Somalia's Pharaohs, Korahs, and Ammons

Something must be wrong with the brains of some of Somalia's most power hungry infidels. Known for their fundamentalist and extreme ideologies, these men will do everything in their power to ensure they get some sort of ministerial or departmental positions so they can be seen among men of like nature. They claim to be the rightfully chosen representatives of their clans and that any attempts to belittle their desired goals and ambitions will have disastrous consequences for the entire nation. Thus, without fulfilling their demands, no legitimate government will ever be established for Somalia. They claim to be Muslims, but in reality they contradict their faiths by not conforming to the accepted religious obligations and spiritual dimensions expected of a good Muslim.

It seems none of these men have the conducts of professionals. The service of a professional is an advantage to the people he/she serves and does not in any way benefit the professional. In contrast, unprofessional people are known for being exploitative and fraudulent. Utilitarianism, which is the category to which these men belong, is using one another for selfish gains which in the end lead to totalitarianism. Societies that exploit people do so only for selfish gains. Impulses, attractions, and evil inclinations are major gateways for drug abuse, alcoholism, quarrels, hopelessness, diseases, wickedness, self-aggrandizement and self-immolation, jest, and other inappropriate behavioral distortions that render the human soul hopeless, miserable and devoid of intellect and resolution.
Humans have natural intellects which empower them to choose precisely because they have the brainpower that help them differentiate between rights and wrongs.

It is important we denounce the imaginary beliefs of men especially their audacious magnification of the characters of their wives-to-be. The ideology of a rational man rests on the believe that people have different characters and dissimilar behavioral mannerisms. It is a bad reflection for a man to anticipate supernatural personality from his wife-to-be prior to tying the knot. Humans see each other as objects because of the fall from grace. People do things in different ways because each and every human being has a different trait. Children are commanded by attractions, impulses, and senses. On the contrary, adults follow reason and truth.

Materialization may be described as the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of pride. These three lusts lead to perdition and destruction of the individual and the society as a whole unless otherwise individual and broad-spectrum corrective measures are taken to turn them around. The lust for evil leads to anxiety, doubt, worry, ignorance, pride, guilt, selfishness, fornication, adultery, sodomy, barbarism, and murder. All these evil deeds can be overturned by espousing obedience, prayer, poverty eradication through alms giving, chastity, and fasting.

When one has no faith in God; when religious devotion disappears into thin air, and when ethical guidance dissipates, material wealth transforms into a misleading glittering ornament and a dangerous figment of the imagination. Like a distantly appearing mirage, wealth without faith, spontaneously formulates an empire with evil underpinnings that is of no benefit to human beings. With the right use of intellect, memory, and will comes faith, truth, hope, and trust. We should inculcate equal justice and equanimity when dealing with our parents because it is in the best interests of every human being to look ahead to a hassle-free world. A child who abandons his/her parents will, in retaliation, be abandoned in his/her final days of life. Likewise, those with authority who abandon their subjects will ultimately be abandoned when they attain old age. Therefore, it is expected of us that we observe human dignity by respecting the sacredness of the human life as expressed in the Holy Qur'an and authentic Hadith.

Because we are the vicegerents of God on earth, it is equally important to have preferential option for the poor so that the underprivileged are cared for ad infinitum. Likewise, the only way to eradicate poverty is to give to the poor generously without regard to religion, race, color, gender or national origin. We need to have solidarity with the orphans, wayfarers, the poor, and the homeless by forming communities that exclusively cater for their needs. I find it strange that we have in our midst millions of homeless men and women while millions of dollars get wasted due to corruption and misuse each day. Where are the millions of dollars donated by the international community to the various transitional governments in Somalia since the collapse of the central government in 1991? Have these monies been accounted for? Who took them and how were they used?

Children should care for their parents when they attain feeble age just as they cared for them when they were helpless in infancy. Children need reflect how the affectionate bird cares for her immature hatchlings and that they should likewise care for their parents unreservedly by spreading their wings of humility around them. Love, affection, and devotion to the welfare of the aging parent should be the best appropriate tool for every son and daughter yearning for the mercy and grace of the Almighty God who created his servants for a reason. In Africa, children are considered to have social benefits because they will care for their parents in old age.

Despite the formation of a unity government to which they were party to, these infidels remain at odds with the rest of peace loving Somalis. These bunch of idiots need realize that the era of power struggles is over and that wisdom lies in conceding defeat for the sake of giving peace a chance. Today's Somalia is filled with so-called leaders who possess the hearts and minds of Pharaoh, Korah, and Ammon of ancient Egypt. For now, the greatest struggle for Somalia is how to get rid of these selfish, barbaric, and merciless dirty dozen.

Young and talented leaders for Somalia

Finally, after almost two decades of conflict and power vacuum, Somalia has found the blessings of two young under-fifty talented leaders: President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Shermarke. The President is known worldwide as a peace loving moderate Islamist who is always in favor of dialogue and reconciliation. Since December of 2006 when his faction-the Union of Islamic Courts-was kicked out of Mogadishu by the heavily-armed Ethiopian occupation forces, President Sharif has been in the forefront of garnering support from warring Somali factions and the international community for an everlasting peace for Somalia. Besides, President Sharif had his university education in Sudan and Libya respctively. On the other hand, Prime Minister Omar is the son of slain President Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. Omar is a graduate of a reputed Canadian university and has been a longtime employee of the United Nations.

So far, most of the deafening big guns of Mogadishu have fallen silent and that even some of the volatile Jihadists and vicious warlords who have been the cause of lawlessness and destruction have been given ministerial posts in the 36-member cabinet. Despite sporadic fighting in some parts of the country, the most we can say for now is that Somalia is headed towards the reclamation of its lost glory in the international political arena.

Does Somalia need tribal elders?

We now know leaders are made and not born. In African tribal communities, predominantly male leaders publicly known as either 'chiefs or chieftains', 'tribal elders' or 'communal heads' wield considerable wealth, respect, and power to an extent they have their rightful places in the legal and constitutional frameworks of their respective governments that give them executory muscle to handle matters pertaining to declaration of war, restoration of peace, and judicial deliberations, if need be. Thus, they run double-faced parallel foundations that sometimes do more harm than good to the communities they serve and to the constitutions they pledge allegiance to. We learn from the history of slavery and slave trade how African chiefs played great roles in the selling and enslavement of their own kith and kin and how they monotonously depleted the natural resources that collectively belonged to those under their commands.

While chieftainships in some peaceful African states spearhead social integration and coherence, oversee spiritual and religious commemorations and the observation of political stability, what boggles the mind is the sorry state of the devastated sparsely populated nation of Somalia whose sense of pride dissipated when tribal chiefs and warlords took over control of its affairs beginning 1991 when the central government collapsed leaving behind a big power vacuum.

Depending on clan, dialect, region or locality, Somali tribal elders are known by various names. Most commonly and before the emergence of the modern state of Somalia in 1960, a powerful leader could be referred to as "Boqor", "Ugaas" or "Suldaan" which implied they enjoyed Kingly statuses. Ahmed "Gurey" or "gran" (the left-handed), a man whose identity and nationality is shrouded in mystery because he is claimed by several Abyssinian tribal groups, enjoys greater popularity among Somalis because he is regarded as the most powerful leader in Somali history and therefore is categorized as king and a religious figurehead. Most of the wars he fought were directed at the Christian kings of Abyssinia. The man the British Empire nicknamed "Mad Mullah", Muhammad Abdille Hassan, was a "Seyyid" as he epitomized a religious figurehead and not a king. Mad Mullah fought vigorously for over twenty years until his sudden death in 1929 in the village of Imey in the predominantly Somali inhabited Ethiopia-occupied Ogaden region. Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan had direct military and diplomatic cooperation with the Mahdi of Sudan; he performed pilgrimage in the Holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia at a time when few dared travel great distances ; he received his religious education in the Middle East and he is regarded to this day as the best poet Somalia has ever had. Thus, his elevated profile, his poetic eloquence, his struggle for Somali nationalism, his unchallenged worldly adventures and his military prowess remain challenges for modern Somali men to this day.

In contrast, men who play the roles of "Malaaq", an inferior designation commonly reserved for tribes inhabiting the central and southern regions of Somalia, wield little power and influence. Lately, Malaaqs have become popular in several central restive regions, in Mogadishu and its environs. Their proliferation among rural communities has hampered the effective delivery of humanitarian supplies by relief agencies whose employees often become victims of extortion, assassinations, and abductions because the types of administrations these Malaaqs oversee are dependent on the strength of highway robbers and armed hooligans drawn from a wide range of hardcore criminals whose livelihood is dependent on the subjugation of law and order. The scramble for land and competition for dwindling resources have seriously hampered the powers of most Malaaqs who, due to worldly temptations, finally jump on the bandwagon to fully participate in any conceivable illegal activity as a last resort.

Amazingly, most Somali transitional governments collapsed because they could not receive the unanimous or collective blessings of the multifarious tribal structures operating in the country. Some powerful tribal leaders threw their weights behind the transitional governments of their choice. Others rejected them forthrightly because of difference of opinion or categorically refused to endorse any entity due to the existence of tribal schisms with the respective head of state or with his immediate trusted lieutenants. Ironically, when the military junta was in power, Somali tribal chieftains or tribal elders hardly received any attention in the government-controlled media. They started emerging and receiving ethnic recognition after 1991 when law and order dissipated.

Currently, the largest and most famous clan-based tribal leadership in the center of Somali conflict is the so-called Hawiye council of tribal elders headed by Ahmed Dirie. Despite the existence of Somali tribal elders since time immemorial, there has never been a time in recorded Somali history when community heads failed to reconcile warring tribes other than today where tribal animosity has become an incurable affliction whose remedy has evaded divine admonitions, jurisdictions, and interferences of the international community, friendly and neighboring states, saintly scholars, and even the peace-loving layman. The irony is that even Somali academics and government heads of our modern era fully support tribal elders and revere them so fondly such that they are considered to be living saints.

Ironically, all previous reconciliation efforts blessed by these tribal leaders were either short-lived or ended in disarray. Somali tribal elders have no offices to operate from; many are illiterate; because they are not deeply religious, they cannot be categorized as Imams; they are never elected by popular vote; all came to dominate the throne of authority by way of inheritance or through automatic succession after the eventual death of next of kin.

In a male dominated society like that of Somalia, often, no mention is made of an incumbent female tribal elder or chieftain. Somalia's most idolized female leader is the historically famous Arawelo-an astute woman mentioned in oral literature who was notorious for castrating male offenders. The national origin of Arawelo is in doubt though popular opinion states that she was of Portuguese descent and not Somali as many would want us believe.

Since Somalia's tribal elders have a hand in the prolonged conflict, is it not wise to reduce their powers and the considerable influence they have in society? In my view, the era of tribal leadership is over and without an iota of doubt, I am overly convinced that tribal chieftains are the major cause of Somalia's two-decade civil disobedience and that this position of influence should be abolished whenever a stable Somali government emerges from the ashes of destruction.

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys: What does he want?

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys was a former colonel in the defunct Somali Army. When the Somali central government collapsed in 1991, he became a member of Al-Ittihad Al-Islami-a notorious religious movement that became famous for guerrilla activities in Somalia. The movement was finally disbanded after Ethiopia's Armed Forces inflicted heavy losses on its file and rank in the Gedo region. Sheikh Hassan Dahir is said to have even captured former President of Somalia, Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who was at that time head of a guerilla movement, in combat in the 90s, though he finally released him. The Sheikh appeared in Somalia's political scene in 2006, when together with the current Somali President, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, they defeated the vicious warlords that terrorized Somalia for over a decade and a half. When Ethiopia's occupation forces invaded Somalia in December of 2006, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys defected to Eritrea where he was given asylum and a base to operate from. He was added onto U.S. "terror list" after the 9/11 incident for having links to Al-Qaeda. Though he claims to be innocent of any terrorist activities, his frequent outbursts targeting Western regional influence, his alliance with Eritrea's strongman Issaias Afewerki, his opposition to the fallen Ethiopia-friendly Somali transitional government headed by former foe Abdullahi Yusuf, and his desire to spearhead a strong imaginary Caliphate, saw formidable forces opposed to his whimsical designs mobilize to his own detriment. So far, several of his comrades-in-arms have perished in aerial bombardments carried out by highly sophisticated military air crafts that catapulted from naval warships from the coasts of his tiny war-plagued Horn of African nation of Somalia or by precision-guided remote-controlled cruise missiles that delivered the most debilitating blows upon contact with enemy hideouts.

While President Sharif enjoys a degree of moderation, Aweys embodies extremism and Jihadist philosophical thoughts. His struggle and determination rests on the eventual creation of an Islamic Caliphate encompassing the current war-ravaged Somali state, the occupied-Ogaden region of Ethiopia, and the former Northern Frontier Districts in Kenya. His concurrent fire-spitting declarations, threats and intimidation, and his unwarranted vituperation upon crushing the warlords resulted in Ethiopia's two-year occupation of Somalia without seeking approval from the international community and the Africa governing body-the African Union.

Despite the departure of Ethiopian troops from Somali soil, Aweys has never given up his mouth-bashing, tongue-lashing, and explosive rhetoric aimed at the Transitional Somali Federal government and the African Union peace keeping troops in Mogadishu. Despite the selection or election of his former colleague in struggle, Sheikh Sharif as President, Aweys seems not satisfied with any political deal and policy implementation that can be of benefit to Somali cause and stability. For him, Somalia without Sharia rule is tantamount to hypocrisy. He is an Islamic scholar who is vigorously in pursuit of the imposition of divine rule for Somalia-an ideological rule perceived by the West as a threat to the region and to their political and economic interests.

Sheikh Aweys belongs to the same clan as the current President, Sheikh Sharif, though of a separate sun-clan. The Henna-dyed, goateed septuagenarian Aweys has opposed almost every Somali transitional government, political dialogue, and reconciliation. The Sheikh seems to be in opposition to any political ideology and the formation of any central central government with secular leanings that differ from his strong Islamic beliefs. With so many warring factions and political divisions wrecking havoc on Somalia, Aweys has not shown any inclination to any political party of interest. Despite the fragmentation of the Asmara-group in to two divisions with differing thoughts and processes, Aweys' group remains in complete limbo politically, socially, and economically.

Despite President Sharif making avowed enemies in the past, at present, he seems to be admired even by the administration in Addis Ababa that was responsible for the defeat, collapse, and fragmentation of his powerful Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). Ironically, Sharif was feted by Africa's heads of states at the recently concluded African Union convention held in Ethiopia. Surprisingly, he met and shook hands with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia-the man who once branded him a Jihadist and extremist. He is currently seen as the only hope for the future of Somalia and has so far captured the hearts and minds of many Diaspora Somalis. With the exception of a few web sites spewing hate and division, majority of online publications that are owned and operated by Somalis seem to concur with his heroic achievements. Many nations have thrown their support behind him and the number of press congratulating his election successes are quite overwhelming. President Sharif has gone down in history as the most popular transitional Somali President since the collapse of the central government in 1991.

On the contrary, Sheikh Aweys' activities, location, and influence in Somali politics remain shrouded in mystery. On the other hand, he issues communiques and gives interviews from undisclosed locations-a sign of seclusion and rebellion. His Somali opponents are dumbfounded by his failure to compromise and give peace a chance. Islam means 'peace' and peace can only be attained when Muslim leaders take the lead responsibly by avoiding all sorts of transgressions that undermine stability, life, and property. If Sheikh Aweys has the welfare of the Somali people at heart, why can't he make peace with his Muslim brothers-in-arms? What is preventing him from taking the right measures to avert further death and destruction of his Muslim nation? Why can't he absolve himself of the crimes he is said to have committed through legal process if he feels he is innocent rather than hiding under a veil of deception in a material world of amusement and play that is clearly stated in the Qur'an?

The proposed Saudi initiative circulating in Somali media aiming to reconcile Aweys with President Sharif, will, if effectively scrutinized, bear fruit and pave the way for Aweys' inclusion into the much anticipated Somali administration. Perhaps, Aweys is in search of recognition; may be he is being driven by the power of greed and that he wants nothing short of the Presidency; he could be a petty spoiler who only wants to shine in the Somali political arena and nothing more; or may be he wants to prove to be a dynamic hero who wants to fight tooth and nail against all kinds of foreign influences and alien religious practices; or maybe he wants to prove to the world that he is the reincarnation of an ancient saint. Only historical chroniclers and his army of admirers will prove to the world the kind of person he was long after he reclaims his place in the after-world.