Somalis Struggle over Who is a Terrorist

6 August 2007Posted to the web 6 August 2007
Mogadishu

Somalia clan elders present at the country's reconciliation congress in Mogadishu have been deadlocked in terrorism issue. The reconciliation committee announced yesterday that the debate should only be discussed by people with great knowledge of the Islamic religion.

Ali Haji Yusuf, one of hundreds of clan elders, recited verses of the holy Qura'an and Hadith indicating the characteristics of a Muslim person.

"Those who kill Muslims in the mosques are not Muslims but what about government troops seizing people praying in the house of God?" he said.
Another religious clan elder, Abdi Shakur Sheik Hussien, said: "We only heard the words "extremists and terrorists" from the American president, George W. Bush, and I believe that we, as Muslims, do not have to repeatedly say what an infidel said," he said.

As the debate grew bitter, Gen. Abdirahman Abdi Hussein, one of the committee, took the microphone and said, "You all ignore that there are terrorists in this country. Those who kill innocent people in the mosques are terrorists. You will only admit and hate them when they kill you relatives and children," he said.

Another committee member, Mohammed Omar Tajirow, stood up and apologized to the clan elders, telling them that they were free to deliver their thoughts and views.

The committee finally decided to appoint religious people for the terrorism issue.

The Rest @ Shabelle Network, Mogadishu