- [SW Analysis] (Medhane
Tadesse ) Islamic Fundamentalism in Somalia: its nature and implications :Posted
on [28 Nov 2001]
Islamic
Fundamentalism in Somalia: its nature and implications -(WIC)04/10/01
by Medhane Tadesse (Assistant Professor of history and expert on conflicts in the Horn)
04, October 2001
Islamic fundamentalism in Somalia cannot be fully understood outside the context of
international Islamic terrorist grouping and the post 1991 stateless situation in Somalia.
After the fall of Siad Barre clan extremism surfaced in Somalia which greatly weakened pan
Somali nationalism. Clan loyality became the order of the day. Evidently, Islamists begun
to argue that the only alternative to clanism and the failed Somali nationalism is
political Islam. Evidently, Islamic fundamentalism is being used as an alternative
unifying factor (ideology) by the Somali fundamentalist movement. The stateless situation
did not only create a fertile ground for the emergence and development of Islamic
fundamentalism as a political trend in Somalia. But it also became conducive for the free
movement of extremist and terrorist forces.
The absence of a responsible government, administrative apparatus, organized politics and
government or privates business in Somalia became a blessing in disguise for
fundamentalists to fill in the vacuum and gave them a comparative advantage over the other
forces who lack any kind of ideology. Their strength emanates from their organized nature,
external financial help and the ideological orientation, radical Islam, which transcends
mere clanism or Somali nationalism. Although traditionally clan loyality is more important
than any religious loyality in Somalia, war weariness, desperation, eagerness for peace
and order as well as widespread poverty seem to have attracted the youth to join the
fundamentalist camp. That is why islamists in Somalia target the youth more than any other
group for terrorist activities. Undoubtedly islam preaches peace and harmony but islamic
extremists in Somalia tend to use political islam as a weapon of eliminating enemies and
peace forces in the area. In fact my fear is that islamic extremists are trying to destroy
the long held tolerance and harmony among muslims and christians in the horn of Africa.
As in many other parts of the world, islamists in Somalia sharply distinguish themselves
from the idea of traditional Islam. They think that traditional Islam and its traditional
leaders (with their clerical subservience) has failed to preserve the essential meaning of
Islam in contemporary world and society. So islamists in may ways represent a profoundly
modernist movement compatible with modern technology and secular education. That is partly
the reason why the majority of contemporary islamists emerge not from the traditional
centers of islamic learning (mosques) but from secular universities and scientific or
technical training centers. The same is true with Somalia.
However unable to avoid the influence of traditional islamic and clan leaders in Somalia,
islamic extremists use money to bribe a lot of them and promote their agenda. Thus, the
stateless situation and poverty is pushing clan leaders and islamic clerics in Somalia to
join the fundamentalist camp. Almost every mosque in Somalia is being led by ulamas either
bribed or convinced by extremists. New islamic schools run by young modern islamists is
being opened in every corner of Moqadisho, Hargiessa, Bosasso and Kismayo. A rotating fund
controlled by fundamentalists is being used to train and graduate as much as 4,000 new
young unemployed recruits in a month. The teaching is not purely religious. Most of the
teaching is centered around criticizing the corrupt influence of a secular,
individualistic, hedonistic, and permissive western and christian culture. Thus the
large-scale training is seemingly religious in its goals but profoundly political in its
methods. Evidently, like in many other parts of the world, islamists in Somalia are
pursuing a new, ideological and non-traditional approach to islam. They speak of their
movement as an ideology and not a religion; the target is the state and not the clergy and
espouse an islamic republic as an end goal. All fundamentalist forces in Somalia share the
same goal although they differ in their approaches.
A detailed examination of the fundamentalist movement in Somalia clearly shows that there
are as much as six different islamic extremist (mujahidin) parties. Of these the AL-it
ixaad (itihad al-islamia), al-islaax (ai-islah) and al-wahda are the most prominent. They
work separately and in partnership through a loose united front in the Supreme-Somali
Islamic League. They are united mainly in their international connection and financial
network. They collectively benefit not only from financial donations collected in the form
of Zeka from Arab millionaires and princes but the money circulation of their businesses
inside Somalia is connected with gulf stock market exchange centers. The international
network is not restricted to the financial aspect. Militarily they are supported by
Mujahidin forces from the middle-east and the Northern Tier countries (Turkey, Iran,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan). When the most organized and dangerous terrorist group, the
A1-itihad al-islamia, militarily attacked Ethiopia in several occasions, there were more
than a dozen of Afghan-Arabs in its ranks. Still young Arab and Pakistani zealots are in
the TNG controlled part of Moqadisho in the name of business. Colonel Abdirahman Baadiya
and Colonel Ibrahim Awes, both leaders of Al-itihad Al-islamiya, are heads of the security
in Somalia and the main link with outside islamist forces including Bin Laden.
The development of Islamic fundamentalism in Somalia is really frightening for many
reasons. For one thing it is consolidating itself in a stateless situation not visibly
seen by the outside world. Besides, unlike in the case of the Taliban or Ayattollah
Komeni's Iran it is not possible to deal with it or tame it through diplomacy or bilateral
relationship. Worse, islamists in Somalia control almost all business and political
structures. Every lucrative and strategic business in Somalia is run by a rotating fund of
islamist forces. All money transfer agencies (such as El-Barakat, Dahabshi', Al-Mustaq
bal), telecommunication, import-export agencies, food-stuffs and the supply of building
materials is owned by Islamic extremist forces. Clearly fundamentalists are slowly but
steadily controlling Somalia. The method is very effective because it follows a bottom-up
approach of multi-faceted process of state-formation unseen before in other parts of the
world.
Unlike in Iran, Afghanistan or the Sudan in which islamists took power either by a
coupdetat or an armed insurgency, in Somalia islamists are using a grass roots approach
and a combined struggle of using ideology, business, military expansionism in a typical
state formation applied in the past to create the modern states. If this process reaches
its final stage it will become highly regimented, formidable and a hard nut to crack.
Moreover, the islmist forces (or mujahidins) in Somalia control their own militia, their
own international terrorist training camps including the so-called Islamic courts. All the
security in Moqadisho and Kismayo is controlled by the Al-itihad Al-islamiya. This
terrorist organization which tried to destabilize Ethiopia and Kenya, is the backbone of
the newly created TNG (Transitional Government) in Moqadisho. The TNG does not have its
own army and depends on the military machine of the Al-itihad while the islamists promote
their agenda using the international recognition of the TNG.
The recent pro-Binladen demonstration in Mogadishu clearly showed two important facts.
First the accusation (mainly by Ethiopian) that the TNG is made up of Somali
fundamentalists is indeed well founded and true. And secondly it showed the fact that the
so-called Transitional Government of Somalia does not have any control of even Mogadishu,
it does not have any constituency of its own and it is without any kind of influence even
around the Romedan hotel, its headquarters. The way the pro-Binladen demonstration was
organized, in the face of opposition by some TNG ministers for fear that they will be
exposed in front of the U.S or the world, is a glaring testimony that the UN-backed TNG
depended on the constituency of islamists. Paradoxically, this extremist force was created
and is being fostered by the UN. That the only and the first pro-Binladen demonstration in
the world was organized in Mogadishu reveals also another fact. Somali islamic
fundamentalists, mainly the Al-itihad, are not only against Ethiopia or the neighboring
countries both in intent and in practice, but also against the secular and civilized world
and anti-American in orientation.
When it comes to dealing with Islamic terrorists in Somalia, Ethiopia was the only country
in the region which repeatedly conducted successful military operations against the
Al-itihad. It is sad that the world never gave any kind of material, political or moral
support to Ethiopia's effort of curbing the movement of Islamic terrorist organizations in
the Horn of Africa. Yes, Ethiopia was fighting the Al-itihad alone because it constituted
a threat to its own security. Luckily, Ethiopia commands a strong and formidable army
which dealt a blow to Islamic terrorist organizations in the region. The only government
in the region, the Eritrean government, too which supports an Islamic terrorist group (the
Al-itihad) to destabilize its neighbor (Ethiopia), did not escape from Ethiopia's military
might. But the world was watching Ethiopia's struggle against terrorism from a distance as
if it is only the concern of Ethiopia.
Now the world mainly the U.S is engaged in a fight against international terrorism. If the
world (mainly the U.S) is serious about the fight against terrorism, Somali Islamic
terrorists are no less dangerous than the Taliban or Binalden. Islamic extremist and
terrorist forces in Somalia have both the intent and the capacity to destabilize the
region and international order at large. Something should be done to check the movement of
terrorist forces in Somalia (who now control parts of Mogadishu-TNG controlled area,
Kismayo and recently are engaged in distablising the port of Bosaso in Puntland)
before they control the whole of Somalia and embark on destabilizing neighboring countries
and develop the capacity to attack the interests of the civilized world at large. In the
meantime the world should support a realistic approach to bring about peace and
reconciliation in Somalia, so that the country will cease to be a safe haven for
international terrorist groups.
The record of Ethiopia shows that it has both the political, organizational and military
capacity to deal with Islamic terrorist groups and their supporters in the region. But the
world should give it serious attention, political backing and value it as part and parcel
of an international campaign against terrorism. To this effect, a multi-dimensional
(Political, economic and diplomatic) approach figures prominently when it comes to dealing
with Islamic fundamentalism in Somalia. Heavy arial bombardment or the total
marginalization of Somalia is not the solution. Support should be given to the realistic
regional peace initiatives on Somalia which were stifled by the UN and the Arta process
which also led to the planting not only of unrepresentative but also an extremist
terrorist government in Mogadishu. It is the only Islamist government in the world brought
to power with the help of the UN system.
Thus, the best way to bring about peace and deal with Islamic terrorism in Somalia is to
correct the mistakes done by the Arta process, to hasten the process of a democratic
solution to the Somali problem and allow different Somali (Secular) forces and
representatives of the different administrations to take part in a new broad based
reconciliation arrangement. But such an initiative should be complemented by a concerted
international economic, political and diplomatic support. Moreover, Strengthening the
mechanisms in place in the neighboring countries with vast experience and successful track
record in the fight against Islamic terrorist groups in Somalia will serve the desired
purpose.
[ Analysis] |
