In the effort to combat Al-Shabab extremists, one of the key strategies the president utilized is being stationed in dhusamareb, capital of the state of Galmudug to organize and amass locals to fight back against this group. The president’s temporary residence in Dhusamareb brought about a sentiment, within me, given that Dhusamareb was the place of my birth, and many of my formidable years took place there. My father Abdullahi Warsame Hersi and his first cousin Adan Jamac Hersi were mayors of Dhusamareeb, respectively from 1979 and 1960. Through the president’s sheer belief that such extremist Al-shabab can, and will be eradicated has more momentum than ever before. During the previous regime led by former president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and his friend the former prime minister Hassan Ali Kheire, had never tried to fight against Al-Shabaab during the 6 years of power from 2016-2022. This resulted in Al-Shabab in committing mass casualties, distorting peoples, discreetly controlling ports, and implementing unlawful taxations. Al-Shabaab was actually operating as a government within the government.
Any ideology that is interpreted onto the extreme end of the spectrum results in deteriorative and destructive regression of society. Under the Islamic paradigm, over recent years, extremists under this category has produced groups such as Al-Shabab, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Boko Haram. These groups seek puritanical practices under the religion. This conduct has veered so far off from main path of Islam, one that is meant to represent peace, justice, equity, and harmony among the community. Take for example one of the hadiths of the prophet (peace be upon him) which states, “The best of all is the middle” implying that both extremes of any spectrum will result unbalance.
Christians, Jews, Hindu respectively have their extreme minorities who intend to harm not only within but outside their communities with the belief that their truth trumps all others. Hitlerism. Maoism, and Stalinism, to name a few, were also forms of extremist ideology with the idea that society must be pure in race and ideology. Similarly, communism wishes to implement an egalitarian society removing any social barriers amongst its subjects, which is against the natural order of society. Pol Pot of Cambodia is one of the primary examples of a leader who practiced the ideology of a delusional egalitarian society where there is no servitude and for individual to serve only themselves. This resulted in the deaths of millions of people who died in the fields. Capitalism is not immune to extremism. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the western world practiced the enslavement of other humans viewing them as a means to produce wealth. Tribalism can also take on the form of extremism in the sense that my in-group is superior to your out-group implying that various qualities blindly supersedes qualities of others such as my leadership capabilities surpass yours or that my opinion is most sound which makes very little sense.
Within the context of contemporary Somalia, two facets of our society has tipped the balance of what ought to be a harmonized nation. These two are religious and tribal extremism. Both ideas share a destructive element that ruins the fabric of society. Any politician in Somalia or intellectual who believes in religious and or tribal extremism is incapable of building a good society. The war against Al-Shabaab is legitimate. Their ideology is decadent and leads society into poverty, ignorance, and human oppression. The nation’s historical recovery is incumbent on the president’s policy to fight against Al-Shabab. Those who are sabotaging the fight in any form will be judged accordingly.
The war theatre in Galmudug is drawing to a close out in the first phase of operation against Al-Shabab as the liberating forces close into Albur (stronghold of Al-Shabab). The President’s efforts have shown its fruits of progress and success. I praise the President Dr. Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, members of Parliament, and community leaders who are at the forefront of this fight in order to overturn our nation from turmoil and dismay into peace and prosperity. At the end of the day, extremists in Somalia can no longer survive and we are winning this existential fight.
Avv. Abdiwahid Abdullahi Warsame
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