Shabab opts Somalis further into the stone age

[Amistad]

Al-Shabab bans mobile phone money transfers in Somalia

 

Mobile phones are easily available in Somalia

Somali Islamist group al-Shabab has ordered mobile phone companies to stop their popular money transfer services, saying they are "unIslamic".

 

Mobile phone banking was introduced in the northern Somaliland region in 2009 and has now spread across the country.

 

Al-Shabab and its allies control much of southern Somalia and one mobile phone company official said he had "no option but to obey" the order.

 

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Despite years of conflict, Somalia's telecommunications sector is thriving.

 

Mobile phones are a common sight in the capital, Mogadishu, and three companies currently offer mobile phone banking.

 

But the al-Qaeda linked group has given them three months to stop.

 

Harder to trace?

Al-Shabab says mobile phone banking could expose Somalia to interference by Western countries, through the international partners of the Somali telecommunications firms.

 

Some observers believe the ban may be intended to block a rival to the traditional money transfer systems, known as hawala, which al-Shabab can influence, or tax, more easily.

 

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This is the sole lifeline of the whole economy - the service was so useful to both poor and rich people”

 

Mogadishu resident

Al-Shabab lose Somali border town

BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says the Islamist insurgent group, which has been labelled a terrorist organisation by the United States and several other countries, may also fear that its members and backers can be traced more easily when mobiles are used for money transfers.

 

The hundreds of thousands of Somalis living abroad use hawala and mobile phone banking to send money back to relatives still in the country.

 

This is one of the country's main sources of income, estimated to be worth some $1bn (£660m) a year.

 

Somali journalist Mohamed Sheikh Nor told the BBC that people like mobile phone money transfers as it means they do not have to carry around large amounts of cash.

 

Instead, mobile phone credits can be used to pay for goods and services.

 

One Mogadishu resident told the BBC he was very disappointed by the ban.

 

"This is the sole lifeline of the whole economy - the service was so useful to both poor and rich people," he said.

 

Somalia has not had a stable government since 1991.

 

The UN-backed authority only controls parts of Mogadishu and a few other areas, although it has been gaining ground from al-Shabab in recent weeks.

 

It has strongly condemned the ban and urged businesses to help it against al-Shabab.

 

Are you in Somalia? Or a Somali in the diaspora? Is this ban going to affect you? Send us your experiences using the postform below.

 

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[Amistad]

So, Mobile Phones are now Un-Islamic?

 

Tell me, exactly how that works Capt Mike.

 

I would like to suggest you get a real grip on your DIASPORA & family's future.

 

Al Kebab now wants to put the remaining families in Somalia who receive MMT`s as a means to survival "back to the stone age". They use this as a weapon against common people who only want to feed their families, and force them into using illegal Arab Hawalas for their own "interest".

 

All traitors and weak willed lackeys against the people will one day be exposed..... Let us make a point of doing so. Take note Capt. Mike, you have been recognized, though being weak willed and slight of heart is not a crime, neither is being an ***** and a *****. In some regards, you remind us of the French.

[Captain_Mike20]

looool, amistad !

 

lets not get all emotional unlike these Somali cheerleaders like little Dukey and his followers and these Somalilanders i understand and see the bigger picture saxib what you have in Somalia is a war of influence and a war of actual reality. I will divide this into two main groups,

 

In what you refer to as the north, Somaliland

 

You have the actual war being fought by Somaliland and then you have the war of influence, groups who are trying to show others that they are still active and able to do something a.k.a SSC who hide in a village of 10,000 people occationally baking a cake for their supporters in south africa and north america and puntland who as of the past few years since losing Las canod has turned in on itself these two groups in the "north" are in a battle of influence not a real battle but just a perceived one.

 

In the south the real war is being fought by two groups the Alshabab movement who perscribe to the wahabi Salafi madhab and the sufi whirling dervish vermon that most Somali's subscribe into including your uncle the late Abdulah hassan which is a process of chest beating rythms that they call Islam.

 

All in all, these two groups are fighting the real war, the somali government and the a.U. is fighting the perceived war not the real thing its just perception to be seen to be doing something.

 

Alshabab will be victorious in the south because they have, unlimited time...they can outlast this government and the A.U. mandate, they have large numbers of men, finance and strategy of war and skill, they also have the advantage of the geography and stamina.

 

Somaliland is already victorious in the north, so ultimately the future of the Somali peoples will be determined by these two groups and the only reason why i support alshabab in the south is because they have already expressed their alligence to al-qeada meaning an alshabab take over of Southern Somalia would in turn bring the whole world to the attention of Somaliland in terms of arms, finance and other types of support make us stronger with even possible recognition as naibouring countries fear the alshabab movement and this is already happening as the U.S. has changed its policy and the naibouring states such as Ethiopia and Kenya have vowed to support Somaliland by any means against the alshabab.

 

In relation to the mobile money servies as you are aware it was a Somalilander idea in the first place started by Tele-Som the national telephone company Tele - Somaliland (tele-Som) we are not governed by alshabab we are governed by the Somaliland government and the remittances of our people will continue un-effected so saxib this is your problem not my problem.

 

Alshabab's reasons for doing this is that mobile money can be traced, movement can be traced via mobile and this is not good for any terrorist organisation plan and simple. Furthermore they perfer hard currency because they can tax it easly use your brain saxib and embrace your AL-SHABAB FUTURE.