Garowe Reports destruction of Church In Kismayo

Garowe Online is a Somalia based mouthpiece for various anti governemnt groups, including Shabaab, Islamic Courts Union, etc.

I find their reorting of events generally reliable, with some apparently deliberate ommissions which put Islamists activity in a poor light, and with distorted casualty counts.

They Appear to have significant acccess to any Muslim "resistance" leader.
In addition at times they havd a transparent world view and agenda, much like MSNB, CNN and Fox news.

Keep this in mind when you read their account of events

-Shimron Issachar

30 Sep 30, 2008 - 1:44:08 PM

KISMAYO, Somalia Sep 30 (Garowe Online) - Islamist rulers in Somalia’s southern port of Kismayo issue an order Tuesday morning to destroy a historic church and build a mosque at the site, confidential sources tell Garowe Online.

Sheikh Abubakr Sayli’i, the al Shabaab-appointed mayor of Kismayo, delivered an Islamic lecture during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy month Ramadan.

A local elder who did not want to be named told Garowe Online that Sheikh Sayli’i ordered supporters to break down the walls of the old church site in “response to Ethiopia’s destruction of an old mosque in Harar.”

Kismayo’s mayor said a new mosque will be built at the church site, which will be named Harar Mosque.

Harar is a city in eastern Ethiopia with a rich Islamic history.
Islamist fighters who seized Kismayo last month have helped dramatically improve the security situation there after years of warlord chaos.

Note -Source: Abeedah (The wordpress hosted English Version of Shabbab's web site), which is quoting Garowe Online, who they see as the Somali authority.

- Shimron