LES AUTEURS
Beautiful Horn of Africa
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته This Blog is Dedicated to the Preservation of Peace, Dignity, and Human Rights and the Dissemination of Knowledge.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
My Contribution to Chapter Book in French Edition
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Somalia's Beauty of the Past
Somalia is a Horn of Africa nation bordering Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and endowed with assortments of natural resources yet its people are starving; in fact, it is fed by the international community. Majority of Somalis are followers of Islam; predominantly Somali is their language; and they share identical physical features. Somalis are categorized as Cushito-Hamitic and they have historically traded with Egyptians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Abyssinians, Arabs, and Persians. In historical antiquity and as depicted in hieroglyphic writings retrieved from Egyptian tombs, Somalia has been referred to as the “Land of Punt” or the “Land of Gods”.
The "Hamitic Theory", conceived
by colonial European explorers, missionaries, and discoverers is placed
somewhere in the Horn of Africa. Perhaps, archeological excavations would
reveal much about the past history of the Somali people. Besides the tall
stature and aquiline features that make them distinct from some tribal
groupings of Africa, the preservation of relics and artifacts such as the
"Sibraar" or headband worn by adolescent Somali girls that resemble
those worn by female pharaohs of Egypt, the cluster of cave paintings notable
in the northeast of Somalia, Somali style of tribal hierarchy and
administration, the discovery of Somali vernacular wordings identical to
Egyptian hieroglyphics, Somali nomadic women mode of dress, and the vast
archeological mounds resembling Egyptian pyramids could hold significant
historical treasures if only there was stability and assured peace.
Geographically, Somalia’s
physical features range from arid to semi-arid, tropical coasts, mountain
terrains and ranges to the northeast as the great Rift Valley that runs from
Jordan to Mozambique dissects a portion of the country, depleted tropical forests
in the south, and a patch of burned land known as Guban. It has two
perennial rivers–the Shebelle and Juba Rivers respectively. It has dry river
beds and ravines, creeks, and anthill mounds. The growth of acacia tree species
sustains various types of wildlife and livestock as it is indigenous to the
arid and semi-arid ecosystem. Perhaps, trees that grow in the Somali wilderness
are the Acacia albida, Acacia senegal, and Acacia
seyal. These acacia species may also be found in the Sahel or much of
sub-Saharan Africa. Species like Casuarina equisetifolia, Casia
siamea, and the neem tree that capture the landscapes of many
towns and cities have been introduced recently before the outbreak of civil
disobedience.
The beautiful gazelle-like Litocranius
walleri or Gerenuk has its name derived from the Somali word Gerinuug
which translates to “Giraffe-necked”. Once home to the big-five game-Elephant,
Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, and Rhino–the horrors of poaching and the crackle of
gunfire has driven many animal species toward extinction. Also, environmental
degradation and human encroachment have driven many animals across Somalia
borders into neighboring countries. What was once a land teeming with leopards,
cheetahs, lions, hyenas, elephants, and giraffes has been rendered useless and
empty as animal breeding grounds and the soil that could sustain vegetation has
been denuded of vital nutrients. A few miles outside of the town of Garissa in
Kenya, herds of migrating giraffes have now found safe haven in a sanctuary
managed by the public with help from Kenya's wildlife department.
Even Somalia's bird and insect
species have not been immune from the general calamity either. With the
collapse of the central government, so disappeared the science of insectology
and ornithology. A great many nesting fields and breeding grounds have instantly
disappeared. The tampering of the ecosystem accelerated the demise of many bird
and insect species only to be replaced by swarms of locusts and dangerous
weeds, creeping deserts and intermittent droughts.
The southern part of the country
has the potential to support agriculture. Before the collapse of the central
government, Somalia was the second leading producer of bananas in Africa.
Somalia's banana industry was funded and overseen by Somalita–a joint
Somali-Italy consortium–consequently making Somalia a haven for bananas. Prior
to the outbreak of the civil war, citrus and mango farming sustained a sizable
population of the Juba and Shebelle regions. What is left today is not worth
mentioning. Heartless warlords drove out farming communities into destitution
either as refugees or internally displaced persons surviving on humanitarian
handouts. Shockingly, the once arable lands that served as Somalia's
breadbasket have been replaced with massive marijuana plantations. It is the
introduction of the very mind-altering or psychotic drug that has affected many
of the youth serving narcissistic warlords.
The absence of drug control
procedures and pharmaceutical companies has inundated Somalia with multitudes
of controlled substances having debilitating effects. Coupled with insecurity
and destitution and the collapse of the education sector, the rate of decimation
on fauna and flora remains disproportionally beyond comprehension. The central
and southern regions once contained large swathes of forests that have been
indiscriminately deforested by previous warlords who burned vital tropical
trees for charcoal processing. This coldhearted decimation of forests has been
harmful to the sustainability of nitrogen-fixing tree species. Charcoal is in
great demand in the Middle East where it is used for fireplaces and for
barbeque. Climatologically, various regions of Somalia can effectively maintain
arboriculture (the study and care of woody plants; example trees),
agrisilviculture (trees + crops), agrisilvipasture (trees + crops +
pasture/animals), hortipasture (fruit trees + pasture/animals) and horticulture
(care for garden).
Unlike some densely populated
parts of Africa where land is scarce due to population explosion, Somalia’s
sparsely populated and empty lands could be transformed into ranches so as to
entice livestock owners abandon their nomadic lifestyles. Despite suffering
educational retardation, a good number of educated Somalis in the Diaspora will
unleash expertise and monetary value once stability is found. Regardless of the
two decades of war and the destruction it wrought on the country, still many
educational institutions training the future creams of the nation operate
inside Somalia. Universities and colleges can be found in almost every region
of the country today. In the past before the current turmoil, Somalia had a
ministry that was solely responsible for overseeing forests and rangelands. An
institute outside of Mogadishu in the town of Afgoi produced the bulk of
foresters. Foreign governments and international organizations provided the
funds and expertise for various projects related to forestry, agro-forestry,
and silvipasture.
The most famous project spearheaded
by the fallen military government was the Shalambood Sand Dune Stabilization
Project that ended in success. A massive airlift for people affected by the
prolonged 1974 drought in the towns of Obbia (Hobyo) and Aynaba (Caynabo) led
to the creation of three settlements in Jujuma, Sablaale, and Kurtunwaareey in
a program that came to be known as “Danwadaagaha” meaning “collective duty”. In
the early 80s, the United States Agency for International
Development or USAID provided $800,000 to the Somali government to fight
deforestation. Thus, was born the Jalalaqsi Reforestation Project.
Working in concert
with Africare Inc., an African-American humanitarian organization and the
Somali Ministry of Forestry and rangelands, hundreds of thousands of trees and
cactus were planted inside the town of Jalalaqsi, within several refugee camps,
and alongside sand dunes. It is here I worked as a Social Science Field
Assistant working directly with a PhD candidate in Sociology. This inspiring
project brought together foresters, nursery managers, field assistants, and an
array of faces drawn from the U.S. and the Somali government respectively. I am
not sure if this project reached its final phase or if it was abandoned midway
as I left after the expiry of my contract in 1984.
In the Sanaag region, the
towering Caal Madow mountain range is suspected to contain
unexploited petroleum and other natural reserves. To this day, there are signs
left by the oil explorers that have the inscriptions 701 which would have been
OIL when read from other side. In the 70s and 80s, several Western-owned oil
consortiums carried out explorations in several parts of the country though the
end results of their activities remain elusive. Of the two hydro-electric
projects conceived in Somalia–Faanoole and Baardheere–not much power has been
generated. From what I know, the southern town of Gelib (Jilib) had enough
supply of electricity while Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, experienced
continuous blackouts at all times. There was the foreign constructed
Goulen-Gelib Road that ended successfully.
From the time a hijacked German
airliner landed in Mogadishu in the 70s, the relationship between Somalia and
East and West Germany have been good. Consequently, the West Germans brought
several projects to Somalia including the water and sewage projects implemented
by Saarberg Interplan that was headquartered in Saarbrucken, may be
credited for the installation of water systems in Mogadishu, Jowhar, Afgoi, and
Shalambood. Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) or the
German Technical Cooperation when anglicized, played a great role in the
provision of technical expertise by training Somali technicians. On the other
hand, the West Germans were responsible for the maintenance of the fleet of
motorcycles and police vehicles operated by the Somali police force. Lib-Soma–a
contract agreement between Libya and Somalia and Rom-Soma for
Romania and Somalia, were two other bilateral projects visible in the country
perhaps.
To the north east of the country
straddle the famous Golis Mountains teeming with exotic wildlife. This is the
perfect place for wildlife conservation, national parks, and tourist
attractions. Hard currency extracted from tourism could stir the economy and
also create jobs for thousands in a land where unemployment rate is a
staggering 80%. Somalia’s pristine beaches that had been neglected by previous
governments could be a hotbed for luxury hotels. However, in order to achieve
success for the hotel industry, effective running should be the prerogative of
foreign companies that possess tested knowledge and experience.
Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa measuring approximately 3,325 km.
To the north is the Red Sea and to the south is the massive Indian Ocean. With
abundance of fish and other types of marine life, these two bodies of water can
sustain the entire Somali nation of ten million. Unfortunately, since 1990,
illegal fishing of Somali waters by foreign fishing trawlers has drastically
reduced Somali fish stock. The proliferation of piracy and the contamination of
Somalia’s pristine and tropical coastline with industrial wastes remain
obstacles to maritime management and exploration. The coastline of Somalia
contains a wealth of fishes and marine life ranging from tuna, crabs, mackerel,
sardines, lobster, shrimps, turtles, sharks, exotic porpoises, and dugong.
During the rule of the military government, Somalia leased trawlers from
foreign governments exclusively for the exploitation of maritime waters. The
most visible was the fishing trawler Antoniato madre of Italy. Located
in the Sanaag region inhabited by the Warsangali sub-clan of the Darod, the
famous Las Qoray Fishing Cannery was reputedly the biggest in Africa
producing processed canned fish that was exported to European destinations and
a sizable product consumed locally. The factory was funded and run by the
Russians before their departure from Somalia in the late 70s. Surprisingly, the
cannery is now in operation thanks to the efforts of Warsangali entrepreneurs.
On the other hand, Somalia is endowed with livestock. It is estimated that the
number of camels in the country outnumber human population. Besides, there is a
wealth of cattle, goats, and sheep that, if effectively managed, could be used
to rejuvenate the economy. If the Somali-inhabited Garissa District in Kenya
has the highest concentration of Livestock in East and Central Africa,
likewise, Somalia’s livestock population must be vast and boundless.
Previously, the ports of Berbera, Bossasso, Mogadishu, and Kismayu served as
major transit points for Somali livestock destined for Arabia. Originally built
by the Russians, the port and airport of Berbera was rehabilitated by MWK
Int’l Ltd. Inc., based in Seattle, WA. I worked in the accounting department of
this massive project which in fact was made possible by a contract agreement
between the United States Department of Navy and the Somali Ministry of
Defense.
On the other hand and upon completion of the Port of
Berbera, the Somali government this time embarked on the rehabilitation of the
Port of Kismayu located in the south of the country. An overseas-based company
by the name George Fuller Company became the final benefactor for the
bid. Unfortunately, the fragmentation of the nation into fiefdoms controlled by
warlords, religious factions, autonomous governments, and tribal secessionists
handicapped the operation of the livestock industry. Most of the nation’s
infrastructure was either sold as scrap metal in the Middle East, became
dilapidated for lack of maintenance, or became target for artillery fire. It
beats logic that Somali livestock are being sold at throwaway prices in North
Africa and the Middle East. A goat or sheep bought in Somalia by Arab merchants
fetches the same price as a plate of rice sold in Arabian restaurants.
Surprisingly, whether in Cairo or Jeddah, Arabs, are fond of consuming meat
originating in Somalia because of its freshness, delicacy, and taste. As
history tells us, the nation of India prides to have the best quality goats
that were taken rom Somalia approximately a thousand years ago.
Saladin: le Magnifique and the Defeat of the Crusaders and the Tatars
Going by the adage “that has a beginning has an end”, the mighty Mongol Empire was finally defeated by a confederation of slaves who were historically known as the Mamluks–from Arabic meaning “property.” The Mamluks rose to prominence in Egypt and Syria in 1250.[i] Recruited at young age, Mamluk soldiers who were Muslims and followers of the Sunni sect, tremendously altered the power of the Mongols and even that of the Abbasid Caliphate rule. By then, there was another vengeful force in the Levant–a force that was entirely Christendom in concept and carried the banner historically known as the Crusades. For the sake of differentiation, Christianity is a religion while Christendom implies a Christian empire. At the Battle of Ain Jalut, under the command of the much-celebrated Kurdish Governor of Egypt who was known as Saladin, the Crusaders felt the most difficult times in their battle endeavors. With the collective security of Muslim lands at risk, Saladin had no other option but to take his sword and hit his targets where it hurt most.
Known to Muslims as Salahuddin, he was the
first to establish the Ayyubid Dynasty and the first Muslim to hold the Title
of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques–implying the mosques in Makkah
and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. To this day, perhaps a copious mentality borrowed
from Saladin, whoever becomes the King of Saudi Arabia is given the same
designation and that is The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Known to
the French as Saladin le Magnifique, meaning the Magnificent, he
mobilized a strong and large invasion force against the Crusaders. In total
there were almost seven crusader invasions in the Middle East whose main
intentions were to take over the Levant especially the Mosque at Jerusalem that
is regarded a religiously important site to Muslims, Jews and Christians. To
the Jews, the Muslim Mosque Bait al-Quds sits on the Temple of David whose
sacred book the Psalms that is known to Muslims as Zaboor was revealed to David
who is the most revered and likewise, they were after the Holy Land while the
Crusaders who were mainly Frankish, felt it was their divine duty to free the
land of Jesus Christ from the hands of Muslims.
The
seventh Crusade was led by France’s King Louis XI even though his invasion of
Egypt in 1259-60 ended in total failure.[ii]
Despite retiring to Palestine and then retaliating second time, his attempts
ended in fiasco for it never materialized due to Muslim forces ferocity in
warfare. After nine decades of occupation by the Franks, it was on October 2, 1187
when Saladin finally defeated the invading forces of Christendom. Saladin is
remembered by historians for his historical achievements while he was a ruler
over Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and Yemen. Known as Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yusuf ibn Ayyub to
Muslims and the bearer of “Righteousness of the Faith”, Joseph was the
son of Job to the invaders and their followers, Saladin grew up in Baalbek and
Aleppo.
Between 1100 to 1150, the Middle
East was besieged by two formidable non-Muslim forces and they were the Mongols
from northeastern Asia and the Frankish Crusaders from Europe. The man who died
penniless for distributing his wealth to the poor in the regions he traversed
during his leadership, Salahuddin was born to Kurdish parents. In modern times,
the Kurdish people are considered the largest community without a nation of
their own. Roughly with a population of twenty million, they live in Iran,
Iraq, Syria and Turkey even though many have migrated to the West and other
countries globally.
The Mamluks did not disappear in
1517 as many historians speculate. To put it right, it was Muhammad Ali of
Egypt who repulsed them and finally defeated them, even though, struggles
against these forces were aggressively handled by the French earlier. In a
nutshell, the Mamluks remained to exist until the 19th century. From
the Arabic word ‘Abd’, the Mamluks were experts in filigreed decorations since
they mastered the art of Qur’anic calligraphy and dazzling illuminations of
other tools that were given away as charitable donations to their leaders,
nobles, and the needy. They mastered the arts of textiles and rugs that were in
great demand in the Western countries. Likewise, geometrically and meticulously
wool-designed carpets, goblets, bottles, and bowls plus remarkable mosque
lamps, rejuvenated their dedication to artistry.[iii]
There were two strategies Muslim
scholars use as references to the defeat of the Tatars. One is through Da’wah
which is Islamic propagation of the Tatars or Mongols while the second tactic
was the application of Jihad that implied the use of warfare to bring their
savagery to a complete end. Muslim leaders of the last vestiges of the wars
against the Tatars suffered from lack of unity. The main battlefront at that
time was Egypt.
Monday, March 18, 2024
The Horrors of Female Genital Mutilation
By Adan Makina
*This article contains graphic pictures illustrating the
horrors of Female Genital Mutilation. Viewer discretion is advised.
I have a bone to pick with the contributors, readers, and administrators of WardheerNews. For almost two decades beginning with the fall of the military junta in 1991, the most burning issue posted on the articles section of WardheerNews and continuously debated over and over echoed topics related to the state of the Somali nation yet little attention has been given to aspects pertaining to social issues–especially the most excruciating practice that has been the cause of unspeakable pain and suffering experienced by our daughters, sisters, mothers, nieces, and grandmothers–living or dead. It is a practice that is commonly known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)–a practice whose origins remain shrouded in mystery. Nowadays, it is known as Female Genital Cut (FGC). Other than unreliable mythological explanations, questionable rationality, historical narratives devoid of relative validity, and philosophical thoughts immersed in objectivity, societies who practice FGM have failed to come up with religiously and theoretically convincing evidence regarding its benefits to womankind. Female circumcision, often called Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is a practice found in some African and Middle Eastern cultures whose origin goes back to the era of the pharaohs of Egypt (though no historical data exist to substantiate such claim) where women underwent the ritual of clitoridectomy which implied the removal of the clitoris, and infibulations meaning to surgically cut-off either the labia minora or labia majora or all at the same time. Many reasons have been given as to why people of those days applied this agonizing procedure to their female kinfolk. One theory suggests that Egypt of those days was constantly embroiled in wars internally and externally which meant women and girls left behind fell prey to servants and other men around them. We also learn from authorities familiar with the cultural practices of
The picture shown above depicts an innocent baby girl being circumcised without regard for medical ethics; without antiseptics; without painkillers; without anesthesia; and without simple numbness inducing creams perhaps by a feeble lady (for such a task was reserved for elderly women) or by a visually impaired midwife assisted by the mother of the child and her accomplices. The surgical tool illustrated in this operation, regardless of whether it is a Nacet blade, a Wilkinson sword or a double-edged Gillette platinum could be contaminated and may even have been used dozens of times. As a rule, in a procedure like this one, the biological mother of the child or guardian must be present to witness the nature of the operation. In some instances, it is the child’s caretaker who navigates the circumciser’s hand and the surgical tool for the sake of mutilating the most sexually agitating, corruptible, and men-tempting sensitive parts. The removal of parts targeted by the parent or guardian will place a cap on the young girl’s impulsive sensuality in the presence of men when she attains marriageable age leaving no room for horseplay and satanic temptations. By the time the procedure is over, the mother is assured her daughter will grow up sexually virtuous until such a time when she is wed to a husband who will bear witness to the new bride’s unbroken virginity. In some rare cases, the mother of the new husband who is the new bride’s mother-in-law may investigate the bride’s purity of virginity before pronouncement of the wedding ceremony by inserting her two fingers in the vaginal opening of her son’s new wife. A wider opening is cause for fornication and could result in the annulment of the wedding. A husband may dissuade his mother from such a harrowing experience by wedding his new wife without strings attached. Positive news denotes the new wife has had unblemished character. This can be easily verified by the husband by observing the splatter of blood spill on the white bed sheet–a sign of broken virginity.
To discourage a victim of circumcision from raising any objection to the procedure in adulthood, parents ensure their daughters undergo the cut at an early age. Here are some key facts from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding FGM:
- Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures
that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical
reasons.
- The procedure has no health benefits for girls and
women.
- Procedures can cause severe bleeding and problems
urinating, and later, potential childbirth complications and newborn
deaths.
- An estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women
worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM.
- It is mostly carried out on young girls sometime
between infancy and age 15 years.
- In Africa an estimated 92 million girls from 10 years
of age and above have undergone FGM.
- FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of
the human rights of girls and women.
The healing duration depends on the strength of the victim’s immune system. Medications used during convalescence include application of sifted ash to affected area, herbal medications, sprinkling of capsule powder (preferably antibiotics) or any feasible medication. For many women, FGM is a rite of Passage. In many societies where the practice is widespread, it is societal pressures that lead women to undergo the procedure as a precondition for marriage. Regardless of the implications this pharaonic practice may have on women and girls, leaders who are strict in the observation of local customs condone the continuation of the practice as a deterrence to prostitution, HIV/AIDS epidemic and other sexually transmitted diseases. In some communities such as in Sudan and Somalia, the practice is so common that it is as if those engaged in the practice are going by the adage, “old customs die hard”. Almost 90% of women in Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Sudan have had the cut in one form or the other. Worldwide, the practice is pervasive in 28 countries. “It is estimated that 95% of Somali women have undergone FGM (UNICEF, 2004); and 80% of Somali women in Britain (Black and Debelle, 1998).”[2]
Feeling emotionally broken, females who feel affected most
by the cut may have the propensity to resort to atheism or other religious
practices after renouncing the faiths they grew up in. With help from human
rights advocates, willing literary activists, social campaigners or if literate
themselves, some of these aggrieved women who are vocal, impressive,
attractive, artistic, rambunctious, sociable, and fortunate enough, could find
themselves catapulting to celebrity statuses overnight by producing
much-admired manuscripts full of harrowing tales, award winning documentary
films, and even Hollywood movies in real life drama or in fabricated form. In
some documented cases, immigrant parents living in the west have been accused
of taking their daughters back to countries of origin to undergo the cut while
others, knowing that they won’t face prosecution against the practice due to
the nature of secrecy involved and the laxity of the law, mutilate their
daughters during summer vacations using surgical tools bought with taxpayers’
money.
While many who practice FGM cite religious references, some Islamic scholars
disprove it in the strongest terms. Those scholars who refute FGM claim it is neither
obligatory nor supererogatory and that it is simply a culture widespread among
nomadic and uncivilized peoples. FGM leads to lacerations, microbes, and
deformities. As you will see on a YouTube debate between two Arabic-speaking
scholars conducted by a female moderator on MemriTv, 95% of Egyptian prostitutes are circumcised while 100% of
prostitutes of the west aren’t. So why is this practice widespread only among
poor communities with high illiteracy rates? Why do we have to endorse a
practice that is the cause of pregnancy complications and death among women?
The agony faced by the millions of women who
had had the cut cannot be described in a simple essay. Removing the clitoris of
a woman is like removing the penis or tongue of a man. Where there is no
tongue, there is no sense of taste; and where there is no penis, sensation,
arousal, erection, climax, and penetration are hard to achieve. No matter how
many Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra a penis-less man consumes and no matter the
pressure and suction power of an erection pump, sexual satisfaction will remain
an elusive attraction. Among modern semi-literate Muslim men who are considered
scholars, citing fabricated Hadith for female circumcision and known as “Sunnah
Circumcision” seems to be gaining ground. Islam does not condone the
application of FGM and nowhere in the Qur’an and Hadith is female circumcision
mentioned. Sunnah circumcision denotes the cutting or shortening of the
clitoris and that’s unphilosophical, inhuman, and out of context theologically.
Circumcision is only meant for men and it has been in existence for millennia
among the People of the Book and Muslims. Without an iota of doubt, male
circumcision is obligatory and not supererogatory because, it is unhygienic for
a male organ, especially the prepuce to dangle from an uncircumcised penis.
We'll leave
it to our experts to come up with remedial measures to save the rest who are
waiting in line for the procedure from further harm and sexual ruination.
Please pick up the pen and raise your objection to this inhuman and unholy
practice.
References
[2] Somali women’s experience of childbirth in the UK:
Perspectives from Somali health workers Lianne Straus, MSca, _, AndyMcEwen,
PhDa, FadumaMohamedHusseinb
Retrieved August 8, 2010
from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hbrc/tobacco/pubs/Somali%20women's%20experience_39.pdf[2]
[2] Samir Muscali (2009).
Iraqi
Kurdistan: Girls and Women Suffer the Consequences of Female Genital
Mutilation, June 16, 2010
Retrieved August 8, 2010 from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hbrc/tobacco/pubs/Somali%20women's%20experience_39.pdf
NB: This article previously appeared on www.wardheernews.com on August 5, 2010.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Killer Love
Mention Blues and my heart trembles with the anguish of personal past and present turmoil. Born in the Mississippi Delta, the fact for me is that it was first delivered in Kansas City, Missouri–The City of Fountains–the city where my four children were born and the home of former President Harry Truman who dropped the Atomic Bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during WWII in 1945.
In the Somali song Qooraansi–a song that resembles the Blues of Kansas City having rhythmical beats that instills sudden depression, sadness, and melancholic feelings and whose vocalists are Sahra Ahmed Jama–the “Queen of Voice” and male singer Fuad Omar–a no nonsense self-proclaimed man with indescribably sensational voice recount the pain and anguish experienced by his female lover. While unearthing her hidden secrets, he clearly tells her that her glances and visualizations are no cure for hunger and deprivation. To him, she has no symptomatic ailments and that it is her self-pride and nonsensical elevation that are lowering her self-worth and human value. Her perspiration in cold weather and shivering in the scorching heat and her concealment of her personal affairs are indicators of deliberate painful injections since she is not a patient of diagnosable infirmity but one derived from sheer stupidity.
Aggravated by his ludicrous lambasts of her condition, she poetically and meticulously engages him using her melodious voice to further deliver her in-depth knowledge of love’s devastation in recorded history. In response to his revelations of the ailments that afflicts her, she analytically begins reminding him that his rhetorical language is immensely a terrifying issue and surreptitiously bereft of philosophical help but flatly platitudinous since love has been the mastermind of the death of Qays and Elmi and Qarshe and Ismail, and Ali Sugulle and many others that have not been documented.
No doubt, love is a killer psychological disease that has evaded human perception, though in Somali traditional psychic observations, human-to-human concupiscence has been in existence since human creation. Prostitution, the second oldest tradition, did not simply evolve vacuously but from human soul’s attraction to desire for a partner. In a conversation with a gentleman who seemed to be well connected to some of the refugee youth from Somalia in Kenya, his keen observation of the many who have gone haywire must not be taken lightly.
Working in cahoots with experts in thaumaturgy, a practice Somalis refer to as Ayaana or Boorana has gained momentum in recent years. Young ladies abandoned by Diaspora vacationers arrive in modern vehicles with tinted windows seeking the help of voodoo experts who intervene through abracadabra–a form of demonic invocation where the practitioner, after renouncing Islam, performs urinary ablution that catapults him into the unknown satanic realm. Presenting an unwashed shirt of the culprit, an underwear, a T-shirt or any other wearable garment allows the Voodooist to extract perspiration for ease of deporting the vulturous Diasporan. Though paganistic, the use of magic has been overwhelmingly spreading among Somalis since early 1991 when the Somali central government collapsed.
The practice of magic is not only restricted to the African people because, it is widespread and remains a driving force among disbelievers. It is used among the Māori and the Trobriander who are Melanesian people of the Kiriwina (Trobriand) Islands who are known for practicing heresy, witchcraft, shamanism, Vodou, and superstition.[i] That’s not all, anyway. Somali music is mostly divided into Qaraami, Qaaci and Jazz and other traditional types that bring together many players like Saar and Dhaanto, and theatrical dances and humorous ones. The major instrument is the non-electrical type called Kaban. Likewise, Somali musicians use pianos, trumpets, and drums to make their music captivating.
In
the song “Sida faras Bullaale” by vocalist Abdi Tahlil Warsame, he
describes his lover using metaphorical language that is hard for modern youth
to comprehend its meaning. Other than enjoying the voice of the vocalist and
the deafening noise from the musical instruments, the young refugee confounded
by invisible love that penetrates his or her psychiatric dimensions, may be
hard to postulate.
Like
the horse of Bullaale*
That
has never experienced drought
Browsing
in Nugaal Valley
Overwhelmed
by fatness all over
Or
immaculately sitting undisturbed
After
being fed to the fullest
The
navel and chest emblazoned
Is
when the skin undergoes melanophores
While
the tail brushes the ground…
The vocalist is describing his female lover who has never experienced hunger and deprivation in Bullaale because of the abundance of food and other necessities. Fat and close to obesity after years of being a solitudinarian, resulting from loneliness due to the absence of her male lover, she remains seated in one place undisturbed. Her chest is so beautiful such that her bosoms remain visible to him alone. After years of feeding on the best nutritiously managed balanced diet, her skin experiences melanophores–change of skin pigmentation that catches the eye of every man in search of a partner. Even though human beings have no tails, obviously, she is approaching a stage of becoming steatopygous–for it is beyond reasonable doubt that Somali men of aforetimes had great admiration for girls with big buttocks and fatty thighs.
[i] Britannica, T.
Editors of Encyclopaedia (2015, October 26). Trobriander. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trobriander.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Evolution of Leadership
The best leader to walk on the earth was Prophet Muhamad, the Seal of all Prophets to whom the Qur’an was revealed. If all leaders would have followed the leadership style of the Messenger of Allaah, Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, all humankind would be living in stable conditions, but the presence of disbelieve and distorted faculties of thinking drove many leaders into disrepute. Those who preceded Prophet Muhammad espousing good leaderships were the 24 prophets that are mentioned in the Qur’an. Leadership is clearly evident in the Qur’an and Hadeeth.
In support of Prophet Muhammad’s leadership, Allaah states in
the Qur’an:
“And you stand an exalted standard of character.”
And indeed, you are of a great moral
character. Chapter (68)
sūrat Al-Qalam (The Pen), Verse 4)– Sahih International.
Prophet Mohammad states in the Hadeeth: 'each of you is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects' (Saheeh al Bukhari: 212). Likewise, according to Sahih Bukhari, hadith 3.733, Prophet Muhammad has been reported to have said: “Each of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked about his subjects.”
Leadership is the process of
inspiring or influencing people to achieve specific goals or to accomplish certain
tasks. It is a means to influencing and encouraging people to come up with or
conceive extraordinary results at the organizational and societal levels. The
study of leadership has been growing out of proportion in recent years due to
the need for better leaders in expanding economies at the national and
workplace levels. The advancement of leadership sciences has opened so many
sub-fields such that, in recent years, there have been increased focus on
newly-emerging leadership traits. Some of the leadership traits that are
commonly discussed in academia include transactional, transformational,
laissez-faire, charismatic, participative or democratic, autocratic or
authoritarian, bureaucratic, and people-oriented or relations-oriented
leadership styles.
Born in 1925, Mahathir Mohamad became the first Malaysian commoner to become
prime minister of his country in 1981, a post he held until October 31, 2003
when he retired from politics altogether. Mahathir embodied specific traits
that helped him transform his ramshackle nation into an industrial economy. For
the twenty-two years he was in power, Mahathir courageously fought hard to make
Malaysia the Asian Tiger it is today. Because of his extraordinary wisdom,
charisma, and visionary leadership style,
Malaysia excelled in many aspects including trade and commerce, gender
empowerment, education, infrastructure, healthcare, politics, communication,
and banking. By providing direction to his people and by defining certain objectives,
in the end Mahathir was able to count his political and developmental
achievements in just over two decades while at the same time elevating himself
to the level of intriguing maverick and politician. A pragmatist as described by Wain (2009),
Mahathir later on clashed with political Islam and as well rose to
international prominence by championing the rights of the “third world”. Dr.
Mahathir, Malaysia's great statesman of the century, espoused transformational
leadership style.
Political Islam rose to prominence in the 19th
century with the rise of intellectual figures like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani
whose political ideology pertained to the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate in
1918. However, Islamic Brotherhood started to take roots in Ismailiyah in Egypt in
1928 when Hassan al-Banna took the mantle of leadership.[i] Another Islamist political
figure of the 1930s was Abul-Ala
Maududi, who founded the Indo-Pakistani Jamaat-i Islami party, and that
corresponds to before the separation of Pakistan and India in 1947 when each
country proclaimed independence from the former British Empire. While Political
Islam has “social-democratized” itself after many years of fragmentations, the
coining of etymologies like orientalism, Islamization, Islamism, Islamic
politics and economics, Muslim intellectual or Islamic intellectual are
inherently modern Western political creativities. Western audio-visual press
and media denigration of Arabs as bad leaders has been growing on for over a
century with Hollywood[ii]
taking the lead in videography intermixed with musicology. Part of
gerrymandering propaganda machinery that is meant to demean Arabs and Muslims,
Hollywood now seems to be succumbing to defeat since globalization of media has
grown roots everywhere.
In Islam, Muslims have been urged by the Prophet to choose a leader
of their liking–a leader they have agreed upon unanimously. In Islam, a leader
has no authority to compel his followers to partake in issues they find
unnecessary or not befitting them. Muslims have been advised to select a leader
when on a mission or a trip, pick the right Imam to lead prayers, and other
group activities.[iii]
Since leadership is a process that deserves deliberation, in an effort to reach
certain objectives, the Muslim leader must seek the voluntary participation of
willing followers. Compelling followers to certain tasks contravene the laid
down rules and regulations of Islamic traditions. The Qur’an refutes compulsion
in religion in Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah 256:
لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ
ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنۢ
بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ
سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٥٦
Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly
from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has
certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing,
All-Knowing.
[i]
March, A. F. (2015). Political Islam: Theory. Annual Review of
Political Science, 18, 103-123.
[ii]
Shaheen, J. G. (2003). Reel bad Arabs: How Hollywood vilifies a
people. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social
science, 588(1), 171-193.
[iii]
Beekun, R., & Badawi, J. (1999). The leadership process in
Islam. PROTEUS-SHIPPENSBURG-, 16, 33-38.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Report on the Decline of Violence in Iraq
Introduction
Formerly
Mesopotamia or the “Land between two Rivers”, the current modern state
of Iraq is situated in the Middle East. It is bordered by Syria to the West,
Turkey to the North, Iran to the East, Kuwait to the South-east, Saudi Arabia
to the South, and Jordan to the South-west. The country descended into anarchy
and insurgency when the former President of the United States, George W. Bush,
ordered a U.S.-led invasion in 2003 under the pretext of destroying Saddam
Hussein’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Iraq has been under the
dictatorship of the Baath Party from 1979 until the subsequent capture of
Saddam Hussein in 2003 by U.S. troops. This article looks at what led to the
reduction of violence in Iraq in 2008.
Misconceived
Notions about Iraq
Once
considered a homogenous Arab Nation and a beacon of peace and stability, the
nation-state of Iraq, has, since 2003 (with the exception of 2008), transformed
into a safe haven for hard-line insurgents and turned out to be a nation
composed of various social structures or social strata each with its unique
culture. To the north are the Kurds who consider themselves to be non-Arabs
with their own distinct history and culture. Among the Arabs there are two Arab
societies: the Shiites in the South and the Sunnis who populate the middle of
the country and who had a bigger stake in the running of the country during the
reign of Saddam Hussein. [1]
The
terms Sunnis and Shiites refer to different religious sects
within the Islamic faith. Despite contrasting views among U.S. citizens,
according to popular opinion, the “troop surge” implemented during the
presidency of George W. Bush is reputedly thought of as being behind the drop
in violence in Iraq since 2008 even though there is no way to prove or measure
such claims.
The
Evolution of a new Political State
Pioneered by the United States,
her allies, and the coalition of the willing, the evolution of the current
Iraqi state with its multiple political parties came to the fore after the
subsequent departure of Saddam Hussein and his Baath party elites from the
political spectrum. Likewise, the creation of new democratic institutions of
governance and the restoration of freedom and liberty to the Iraqi populace,
the formation of northern Kurdish prefectures and the taming of the Peshmerga
[ii],
and the curtailment or defeat of the predominantly Shia Mahdi Brigade,
shepherded the progression of a new Iraqi state. It was Lt. Gen. Stanley A.
McChrystal who was credited with finding and capturing Saddam Hussein and with
tracking and killing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born leader of
Al-Qaida in Mesopotamia.[iii]
Only 20% of the 479 districts of Baghdad known as Mahallas were free of
organized crime before a year-long operation by the U.S. military and Iraqi
security forces (ISF) brought safety to the capital and improved the situation.
According to Brig. Gen. Mike Milano, a top U.S. military official tasked with
restoring security to Baghdad, nearly 80% of the capital's districts became
free of organized extremist activity.[iv]
The most comprehensive report on the decline of violence in 2008 appeared in
the July issue of the Weekly Standard in which the author, Kimberley Kagan,
attributes political maturity to be the cause of the partial cessation of
hostilities for that period.[v]
The establishment of many political parties along tribal lines laid down the
groundwork for stable, nonsectarian, and at least cross-sectarian politics.
Decline
in Violence
Many may
wonder why Iraq got immersed in a sudden sagging political quagmire immediately
Saddam Hussein was removed from the helm and why there was a semblance of peace
in 2008. The countless spates of reprisals seen in Baghdad before the surge
were caused by the bitter hatred that existed between the Sunnis who had a
stake in the running of the Iraqi government during Saddam’s 24-year reign of
terror and the Shias who profoundly felt marginalized. The bombing of the
golden Shia Mosque[vi]
on February 22nd, 2006 culminated in the launching of attacks that
resulted in retaliation by Shias against Sunnis. After stabilizing the chaotic
situation in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the man who came to be the
progenitor of what came to be known as the Petraeus
Doctrine, turned over the reins of power to Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno,
in October of 2007. [vii] Figure 1 features the overall weekly
Iraq trends beginning September 25, 2004 to December 7, 2007 while figure 2 shows coalition, Iraq security
and civilian deaths from January 2006 to November 2007.
Professor
David Siddhartha Patel of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell
University, commenting on the insurgency in Iraq, had to say this: “The
fighting in Iraq really isn’t motivated by Islam. It’s really motivated by
politics; it’s about economics; it’s about money. And that divide between
Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds that we hear so much about … that doesn’t really
capture what’s going on. Just as much, the violence is within groups as between
groups”. [viii]
Consequently, the following factors could be attributed to the decline of the
insurgency: [ix]
v The
weakening of Al-Qaida and the collapse of tribal coalitions;
v Sunni
Arab parliamentarians’ acceptance of the Iraqi constitution;
v
Coalition forces’ defeat of Iranian-supported
“special groups” and the engaging of Muqtada Sadr’s Mahdi Army/Jaysh al-Mahdi
(JAM);
v The
establishment of tribal “Awakening Councils” and the formation of Concerned
Local Citizen (CLC) groups to fight Al-Qaida in Iraq;
v Coalition
forces’ collaboration with the civilian population led to torrents of fresh
intelligence that culminated in the containment of hostile forces;
v The
intensification of military operations against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq
by Turkey and Iran;
v The
diminished flow of foreign fighters from Syria and Iran led to reduced suicide
bombings, IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), and EFPs (Explosively Formed
Projectiles/Penetrators);
v The
training of a more effective Iraqi Security Force (ISF);
v The
transformation of the coalition forces from an army of occupation to an army of
collaboration.
Conclusion: Though there is no way of
measuring the causes of the decline in violence in Iraq in 2008, on the other
hand, the escalation of retributions, hostility, and tribal hegemony diminished
because the warring parties became exhausted and wary of war after much damage
was done to both sides of the isle. The famous saying among Arabs that states
“me and my brother against my cousin; me, my brother, and my cousin against the
world”, seems to have been the driving force behind the complex divisions,
mistrust, and negative cultural attitudes that resulted in the dragging of Iraq
into the senseless cycle of abyss that left thousands dead and an equal number
unaccounted for.
Figure 1
Figure 2
[1] Charles W.L. Hill, Global Business Today, McGraw-Hill
Companies Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020 (pp. 91-92)
[ii] Peshmerga is the name of the Kurdish guerilla army.
[iii] Stanley A. McChrystal: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/stanley_a_mcchrystal/index.html?inline=nyt-per
[iv] U.S. reports violence decline
in Iraq, 2-23-2008: Read more http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2008-02-23-saturday_N.htm
[v]
The Future of Iraq: The decline of violence, the rise of politics by Kimberly
Kagan, July 28, 2008, Vol. 13, No. 43: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/345jfuan.asp?page=3
[vi] United States Condemns Bombing of Important Shia Mosque in
Iraq. http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/February/20060222110625cpataruk0.9421808.html#ixzz0kj9pg5hN.
[vii] Gates Notes Shift in Mission as Iraq Command Changes Hands by Jim
Garamone of the American Forces Press Service: CAMP SPEICHER, Iraq, Sept. 15,
2008 http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51170
[viii] Professor Discusses causes of Iraqi insurgency by Ian
Wells, November 2, 2007. http://cornellsun.com/node/25728
[ix] John T. Rourke, Taking Sides: Clashing Views in World
Politics (14 ed.), The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas,
New York, NY 10020.
My Contribution to Chapter Book in French Edition
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