The Al-Ittihad factor in Somali politics

[Baashi]

^Right on.

 

Learned scholars like Qawi, shariif Abdinuur, and effective preachers like Abdullahi Ali Xaashi, Gacameey, Boqolsoon (Allah yarxama), Mustafa, Shariif Abdirahman, and Umul are Islamists to the core. But, those who pray late at night in a home they’d looted from its rightful owners (some r killed in cold blooded manner) are either hypocrites to the true sense of the word or are misguided and misled clannish ignorant bunch. What else would you make of this seemingly inconsistent and contradictory practices!!

 

Much has been said about Col. Dahir and I have no doubt that there are many who attack him for political reasons and would want to character assassinate his name but the fact remains that his political actions and that of Indha Cadde are not in accordance to the Islamic dictates. I’m kinda thinking to call Maxkamadaha’s actions and their stated mission an oxymoron.

[Rahima]

In the final analysis, Itihad has contributed to the revival of Islamic awakening and Dacwa. Its occasional political mishaps shouldn’t overshadow the movement’s genuine efforts to establish Islamic state.

Here, Here!

 

Bashi,

 

A while back, at the advent of the establishment of these courts, I to be honest was very against the idea-mind you they had not being in action for very long but I’d just heard of them. I was against the idea for I felt that Somalis did not understand the sharica in full and hence was of the opinion that it is wrong to punish a man for that which he does not understand. That of course was until I attended a sit in (via telephone) with Shariif Cabdinuur (who mind you we all acknowledge is probably the most learned man alive amongst Somalis).

 

A lady asked him about these courts, he responded that basically we must support them at all costs even with all their faults (at this point I’m still waiting for my issue of lack of public awareness to be addressed). Anyway in the midst of his answer, another lady jumps in explaining all the faults of these courts, and then queries how is that can we expected to support an entity with so many faults. Shariif cabdinuur, then explained that basically irrespective of any faults (for these days it is very hard to find any man-made entity with faults), so long as there are benefits to be had then we must give the support. Of course he went on to give daleel from the quran, sunnah and Islamic history. Along with that he addressed that which was my concern.

 

A few years later, whilst still these courts are not as Islamic courts should be (we all acknowledge that), they have made Mogadishu that little bit safer (note that I’m not saying that they have solved the problem and the city is totally safe). Now, the average Somali has a place to go to seek some sort of justice-when two people disagree on a matter they now have the option of sorting the matter out in a civilized manner instead of taking up arms (which mind you many do everyday, it is refreshing when you actually see it for yourself). Likewise, they are slowly but surely dealing with the moryaan inside and surrounding the city. For example, the number of isbaaro, have decreased dramatically, why? They have made an effort to attack any group of people who set up isbaaro-especially those who share a tribe with them; basically each group deals with their own troublemakers so that there are no foul cries of tribalism. As for their association with questionable personalities, like wise it could be debated that like the god-fearing good individuals of PL who put up with the likes of CY for the sake of the greater good (for turning against him openly especially at the infancy of any efforts could be very detrimental), these same courts could possibly be putting up with these men for the avoidance of any greater problems and slow achievement of the greater good. I must admit, I do not know in specific about the going ons of these courts (for only Allah but knows their reasons for not tackling these warlords), but whilst in Somalia I attended a meeting of the wadaado from a certain sub-clan and many people who had gone back home from the west. One of the sticking points made by the Somalis living in the west was, why is it that these courts along with their supporters (quiet a lot) do not tackle head on these warlords and their supporters and understandably so, they replied that by taking up arms and engaging in battle with them will be espousing greater problems and probably a full blown out war in Mogadishu rather than the simple but sure skirmishes that occur when they tackle their activities such as the isbaaro. The other issue is, there are the lay men and women who can be swayed either way depending on who they feel serves their interests their best. If the religious take them on, no doubt the warlords will win in competing for the hearts of the average Xalima and Farax. Why? Because aside from the fact that the shaytaan is in the driving seat, they will play the tribal card and knowing that Somalis have become so tribe orientated and suspicious of those they see as outsiders (or supporting the views which they see as best serving outsiders) they will support their clansmen for they feel they can trust him. Having said that, the wadaado have decided that the fight with the pen is probably the best option at this point in time. Educate the populace and hence it is easier to win over the educated than the illiterate man who not more than 10 years ago was with his camels somewhere in Mudug.

 

I met this man whilst in Somalia. A man, who will most probably stick in my mind forever- he was that amazing. He is an educated man, was part of the ministry of education during the Siyaad Barre (may Allah have mercy on him) days. Anyway, he runs a very large school of about 1400+ orphan students from all over the country. This man spends his days with these children and his nights are spent trying to appeal to the moryaan of his sub-sub-clan. His approach is most amazing. He first offers them an opportunity to learn to read and write, in not just Somali but also Arabic or English depending on their preference. He hires for them qualified teachers (all from his pocket mind you). Little by little depending on their progression, he teaches them different sorts of trades so that they can make a living for themselves. All the while of doing this at night time, this man knows that these men during the day are sitting at the isbaaro making a deadly nuisance of themselves, but that does not deter him for he is making progress. Slowly but surely, he is imparting positive values, many of his students (these moryaan) become literate, learn a trade to make a living, learn that their current lives are not beneficial and become productive human beings who leave behind moryaanism. Likewise, he personally goes around to the homes of the more vicious moryaan of his sub-sub-clan to try and entice them and if not to convince them to allow their children to be educated (many of these moryaan adhere to the Somali style of Sufism which they somehow believe that to be educated is to put your religion in danger, hence they are allergic to wadaado or al-itixaad as they call them which this man is). He appeals to these men in the language that they will understand, he plays with them the card that he wants his tribe to in ay hormar gaaraan and if they do not educate their children they will fall behind the rest and so will the all holy tribe.

 

I’ve gone on too long, but basically the point is this brother: we are sitting here in the west reading/listening to the Somali media and taking it in like it was the Quran. We sit here and criticize any little effort, but the point remains IT IS BETTER THAN NOTHING. It is better than walking down the street and knowing that any person can kill you with no consequences and knowing that any person can oppress you. At least now, you can walk down certain xafaado (in due time inshallah all over the city) and know that you can walk in peace without wondering what will happen to you. It is better than not having an avenue to get your due (even if only 5% of the time, for that is better than 0%). The point is but simple, over time we can only hope that they do get better and stronger and can finally tackle these warlords who hold everyone hostage head on.

 

They may not be perfect and they may have hundreds of faults but they have at the very least made the city that little bit better- as they say Rome was not built in a day, glory/success will not be reached overnight. This was the point being made by Shariif Cabdinuur (as I’ve also heard from Umal and Mustafa-both in my home, in person ) with daleel of course.

[Sky]

As for their association with questionable personalities, like wise it could be debated that like the god-fearing good individuals of PL who put up with the likes of CY for the sake of the greater good (for turning against him openly especially at the infancy of any efforts could be very detrimental), these same courts could possibly be putting up with these men for the avoidance of any greater problems and slow achievement of the greater good.

dear rahima,

 

there is a big difference between c/yussef and the xamar warlords. the blood on the hands of c/yussef are not proven to be the blood of innocent ppl, but rather the blood of his enemies. may they be ethiopians, barres troops, usc militia or puntland rebels. in short his enemies. that in contrast with the xamar warlords, whom make a living off of harrying the xamar population. second, c/yussef is moving forward, he has an agenda that benefits the ppl he represents. he has brought law and order to northeast somalia and is now trying to reinstate somalia as a fullfledged nation. noble works compared to the isbaaro and drugs plantations of the xamar warlords. rahima, overall islam is not a religion of compromise, if its xaaraan to manoeuvre yourself in the world of the xamar warlords, than its xaaraan! simple as that! but its not xaaraan for a hungry and traumatised population to seek hope in a man whose only wrongdoing is being a dictator. there is a piece in the quráan that i cant recall right now, wich says: its wrong to rebel against a king, if the king does good. something in that direction...

[NASSIR]

I have credible doubts that, a place still unmanageable and resistant to authority, Al Itihad factor in Somalia's politics created an atmosphere of peace and order. The moral decadence of which perhaps every one associates with the work of Al Itihad in Somalia is forcing its way out to the surface as lava released by the compression of two grinding plates. It is astonishing to see how they advance their subtle stratagem of Islamic rule while standing corrected at the outright blight of people in Mogadisho. They do have important and chivalrous political figures as members who justify their occupations on innocent and peaceful loving Somalis. Well Shariif Xassan and Omar Faaruuq are both Al Itihad regardless of thier learned peak status. One would wonder whether they are using this privilege to amass impassioned appeals.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by CAAMIR:

They do have important and chivalrous political figures as members who justify their occupations on innocent and peaceful loving Somalis.

Care you tell us who are those ‘important and chivalrous’ members? Indhacadde is not and has never been an Al-Ittihad member lest you mistakenly think of him as such!

[wind.talker]

Originally posted by Sky:

second, c/yussef is moving forward, he has an agenda that benefits the ppl he represents. he has brought law and order to northeast somalia

Quraa faadka meesha kala bax. The Northeast was much more peaceful when Col Yeey was limited to the deserts of northern Mudug. Let's see what has happened in the Col Yeey era:

 

1. Battles in Qardho, Boosaaso for power & greed (how many innocent souls perished?)

2. Battles in Las Anod - which has been in a perpetual state of war since 2002 (is this issue closer to being resolved now?)

3. His invitation for USC militias to be stationed in south Galkayo (against the will of most PL folk who fought hard to defend the city in '93) - so that he will forever be needed and known as the grand defender of "D-clan"

 

Isn't that all its ever been about? This is what Prof Said S. Samatar wrote about Col Yeey and his struggle for power in Northeastern Somalia (now Puntland):

 

"Of the three Abshir is manifestly the most deserving: a deeply religious man of a mystical turn of mind and hence blessed by an unblemished personal integrity (remember then General Abshir, commander of the police force, instead of obliging 'Igaal and 'Abdirashiid to steal the l969 election, chose--some say unwisely--to retire from government, thereby leaving himself to the tender mercy of wolves, most especially to the untender mercy of the jackal that went by the name of Mohammed Siad Barre.) Patriotic to a fault, genuinely interested in the welfare of the Somali people and with a great international name recognition, Abshir must be the logical choice to lead the northeast.

 

But these qualities, which would have been a great asset for leadership in a sane people , are in fact a singular liability among crazed Somalis. Most ********** , and most ******* for that matter, obsessively fear that if they entrust their interest and welfare to Abshir, he might, in his eagerness for the nation, give away too much to other clans, and hence endanger their future. Once bitten, twice shy, so many ******* feel. Instead a large number of ********** want Abdullahi for the same reason the Americans wanted Richard Nixon for president during the height of the Viet Nam and Cold War. A prickly British scholar with an earthy humor explained Nixon's overwhelming victory over the pacifist Senator George McGovern in the crucial 1972 election thus: "Granted Nixon is a ******* ," quipped the Englishman, "but you need a ******* in dealing with the Russians." A not insignificant number of ******* feel they need a ******* in dealing with the Aydiid types in the south--which ******* Abdullahi Yuusuf is!"

 

SOURCE: http://www.wardheernews.com/articles/April/19_the%20******teen_embrassment_Said%20Samatar.htm

 

Col Yeey convinced the Northeast that he's the only person capable of defending them against the mythical south-of-Galkayo enemy (the same so-called enemy he allowed to come back and live in Galkayo so that Reer Galkayo will always live in a state of fear). He's a violent man with blood on his hands - so-called "blood of the enemy." These Muqdisho warlords also kill their enemies, so what's the difference?

 

So many issues Col Yeey couldn've solved through talk he decided to solve through war. How long will that kind of mentality last? Last time Galkayo was attacked it was the boys of Nugaal who fought to the last man to ensure that the city was free from USC occupation. The USC had written on the walls of Galkayo "Cumar aragne, Ciise ku meeye." We all know their fate after that.

[Baashi]

Many thanks sis Rahima. That was very informative piece.

 

Let me ask you this question and simple yes or no will do. Do Maxkamadaha operate in Marka and Sh/Hoose? Are Maxkamadaha in Benadir-SH/Hoose environs a united system with administrative hierarchy of their own or they are scattered fiefdoms within the clan system?

[Sky]

the battles in boosaaso and qardho were to save puntland from becoming an carta fiefdom. the corrupt jaamac cali jaamac had no good intentions for puntland, evident is how he played the -we are reer boqor card-. he ultimately got defeated and humiliated. all the puntland isims and waxgarads agree that at the end it was better that c/yussef stayed. so your rambling is just confusing. are you sure you talk to some ppl about politics or is the net your only outlet?

 

blaming the amaanxumo in laascaanood on c/yussef. man taas waa iska daciifnimo. if you just ignore somalilands gardarro and reer sools own political division and blame it all on....Col Yeey. than you seriously got a problem. youre one of those many ppl who some way or another have some scores to settle with c/yussef. well you gotta be in nairobi for that, not SOL.

 

overall, c/yussef comparing with the xamar warlords? either thats dumb or dishonest for real. im not saying c/yussef is a good guy even tho you paint me as a c/yussef groupie. but you gotta be realistic and a pragmatist. check the sorry state somalia is in, youll see theres no room for dreams and ideals. at least not for the time being. you need to learn that kiddo!

 

windtalker=

Quraa faadka meesha kala bax. The Northeast was much more peaceful when Col Yeey was limited to the deserts of northern Mudug.

that just shows i overestimated you in the past. your knowledge is limited sxb. hadaadan ka warqabin how dangerous the boosaaso-gaalkacyo road was without any authority and every fool could put an isbaaro if he pleased than you got another thing coming kid.

deserts of northern mudug maad igu xantey? and you come from evergreen bakool?

[Baashi]

Where are the moderators?

[Emperor]

Aren't you one? or being political here

 

I have always thought you were one! LOL My mistake

[wind.talker]

BASHI -

 

Why are Mods needed? I'm not engaging in silly name-calling schemes with these chumps. I speak reality - they speak like Bari-Bari.

 

SKY -

 

Hadaan Col Yeey runta ka sheego cadow baan ahay miyaa? Garoowe and Boosaaso have always been peaceful cities - not even you and your twisted logic can argue about this. Boosaaso, under SSDF chairman Mohamed Abshir, is the same peaceful city the Washington Post wrote about in 1995. Where was Col Yeey in '95? Give a freaken break - talking about he "brought" peace to Puntland. What he brought is war and sew hatred amongst the Northeasterners themselves!

 

Funny how you resort to cheap attacks without even ARGUING against a single thing I said about Col Yeey. But I guess the TRUTH can't be argued about. Col Yeey convinced Reer Mudug - and later Reer PL - that he's the champion of war that'll defend them against the mythical south-of-Galkayo (and later, west-of-Las Anod) enemy. Where's this enemy? In the Las Anod case, he invited the "enemy" by making a move even S/land wasn't dreaming of making: militarily takeover Las Anod and lead to the current sad state of affairs there.

 

Let's return back to the ROOT of the Las Anod issue: Garad Abdiqani - the highest ranking Sool leader who's somewhat pro-S/land - left Puntland for Somaliland as soon as Col Yeey ascended to power. This is a FACT - because Garad Abdiqani feared exactly what happened: today, Las Anod is a virtual zone of war. Who'll perish there? It sure as hell ain't no soldiers from Galkayo! Reer Sool's supposed confusion is created by both sides of the border (incl. Riyale admin). That I understand - but pre-Col Yeey's invasion, the city didn't have a massive S/land military presence on its border ready for an invasion (not that S/land has the power to invade Las Anod anyway). My point is this: Col Yeey isn't a man who can handle issues in a peaceful manner, which is an admirable trait in any leader. He resorted to violence yesterday, and he'll resort to violence tomorrow! That's the bottom line. Quit sugar-coating his bloody career and making it seem as if he's an innocent champion of peace.

 

And please argue about facts and ease off the cheap name-calling. I know the truth about your idol hurts but I didn't make up facts.

[Sky]

baashi=

 

this is the way ppl talk to windtalker. what the biggie?

 

windtalker=

 

granted boosaaso and garoowe were always relative peaceful cities..compared to the south that is! did you hear of the frankincense plantation wars in bari? or the standard ambushes around garoowe? dadka hogaan markey waayaan, bahalo ayeey noqdaan. these parts included. tusaale the former about the frankincense farms in bari. a local family called reer shuceeyb massacred another family that are related to awdal/djibouti. boqor cusmaan allocated large tracts of land for frankincense farming as diyah to the aggrieved family. it was like this for more than a century till....1991! and reer shuceeyb three generations later took the land by force wich was against xeer law and slaughtered many of them also. they kept it until puntland was founded and c/yussef forced reer shuceeyb to follow the xeer rule and give back the land and accept the verdict of the diyah payment demanded of them by the local xeer judges.

 

ninyahow the whole country was in flames. you cant just say boosaaso and garoowe were nabad before c/yussef came with his dirty fingers on 'em. authority was needed, and general maxamed abshir magac ayuu iska ahaa. he had no real control of anything, with all due respect. i admire the man with a passion.

 

c/yussef invited the enemies; somaliland and usc to our backdoors? gimme a break will ya? his reign on puntland was too precious for him to jeapordise it on such a foolish risk. it would be his interests that Sl n usc werent a threat at all. but ill excuse you of this farfetched theory. it seems youre confusing yourself more than others.

 

garaad cabdiqani is chief responsible to the wellbeing of his folk and so is garaad saleebaan. garaad saleebaan and other garaads n ugaases are adament supporters of c/yussef becuz they believe in him as a leader. respect to these men, without them puntland would be zero! garaad cabdiqani is confused, he says we are brothers dhinaca hooyadeena with the somalilanders, and we are brothers dhinaca aabaheena with the eastern puntlanders. forget about him, garaad saleebaan always found himself in a steady course in laascaanood. garaad cabdiqani at the other hand is seen frequently travelling in the backseat of a mark II taxi on the hargeysa-garoowe road.

 

if you wanna talk to me decently, than talk to me as Sky and not -another c/yussef supporter-.

 

by the way, what is your stand? really, of all ppl here i dont know jack of where you stand in the politics scene. this is not an attack, i just dont know where you stand. becuz you seem to be for no one and everyone.

[wind.talker]

Originally posted by Sky:

garaad saleebaan and other garaads n ugaases are adament supporters of c/yussef becuz they believe in him as a leader. respect to these men... garaad cabdiqani is confused,

How do get the audacity to ask me not to refer to you as a Col Yeey cheerleader? Garad Abdiqani - in your opinion - is confused and therefore irrelevant because he doesn't agree with Col Yeey's dictatorship. But the other minor Garads should be raised to the status of undisputed Sool leaders because they're adamantly pro-Col Yeey. May I remind you that, at the end of the day, Garad Abdiqani is the supreme traditional leader in Sool Region. At least give him the respect he deserves - even though he disagrees with Papa Yeey!

[Sky]

waryaa yarrow i asked you a question!

 

by the way, what is your stand? really, of all ppl here i dont know jack of where you stand in the politics scene. this is not an attack, i just dont know where you stand. becuz you seem to be for no one and everyone.

or should i take a hint from you failing to answer?

[Gabbal]

I will not get in this debate, it might seem like I'm a scoring a point or two, but how you, Sky, managed, whether ignorantly or purposely, to miss the gist of Wind's side of the debate is amazing. Now, I hope, you realize that Cabdulahi Yusuf has become the face of the northeast by calaf, but is not, however, accepted by the majority of the inhabitants there.