Union of Islamic Courts - Saafi Abdi

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

And we say Ethiopia is our enemy, while the deadliest Enemy, the most sinister Enemy Somalia has is Somalis themselves.

Nomad Safi is just furious at what her fellow Somalis have done to one another over the years. I hope she comes to the understanding that the ICU agenda was a noble one regardless of how many thugs such as Indhocadde put on the ghutrah.

[Caano Geel]

^ It interesting the way compromise is the first faculty culled on the arrival of power... Safi's anger is certainly understandable. The similarity in the symptoms that she describes and the experience nuuridiin faarax relates only reinforces the hopelessness of the not at all funny joke that is somali politics

[N.O.R.F]

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

This is in response to Safi's article by another sister. This part of her article seems to be the hardest to swallow for the sane somalis. I hope that she comes back and tell us what she really meant. Its hard to believe that a sane and a sensible somali will praise Meles regardless of what the courts have done.

 

 

]“ Whether we like it or not, what Meles Zenawi had done is save us poor Muslims from our Islamic brethren whose main occupation today would’ve amounted to nothing more than flogging girls and women in the dirty streets of Somalia, i.e. if Zenawi didn’t come when he did.”

Sisterhood of double standards: an open and simple letter to Safi Abdi

By Zahra Abdulle

May 28, . 2007

 

Dear sister Safi;

 

After congratulatory greetings, I got to make a confession. I didn’t know you were a prolific Somali female writer. I found out of this by doing a simple Google search of your name and amazingly I came across many articles and books you wrote. It is always very inspiring to see a Somali sister who made such a very successful stride.

 

And for a sisterly support I am ordering one of your books on Amazon.

 

Now let me come to the reason I am writing this open and simple letter through the pages of some Somali sites.

 

I read your skillfully written and expressive piece titled “Union of Islamic Courts” As I saw it, didn’t shed any lights on the sad situation of our sad failed nation-state, Somalia but was an emotionally charged bash against the ousted Islamists.

 

Even though my Somali is quite challenged, I suppose your name Safi or Saafi as it is written in Somali, means the one with the clear mind and pure heart but after I read your script of sanctimony and it makes clear how unjust, insincere one can be, no matter how savvy and studious they pretend to be.

 

You said a lot in some sort of sanctified poetry that I can’t make sense of. However, one of your saddest verdicts and the one that busted your outspoken stance against the “anarchists, murderers, and thugs ushered in as Mujahidiin”, were these hard to digest words.

 

You said and I quote:

 

“ Whether we like it or not, what Meles Zenawi had done is save us poor Muslims from our Islamic brethren whose main occupation today would’ve amounted to nothing more than flogging girls and women in the dirty streets of Somalia, i.e. if Zenawi didn’t come when he did.”

 

 

Sister Safi; you can't be serious about these above words, I hope. I hope, with all your sanity and sensibility, you won’t fully stand behind this? I hope it was just an overlooked slip-up from your part? Please say so. I know that you know making such an absolutist stance will haunt you and your reputation.

 

Sister, if you had any idea of who is Meles Zenawi and his whole sadistic rule in the Horn and his deadly exploits against the people in Somali region in Ethiopia, Oromia, Gambella and Somalia, you would have been very careful with your benevolent award for him as the Savior of Somalia. For surely, he, Meles is none other than a wicked diabolical dwarf and African dictator ala Idi Amin Dada.

 

Sister Safi, you asked us, those who will be sensed by your absolutist speech, to be patient and you invited us to “to walk with” you in these difficult times of transitions which you assured us that the ungodly Somali warlords at the helm of the terror transition are our best hope for a temporary solution to our torment. In other words, you asked us to spare you of criticism. I hope as a writer, that you know that is impossible and as the subject matter, it is even more than impossible to keep silent and wait until our faint senses come to se your point.

For now, that I simply can’t do and wait simply of the pain and hurt that I felt to read your article. I know nothing about religion that much to refute what you said or not but the above statement made my head spinning unconsciously for quite sometime. It was a sacrilegious edict and sanctified shocking.

 

I am assuming that you, as a successful and privileged person, were safe already in your home outside Somalia. Let me ask you this, Safi, before you penned this rousing piece of insensitivity, have you thought about the many not-so-safe innocent Somalis who perished in the indiscriminate Ethiopian bombings in their homes?

 

I know you know that with the support of Bush and against all known international laws between states; Meles came with his troops and ruthless warlords, to invade the sovereign nation of Somalia and murder many innocent civilians which you even forget to give a nominal citation.

 

You forget to mention the 16 years of long suffering of the innocent Somalis at the hands of the Somali warlords, supported by Meles Zenawi, your chosen savior of de-jour.

 

No, Meles is no savior but a blood-thirst satanic murderer.

 

Let me remind you, in light of your seeming snub of the subject, that more than half a million Somalis lost their lives at the hands of the Meles stooges, the Somali warlords. From mad Aideed to toxic Ali Mahdi, to power-hungry Yusuf to ****** Sudi to killer Qaybdiid and greedy Qanyare to nasty Shaati-Gaduud and butcher Morgan, Sister Safi, can you and guess who is behind all of these evil men? No one else but Zenawi, your chosen savior of de-jour. No Meles is not a savior but a short “Pharaoh”.

 

Sister Safi, Let me repeat what the humanitarian agencies said on the Meles’ merciless onslaughts on the innocent people in Mogadishu: close to 2,000 killed, 500,000 displaced by the invading Ethiopian troops just to install the ruthless warlords as presidents, mayors, chiefs of police, military and cabinet ministers?

 

I hope you don't prescribe to the sad excuse of the warlord devotees and followers that Mogadishu people deserved all this terror since they tolerated the sadistic warlords for so many years? I also hope as well that you don't have some gripe against Mogadishu people because of any clannish ill-feeling due to the ill-fated civil war.

 

Despite their “their sheer ignorance of world politics”, Sister Safi, Let me ask you this, do you buy the lie that the Courts really a “present and real” danger to Ethiopia and America? Tell me sister, how can one justify the illegal invasion and bombardment of an already destroyed nation and starving suffering masses just to hunt three “Al-Qaeda” terrorists, who may not even be hiding in Somalia? What religious text does enjoin this cruel crusade?

 

God sent Zenawi to save us the Islamists who were supposedly sympathetic to three suspects? That is some blasphemy surprise. And how Meles saved us from some bearded fanatics? You didn’t say that or I didn’t decipher it from you random prose. I think that a god's blessing, according to you and some other Somalis.

 

This latest affliction is not first time innocent Somalis were slaughtered by Zenawi and his warlords. Same or worse slaughter took place even before Zenawi and his Somali stooges came to power. Remember the carpet bombing of the people of Hargeisa and Burco by the Siyadist Butchers of Ghaani, Morgan and Ali Samatar. The last two war criminals are prominent members of the warlord government now. What justice and payback is that?

 

Do you also remember the carnage in Central regions of Mudugh and Galgaduud in late 80’s and Siyaad Barre’s terror on the people of these impoverished regions? Sadly, some of them are now submissive servants of the warlords. Remember the mass starvation of Baidao by the fighting between sadistic Aideed and his equally spiteful foes? I can go on and on about the suffering of our people but I fear that I might do injustices to forget the more agonizing incidents.

 

The sad thing is your apologetic rationalization of the warlords, Zenawi’s systematic sadism and the illegal Ethiopian invasion is not going to be the end of our Somali-made misery.

 

Sister, no one can save us except us. But the question is how? Well, as long as we have an educated sister like you cheering for factions, clans, warlords and cursing those you don't agree with, we won't be saved. The cycle of blames and blunders and clan-talk will go on and we will be complicit of more carnage to come to our suffering people.

 

I am getting distracted here but let me say this to you: you’re preaching and praising the brutality against innocent Somalis and that is quite sickening to say the least.

 

Sister Saafi, let me do the same thing you did in your article and preach in simple terms without quoting some verse of prophetic sayings. But at least allow me to borrow from some hearsay sermons.

 

Sister Safi, you right, Allah is all powerful and there is a judgment day. You and I will die, Meles, Bush, Ghedi, Yusuf, and warlords will die and all will be all summoned to be accounted and held responsible for our deeds; good and bad.

 

Sister Safi, do you think Allah will be ok with Meles and his warlord cohorts and reward them for the bombing of neighborhoods, for the anarchy, the chaos, the violence they perpetuated for 17 years in Somalia? Good saviors come here and enjoy my heaven?

 

Sister Safi, if you are a sincere person, you owe yourself and your soul to look back and re-read that piece you wrote with unbiased mind. Put yourself at the place of the innocent suffering Somali mothers, sisters and their children. Try to at least wear the shoes of the women raped by the Ethiopian soldiers and the ******** militias of the warlords for such a long time. Put yourself in the place of the many displaced civilians who still suffer in the wilderness with no food and water. Or better put your self at the position of many Somali sisters my who lost their elderly and weak grand mothers in the crossfire when Ethiopian mortars landed in her shanty shelters , or died for cholera by drinking unclean water, or are being asked to pay rent for resting under the tree-shades in the wilderness. Think of the young and pregnant Somali mother who lost her legs and give birth to a baby daughter, then died of bleeding in a squalid camp outside the city?

 

Sister Safi, if you are a sincere person with god-given intellect, which I don't doubt, you owe a lot of Somalis an apology. You owe to pray to the All-Powerful to forgive you of your sudden blasphemy. Finally; you owe us, incensed Somalis, another piece of writing where you equally slam these horrible warlord men and the satanic Zenawi who still are there to kill and maim innocent Somali sisters and mothers. You owe the Somali sisterhood to point the brutality and barbarism of the warlords. All warlords are bad people and shouldn't be supported. So is the number one enemy of the Somali women now, Meles Zenawi whose regime has been funding and backing brutal and merciless Somali warlords.

 

I am sorry for going off like this but please re-examine your article for the sake of sisterhood. If you don't see anything wrong with it, then go ahead and join in the ranks of Ayaan Hirsi and write the sequel to the Infidel. I hope the Somali sisterhood will be above double standards and clan sympathy.

 

[NGONGE]

Heh. Zahra Abdulle at least confesses to letting her emotions get the better of her. Much ado about nothing again.

 

What websites are these that accept this rubbish? Can someone please tell me so that I can becom prolific too and wind the hell out of all these thin skinned people!

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

^

[Johnny B]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

Much ado about nothing again.

 

What websites are these that accept this rubbish? Can someone please tell me so that I can becom prolific too and wind the hell out of all these thin skinned people!

^^ don't you see its like , if you cannot convince her, confuse her?

[Janagale_bi-idnilah]

Great article Saafi!!! Really, I feel the same way about ICU....I was a die hard supporter during their earlier phase, however it become obvious that it was not a pure Islamic movement during the latter development, rather it was a secular movement under the disguise of Islam... Some of ya may ask evidence?? Well, ICU consisted of different groups with different interests, the pure ones were few, whereas the majority of them were tribally motivated and evil warlords. Hence, they were set up for failure and were doomed.

[Peacenow]

It is very easy and convenient when one is under occupation to turn the other cheek and accept the reality. To fall back on that is what Ms. Abdi and others in this forum have done so. When a cunning and viocuis occupier has killed thousands of your folk and then you have others standing to raise their flag on your soul as they have done so this week. It is very easy to fall back.

[Kashafa]

^Falling back, otherwise known as, Stockholm syndrome.

 

With all due respect to Safi, that was one heckuva emotionally charged brain fart. You got an axe to grind against the ICU ? Thas cool, many do. But to embrace the Xabashi invasion and occupation as a 'salvation' and to speak of Zenawi in reverent biblical terms as your personal(you speak for urself only) Saviour ...well, thats a first.

 

Compare and contrast Safi's emotional outburst with

 

The difference in quality, content, and bearing speaks for itself. One couragouesly is doing something about this tragedy, while the other capitulates, waves the white flag of surrender, and welcomes Adeer Tikray Zenawi to barf save us from these baddie bad guys who violate our human rights by closing down cinemas and banning narcotics end-barf.

 

Not to rain on any Xabashi colonial sympathizin' parade, but the same men and women who made the ICU what it was are still up and running in Somalia. They're just operating under various different brand names.

 

rather it was a secular movement under the disguise of Islam.

Janaqale-bi-idnillah-hadoo-gaalo-raacnimada-iska-dhaafo-inshallah,

 

Waala iska hadlaa maa maqashay ? Ku noqo bal waxa aad qortay, sxb.

[NGONGE]

^^^ You’re using the Stockholm Syndrome very loosely there I guess.

 

As for the YouTube clip you posted there I’ve got to admire the sentiment but can’t help sneering at the content. Still, protests are not really about great oratory or even making sense; they’re all about being heard and seen. I doff my hat to those people whilst lamenting their wasted efforts.

 

Khas-khash, young brother, angry man is it not time we all stopped the wailing?

 

Looking at the situation in Somalia today it’s pretty obvious that there is no going back. The only way is forward, saaxib! However, that in itself is not clear. You clearly realise that the Somali public is split right down the middle (ok, lets say it’s forty/sixty just so you don’t argue over numbers). Let us assume that the larger number is against the Ethiopian occupation, this will steal leave us with a considerable number of Somalis who are (albeit reluctantly) in support of such an occupation.

 

Your argument and that of many others (like those in the video clip) is for the withdrawal of the Ethiopian forces from Somalia, and a honourable and patriotic argument it is. However, what is it you propose once the Ethiopians leave? A return of Courts? Well, I’m sure you realise full well that those supporting the TFG (and in turn the Ethiopians) will not be in favour of such an outcome. What next?

 

You say that Safi’s article was emotionally charged (and I agree) but I did not see any suggestions, solutions or any valid arguments coming from your side either, saaxib. You gave us a link of some Somalis in America who were protesting and (more or less) repeating the same old emotional messages. This whole thing in Somalia has become a copy of what’s taking place in Iraq. There, everyone is asking for American withdrawal but nobody seems to know or even imagine what Iraq would look like if the Americans withdrew! Why does the wailing always stop at this point? How come one never sees any suggestions or solutions?

 

In your post above, you suggested that the Courts are still about but under different names and guises! Great. Why then are they not providing a political alternative so that people like Safi and others don’t feel helpless enough to forcibly support the occupation?

 

I’m not expecting all the answers from you here. It would not be fair to burden you with such a task but I only push you in such a way and ask you these questions so that you would give the whole situation some more thought and quit all this emotional wailing. Remember all those months ago when I told you that I will not give up on you? Now give me some sense, brother.

[Fabregas]

Ngone, why don't give us a proposal for once? Bal adigu wax ku soo tuur?

[NGONGE]

^^^I believe we've been here before, saaxib.

 

Still, I'm sure by now you already know that I'm fond of flogging dead horses and would happily repeat the same argument over and over again with no embarrassment or hesitation. So here goes:

 

Right now, we have the TFG controlling most of Somalia (with Ethiopian, AU and American help). We have some rebels fighting against the TFG and declaring their opposition to the Ethiopian involvement in Somali affairs. But, as far as I can tell, this second group is neither powerful enough or politically visible enough to be relied on or taking seriously. The rest of the world does not seem to care much (other than on some limp wrested demands for a proper and fair reconciliation on the part of the TFG).

 

People are split into many groups but most of these groups fall into two sides; one side supports the TFG (either happily for clannish and political reasons or reluctantly because they see no other alternative). The opposite side contains all those groups that oppose the TFG for, again, clannish, patriotic or religious reasons. Sitting where I am and viewing all this confusion from my safe distance, I can see that the only group that is working, advancing and benefiting from the mayhem is the TFG. Admittedly, it’s not all their own work but rather that of Ethiopia and the United States but it still counts in their favour nonetheless.

 

Now, what can those on the other side do to wrestle the initiative, political momentum and support of the wavering masses from the TFG? Surely, blowing up a few Ethiopian soldiers or conducting hit and run operations alone is not going to help them achieve their goals. Clearly, moaning, wailing and crying about the Ethiopian occupation will also not get them anywhere! So what could they do to at least have a chance in this impossible war?

 

Well, for a start, they can do what the ICU did twelve months ago. They need a focus point. A group, organisation or recognisable political movement that all those opposing the TFG (and its masters) can belong to and support. This new movement could easily have all the members of the ICU as part of it but should NOT be the ICU (this little trick, I fear, has gone past it’s sell by date). In fact, even if there is no such group in existence what we at least need is a figurehead. Someone well known and respected in Somali circles that will volunteer to be the focus point and voice for all those Somalis opposing the Ethiopian occupation. Someone like president Abdul Qasem Salat! Failing that, a new face from the Diaspora with an organised group and some semblance of clear goals and plans. In short, instead of having ten million voices weeping and wailing alone what we need is someone that speaks for these voices and is guaranteed their full support. Someone that can POLITICALLY challenge the TFG and can act as a viable alternative.

 

Alas, I doubt that such a group or person exists today. Which, leaves us with the only alternative open to us. Now, brace yourself, I expect that to you and Khashafa above, what I’m about to write next is tantamount to treachery and blasphemy but, say it, I must. The only other way open to all is to WORK with the TFG and attempt to change it from the inside whilst you wait for the Somali knight in shinning armour to rescue us all from the predicament we all find ourselves in today.

 

I hope you can appreciate that I’ve written the above in a hurry and could, if I had the time have expanded on my points and wrote a more rosier and sexier reply but I’m sure that even as shabby as this reply is the message is not lost on you, saaxib. Toothless old ladies beat their chests, moan and wail. Able, sensible (and in your case) young people think of solutions and ways out.

[Tahliil]

Why do we seem to forget in the discussions about the periods just before Hamar fall into the hands of the Islamic Courts and after they have been ousted from power?

http://wwwnotes.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/6686f45896f15dbc852567ae00530132/2c1367858aac2acf49257146000cc317?OpenDocument Take them (ICU Sheikhs) off the scene, delete, if you may, those three months or whatever, and who have been committing these repulsive crimes on the Somalis and upon the nation for over 16 yrs and where the hell are they today? http://www.wardheernews.com/News_06/May/20_Mohamed_Dhere.html Who was hindering the peace process, trying to sabotage the so-called government, and getting paid to do that? Where are they now? In jails where they should belong or ousted and in exile?

 

I don't get it, we all seem to barking at the wrong trees…just google on the historical wonders these people (M.Dheere, Yeey, Qanyare, Indhacade, Yalaxoow, Dahir aways) have done for the country in the years mentioned and tell me if we are doing an injustice to ourselves by invoking their names and taking sides with them.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

I don't get it, we all seem to barking at the wrong trees…just google on the historical wonders these people (M.Dheere, Yeey, Qanyare, Indhacade, Yalaxoow, Dahir aways)

You are comparing the feeble Father of Stooge of Xabashadda and other warlords to Xasan Daahir Aweys.

 

I am not a defender nor apologist of Aweys, never was and neither a fan of his ideologies. However, that is out of bounds by comparing him to those dagaal'oogiyaashaan, some stooges of Xabashadda.

 

Korneel Daahir Aweys may have fought in the civil war, wars as brief as they were, but he did not fight for his clan, he did not fight for power and certainly not for Xabasho. He did fight for an ideology, a common one from Marooko to Indoneesiya to Afgaanistaan.