“I merely represent a new, mature wave of the Islamic awakening that is taking place today from Algeria and Jordan to Khartoum and Kuala Lumpur. As first evidenced in the Iranian revolution, this awakening is comprehensive – it is not just about individual piety; it is not just intellectual and cultural, nor is it just political. It is all of these, a comprehensive reconstruction of society from top to bottom”.
 Hassan al-Turabi

Garowe is the talking capital of the autonomous region of Puntland, a blooming little town that has tripled its size since the fall of the Somali government in 1991. Traversed by the Chinese-built highway, the town straggled haphazardly to the nearby parched fields. Shops are brimming with wide varieties of merchandize brought in from as far afield as China and Japan. Polite and moderate, people in Garowe are quite hospitable and entrepreneurial despite their tendency to talk readily and at length. Whilst exuding an aura of humble simplicity, they are neither meek nor material for revolutionary change.

In the past two weeks, exploring mainstream political and religious landscape, Maan hadal has been talking to people from all social strata - people commonly living in the past, dogmatically holding oral relics from times of yore with vague aspirations for the future. Sizeable segment of the people here are happily resigned to their uninviting fate and are, in no way, endeavoring to change their lot in life. Some of these have ostensibly taken refuge in the recesses of chewing salons where they either graduate to consummate political pundits or become completely and entirely withdrawn souls - often mumbling listeners. In the realm of psychology, this state is described as compensation. Whenever a person runs into setbacks or bumps suddenly into predicaments, then dream-work starts in the person’s life. Hence, the person becomes habituated to some form of withdrawal, seeking refuge from the challenges in life. Despite the fact that their misery stems from the prolonged state of insecurity, unemployment, deprivation and disingenuous sham administrations, no one is talking organizing a Rose or Orange Revolution, the kind of nonviolent civil defiance that brought down entrenched authoritarian and corrupt regimes in places like Georgia and Ukraine. Though suspended in the vicious web of abject poverty, yet no obvious attempt from the masses to lift their heads from the dust and regain their pride.

On one instances, Maan hadal had been providentially propelled to engage a group of blinkered, inward-looking, self-opinionated characters with parochial mindset. The kind of sanctimonious attitude displayed by people grown up or bogged down by circumstance in the quicksand of some stagnant quirky locality. The politics of disintegration helped to shape clan-consciousness in a negative fashion, at least. The group has been clearly suffering from provincialistic disposition. Imbued with a high sense of clan patriotism, the group was ready to spill blood in defence of Adhi Adeeye frontier while willing to stomach the yoke of the corrupt administration of Adde Muse. Euphemistically speaking, they were culturally deprived; versed merely in the art of ignorance as regards the world beyond their horizon. An American vandal once spoke thus, “You never saw a bigoted, opinionated, stubborn, narrow-minded, self-conceited almighty man in your life but he had stuck in one place ever since he was born and thought God made the world and dyspepsia and bile for his especial comfort and satisfaction.”

The group was surrounded by a multitude of misery, yet they were bent upon eschewing to countenance the challenges of life upfront, rather like ostrich they buried their heads in sand considering that it might save them from the frightful devouring of the wolves. By virtue of being super determinists, they have an external locus of control and they continuously gaze heaven-wards as if God Himself would descend down to alleviate their sufferings without their making any effort. They want to be taken care of by others and in turn they are becoming a burden to the affluent humanity, a humanity that is often not so kind and inured to shedding crocodile tears at the plight of the poor in the not-so-Western world, and at times doles out peanuts to keep them anticipating. The group provides a perfect example of the multitudes of disoriented humanities relegated to the status of a laughing stock for the world that matter – the big rich Western with indoor plumbing. We parted this group agreeing to disagree.
On the eve of the last day of our memorable sojourn in Garowe, while the talk of this vibrant town revolved around the exigency for some sort of a revolutionary change in this ancient land of fragrance, Maan hadal has been busy sampling the political, religious and social flavours in a spacious chewing salon filled with light, soft, sweet-smelling smoke billowing from a small incense-burner in the far corner of the room. Sages of many sorts sat comfortably on soft floor cushions in this happy horizon, whiling away the time in lively discussions. Reflecting the vitality of the Somali society, stream of consciousness flooded the salon as enlightened chewing mates divulged their views on issues closer to their hearts.  The exodus of the renowned Somali reporters from the vastly disintegrating BBC Somali Service to the more balanced and engaging Evening Edition of the VOA Somali Service, whose complete dominance awaits only the joining of the veteran journalist Abdullahi Haji, and the gathering storm in Adhi Adeeye, where trigger-happy belligerent militias continue to exchange artillery duels on a daily basis, dominated our initial talking points.

After the ingestion of several bundles of specially selected brand of Awaday Qat, we got locked into spirited debate with a well-versed Islamic ideologue, an avid supporter of the Union of Islamic Courts which was toppled by the Ethiopian troops in last December. Our eloquent interlocutor was a man of probity, with a wealth of lore in Islamic teachings. He was witty, glib, well-informed, charming and passionately opinionated. Buoyed by the recent gathering of the mullahs in Asmara, he was keyed up for the possible revival of the Union of Islamic Courts. Here is how our animated discourse unfolded.

Maan hadal: The Sheikh, the Mullah, the Wadaad has always been there amongst us, holding the holy book in one hand and tilling a black rosary in the other; teaching Quran and preaching the message of Allah to the public from his pulpit; promoting virtue and righteousness and defiling vice. What come of you? What brought about this shift of paradigm? You were the spiritual leader of the folks with celestial role of judging matters of faith. The affairs of the state were an exclusive turf of political ideologues, the trendsetters, the statesmen. Why encroach into others domain – in the domain of politics? 

The Mullah: I am not the docile, reclusive, apolitical and silent bystander of the old Wadaad - neutralized by the greedy, decadent, self-seeking and conceited secular politicians and reduced to reciting verses of the holy Quran over the treats of tender meat of the sacrificial young goats and other lavish festivities of the affluent. I am the natural, spiritual and the moral leader of the society. I have been out in the cold for too long. I am here to replace the petty political chameleons that come to nothing - impotent politicians with voracious appetite for avarice, who betrayed the public trust and shirked the responsibilities bestowed upon them. I am here to assume my rightful position – the topmost.

Maan hadal: You may erode your religious legitimacy by venturing into the risky and uncharted waters of political affairs. Politics is a dirty business. You seem to be adroit at seizing whatever opportunity deemed expedient for grabbing power and its trappings. However, your quest for power would eventually compromise the authenticity of your religious message. You need to leave politics to the seasoned professionals – the political animals, who are adept at the subtle art of mudslinging and intrigue, sleazy and unsavory manipulations, shifty and unpredictable maneuverings.

The Mullah: I understand that politics is a murky business. I am not looking for a monkey-business, either. Ours is political Islam and is at variance with your secular politics. Our political dealings will be guided by the Quran. The dealings of the secular politicians are marked by trickery, vengeance, self-centeredness and egotism. We might not be adept at the qualities of mudslinging and intrigues which the politicians excel in, yet we have our own way of suspending the wisdom of the masses and controlling their vibes and can conveniently unleash them. We are well versed in the art of demagoguery and we know how to label you as stooge of the west.

Maan hadal: Who actually can ignite a revolution which can herald the wind of change? We believe that people are driven by economic needs more than spiritual needs.

The Mullah: When a Mullah sneezes, everyone catches the cold. On our single call, people readily abandon their loved ones to lay down their lives at the altar of the Jihad. We can cause political earthquake of very high magnitude at any time from the pulpit. With one stroke of pen, we can relegate the politicians to the stature of heretics. You know it for a fact that on account of the waning public confidence on corrupt politicians, the climate is ripe for us to take over the realm of authority.    

Maan hadal: No country can be sufficient unto itself and no country can remain an island shielded from the encroachment of globalization. What is your political program? The problems facing Somalis are monumental. What do you propose to resolve Somalia’s intractable problems? Are you clamoring to establish a government of the Wadaad, by the Wadaad, for the Wadaad where anyone who does not subscribe to your skewed interpretation of Islam is disqualified or declared “excommunicated”?

The Mullah: Allah’s Commands have been laid down in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, but their correct understanding and interpretation remains the exclusive preserve of the Mullahs. It is the sole responsibility of the Mullahs to lead the faithful to the virtuous, rewarding path to Allah. We want to establish an Islamic polity in the Horn of Africa. The Somali people are 100 percent Muslims. Neither clan lineage nor artificial boundaries can divide them. Corrupt politics and foreign exploitation are the root causes of their woes. The solution to their myriad problems doesn’t lie with clan alliances and coalitions, with regionalism and secession and with pseudo-governments concocted in foreign countries. Naturally, an Islamic regime is the answer and the only unifying factor. Hence, our program is to bring all Somalis under a unified Islamic rule. Somalis in the Horn of Africa have the right to unite under a just and legitimate Islamic state.

Maan hadal: You have been linked to international Islamic radical organizations such as al-Qaeda. Some of your top leaders are alleged by the UN to be associates of the most wanted Islamic ideologue, Osama bin Laden.

The Mullah: We are linked to Islamic radical groups, but at the same time we have a very soft image of religion to sell as well, whereby we can instill the commitment to peace and humanitarianism. Our social welfare system and elaborate safety nets are unparalleled anywhere in the world. Through Zakat, alms and donations we cater to the requirements of the needy people running the whole gamut of orphans, widows and the most vulnerable people at the lower social strata who are always unattended and neglected by the politicians. We have the manifesto of free education and health care which does not find any place in the selfish policies of the so-called secular politicians.

Maan hadal: Owing to the imposition of various unpopular restrictions by the ousted Union of Islamic Courts, you have been likened to the primitive and repressive regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan. You have banned cinema halls showing the World Cup, Western and Indian movies; you have prohibited wedding parties and banned music over the radio.

The Mullah: Important to mention is that religion does not banish information and knowledge acquisition, rather it favours more than any other ideology or school of thought. But do you think that the objective of TV channels is to deliver some healthy moral information? No, certainly not, rather their aim is to brainwash the untrained minds of the unsuspecting populace and dilute the august cultures and customs of the traditional societies. We are against obscenity and vulgarity which are detrimental to the essence of our religion and culture. We are not against world cup telecasts nor are we against the sports, rather we believe in athletic competitions which result in healthy physical projection of a nation. Additionally, TV can serve the purpose of educating the masses in novel and modern developments and also in information dissemination. We can also use it as a valuable vehicle to disseminate Islamic teachings.

Maan hadal: The secular politicians are people of diverse talents. They have relationships with foreign countries, they bring investments, and work more effectively for the people than you could do.

The Mullah: Precisely, they work inordinately long hours, but not for the people but for inflating their own kitty. They have stacked money in foreign banks, and they invest in other countries in lucrative businesses. We have a complete log of all the politicians who have robbed this innocent nation of its wealth. Unlike the morally depraved politicians who mastered in the politics of prostitution, we remain in touch with the masses, with their sentiments and aspirations. We have a true mandate from the people.

With that claim of spiritual link with the masses and inevitable romance with politics, we ended our riveting exchange with the Mullah.

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