HARGEISA, 17 October 2009 (Somalilandpress) – Ridiculous! You would think. Welcome to Alshabaab’s world. Imagine strolling along the road with your mother, sisters, and wife. And as if you have violated some kind of a pedestrian rule (not a traffic law) Alshabaab zealots pull you to the side. And then just as police officers inspect vehicles, the Alshabaab zealots scrutinize your beloved family female members. Worse yet, just as the law enforcement officers focus on the licenses plates, Alshabaab inspects your mother, sisters, and wife’s breasts. To add insult to injury, the ignorant Western Media not only reports the barbaric events but also states that Alshabaab is enforcing Islamic Sharia Law. What an insult! What a disinformation!
Somali women have been suffering in the hands of rapists, gangs, and warlords for two decades. Today, many of the criminals who have in the past brutally raped Somali girls as young as seven-years old have miraculously found a “religion” that exonerates them from their crimes and permits them to humiliate Somali women. No! No! This religion is not Islam. It is a new cult introduced by Alshabaab.
Just like David Koresh’s cult of Waco, Texas, U.S.A have commanded diehard zealots in the name of upholding “Christian” values and managed to massacre innocent people, similarly Alshabaab in the name of protecting “Islam” has its zealots and continues to slaughter the Somali people and humiliate Somali women.
But the indignation caused by Alshabaab respects no bounds. Alshabaab now stops Somali women and girls on the streets and forces them to shake their boobs. And if the breasts don’t bounce, these women receive public whipping. How dare their breasts defy gravity? Worse yet, Alshabaab forces them to remove their bras because according to the Alshabaab cult bras are against the Islamic dress code.
That is, any woman whose breasts look firm or defy the laws gravity must be stopped and forced to shake her boobs just like a Western stripper does. Ooh lord have mercy on the Somali people!
Alshabaab’s war against not Ethiopia but Somali women’s breasts reminds me a humours story about bras in Mogadishu. A nomadic man once visited his older brother in Mogadishu. The older brother then took his nomadic brother to the busiest shopping center in Mogadishu. As they were strolling along, the newcomer spotted a pair of bras. He was intrigued by their shape. After inspecting them, the nomadic man asked his brother: “Areey waxaan maxaa waaye…what are these, pointing his finger at the bras?” The brother, the city resident: “Areey rujubeeto waaye…they are bras”. The bewildered nomadic man asks: “Areey rujubeeto xay tartaa…what is the purpose of bras?” The city resident: “Areey walax raaracay roojisaa…they hold in place something that hangs.”
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Now, the story of the brothers and the bras may be funny and innocent, but Alshabaab’s conduct is offensive and un-Islamic. The two brothers because of their enormous respect towards women, they could not even say the word: breast. Yet today, Alshabaab removes bras from women and forces them to shake their breasts in the middle of the road. Baffling!
Also, through the eyes of Alshabaab, the Somali women’s traditional headdress that they have been wearing for hundreds of years all of a sudden is perceived as un-Islamic dress. Again, women as old as 65 years have been flogged in public and humiliated by Alshabaab. Some of them have been hospitalised. What is their crime? These women refused to replace their Somali and African traditional headdress with an imported dress code. http://tinyurl.com/yzhh6a3Truly, Alshabaab remains offensive and destructive.
Equally offensive and ignorant, the Western Media reinforces Alshabaab cult’s evil ideologies by stating, “Alshabaab seeks to impose a strict form of Sharia Islamic law throughout Somalia.” That is, some Western captive audiences, as gullible as ever, are convinced Alshabaab is just practising Islam, nothing more, nothing less. It is just Sharia!
These Media reports are pure lies, the most shameful disinformation—a condoned Islamophobia and racism. What Alshabaab does is not according to Sharia and has nothing to do with Islam. As I have stated in on of my articles, despite the obnoxious shrills from the Western nations that Alshabaab is a threat to them, in fact Alshabaab is a blessing in disguise for the West but a curse upon the Somali people.
For one thing, to continue the Western imperial expansion in East Africa, an enemy is needed—Alshabaab. For another, to continue the relentless insults and racists attitudes towards Islam and Muslims a barbaric group that claims to be Muslim yet undertakes the most un-Islamic acts would be a double bones; Alshabaab—the latest toy for the Western Intelligence agencies—fits the description perfectly. See some of my articles: Is Irish Independent News Outlets Spreading IslamPhobia and Racism?
Just as the Nazis relentlessly spread disinformation about Judaism and Jews in the 30s and 40s, today the Western Media tireless insults Islam and Muslims—“the enemy within”. The Nazis too labelled the Jews as terrorists and as the enemy within. History repeats itself with odd twists, doesn’t it?
To sum up, Alshabaab’s latest un-Islamic and barbaric acts towards Somali women have proved one thing: the Somali people must form a united front against this new enemy bent to destroy Islam and Somali culture.
Alshabaab is like a pest and we must eradicate it by any means necessary.
The brave and hardworking Somali women—the breadwinners of our society—should not be imposed on foreign ideologies disguised as Islam.
As for the ignorant Western Media, don’t reinvent the wheel. That is, the Media should refrain from repeating the same regurgitated racist Nazi propaganda and hurling it at Islam and Muslims. Before spitting out nonsensical reports about Islam—the Media should speak to Muslim scholars and get the facts.
Dalmar Kaahin
dalmar_k@yahoo.com
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Views expressed in the opinion articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the editorial
You know, you don't seem to be able even to report on this outrage against women without someone insulting the West. We didn't invent this crap. Your men did. And when they do it IN THE NAME OF ISLAM and the heads of the eight schools of Islamic jurisprudence do NOTHING to stop it, then Islam and its leaders are at fault. It seems when men do these outrageous things and quote the Qur'an saying that men have dominion over women (and can therefore do anything they like to and with them), and the leaders do nothing, it is not the West that is your problem. It's your religious authorities and your men.
So, why don't you go fight your real enemy and stop being assinine by blaming the very people who are trying to stand up for you all over the international human rights landscape WHILE YOUR RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES ARE BLOCKING WOMEN'S RIGHTS CONVENTIONS BY CLAIMING THAT IT IS AN INSULT TO YOUR RELIGION IF WE EVEN BRING UP SOMETHING LIKE FGM????
We're not your enemy. Stop trying to make us your enemy when we are trying to protect you.
Or do you just not think you can get this article published if you don't defacate all over the West somewhere in the article???
What bothers me about this whole thing is it give such an excuse for a man to bad mouth an entire faith and faithful. This … this — who probably ….. I’m not going to insult his people or his faith if he has one which I doubt very much. Islam is our faith and we as Somalis adhere to its teachings and the likes of has no business telling what is wrong or right. And you have no right to judge our traditions. You better look into what is wrong with your own society. SO don’t bring up anything Somali because it is not your concern.We will deal with our fanatics in our own way. And please don’t patronize us we as Somalis know what animosity and greed that drive you. Who as ask you for protection. I don’t like these fanatics but people like this one who is insulting my people at their weakest point is too much to take.
Great article Mr Dalmar and I totally agree with you, it seems the world is full of fanatics and the real people are caught in the middle. You got former warlords such as Al Shabab and extremist Western media that seem to use a bad scenario to their own benefits and exaggerate the situation.
Don't be fooled guys, al shabab are as crazy as the Western media they make perfect couples. They both make me sick!
Again Dalmar Kaahin has truly demystified that both Alshabaab and Western Media work hand in hand to spread disinformation about Islam. This is teamwork.
I have to say that Dalmar exposed that in fact Alshabaab works for the West. And Alshabaab is not a threat to the West but this terror group is decimating the Somali people.
This article was a great read.
Are you serious?
This is outright barbaric and un-Islamic act toward Somali women. It doesn't have anything to do with being a Muslim. Those people are uneducated, misguided, and misinformed about religion. They are overzealous about a religion and Islamic dress code they don't know enough information about.
They are hurting the religion they suppose to be defending and giving a reason the western media to have a platform to attack the Islamic Religion because of those ignorants who are giving a bad name to Islam.
Its hard to judge someone if you have not walked a mile in their shoes. I am a woman , a muslim, and somali. What is happening to our culture and deen is barbaric; However the west is not to blame for our problems. They may add to the hysteria to prevent an educated dailogue, but it just proves all societies have their forms of ignorants. Many of these young men who are joining this alshabab movement grew up in a an era of total chaos. Now it is not an excuse but a fact that what you live and experience is your litmus test for the world around you.
Those of you who are outraged and speak down to what is going on are far removed from the situation. You may blame the west, but many of you reside in the west and have the freedom to speak against it. The ones who live it do not. We soamlia's are intelligent when we want to be, and resort to tribal ignorant',s when we try to satisfy our means. As a muslim you are aware you control nothing in this world except your decisions to how you internalize things. Inshallah I will continue to learn and find a means to help those in need, and I hope that will be the same for all Somali's.
I'm from a small town in Canada, therefore my life is an entirely different dimension and very far removed from that situation. I cannot even fathom what it'd be like in any Somali's shoes. However, experience is what counts and experience is education. Samira, you've left the most educated comment on this board so far and I am able to identify that. There are still some of us (although possibly not enough of us) who watch the rest of the world from afar and try to educate ourselves as best as we can. The internet has been a great tool for this, but I digress. Someday you WILL help your people and I too hope that there are many others like you. My suggestion? Throw a massive million-people dance party! That'll confuse the beasts.
… perhaps I'm just wishful thinking…
-KAi
I respect men because a man is a father, a brother, a husband and a son. And I love them all. The same goes for men. I mean a woman is his dear mother, sister, wife, and daughter. They should have nothing but a respect for women. How in the name of God, could they do that to women? It is just a form of controlling women.
I am a Somali woman, emancipated, opinionated, free to say how I feel and able to express what I think is right and no man can ever impose his views or unwanted restrictions on me. My father, who is the reason I am on this earth never, imposed restrictions on me. And I am not expecting control from any other man.
Samira, you made a point but life is a ways street. You have a choice, which one you want to take unless somebody is pointing a gun on your head and you choose to live. Of course, I am not talking about the young, impressionable and misguided young boys who are brainwashed, seeking some adventures and lured to fight a cause they know nothing about. I am talking about those who are committing atrocities against humanity in the name of religion and giving Islam a bad name.
Just imagine that tables were turn, and men found themselves controlled by women and in the name of religion women put up road-blocks and rounds up men to check if they were wearing underpants. How distasteful and un-Islamic is that? Because that is what those lunatics are doing!
Now, Mogadishu women can dress freely and modestly as they did for centuries and Alshabab would no do anything to stop them because they are not there anymore. However, the lunatics are harrasing women and men in many other regions of the country. Two things have to be done now. We must educate our youth so they never resort to fanaticism and we must finish the job of finishing Alshabab.
Let us see what Quran Says:-
And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty (ornaments) except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof;
Muslim women should cover their bosoms and not display their ornaments except to their husbands, their fathers …. and women should not strike their feet so as to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. Quran (24:31-32)
Hence, Quran advises muslim women to cover their bosom and restricts them from striking their feet (or shaking their bosom).
Women wear Bra to avoid un wanted attention, and Quran encourages women to wear undergarment.
I am 26 years old from Somalia, I have never heard abt extrimist doing this to women,, Yeah sometimes they do encourage Madrasa men to keep beards as they are learning Quran, but they never look at our women. they respect women
always,most of the women in somalia are in hijab,
As written above that women are forced to shake their breasts is totally false and baseles. Never a Muslim man can do such a thing.
This is false news and western propoganda to defame my country and Islam.
I wonder why most of the comments dated in 2009.