Anger at Somali face veil burning

[Fabregas]

Two hand grenades have gone off in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, where government soldiers were confiscating and burning face veils worn by women.

 

A BBC correspondent says one woman was injured in the explosions at a junction near the city's main Bakara market.

 

Eyewitnesses say soldiers were ordering women in burkas to remove their face veils on Tuesday, but the operation was later stopped by their superiors.

 

Wearing of face veils was encouraged by the Islamists ousted last December.

 

Correspondents say traditionally Somali women tend to just cover their heads, but in recent years burkas - which cover the entire face and body - and niqabs - a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear - have become more popular.

 

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) which ruled much of southern Somalia for six months last year were driven from power by Ethiopian-backed government forces.

 

Last month, Mogadishu experienced its worst fighting in 16 years as the government soldiers and insurgents battled for control.

 

The government says it has now defeated Islamist fighters and the new mayor of Mogadishu is trying to stamp his authority on the city.

 

Fear

 

Eyewitnesses says people became angry when government soldiers began burning the face veils, saying it was a religious violation.

 

 

The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says women were fearful of leaving their homes wearing veils on Wednesday morning.

 

However, as news spread that it was not an officially sanctioned operation, they have felt more confident about going out into the streets.

 

Meanwhile, the demolitions of illegal structures has entered a second day.

 

Mogadishu's mayor, former warlord Mohamed Dheere, said the exercise was to boost security and clean up the city.

 

Last Friday he banned people from carrying weapons on the streets and gave a 15-day ultimatum for illegal buildings to be removed.

 

Our correspondent says piles of rubble and corrugated iron sheets can be seen in the city.

 

Some people have begun demolishing their own buildings.

 

"I have been running a small tea-shop but I have destroyed it," a widow with four children told the BBC.

 

"Now I have nothing to support my family," she said.

 

Thousands of people who make a living from similar small-scale businesses in the city are being affected by the demolitions, our reporter says.

[Ana_Juwa2]

What a joke. Perhaps a sympton of the disorder incompetence and lack of anything reslembing lawful behaviour that is to follow

[Ms DD]

This is what really gets my goat! Where do they get off dictating what the muslim ladies wear? In Boosaaso, 95% of women wore the niqab..will they be told to takeit off? or is this reserved for muqdishu residents? Totally unacceptable!

[Jacpher]

What do you expect with Xaaraan ku naax Max'ed Dheere?

[Paragon]

^^Yes, there is nothing else to be expected from the ilk of M.Dheere.

 

On a different note, do you know that in the UK, mothers are asked to take off their veils (indho-shareer) when collecting children from school? I didn't know until a friend got a letter from school requesting his wife to do exactly that. I can understand their fear but I can't understand the acts of the militia in Mogadishu.

[Biixi]

Somalia: Government bans wearing face-veils

Wed. May 09, 2007 10:05 am.- By Mohamed Abdi Farah. - Send this news article

 

 

 

(SomaliNet) The transitional federal government, which had imposed restrict laws has ordered its security forces in the capital to stop women from wearing the little cloth on their face.

 

The move was to prevent defeated insurgents from disguising as women while attacking government and Ethiopian forces. Soldiers could be seen seizing and even burning Muslim women's veils.

 

Yesterday, the soldiers removed the veils from the faces of many women on the streets and then burned them.

 

“This is un-Islamic act done by the government and I don’t know what to do,” said Asha Ahmed.

 

Officials say some suicide attacks have been carried out by men disguised under full face-veils.

 

Ali Nor, a senior police officer told the local media that the security forces were ordered to remove veils from women.

 

“This was done because of recent attacks carried out by people in disguise,” added Nor.

 

Generally, Somalis are moderate Muslims, and most women traditionally cover their heads but not faces.

 

News Category: Somalia

[xiinfaniin]

War waa ururkii argagixiso la dirirka with new recruits, and authority.

[Biixi]

Somali forces ban, burn Muslim women's veils

Wed May 9, 2007 11:44 AM EDT

 

By Guled Mohamed

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali security forces are seizing and even burning Muslim women's veils in Mogadishu to stop Islamist insurgents disguising themselves for attacks, authorities and witnesses said on Wednesday.

 

The Western-backed government's crackdown on veils is a highly symbolic turnaround for the Somali capital. When it was under Islamist control in the second half of 2006, women were instructed to cover their heads.

 

Backed by Ethiopian troops, tanks and warplanes, Somali forces ousted the rival Islamist leaders in January and are trying to secure the capital after a surge of bloody fighting.

 

"Every policeman and government soldier has orders to confiscate veils from veiled women," senior police officer Ali Nur told Reuters, saying various recent attacks had been carried out by people in disguise.

 

"Some of the remnants of the Islamic Courts have been caught wearing veils. During the war, these remnants, pretending to be women, killed so many government troops."

 

Somalis are generally moderate Muslims and most women traditionally cover their heads but not faces. Officials say some suicide attacks have been carried out by men disguised under full face-veils, known as indhasharer in Somali.

 

A Reuters witness saw several veiled women running away from police on Wednesday.

 

Near the main Tarbuunka Square, a Somali woman was seen removing her face covering before approaching a government checkpoint where one soldier clutched several of the black veils, which cover the face and leave only the eyes visible.

 

Mogadishu residents said government troops and police had been forcibly removing veils and publicly destroying them.

 

"Yesterday, so many veils were burnt by the police," said taxi driver Abdullahi Mohamed.

 

One girl, 17-year-old Iftin Hussein, said she had left her veil at home to avoid encounters with the police. "Yesterday, I was forced to run away to escape from being unveiled. This is wrong, but we cannot do anything, we are powerless," she said.

 

SECURITY DRIVE

 

A senior cleric, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, urged the government to be sensitive.

 

"If the government is unveiling women out of security concerns, then I think it is acceptable. However, this can raise public anger," he told Reuters.

 

"The government has to undertake it very carefully. They should use women to frisk and unveil women, not men."

 

The government has been fighting an insurgency that has killed at least 1,300 people since February. Just days ago, it declared victory, but is still wary of guerrilla-style attacks.

 

As part of a security drive in the gun-infested city, government and Ethiopian troops handed African peacekeepers weapons, including anti-tank mines and rocket-propelled grenades, they say were seized from an insurgent stronghold.

 

National police boss Abdi Hassan Awale said the weapons were unearthed at a Koranic school in northern Mogadishu.

 

"For children to be taught in a house with all these weapons buried underneath it, is against our religion," he said.

 

AU officials say they would either destroy the firepower or keep it in custody.

 

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

[Abwaan]

Originally posted by Jimcaale:

What do you expect with Xaaraan ku naax Max'ed Dheere?

Waa la arki doonaa meeshay ku dambeeyaan kuwa arrimahaan ku kacay iyo kuwa soo farayba ee dersikooda, hooyooyinkood, habaryarooyinkood, dumaashiyaalkood, gabdhahooda, xaasaskooda,,ayeeyooyinkood, eeddooyinkood ama walaalahoodba gambooyinka ka furanaya.

 

Waxaa la yaab leh ma saan baa dowlad lagu noqdaa, in dumarkii Soomaaliyeed dharka laga furto? Waa cajiib in jirrri iyo moooryaan lagu soo daayo magaalo, tolow maxay dhali doontaa?

[Ana_Juwa2]

A Reuters

witness saw several veiled women running away from police on Wednesday.

Subhanallah what immensily idiotic and backward people these so called leaders continue to show.

 

National police boss Abdi Hassan Awale said the weapons were unearthed at a Koranic school in northern Mogadishu.

 

"For children to be taught in a house with all these weapons buried underneath it, is against our religion," he said.

 

AU officials say they would either destroy the firepower or keep it in custody.

what a joke!

[Fabregas]

Quote:"Some of the remnants of the Islamic Courts have been caught wearing veils. During the war, these remnants, pretending to be women, killed so many government troops."

 

 

Somalis are generally moderate Muslims and most women traditionally cover their heads but not faces. Officials say some suicide attacks have been carried out by men disguised under full face-veils, known as indhasharer in Somali.

 

 

I know you highlighted those quotes for a reason. But i think this is a rather pathetic and unacceptable execuse. The second Somali that carried out a suicide operation was dressed in military fatigue( as worn by t.f.g and Ethiopian army)will you stop and arrest people with military uniformers? The first suicide bomber, who's operation can viewed on the internet, was also wearing normal clothing. So tell us what suicide operations have been carried by men dressed as veiled woman? Or tell us which suicide operations were uncovered due to men with veils been captured? One is surpised at these actions, considerign the fact that the former terror alliance of warlords is once again in control of Muqdisho. But this time they have the support of the entire world, to do as they wish.

[Biixi]

They didn't say Suicide bombing were carried out by mean wearing Shareero.

 

They said that

"prevent defeated insurgents from disguising as women while attacking government and Ethiopian forces. Soldiers could be seen seizing and even burning Muslim women's veils."

 

"Some of the remnants of the Islamic Courts have been caught wearing veils. During the war, these remnants, pretending to be women, killed so many government troops."

 

.....

 

I was trying to understand why make such a decision, so I do understand like the Shiekh said "If the government is unveiling women out of security concerns, then I think it is acceptable."

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

for the sake of safety and security, I think we can put aside the requirements of an alien culture such as woman wearing niqaabs. niqaabs have nothing to do with islam, its khaliji fashion. and fashion can be sacrificed for SECURITY! please stop being seeflaboods, it won't help anyone.

[Jacpher]

^Adi kuwii la baacsaday xaa kaa reebay? Are they getting any good credible intelligence out of these women

 

 

Yaad iska gadooysaa? Speaker material maad jarihee macalinka?

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

jimcaale

^Adi kuwii la baacsaday xaa kaa reebay?

oo kuwa la baacsaday wa ayo? sersouly, I have no idea if the TFG has any intiligence officials in xamar or how they gather information but I doubt its asking for people to show their face.