By Ali H Abdulla
First, I would like to convey my condolence to the families of the scores of innocent people killed in the senseless and brutal attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes have no place in a civilized society. They belong to a different era that is characterized by mayhem and barbarism. One can only wonder whether they somehow managed to hitch a ride with a mad scientist, who discovered the secrets of time travel, and ended up in the wrong century.
The picture of an old woman who just identified her loved ones among the dead in the Nairobi morgue captures the pain and the agony felt by all the residents of Nairobi, the city of Kenyatta and the Mau-Mau spirit The old woman in the picture is probably asking herself what her loved ones had done to deserve such a premature and sad ending. As far as she knew, her loved ones went to the Westgate mall to enjoy their break from work or school and to have a nice time with family and friends. Unfortunately they came back in black body bags.
There is nothing that justifies strafing innocent civilians with high caliber machine guns and grenades. Even If the justification that the operation was conducted to avenge the brutality of the Kenyan Defense forces in Somalia were true, the indiscriminate massacre of unarmed civilians is at par with the murders committed by the Nazis who gassed their unsuspecting victims in gas chambers. After all, the victims in Westgate were also trapped within concrete walls and became sitting ducks for crazed gunmen using bullets and hand grenades instead of deadly poisonous gas.
What happened in the Westgate Mall is a crime against humanity and the perpetrators of these crimes deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law. Kenya with the help of the International Community should not rest until the leader of the Al Shabab, who confessed openly that his organization was behind the cowardly attack, is brought to justice.
As a Somali, I feel ashamed that such a tragedy is associated with my country and my nationality. It is unfortunate that such brutality is committed by an organization based in a country that managed to destroy itself and displace thousands of its own people who ironically sought refuge in Kenya where they were welcomed with open arms and even started thriving businesses. It is a dastardly way to repay a country that still hosts thousands of Somali refugees. Who could blame Kenya if it decides to expel all the Somali refugees from its country. I just hope that it does not take this drastic action of collective punishment.
My anger at the above picture was partially alleviated by another one that must have captured the imagination of many viewers all over the world: the picture of a child running into the arms of a Somali-Kenyan man holding a pistol in his hand. Inexplicably, the young girl realized that the man urging her to run to him was somehow different from the terrorists trying to murder her and her family. Although the man may have looked like them, she somehow felt an urge to trust him with her precious life.
Abdul Hajji risked his life along with other brave Kenyans to safe hundreds of innocent people from the carnage. Many fellow Kenyans consider him as a hero and deservedly so. His heroic actions must have reassured many Kenyans that not all Kenyans with a Somali background are out to get them. This gave them confidence that there are thousands of Somali Kenyans who share the same values with them: respect for human life. Abdul Hajji told a Kenyan TV that in Islam, the killing of an innocent person is like killing all humanity. This proves that Islam is against the killing of innocent women and children regardless of their faith. The Shabab took innocent lives and thus killed humanity in those few days they managed to wreak havoc in the Westgate Mall. Their action is against Islam and all Muslims should condemn their distorted perception of this noble religion that stands for peace and tranquility. The well-known Somali Islamic scholar in Kenya, Sheikh Umal, was brave enough to condemn their action. Other Muslim clerics should also do the same despite the risk of being a target like others before them such as Sheikh Ahmed Abdulrahman in Bosaso.
The Westgate Mall will be rebuilt and young children will again play in its vast hallways. Tourists from all over the world need to show their solidarity with the Kenyan people and ignore the travel warnings issued by their countries. The terrorists should not be allowed to win by scaring us. Hajji and the young girl in the picture will no doubt attend the reopening ceremony of the Mall, and Hajji will get the hugs promised him by her mother.
To prevent the recurrence of such senseless mayhem, the International Community needs to support the Somali government and help it rebuild its own professional army to tackle the scourge of terrorism in Somalia. The Shabab uses the presence of foreign troops in Somalia as a motivation to recruit young Somali nationalists from all over the world. The hundreds of millions spent on African troops will be better spent on the creation and training of a strong Somali army capable of protecting its borders against the incursion of foreign jihadists. The current policy of the world community of propping a weak government with a small contingent of African forces is counterproductive and will only strengthen the Shabab and its sympathizers.
Kenya and Ethiopia may become apprehensive about the return of the Somali Army because of the historic territorial disputes with Somalia. However, the status of these territories have improved over the last two decades and the Somalis in these disputed territories have managed to have a voice which they lacked before. Such a voice may help them decide their final status in the future. The erection of a statue for the Sayid, the father of Somali nationalism, in JigJiga is testimony to this newly acquired voice. There is no doubt that a Federal Somalia with democratic institutions will not go to war lightly in the future.
Ali H Abdulla
Email: [email protected]
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