giant NGO project that wants the important seas free from pirates and ofcourse a non--alqaeda state that inflicts terror on its citizens.   14 years or 13 years of Amisom and and war with Al-shabaab has taught Al-shabaab some vital strategies.  Some even go to shabaab-courts instead of state courts.  Jamal Osman was indeed a PR achievment for al-shabaab but al-shabaabs decesion to give an open interview and show its "state enabling" factors have made me deeply worried.   America has shown that it can negotiate with its devils. If they did it with taliban they can surely with al-shabaab. If Al-shabaabs secretive shura council  decides that they will cut the relations with the egyptian arab that hardly knows black Somalia  is on the map and denounce their alliance with al-qaeda that makes room for negotions.    The Western nations are now backslide, americans fifth fleet is in the china sea. Somalia is a secondary issue. The funding for Amisom dimimishing and if my reports are not wrong. Western nations are even contemplating a time-table for exit.

 

While I was in Somalia I noticed  a intresting thing. Many becouse of 30 years of  anarchy and free roam for wahabi ideoloogists, many in Somalia have in a way in a sub-cuncious way already al-shabaab mentality. The absence of a nation state and just put forward a few questions and you will see  that many have been burned by Ictisam (the mother of al-Shabaab), Those who declared jihad against Pres Abdullahi Yusuf but remain silent today. Wahabism is in crisis. It is sad to see that the FGS is not using its reresources to combat the ideology and to empower our traditional ulama ( I am not talking about those sufis who deviated in central Somalia).

In summary friends,  Farmaajo was marker for Somalia.  A D-man elected by celebortary gunfire in Mogadishu.  Imagine that to 1991. Uts sad that he squanderd his years of trying to get his men in god forsaken fufu-lands instead of playing the cermonalial healing president. The president that should have lambasted the clan leaders for not giving basic water and educatiob to its clan-enclaves  now called fufu- or bubu lands.   The only good thing he did was that he did not destroy Qatar-Turkish alliance.

But all of these people are non-actors. Once the dollars run out and Mahad Karataay, the al-shabaab khwaarij coming out to the media and denouncing Al-qaeda we might one day see them over run the capital.  Think about it, if billions of dollars in afghanistan and state army building could not do a thing why would it be diffirent in Somalia?

Somalis are muslims, Dr Baadiyow Phs dissertions offers the best solution for Somalia. In order for the Somali governmment to beat Al-shabaab they need to ideologically combat and re-educate Somalia,  an Islamic Somalia that denies Al-shabaab its core arguemnt of being the only legitmate islamic  is needed. Salary for the state Imams.Its sad to see when Saudi-Arabia finally admitted the menace ommited to this Ummah that we Somalis are stilll struggling to find out where did these guys come from.

See the interview and see how Mahad Khwaarij is actually in sarbeeb planning. Anyways, Fahad Yasin, Farmajjo, Xassan Sh,  ----  These are indeed non-actors.   Its time that the Somali government actually aknowlidges that the city is under seige. Many in this forum might not agree with that but hey  what are the facts on the ground and how do you define a seige?.  Is Somalia ready accept  Turkish troops and fully ally itself further?   Greater strategic decisions needs to be done.  Once trumpists are in power they will not care who they will negotiate with.  Pan-Somalism  intertwined with Pan-Islamism with Sheekh Xassan Banna and our local dariiqoyinka can only save us from this menace. Only Somalis. Not Amisom, no other force. Some might accuse of panicking, but think about it, these guys have been around for  14 years. They have shown that clan-discord can not destroy them.  So whats the solution? More ghost soldiers? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Arafaat]

Your call to priorities the issue urgently is justified and I don’t think anyone can disagree with that. And your analysis is not wrong perse, as it’s incomplete.  The issue is not only political and religious in nature, as you are pointing out here. But its contains as much socio, cultural and economic underlying factors, which I won’t go in to. But discounting one dimension could easily undermine your direction of thinking and proposed solution, as has happened with previous ‘simple’ solutions and fixes, such as e.g. federalism, foreign troops, weapons support, and creation of half a dozen different military units operating independently from one another. 

But you are right that the problem needs to urgently be prioritised, discussed and fully understood, as one can’t simply ignore it anymore. Its the big elephant in the room, and he has grown over the years to become a giant mammoth. 
 

P.S. Ironically it’s mainly international academics thinking and writing on the issue and different underlying factors. Very little is coming out of the Somalis corners in terms of thinking. Wonder why that is? 

[galbeedi]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:34 PM, Khadafi said:

Many becouse of 30 years of  anarchy and free roam for wahabi ideoloogists, many in Somalia have in a way in a sub-cuncious way already al-shabaab mentality.

Agree. No major Sheikh except Sheikh C/qadir Gacamey and one two probably had spoken against Al-shabaab. There is deep down believe among many people that the presence of Al-shbaab was the only way to safeguard the country from corrupt tribes and vultures from outside.

It is the ideology that Leeds for someone to murder an innocent person inside a Masjid. It was Sheikh Ahmed Rashiid who in the early nineties warned about people who claim to be religious people at the same time willing not only raise their hands for their fellow brothers, but even kill. 

There are people who share Wahabi ideology with Al-shabaab who dominate business and trade inside major centers: Mogadishu, Boosaaso and Hargeisa.

On 6/30/2022 at 12:34 PM, Khadafi said:

Once trumpists are in power they will not care who they will negotiate with.  Pan-Somalism  intertwined with Pan-Islamism with Sheekh Xassan Banna and our local dariiqoyinka can only save us from this menace

Khadaafi,

The Muslim brotherhood were the main alternative to the Wahaabis in the nineties, but the military intervention of Ethiopia combined with  the total war waged against democracy and elections by the gulf had destroyed that movement. Also, the Wahabi culture took a deep root among the rigid nomads of central Somali, Woqoyi Bari, Togdheer and Gedo. While poor uneducated recruits are found in both Shabelle and Bay, most of the Al-shabaab ideologues  come from Woqoyi, central Somalia(Puntland Galmudug) and Gedo. 

The Sufi movement can't hold against the Wahabis who consider them heretics. Even moderate Sheikhs had to always take a tough line on any issues regarding rigid interpretations to avoid been branded as a weak . It is like the republican party of USA where candidates had to go as far right as possible to cater to their donors. Even in Muxaadaro, you are not allowed to ask anything contrary of what the Sheikh says,( Sheekhaw maxaa laga yeelaya kuwa sidaa leh?).

Heck, when I went home decades ago, we had Mu'adins calling Fajar Daakiraad before 3:00 AM, no one can tell them that the Fajar prayers will be after five , so please don't start early. 

Our only hope, probably is for Mohamed Bin Salmaan to send us few former Wahaabis and tell everyone that "we invented the Wahabis to control the mases, keep the kings in power and stop the open society of Qaadiriya and Shaaficiya.". the show is over and please go back to your tradition..

On the issue of Al-shabaab overrunning the capital, it is complicated. As  you mentioned if there are no progress in 14 years, we shouldn't be doing the same thing and expect different results.

Here is the dilema:

Because of extreme poverty among the youth recruiting for Al-shbaab is easy. It is like joining the US marines where you get free meal, shelter, food, salary and became part of something. If you recruit young boys, bring them in a camp, train them, give them food and money and later give few doses of anti foreign sermons and give their life for Islam, that is the easiest job for the big bosses. 

Mafia soldiers are the happiest among the Italian mafia. They have prestige, money, families and they can intimidate the public at will. In Puntland some of  the Youngman convicted of killing people were even middle class kids playing soccer after they wacked some one just like the mafia.  .I would target the money flow and dry them. And for the new regime to target the big boys in Bakaraha or the telecom industry, It will be difficult. 

So, Mr. Khadaafi, where do we start. Do we have to go back to the old Egyptian ways of appointing Imaams who should breach against the Wahabi doctrine? Revive Qaadiriya and others, arm them and fight them in their own villages? do we have to create paramilitary forces like Latin America and take the war to the extremists?

I don't know, but I agree with you that without a large number of people being subconsciously Al-shbaab, it is difficult to defeat them. Also, I don't buy the idea of USA helping us defeat the menace. The USA own terrorist manuals mainly concentrate targeting of leaders and those suspected of taking part international cases.

I would start buy cutting services to the area controlled by Al-shabaab. No internet, Phone or electricity. No Hawala.

Where do you star

[maakhiri1]

Well said guys, No Somali is talking or addressing this issue or any other core issues.

Changes happening in KSA is a big positive thing, it is where all this started, it will take decades to fix the harm they caused in the Muslim world.

And also, agree, a lot of  Somalis back home are closet shabaab supporters or sympathizers. You will observe this directly or indirectly. That is why Shabaab has foot-hold everywhere,  except maybe SL.

A very tiny minority of Sheikhs spoke against the horrors and danger of Shabaab early on,  and those who did were all assassinated. 

 

[maakhiri1]

And top Sheikhs who spoke against shabaab include sheikh Abdulqadir Nuur Gacamey, alla ha u naxariisto, this khawaarij killed him

 

[maakhiri1]

And whatever sect Somalis believed, or were part of  in the past is irrelevant,  the change is so massive  and completely overtaken, that 70% of the population are under 30, and most adhere to the Wahabi teaching 

It is almost impossible to correct it, schools, unregulated  and out  of control curriculum, mosques, universities,  and business owners,  it is everywhere 

[galbeedi]

2 hours ago, maakhiri1 said:

And whatever sect Somalis believed , or were part of  in the past is irrelevant,  the change is so massive,  and completely overtaken, 70% of population are 30, and most adhere to the Wahabi teaching 

Exactly. Yet if we could find few out spoken, well educated moderate Sheikhs like Sheikh Abdirahman Bashir Of Djibouti, we could turn the tide. You need few tough Sheikhs who are willing to confront the Wahabis. The national TV and Radio could be a good vehicle.

There was a friend of mine who visited Boosaaso in 1999, and he went to one of the Masjids owned by these lunatic Khawaariij. After Iqaama was called, one of the guys said, " Waar ha iska heesaane sallada ina geliya".

In Madiina, the city of the Prophet Mohamed Peace be upon him, they called the first eedaan call around 4:30 and start the Fajr prayer at 5:30, and when you done and come outside,  the sun isn't out but it is clear day. Yet, back home it all starts at 3:00Am, who can dare and tell that guy, " Waar ummadu hakaa huridee eedaanka u kaadi, fajarkuna waa 5:25 e. That is were you need state regulation of these people.

Wahabism could mostly spread war torn countries where there is no strong civilization. It barely exists in Sudan, north Africa and west Africa, except pockets in Libya. In Nigeria they forcing the people through gun, kidnapping and intimidations.

 

[Khadafi]

well said Galbeed Maakhir, I will respond to you guys at a later time.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

The Youth might just be the group that save Somalia.  Iranian style theocracy that safeguard country and people.  

Bring back dignity. 

[maakhiri1]

Very relevant interview on this topic