Somalia: The imminent death of a dictator in Puntland

[dhulQarnayn]

“The fate and destiny will depend on our

deeds; but to be docile is merely dangerous” Jama Deef 2008

 

As we recover slowly from the bewilderness that accompanied our joy at the sheer enormity of what was about to unfold before us, we witness the new dawn that has begun for humanity. History indeed, but above all the symbolic meaning this “barakamania” has become to represent, is something worth cherishing, it shows us that change is possible. It is a message I trust, to the Somali pessimists, who their inherited learned helplessness and negativity from our past have characterised not only our politics but generally our life outlook.

 

Empowered by these events, I have been thinking about all that has been achieved in Puntland and what needs to be done. By choosing peace over war, Puntland has already shown a commitment to life for all over death. They have also attempted, albeit imperfect, some sort of governance and democratisation. Of course these are difficult concepts that other nations, have achieved with centuries long trials and errors. In Puntland, there have been some obstacles in both conceptual and practical levels, which produced muddled results and even in sometimes a total departure from the cause. I believe the problem lied all along in our insistence to use a blend of a dictatorship style of governance based on qabiil and democracy.

 

Since I endorsed the charismatic presidential candidate, our own Obama, Nuridin Dirie, the storm was high. The loyalists have employed every trick in the book knowingly or not, urging me to conform to the demands of this Centuries Old dictator called “Qabiil”. The justifications being that this is how things are in our country – everyone should stick to his/ her own. Reminding me of the old - jahiliat times, when the Arabs justified their resistance to Islam by saying “haadaa maa kaana calayhi abaa unaa – meaning we are born to our ways of life”. Simply to be different called for me accusations of being (a little girl, a utopian, being detached from reality, and even an alien).

 

Somalia has seen successive powers that wished ill on her like Turks, Portuguese, British, Italian, French and so on. Although we managed to rid ourselves from them all, we stand captive to qabiil. A dictator is being an absolutist. So is “Qabiil”, it is the only thing that assumes an absolute power over our intellect, and is certainly obeyed unchallenged. All our social and cultural structures prepare us to think, to talk, and to walk in a world that serves its purposes. This menace creeps into our thoughts when we converse with others and convinces us that the other, a brother that looks and sounds like I do, for instance is the enemy or the inferior. It dictates our socialisation patterns and our choice of friends and colleagues. Qabiil, I believe makes the justifications for our actions sound even worst than the guilt itself, yet we comply. It makes us make number of wrong assumptions about the world. Qabiil also prescribe the actions of those who are trying to combat its influence, they too make wrong assertions: they think that to oppose qabiil is to disassociate themselves with their own.

 

I have been told that the reality in Puntland today, is that angry “qabiils” are preparing for war, including my own. I also heard that these groups have suffered from injustices and that the current regime has allowed the channeling of the wealth of Puntland to the benefit of the few. As if this validates the fact that, what we are preparing for, if that is to be the case, is removing unjust practice by installing another that would obviously go about its business in very much the same way. My question is; does two wrongs make right?

 

I am really astonished at the excessive powers this dictator “Qabiil” has enjoyed so far. I very much wonder how could a nation that calls itself 100% Muslim, managed to cling on to this pagan culture which not only contradicts the spirit of the century, but is fundamentally incompatible with the principals of the believers. Worst still is the fact that instead of dwindling, it is getting stronger, more solid, deep rooted, and accepted as part of life. Of course it has to become part of life because it is official and institutionalised.

 

Our half hearted attempts with democracy in Puntland, also indicates the misconceptions that surrounds its translation to practice. Before I attempt explaining what I mean of a democratic system, I would like to clarify on the outset its relationship with dictatorship. These two systems are certainly fierce enemies, and they have evidently fought each other uncompromisingly throughout history.

 

The concept of democracy is more than a simple voting system. To begun with, it requires that we seek understanding to how are we citizens; do we have the sense of belonging to where we live; do we share core values with the rest of the inhabitants such as the understanding that for instance, my personal and qabiil survivals are intertwined with the survival of the collective; and above all do we have the conviction that in order for the individual to live, he/ she must allow others to live. These are questions that form the fundamentals of a democratic system (i.e. a system that guarantees equality, justice, and freedoms). Democracy also requires individuals that believe that others have equal rights and equal access to justice and resources as them. There are no half measures in our pursuit of democracy, it is whether we have freedoms, justice and equality for all that are guaranteed by the constitution of the land or we have not.

 

As soon as we have oppressors and the oppressed as in the case of qabiil dictatorship, we will not have sense of ownership over where we live. The injustices that we are complacent about were made possible because we stand divided along qabiil lines. As a result we fail to see that Puntland belongs to us as well as those in power. We have deprived ourselves from the right to talk, or protest out of fear or because we believe that our views are not of any value and as such suffer from a self inflicted terrorism. We simply fail to see that we are the power that feeds the continuation of injustice by choosing being docile, silent and withdrawing to the phony protection of our qabiil. Falling back on Qabiil is not the way forward.

 

To be fair, our journey to a cultural revolution has begun long ago. Nevertheless our experiences with democracy and governance have been flimsy and mystifying for both the governed and the government as they stand both powerless and perplexed. The government is powerless in seeking legitimacy from its citizens, and the governed has found it difficult to accept the government as their own. Indeed, the first taste of a democratic revolution was when the people demonstrated against the money counterfeit. This was the first time that the people saw themselves as the governed and attempted to show peacefully their discontent with the way things were. Unfortunately their hopes were crashed by the police’s use of Chinese style violence against the very people it meant to protect. The government didn’t stop there but continued to promote, consciously or not, these reactions as the rebellion of certain “qabiils” and by so doing succeeded in dividing the people even further. Old wounds serviced and it was possible to break the will of the people by awaking the dictator in their minds and hearts. Suddenly the people who came together saw each other as the enemies. To me though, I still cherish that moment, in fact, I believe that we ought to erect monuments in the middle of Bosaaso for those who died, the first ever martyrs of democracy in Puntland. The government also cannot be blamed, because even though they are the government, the leadership cannot escape from the fact that they were “qabiil” revolting against what they perceived at the time “qabiil” dictatorship. The conflict of interest between this backdrop and the interest of the population is apparent.

 

This centuries old dictator that willingly takes over our lives allowed the “xoog culture” to floorish in Puntland and beyond. As a result we have had so far rotations of injustices. Each “qabiil” that feels alienated takes up arms and pursues the submission of people against their will. We are told that those individuals who embark on such acts are mad, have no shame, or they are pure criminals. These are all justifications, after all it is the environment of mistrust made possible by the dictator in our mind, that these madness breeds in. “Qabiil” is the single largest enemy that faces us. It creates a sea of confusion and does not enable people to differentiate rights from wrongs. In a normal situation, one would expect that the mad is sanctioned, the shameless is judged by the “xeer”, and the pure criminal is jailed. Any of these actions sound more right and sensible than the fact that these individuals are allowed to govern.

 

This dictator is settled and it is also in our minds. The first jihad that we should embark on, therefore should be the Jihad of the self. If such logic continues we will always be under the mercy of the gun, not Allah. The good people of Puntland and of every qabiil should come and stand together knowing that they all have an interest in so doing. There shouldn’t be a conflict between who our ancestors are and our rights as citizens. Indeed, the pride and the aspiration of our forefathers should be the tie that brings our destiny together, not the one that divides us.

 

The “qabiil blindness” I called for, is seeking independence from its influence. It is about not making our decisions on the basis of kinship and that in terms of selection, we should not prefer one person over the other based on their relations to us. Nevertheless reverse racism is equally not the pursuant goal. Members of your qabiil should be treated as equal to others and vice versus. Neither should the quantity of our qabiil matter, only the quality of our deeds should distinguish us.

 

It is certainly tempting to continue with a system that makes us feel better, greater or superior to others. However, these practices make us vulnerable and it is the condition by which the bitter division of our nation was made possible. Today with the dangers of extremism looming on us, our existence is at stake. This calls not only for the unity of Puntlanders, but also, to come together with Somaliland in order to mend our relationships and change it to one of mutual respect and collaboration.

 

The recent acts of violence that we have experienced mark the imminent death of a dictator called “qabiil” and we have to be serious about eradicating it by raising awareness about citizenship. Who got there before the other, who is more than the other are not the issues that will give us the strength to face the wind. The land belongs to all, to those Somalis who chose to make Puntland their home.

 

As we are coming closer to divisive moments of our history through election, I would also call for all the candidates to stop hiding behind their qabiils. And come forward to convince us, the people, as to why they should be elected. Someone who cannot rely on his deeds and qualifications in order to persuade the people, is not someone to be trusted. As for us, we do know what we want, we want a government for all, with a forward looking agenda that brings us together, that can take us out of uncertainty and into the 21st century.

 

For the love of God and country.

 

by Warsan Cismaan Saalax Cabdikariim

 

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I found this article very compelling and thought I'd share it with my fellow Puntlanders. This election season we must do our outmost to overcome ALL the "us" Vs "them" mentality.

 

Strength through Unity!

 

dhulQarnayn :cool:

Republic Of California

[RedSea]

Does that include reer SOOL?

[dhulQarnayn]

Yes ofcourse.

 

dhulQarnayn :cool:

Republic Of California

[rudy-Diiriye]

uncle is dead!! so is dictatorship!! time for all somalis to standup as one nation! amiin.

[Thankful]

As we are coming closer to divisive moments of our history through election, I would also call for all the candidates to stop hiding behind their qabiils. And come forward to convince us, the people, as to why they should be elected. Someone who cannot rely on his deeds and qualifications in order to persuade the people, is not someone to be trusted.

I heard many people say in Puntland that "Reer Gaalkayo had their oppurtunity to lead Puntland for quite some time."

 

Mr. Nuridin "Obama" Dirie who is reer gaalkayo knows that other area's are asking for their chance to lead. This is why he speaks about democracy and and no more qabiil and "yes we can".

 

If he goes into Puntland and starts preaching about no more qabiil, and other nonesense this article talks about; he'll be laughed at!!!

 

I think Hassan Abshir is the biggest threat, he is very experienced and most importanly very well known by everyone in Puntland. Many of the other Candidates who flew in less then two months before the elections made a big mistake. Wasting so much time. I know they were raising money for their campaigns. But they had years to do that.

 

Anyways it'll be good elections. I plan on flying out very soon witness them insha'Allah.

[Koora-Tuunshe]

Who is this girl? She is a bridge builder.