Islamic courts ban trade in charcoal and wildlife

[xiinfaniin]

Islamic courts ban trade in charcoal and wildlife

 

 

NAIROBI, 23 Aug 2006 (IRIN) - The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which controls the capital, Mogadishu, and much of south and central Somalia, issued a directive on Tuesday banning exports of charcoal and rare birds and animals, an official told IRIN.

 

The Executive Committee of the UIC issued the directive after a full committee meeting agreed to the ban, Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, the UIC Vice-Chairman, said. "The decision was reached after the committee was briefed on the dangers posed by the indiscriminate cutting of our trees," he said.

 

The directive had been sent to all involved in the charcoal trade, and "will be enforced in all areas under UIC control", he added.

 

 

The directive was welcomed by most Somalis, according to Abdulkadir Ibrahim Ga'al, 'Abkow', head of Civil Society in Action, an umbrella organisation that brings together 12 civil society groups.

 

"This is a long overdue and positive step. It is indeed welcome," Abkow said.

 

Abkow said at the current rate of decimation, "there will be no trees left in Somalia", adding: "They are now cutting mango trees, because their customers prefer the smell of the mango charcoal."

 

He said that 70 percent of the trade passed through Mogadishu and the rest through the southern port city of Kismayo, 500 km south of the capital.

 

Almost all the charcoal goes to the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia, where a bag fetches about US $15, Somali business sources told IRIN.

 

The UIC will seek assistance from all quarters to solicit their support in stopping this trade. "This is killing our country and it must stop now before it is too late," said Omar.

 

The directive comes into effect today (23 August) and the committee warned that anyone caught dealing in charcoal after that date would face the full force of the law.

 

Omar warned foreign ships coming to Somalia to take on charcoal that they risk arrest, a fine or both if they are caught.

 

The directive also imposes a ban on trade in wildlife and rare species of birds, said Omar.

 

"There is a brisk trade in falcons, hawks, eland and dik-diks, and many other species, to the Gulf States," said Abkow.

 

Stopping the trade in charcoal and wildlife would not be easy, and would require the cooperation of the Arab countries as well as the Somali business community, sources said. Enforcement of the ban will also depend on the ability of the UIC to set up territorial control and an effective justice system.

 

Source.

[ScarFace]

^^Their first steps are looking increasingly good its time they stopped the people who are destroying our beloved countries environment and its habitat....I hope this governing body does go far

[NGONGE]

Why ban it though? Would it not be better to regulate it? In a place with no government, high levels of unemployment and widespread poverty the last thing any ‘authority’ needs to do is to ban a trade or restrict business without providing an alternative. The businessmen that sell the charcoal and animals to the Gulf states will not suffer that much, they probably have enough capital to move their trade to another (more accommodating) part of Somalia, or even diversify into another sector. But what of him that cuts the trees, loads the trucks or hunts the animals? Where will he get his income?

[Peplow throb]

I don’t know anything about people selling wildlife but, they shouldn’t ban charcoal. They should instead put a limit on charcoal export, because people’s life depends on it.

[Baashi]

Why ban it? the reason is Somalia has a very fragile ecosystem. That fragile ecosystem has been disrupted by this trade. Since Somalia is mostly dry and semi-arid land, it is susceptible for desertification. With absence of regulatory government agency, the rate of natural resource degradation has quadrupled since the fall of last regime.

 

The desertification problem is compounded by the emergence of business sector that solely based on charcoal trade. To reverse the damage done to Somalia’s forest, it will take many years of effective and consistent restoration program. Now in my opinion the restoration (long term) of the effected area outweighs the temporary loss of income (short gain) from charcoal trade. To start the restoration program one must put an end to the charcoal trade first.

 

UIC’s proxy control over one of the two most affected areas namely Juba and Lower Shabelle gives them the opportunity to minimize this trade first and gradually ban it. At this junction I don’t think they can effectively enforce the ban in Lower Juba province. Kismayo has become the mecca of charcoal trade. And Kismayo is not a city the Islamist reign supreme.

[Castro]

Well intentioned but could easily backfire.

 

Has the ICU banned Qaad yet? Or does its leadership use the "mild narcotic" during its long and difficult policy meetings such as deciding on banning trade in charcoal. :rolleyes:

 

All it takes are a few miscalculated steps from the ICU and we're back where we started. While the ultimate goal of reducing charcoal and wildlife abuse is good, outright and sudden bans are not only difficult to enforce but are only politically expedient in my view.

[ScarFace]

Has the ICU banned Qaad yet?

They cant ban qaat since most of its military men use the narcotic leveas plus the whole country would come down hard on them...it will only backfire....you wouldnt want that would you? :eek: but as for charcoal and the wildlife they need to implement a regulatory system and put it in place....so that everyone can benefit it.

[xiinfaniin]

This is a long overdue decision to lessen the adverse environmental impact anarchy had on Somalia. To me the fact these men recognized this problem and devised a policy to do something about it is a one more sign that the ICU is at least attempting to solve problems and taking inherent risks involved in implementing policies for the public good. Whether their approach proves to be effective or even bears out any fruit remains to be seen. But as good Baashi pointed out Somali anarchy unleashed environmental crisis on us, and any steps taken to reverse this tide is a good policy in my mind. Though completely banning it sounds a bit harsh for some, for the well informed though, banning may be the only logical step to reduce the effect of years of burning all kind of trees, quite indiscriminately, to harvest charcoal especially in the south. Lets applaud their efforts to this end, I say. Perhaps these men of faith could as well be victorious eco-warriors as they have been successful in their effort to chase warlords out of Mogadishu!

 

As for banning Qaad, I think it is too early for that be feasible! And to be frank about it, the analogy sounds simplistic and quite false to me. This mindless charcoal export is a pressing issue and something, I hope we all agree, has to be done about it. Even if the ICU enforce this measure in only the areas they control I would count it as a success. Qaad on the other hand, along with tobacco, though dangerous is not a pressing issue right now, I hold and hence it can wait. And I say that without downplaying how harmful Qaad is.

[Khayr]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

Why ban it though? Would it not be better to regulate it? In a place with no government, high levels of unemployment and widespread poverty the last thing any ‘authority’

needs to do is to ban a trade or restrict business without providing an alternative.

The businessmen that sell the charcoal and animals to the Gulf states will not suffer that much, they probably have enough capital to move their trade to another (more accommodating) part of Somalia, or even diversify into another sector.

But what of him that cuts the trees, loads the trucks or hunts the animals? Where will he get his income?

I agree with you that alternatives need to be established before such bans can be in place. It makes political sense but also in line with understanding human psychology and constituent needs.

 

In the lifetime of the Rasul (salluhu caliyhe wasilm), alliances were forged with different tribes and even the jews of Medina because the alternatives would have left the Rasul (salluhu caliyhe wasilm) and his companions all alone and vulnerable.

 

The point is that be politically sensitive and be aware of the condition (s) of the people that you rule over.

 

Policies can be introduced gradual and in different stages. Political platforms are not all introduced and implemented in one year.

 

Fi Amanillah

[STOIC]

The clear cutting of the forest will have a devastating effect on the wildlife population and also the composition of the soil will change forever after the forest has been cut down (regenerative problem). When you let people deplete the natural resources all sort of environmental catastrophe do emage. Over the past fifteen years Somalia has undergone dramatic change physically, economically, demographically and politically. Any government or authority that comes into the picture will sooner or later deal with how to reduce the poverty or mitigate to reduce the ecological disasters. All this factors must be fairly assed before any cap or ban is imposed on anything that sustains the human development.

 

 

The Successful forest conservation must give the local people a role to play in shaping and sustaining the forest. One must not rule out the perspective of the political ecology at hand. Most of the deforestation in Africa is caused by economic forces that tip individuals to distort their thinking when cutting down the trees. The ICU should form a council that will work to oversee charcoal supply and demand, economic development and environmental impact of production and consumption of the charcoal. The council should host a series of public meetings around the country to present a more promising and substantial plan that will guarantee the economic development of the community while at the same time protect the environment.

 

 

The politics of building a stronger economy and ensuring a healthier environment is a big problem for many nations including the United States. One has to balance the cost of environmental impacts with economy of the nation. I will give you an example of how the economy and the environmental protection is connected. Here in the United States the politics of reducing toxic air pollutant emitted by power plant is often a big politics. Ever wondered why your electricity bill is up above the roof every month. The power plant industries can use clean method of generating the electricity by using combined cycle method of using cleaner fuel than using the dirty coal that emits sulfur dioxides in the air. Due to the sky rocketing fuel price the energy industries mostly run their power plant with coal. The energy industry mostly will say to the regulators they will not guarantee the cleanest and the most cost effective energy because of the high prices of natural gases. This shows that economy does play a role in environmental sustainability. In the power generation industry they do use what they call selective catalytic reduction that reduces the NOx that is emitted to the atmosphere. Whenever a new technology comes out, the power generation industry has to use it in order to make use of the best available technology. Guess who the cost is passed over to? If you still don’t know check how your electricity bill goes up the roof every time.

 

 

I honestly think that the best way to change the current situation in Somalia is to make conservation a priority by not totally burning the charcoal industry, but to put a cap on it by Passing legislations that will protect the environment while protecting the economy of the people.

[Legend of Zu]

It seems to me they are misplaced economic and Environmental policies. Also there is lack of prioritization from the IUC, how can you ban a xalaal (altho unwise) trade and yet not address xaraam (khat, sigaar and other fisq) being traded?

 

Waaar xiinoow, how can you saying banning charcoal is more important than banning qaad?

 

Cheers

[-Nomadique-]

I would classify the decimation of the environment as clearly haram. Because we are taught that we (humans that is) are the viceregents on Earth, and it is our duty to keep the planet as beautiful as Allah created it.

 

Although the ban of Qaat would be great, Im glad this trade will be stopped.

[Diaspora_Dude]

I would agree with those who said regulate the trade instead of banning all together at once. Because it would create havoc and immediate financial hardship for those tradesmen and women involved.

 

An alternative would be for every tree cut down for logging or chorcoal use plant dozen new trees to replace that one.

 

1 tree cut down == 12 new trees planted.

 

Then the ecosystem in somalia will be intact.

[Maf Kees]

^ That costs a lot of money. Where will we get the funding from? More importantly who has a distinct interest in the environmental recovery of Lower Shabelle and Lower Jubba provinces? You know what, there actually is someone. Its a wealthy European nation with citizens that own a great deal of the plantations in these areas in Somalia. Indeed Italy. They used to spend the bulk (a third of total!) of it's development aid to their former most prized overseas posession. They made sure Somali bananas received a red carpet treatment when being shipped to the EU market. Having seen this pattern of Italy's interest in Somalia's banana industry which is strictly confined to the aforementioned provinces, than I don't see why Italy wouldn't play an active role in salvaging one of our last evergreen provinces.

 

But kind of weird that there is a ban on selling a sagaaro. A man who catches these tiny and fast sunsabidjez alive and kicking for a living earns respect.