Profile Somali peacebroker: Yusuf Al-Azhari

[General Duke]

Somali peacebroker: Yusuf Al-Azhari spent six years in solitary confinement as a political prisoner

 

Dr Yusuf Omar Al-Azhari

 

For A Change, June-July, 1996 by Michael Smith

 

Yusuf Al-Azhari was walking between two Somali villages recently when he found a woman lying under a tree with her four children. She had malaria. He laid her head in his lap and she died four hours later. He took the children to the nearest village, a kilometre away, gathered the villagers together and found families to take them in.

 

Countless other children are not so lucky in a nation still in a state of anarchy following the collapse of its Marxist government in 1991 and an all-out civil war. For the past six years there has been no government or judiciary; schools and hospitals are closed, disease and famine rife; children die of malnutrition; and warlords fight for control of the capital, Mogadishu.

 

Al-Azhari is one of a network of peacebrokers among the intellectuals, religious leaders, businessmen and the women who are bringing together the warring clans in sustained dialogues for reconciliation. A former diplomat and senior administrator, he now describes himself as a `peacemaker and reconciliation promoter'.

 

Recently, the reconcilers spent four months bringing together clans that were fighting each other in the southern port of Kismaayo. For 28 days, their leaders sat under a tree `without accusing each other' until they reached an agreement. `We prefer to call the clan leaders "peace lords" in a psychological bid to tranquillize them,' says Al-Azhari. `Now there is no civil war in Kismaayo. What we are trying to do next is to form a reconciliation conference, either in Somalia or outside.'

 

It is a dangerous task. At one point, 22 peace negotiators were rounded up and shot. Al-Azhari was one of only three who survived. He had two bullets taken out of his thigh; one remains embedded in his leg.

 

Contrary to world media perception, Al-Azhari says the UN's abortive peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention in Somalia in 1993 was a net benefit to the nation. It ended the worst of the civil war and created a climate in which the warlords, leaders of Somalia's six major clans, were willing to sit down and talk. Where the UN, and the US forces involved, went wrong was in attempting to arrest such warlords as General Aidid, at a time when the nation had no legal framework to bring them to book. Instead, the UN's action merely elevated their status.

 

In the absence of the UN, much of the drive for peace is coming from the women who have seen their families butchered on an horrific scale. A UNICEF report says that some 40 per cent of Somalia's children are believed to have died or are completely disabled, physically and mentally.

 

Al-Azhari brings to his work of reconciliation his faith as a devout Muslim, his years of experience in diplomacy, and his personal experience of repression. For six years in the Seventies he was held without trial in solitary confinement.

 

Yusuf Omar Ahmed Al-Azhari was born in 1940 into a wealthy family. He took his doctorate in political science and international law at Mogadishu University, and married `the best girl in town', Kadija, the daughter of Prime Minister Abdu Rashid Sharmarke, who later became the second president of independent Somalia. Al-Azhari was appointed senior diplomat in Bonn and then Ambassador to the USA.

 

Somalia, with its strategic access to the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa, became an increasing focus for the cold war between the superpowers. In 1969, Sharmarke was assassinated and five days later General Mohammed Siad Barre came to power in a Soviet-backed coup. His regime was to become one of the world's most oppressive.

 

Al-Azhari is uncompromising about the part that corruption played in discrediting capitalism and democracy. He cites Western construction companies, brought in to build 30 schools, who offered so many `commissions' to officials that only three schools were built. `The people turned to the socialist-communist system in reaction,' he says.

 

Summoned home from Washington, he was soon arrested, under `emergency security measures', and imprisoned for four and half months. He was transferred to a military camp to be trained in Marxism for nine months, before being sent to work as a farm labourer.

 

Passing all these tests, as he puts it, he was appointed Director General at the Ministry of Information and National Guidance. `I was supposed to orientate the public to the principles of scientific socialism,' though he remained suspect to the regime. He held this post for nearly two years, during which he was offered scholarships in the Soviet Union, East Germany, North Korea and Cuba, `all of which I managed somehow to decline'.

 

In 1974, he became Ambassador to Nigeria, covering seven other West African nations. At a reception in Lagos for a large Soviet delegation, Al-Azhari queried why such a high level delegation had come to a capitalistic country, `when they always tell us that capitalism is evil'. His question may have sealed his fate: within two weeks he was recalled to Mogadishu.

 

A year later, he was asleep with his wife and four children when soldiers burst in at 3am and seized him. He was handcuffed, blindfolded, thrown into a Land Rover and taken to a prison 350 km outside Mogadishu. It was built by East Germany to Stasi specifications: a cell three metres by four, where Al-Azhari had `no one to talk to, nothing to read, nothing to listen to'. And `to remind me that I was not a tourist in that cell', the guards tortured him daily, both physically and psychologically.

[General Duke]

"Somalia's Nelson Mandela"

Author: Wayne Sanderson

Date: 09 November 1999

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It is a cruelty which, if you have not experienced it yourself, you can not imagine."

 

The man who spoke those words, Dr Yusuf Al-Azhari, was speaking about solitary confinement, which he endured for six years. It was an experience which would have broken the spirit of most of us, but which transformed Al-Azhari's life.

 

"It was as if I had found a new identity," he would say later, describing himself as having been freed from hate, despair, depression, and the desire for earthly greed and enjoyment.

 

Al-Azhari's torment began with the overthrow of his father-in-law, Somalian President Shermarke, who was assassinated in a military coup staged in the 1960's.

 

The incoming dictator Major General Mohammed Said Barre had Al-Azhari thrown in jail, tortured and held in solitary confinement. For six years he was held in a dank, dark cell measuring 3 metres by 4 metres, with nothing to read, no one to talk to, no one to listen to - his jailers refused to speak with him.

 

For the first six months of his imprisonment, he was tortured daily. He became consumed by hatred and afraid that he would have a stroke or become insane or die. "My brain was trying to burst," he said.

 

Then one night, he recalls, he knelt down at eight in the evening, soaked with tears and asked for guidance from the Creator. "We all look for alliances but the only alliance you can have in solitary confinement is with God Almighty."

 

When he finally got up from his knees, it ways four o'clock in the morning. "Eight hours had passed as if it were eight minutes."

 

His inner voice told him: "be honest to yourself and those around you, and you will be the happiest person on earth. Don't limit yourself to earthly matters only, go beyond that."

 

Al-Azhari decided to accept prison life instead of fighting it, dividing his hours into time for physical exercise and time to conduct debates with himself about his past. He spent hours thinking back over the wrongs he had done in his life and also reviewing the good things.

 

In 1991, the Supreme Revolutionary Council which had taken over the country, was deposed and Al-Azhari was release from prison. He was still wearing the same trousers he had on at the time of his arrest and wore a beard down to his waist.

 

His wife, who had been told he had been shot trying to escape, fainted upon seeing him when he finally tracked his family down to a hut in Mogadishu.

 

One day he was overwhelmed by the feeling that he should forgive this man who had caused him so much misery. "I found I could no longer resist the need to forgive."

 

But without money - his bank account and land had been confiscated - Al-Azhari had no way of getting to Barre who had fled to Nigeria.

 

Some time later he was asked to represent Somalia at an Organisation of African Unity conference in West Africa and thus was able to visit the eighty-seven-year-old former dictator.

 

"I went all the way there just to tell him, while he was still alive, that I forgave him. I could see tears flowing down his cheeks. I thanked God for letting me fill the heart of such a man with remorse. He said to me: "thank you. You have cured me. I can sleep tonight knowing people like you exist in Somalia."

 

Al-Azhari later confessed, in a 1996 address to a South African conference "Healing the Past, Building the Future", that forgiving the man who had killed his father-in-law and treated him so callously, and who had never asked for forgiveness, was "a big challenge".

 

Today Al-Azhari is working unofficially to bring peace and reconciliation to his country, a country without a government, a judicial system, or schools, where at least 40 percent of children die before reaching 10.

 

He is currently in Australia to attend the "Sharing our Hope" conference, organised by Moral Re-Armament, to be held in Sydney from December 3 to December 7.

 

On Monday (November 8) attended a lunchtime discussion hosted by the Brisbane Institute. In the words of Professor Peter Botsman, "he had a big impact on every one in the room".

 

"It was like being in a room with East Timor resistance leader Xanana Gusmao. It was as if there was suddenly a whole different value system and things we take for granted, couldn't be taken for granted anymore," Botsman said.

 

Al-Azhari described the situation in Somalia where there is interest in moving to a new federal system of government with the five major ethnic groups creating five provinces that have some form of national alliance, much like Australia or the United States.

 

He is therefore, particularly interested in the Australian constitution and how it works.

 

Al-Azhari is sustained by his prison experience. "Love had been planted in my heart and I vowed to serve my fellow countrymen and women, poor and rich, to reconcile and settle their differences with harmony, love and forgiveness."

[General Duke]

Long before the TFG or Abdullahi Yusuf this is what they were writing abour Dr Al Azhari.

 

"Somalia's Nelson Mandela"

Author: Wayne Sanderson, November 1999 Date: 09

source

 

Somali peacebroker: Yusuf Al-Azhari spent six years in solitary confinement as a political prisoner

For A Change, June-July, 1996 by Michael Smith

source

 

To the mindless clanists Yusuf Azhari is a highly educated, experienced diplomat, he loses his temper but compare him to those you laud over and you will see there is no comparison.

 

Halgan is that enough for you, will others learn to think before you open your mouth?

[General Duke]

ecoglobe: We had the pleasure attending a talk given by Dr. Al-Azhari in Wellington. Six years, four months and 17 days he spent alone in jail. At times he was tortured by hanging him by handcuffs to a hook in the ceiling for many hours. He went through anger, desperation and pain, ultimately finding a way to forgiveness. An amazing story.

 

 

The forgiveness factor - Somalia Diplomat

 

REBUILDING SOMALIA FROM THE BOTTOM UP

 

Auckland, Nov 26 - Yusuf Al-Azhari is adamant: he is not the Nelson Mandela of Somalia.

 

"I couldn't be Nelson Mandela," says the former diplomat who has been shot, tortured and imprisoned and is now helping to bring peace to the war-torn North African country.

 

"Nelson Mandela is a great man who has suffered a lot more than myself," he says relaxing in a modest Auckland flat, his temporary home during his New Zealand visit hosted by the international agency Moral ReArmament.

 

Yet commentators are increasingly comparing the peacemaker from North Africa with his illustrious South African counterpart.

 

"The similarity might be in the forgiveness factor: [Mandela] forgave and I did the same."

 

What Dr Al-Azhari means is that he forgave Mohamed Siad Barre, the Marxist dictator who ruled Somalia with an iron fist for 22 years until he fled in 1991. He tracked down the dictator, who was living in a small apartment in Lagos, Nigeria.

 

The devout Muslim says that Barre wept when he offered forgiveness for Barre imprisoning him in a 3m by 4m cell for six years, suffering physical and psychological torture.

 

Forgiveness is increasingly being offered and accepted in the country which most Westerners have written off as a hopeless cause, a cot case beyond redemption through either United Nations aid or armed intervention.

 

A United Nations report last year said: "Somalia has degenerated into a black hole of anarchy in which no national government exists, and pervasive lawlessness attracts criminals and bandits."

 

That single sentence sums up people's impressions of Somalia but the country is undergoing a strange transformation, says Dr Al-Azhari.

 

It is the abandonment of Somalia by the international community that is leading to the country's rehabilitation, he says.

 

Instead of trying to build from the top down by imposing a national government, as numerous failed international rescue efforts attempted, Dr Al-Azhari and others worked at grass roots level bringing together traditional and religious leaders, women's groups, businessmen and intellectuals in the villages, towns and cities.

 

Clan grievances are being solved through mediation.

 

It is still a dangerous task. At one point 22 negotiators were rounded up and shot, with Dr Al-Azhari one of only three who survived. Two bullets were removed from his thigh but a third remains.

 

Now, provincial governments are operating in the northern region, and Dr Al-Azhari hopes to establish order in the middle and southern areas.

 

Dr Al-Azhari was born in 1940 and married to the daughter of the second president of independent Somalia, he was appointed the country's ambassador to the United States.

 

After the coup he was ordered home, trained in Marxism in a military camp and eventually became ambassador to Nigeria and seven other West African nations.

 

Recalled to the capital, Mogadishu, he was arrested and spent six years in solitary confinement.

 

He still bears the scars from his treatment.

 

Utter chaos greeted him upon his release, a state of affairs that led to the ill-fated military intervention in 1993.

 

Yet Dr Al-Azhari says the "failure" of the United Nations mission succeeded in stopping the worst of the civil war and helped to create the environment where clan leaders could talk.

 

Having toured numerous countries, Dr Al-Azhari is in New Zealand to thank the Government and the public for support during the 1990s.

 

"It was extremely successful in eradicating famine and containing epidemics."

 

He is now asking for more help, specifically such basic teaching materials as text and exercise books, pens, pencils, blackboards, chalk and paper as a new generation start school after a decade without education.

 

Dr Al-Azhari also wants to speak to pharmaceutical companies about surplus medicine to treat such preventable diseases as TB, meningitis and dysentery, while he is seeking expertise to help to exploit the fishing riches that abound along the country's 3500km coastline.

 

About 2000 Somali migrants call New Zealand home, most of them refugees who fled the civil war.

 

Dr Al-Azhari has a busy schedule during his 17-day visit, including meetings with Government officials in Wellington, with the Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and the Race Relations Conciliator, Dr Rajen Prasad, a man he describes as one "who is aware of the problems that race creates".

 

He is also looking forward to tea with Sir Douglas Graham, "of whom I have a high regard for what he is doing".

 

"I learned a lot from him with our talk [about treaty issues] in Switzerland this year and we hope to solve our own problems as well."

 

source

[Som@li]

The devout Muslim says that Barre wept when he offered forgiveness for Barre imprisoning him in a 3m by 4m cell for six years, suffering physical and psychological torture.

waw

[Socod_badne]

Lool!

 

Duke is trying to embellish Al-Zhari's battered image after repeated public relations debacles. First was the "Yaa Walad Yaa walad" gaffe and now it's whinging on Al-Jazeera. This is guy is public relations disaster for the TFG.

 

But Duke don't take it personal. Al-Zhari chose public life where criticism, fair or unfair, is part of the game.

 

Regarding this damage control with his supposed "education", you know what they say: you can lead a donkey to water but you can't make the donkey drink.

[Fabregas]

We await his biography.........

[General Duke]

^^^Socod-Badane, I am not defending him, just putting the truth out. The man was a leader before A/Yusuf governemnt came into existance and even before Puntland. Thus the picture painted of him was false.

 

A dedicated fellow of peace is this man.

[Juje]

I dont believe this. How on earth does the profile of a lame and cheap wanna be politician has a warranty to be posted in SOL. I hope this is the first and last thread of advertising individuals who have no shame and honour.

[Fiqikhayre]

We're getting things mixed up again Socod I believe. Shows the lack of knowledge you have regarding this issues.

 

The 'Yaa Walad' comment was not made by Dr. Yusuf Omar Al-Azhari but by another senior and seasoned diplomat who is the somali ambassador to Egypt.

 

Contrary to what people say Dr. Al-Azhari has many credentials. He is a seasoned politician and career diplomat. He was ambassador to the USA in the 60's, where many of the guy's who try to knock him, did not even have proper access to education let alone I believe they could read or write. That is if we compare him to the folks who are trying to score a cheap point here.

 

He's from a very wealthy and educated family so I don't know what the fuss is all about. He was senior diplomat to Western Germany, Ambassador to USA in the early sixties and in the 70's Somali ambassador to 7 countries in Africa. Now compare to that, to some of the heroes some of us are worshipping. Aadan Saransoor, does not even have a high-school diploma and I doubt that he can even read or write.

 

To the Shariif, the notorious khat-seller, he either couldn't write nor read as he was an illiterate fellow, who even had troubles with the Somali language. Sadly he was appointed as the speaker of the house by the warlords and their friends and allies such as Qanyare, Abdiqassim and Hassan Dahir Aweys.

 

I think the record is set straight. The other thing is that they're equaling Dr. Yusuf as ethiopian 'spy'. The absurd labels and insults keep coming. This guy was visiting New Zealand and meeting head of states in the early 90's as someone who was not representing any state but as someone who was helping his people recover from the civil wars that has engulfed our beautiful country, so we can see that people are naturally distinguished along merit and civility as some are more cultured and cultivated than others. A man was sitting in an office in Washington D.C. in the 1960's as the Ambassador to the most powerful country on the planet the USA wearing the most eloquent business suit, whilst another man was sitting down in the shade of a tree with an afro and stick and a spear and a shield in his hand and only wearing two cloths.

 

So we can see, where this argument is leading to. I will leave it at that inshallah.

 

Peace.

[General Duke]

^^^Nice one.

[Emperor]

Originally posted by Juje: I dont believe this. How on earth does the profile of a lame and cheap wanna be politician has a warranty to be posted in SOL. I hope this is the first and last thread of advertising individuals who have no shame and honour.

Here we go again, people crying SOL rules... lol, I hope you are not another member proposing a new rule to shut people...

 

Sxb Azhari is not just an idividual, he's a public figure a politician and a member of the TFG, you know that a lot of talk about him has been going on lately, if you have anything to add please do so otherwise, let MMA and others who have critised and questioned his eduction once and again in this forum comment.

 

It's for dicussion purposes and not advertisement, I doubt Azhari needs any advisement, however, it is expected that you could only come up with "Advertisement is against SOL"

[Som@li]

another man was sitting down in the shade of a tree with an afro and stick and a spear and a shield in his hand and only wearing two cloths.

 

Adeer hidihii iyo dhaqankii baad meel kaga dhacday! :mad:

[Socod_badne]

Yaa Walad dude and Al-Zhari are not the same person? Now why would I mix them up?

 

 

Duke and Nabada, don't make a mountain out of mole hill. The spirit of MMA's thread was not to take a swipe at Mr. Al-Zhari per se but TFG reps in general who are seen as incompetent or under-qualified. He started off the thread with "another Yaa Walad" which clearly signified continuation from earlier howlers by TFG spokesmen. Don't take it out of context his thread and milk it for what it's worth but continue taking jabs at his percieved clansmen.

 

For the record Shariif Xasan is helluva better leader than this whiney wimp ever will be.

 

 

As I said earlier education/experience counts for very little in this regard. Edecation is just piece of paper, any bozo can get one. It doesn't earn you right to be revered neither does it afford you immunity from criticism.

[General Duke]

^^^Thats your opinion brother, but if one talks about leadership. Azhari was an ambasador in his twenties and a peace activist throught the civil war period.

 

As for the spirit of the attack on Azhari, Bari Bari, Seed, and others was nothing more than a swipe at the clan and not the TFG as a whole. Since no one else was mentioned.

 

Sharif Xasn was a Qad merchant tunred warlord lackey and who was out of his depth for a while.

 

Again Socod nice trym but sorry mate.