Massacre in Mogadishu Mosque
by Muuse Yuusuf
Sunday, May 02, 2010
The massacre of worshippers at the Abdalla Shideeye mosque at Bakaaraha, the Mogadishu’s main market, is a telling story of the current religious bigotry and intolerance in Somalia. At least 30 Somali Muslims were killed and 70 wounded by explosions, probably executed by another Somali Muslim group. This act is probably the first Iraqi-style bombing inside mosque, a sacred place which is seen by most Somalis as a save haven for worshippers, a place where the faithful say their prayers, seeking spiritual guidance from their God. Whoever is behind the massacre has revealed true colours of the current religious chauvinism and narrow-mindedness in our beloved country, as they have taken the violence to higher and more dangerous levels. They have proven that “Islamists” (Al-Shabaab, Xisbul Islam) and their leadership are not unassailable who are immune from the indiscriminate violence and suicide bombings that they have introduced in Somalia in the name of religion. Executors of the bombings have taken the violence to the homes of the extremists who have been subjecting people to indiscriminate acts of violence from chopping limbs, stoning people to death and whipping women for not wearing Hijab. Their opponents have now demonstrated their ability to strike at the extremists’ strongholds and sanctuaries with ease. Fuaad Shongole, one of the Al-Shabaab’s leaders, was hurt in the blast, as other high ranking officials of the movement might have been killed.
That act of barbarism should be condemned by all because at the end of the day it is a Somali blood that should not have been spilt. However, after the much publicised destruction of the tombs of the famous Sufi saints, such as Sheikh Mohamed Biimaalow, who have spread Islam in Somalia without violence, other acts of similar barbarity in a mosque, were not unimaginable. This is because many Somalis saw the vandalism as acts of barbarism meant to obliterate their history and centuries’ old traditions, which are sacred for millions of Somalis. So, after the Abdalla Shideeye mosque incident, many Somalis are now asking some legitimate and big questions: if a mosque is not safe, then which other place is safer? Is the current religious bigotry the way forward to save their country from a perpetual violence?
This brings me to the topic of this article, which is a follow-up of another article, Secularism for Somalia, posted at Hiiraan.com (http://www.hiiraan.com/op2/2010/apr/secularism_for_somalia_forever.aspx). The thrust of the article was to encourage Somalis, particularly those in the west, who are reaping benefits of secularism in their daily lives, to learn from their experiences and to pay attention to the concept of secularism in order to help our country gear towards a more secular society. I have received some positive and negative feedbacks from the readers. I knew I was a lone intellectual voice in a community and country where people are intoxicated with religious ideas, which now seem to be destroying the very fabric of the Somali society. However, I was really touched and encouraged by supports from readers who could see the wisdom of the argument. One reader simple put it:
“Secularism is the only way. Islam is in our hearts and souls and should stay there. Mixing something beautiful like Islam with politics always turns it into something nasty. Like Al-shababs, talibans and other nasties. Somalia always has been and must be again secular. Like most other Muslim countries.”
The above statement said it all without complicating the concept. Secularism in Somalia does not mean forcing people to abandon their faith. Religion will be in the private sphere where people would be able to practise their faith in private with their God. The only difference under secularism is the separation of religion from politics, a concept that most of the 57 Muslim countries seem to have accepted, except few countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is also true that, although people have not noticed it, Somalia has always been a secular state pre-and-post independence, where mixtures of customary laws (xeer), Islamic and Western jurisprudences were the sources of the law of the country. Remember those days when Somali lawyers defended their clients applying different sources of law, including Western jurisprudence? Remember those days when a church could be built near a mosque or people practised other faiths but were tolerated and accepted? Remember those days when women would rub shoulders with men at work or at home without feeling inferior or guilty of not covering up their bodies with Hijab? Remember those old good days, when Sheikhs conducted their Dikr of Allah in mosques without fear of attack? When people went to see their Sufi masters and Sheikhs for spiritual guidance and healing? When the mosque was a place of worship and not for politicking? When the religious folk did not intervene or did not have time in getting involved in the politics of running our beloved country? That is exactly what secularism in Somalia was and means. Now forward the clock to the present day and you would see how these “Islamist” extremists would judge all those past practices in Somalia as un-Islamic and therefore our ancestors were heretics!!
As I expected, the reaction from “Islamist” reactionaries and extremist was strongly worded to say the least. Besides the usual name-calling, some just said it is un-Islamic to advocate secularism and the concept is not part of Somali culture. The irony of their argument is that they don’t know that medieval Muslim scholars and philosophers, when Islam was its golden age, were behind the intellectual and philosophical background of the concept of secularism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism). “Islamists” also used un-helpful comments, such as “why advocate secularism if you are not an expert on the subject.” I must say that the “expertise and lack of it” is exactly the point here. This is because, as we know, right now in Somalia there is a group of people who claim to be experts on Islam. And the only thing they seem to know about Islam is desecrating tombs, chopping limbs, stoning people to death, and banning arts and cultural expressions, when most Muslim countries do not practise such barbaric acts of violence, except Saudi Arabia, the model state they want to impose on Somalia. Also, by admitting that I was not an expert was a humble way of opening, inviting, and encouraging debate on a sensitive issue that needs to be tackled. However, having lived in both religious fundamentalist and secular states, I can certainly see the benefit of living in secularism, and how oppressive it would be to live in a Christian or Muslim fundamentalist state. Indeed, life experiences are more important than holding a PhD, although I do have some titles that I can add to my name, if that is what people respect. The whole message about my argument was that rather than indoctrinating our young folk in the west with fundamentalist religious ideology, which sends them to their death beds let us encourage them to learn other concepts, such as secularism and democracy, which are what they are experiencing right now. There are so many other things that the young can learn from the west, but indoctrinating them with a distorted ideology that shortens their lives is not one of them.
For those objective readers, their main argument was: what is the point of advocating secularism when “Islamists” are on the ground getting their hands dirty in order to implement their distorted ideologies; when secularists are advocating the idea behind the comfort zone of their homes. And also rather than supporting secularism per se, a concept that seems alien to ordinary Somalis, and which the fundamentalist would just label it as un-Islamic, why not support broader concepts, such as democracy. Yes, it is true that “Islamists” are getting their hands dirty, but it is also true that other forces, including Sufi sects etc. that are fighting the “Islamists”, although they don’t see themselves as such, can be considered as secular forces that are doing a good job. Also, a large number, probably half of the members of the current transitional parliament, are secular minded people and intellectuals who would vote for secularism given they were in the right atmosphere. It is also true that, although they don’t see themselves as such, most Somalis have always been seculars and supported secularism in their daily lives pre-and post independence in 1960.
If given a choice between chopping off a thief’s hand and jailing them, or stoning an adulterer to death and jailing them, most Somalis would probably vote for the latter, provided that someone explains to them that most Muslim countries do not stone women adulterers to death and that is not against Islam.
The mayhem in the Shideeye mosque, caused by religious intolerance, proves the futility of mixing religion with politics and how dangerous it would be to so. Let us keep Somalia a Secular State Forever.
Muuse Yuusuf
MA in International Relations
E-mail: [email protected]
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularity