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Interview with Deputy Chairman of AlIslah Movement in Somalia
Abdurahman M. Abdullahi (baadiyow)1
http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=3751
Monday, August 14,2006 00:00
By ElSaeed Ramadan
Somalia is considered one of the hottest trouble spots in the world. Since 1991, there have
been continuous battles which led to many humanitarian problems. In addition, the quick
and huge victory of the Islamic Courts raised many eyebrows around the future of
Somalia as nation.
Ikhwanweb: Would you tell us when AlIslah movement was founded, its background,
and its objectives?
In the name of Allah and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger Mohamed, his family
and companions. Firstly, many thanks to our brothers who work in Ikhwanweb.com for
their interest in the causes of the Islamic Nation and specially those of the Somali people,
who are part of this nation which is suffering of many successive disasters.
1
Abdurahman is not anymore deputy chairman of Islah Movement. In the elections of 2008, he was appointed
as director of political office responsible for reconciliation and political activities.
2
As for the AlIslah movement in Somalia, it is a part of the Islamic movement and was
founded on 6th Shaban 1398 (Hijri), 11th July 1978. It aims to reform society in all aspects
of life, and to raise the level of individual and collective commitment based on Islamic
principles and values and according to the method of moderation as stated in the aims of
the Islamic law. Its objectives include reforming the individual, the family and the society
in all aspects of life to reach a wellguided rule based on Islam as a method of life. They
include raising people’s awareness and deepening national and Islamic values like
brotherhood, freedom, justice and the rule of law. They include also struggling to
eliminate tribal conflicts and separatist inclinations through strengthening social ties and
ending injustices and strengthening brotherhood and fighting causes of schism among
people who are affiliated to the same nation. Add to this, eliminating all aspects of
colonization, social injustices and monopolizing wealth and protecting environment and
defending human rights, peoples’ freedom and countries’ sovereignty.
Ikhwanweb: What are the most important political and ideological foundations of the
movement?
The movement’s politics and ideology stem from Islam and according to the methods of
the Muslim Brotherhood group which was founded by martyr Imam Hassn AlBanna,
taking into consideration the national heritage and traditions of the Somali people.
Ikhwanweb: What is the movement’s vision for reform and solving the Somali crisis?
The movement’s vision of reform is based on peaceful means and persuasion to reach
cultural change and not to be drawn to side skirmishes and providing positive beneficial
work, and activating the role of the civil society and guaranteeing its participation in
peace and development. In addition, the movement seeks to restore the identity of
Somalia to restore its status in the international map. It also calls for respecting the unity
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of the Somalia as a land and people and protecting its sovereignty and reject
foreign interference to achieve reform.
Ikhwanweb: How does the movement work amid this recurrent infighting in Somalia?
Therefore, after the fall of the central government in 1991, the movement raised a slogan
based on three pivots: firstly, providing relief and aid to the afflicted people, secondly,
Dawa and education to achieve awareness of the society and educating young people,
and thirdly, promoting dialogue and reconciliation to achieve harmony
Ikhwanweb: are there any institutions under the movement’s control in the political or
humanitarian aspects?
The movement has well known and pioneering institutions in various fields; it offers key
services to the Somali people, foremost among which are: education, health, providing
clean water and educating young men and achieving reconciliation.
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As for the political field and due to the current conditions and the absence of political
institutions like political parties; the Somali people depend on tribal gatherings. The
movement adopted a policy of tackling this issue by allowing its members to take part in
politics as independents chosen by their tribes. Consequently, the movement has a
considerable participation in parliament, government and local administrations,
contributing to bringing closer viewpoints of differing parties and practically achieving
reconciliation and national harmony in the society.
Ikhwanweb: what is the stance of Mr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, former leader of the Islah
Movement, and his current role inside the movement if any?
Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim assumed responsibility of the movement for about ten years,
mostly outside Somalia; when someone else took the leadership post, he began gradually
to abandon the movement’s activities, and began to act contrary to the movement’s
policies and methods; he confronted the movement through adopting policies
contradicting the movement’s; since then, his brothers spared no opportunity to advice
him; at last, the movement considered him breaching the membership terms for years,
but it stopped short of announcing this due to his historical position in the movement,
hoping that he may return back to the movement. However, the movement was obliged
to announce this officially when he headed the delegation of the Islamic Courts which the
movement is not part of.
Ikhwanweb: what is really happening on Somali lands?
The country is at odds as much as the political, security and economic aspects are
concerned; since the fall of the central government in 1991, it remained in a continuous
state of chaos and boiling due to failing to form a central government and differences of
the political stances due to sectarian alliances, personal interests and world powers’
rallies and the conflicting interests of the regional powers; these things hurdled all
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reconciliations, 14 reconciliations up till now; the most well known was Arta
reconciliation led by Djibouti’s president, Ismail Umar Guelleh; AlIslah movement and
both the traditional and modern civil society had a great role in making this reconciliation
succeed. As for the status quo in Mogadishu, it can be described as witnessing states
which have been changing more rapidly than all anticipated; the biggest incident since
1991 is the sudden shift in its military and security status; it shifted from a state of
divisions and multiple loyalties to a city dominated by one alliance, the council of the
Islamic Courts. Nowadays, the Council of the Islamic Courts fully dominates Mogadishu
and neighbouring governorates.
Ikhwanweb: did the movement have a role in ending the previous state of war and
establishing government?
The movement has had, since eruption of the civil war in Somalia in 1990, a vital role in
achieving reconciliation among tribes and political armed groups; for this, it established
the Somali Council for Reconciliation in 1994; this council played an important role in
ending conflicts in many areas in southern Somalia; it took part in paving the way for the
national reconciliation in Djibouti in 2000; the movement participated effectively in the
national reconciliations that took place both in Djibouti in 2000 and in Kenya in 2004;
some of the movement members have become members in the interim parliament and
interim government. When rows erupted in the country’s key institutions, especially
between the president and the parliament speaker, the movement worked on bringing
closer the viewpoints to end these rows and rescue the country; also, the movement
approved the harmony among the country leaders in Eden meeting under sponsorship of
Yemeni president brother Ali Abdallah Saleh. Lately, the movement offered a
reconciliation initiative between the government and the Islamic Courts when rows and
tensions marred atmospheres and Khartoum agreement between the interim government
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and the Islamic Courts Council was near collapse; a committee was formed for this
purpose.
Ikhwanweb: How the Islamic Courts were established?
The Islamic Courts were established in response to southern Somali tribal security
demands; this idea has begun since the Somali entity collapsed in 1991; these courts
gained fame in some areas in the capital; the main tasks of these courts were ending
conflicts and controlling security and rehabilitating youth inside every clan; they
developed and formed a council among them; its success was due to providing security.
The courts has had an increasing role in and effect on the political arena, triggering fears
from this influence from foreign powers specially the United States that backed the
warlords who formed later an alliance called "restoration of peace and counterterrorism";
the capital witnessed increasing tensions that developed to a violent military
confrontation in 2006; when battles erupted between both sides, people backed the
Islamic Courts; a popular uprising took place to reject the warlords and support the
forces of the Islamic Courts, leading finally to driving them out of the capital and
neighbouring governorates.
Ikhwanweb: but their wins were surprising, why?
The latest developments in the Somali arena stunned the international powers because of
their rapidness and quality; it wasn’t wholly surprising, but it was unexpected as much
as some aspects are concerned, because no one expected that the warlords will be
defeated so easily and that the street and city fights will be won so rapidly.
Ikhwanweb: what is the movement’s stance towards the Islamic Courts, is there any
coordination between both of you?
7
AlIslah movement is a peaceful not armed movement; it believes that the force of
relationship and brotherhood is prior to the force of weapons and arms. This policy stems
from its method which is based on deepening Islamic values and principles in gradual
and cultural methods in the Somali Muslim society. The second point is that the
movement believes that shedding the Somali Muslim blood is illegal and that it is illegal
that Muslim brothers fight each others to achieve political aims or to solve their conflicts;
the best way to solve disagreements is holding dialogue and reconciliation and through
giving priority to public interests over sectarian ones; hence, the movement didn’t
participate with the Islamic Courts in their armed fight against the warlords, but it spared
no opportunity to give advice and recommendations to the leaders of the Council of
Islamic Courts in Somalia so as to guard the current gains and to push ahead the national
reconciliation process and establish a national unity government with the participation of
all parties.
Ikhwanweb: why there is no real effect or voice heard from the movement regarding what
is currently happening; does this reflect weakness of the movement’s presence in the
Somali arena?
AlIslah is a pioneering movement which is wellknown among Somali society for its
roles in development and social services to relieve burdens on the society and activate the
civil society, and for its continuous calls for national reconciliation, restoring the effective
Somali state and arranging the Somali home; however, the media focus always on wars
and conflicts which the movement isn’t part of; also, the movement gives priority to the
practical side over propaganda and advertising, specially amid the critical and difficult
conditions.
Ikhwanweb: What about the human rights and humanitarian status in Somalia?
Somalia is full of natural catastrophes including floods, draught, famines, conflicts and
8
civil wars among its citizens. This humanitarian state exacerbates due to the lack of
effective regional administrations or a national government to take care of the country’s
affairs; thanks to Allah, the Somali people are distinguished by social solidarity traditions
stemming from their Islamic values; these catastrophes are hugely addressed in the
regional level; also, the International, Islamic and Arabic institutions give a good aid to
the Somali people. In this regard, the movement is interested in running voluntary
institutions to afford the social services of the society amid the absence of the state
institutions till they gained fame among the Somali society.
Ikhwanweb: What is your explanation for the US insistence on interfering in Somali
affairs and trying to send foreign troops to Somalia?
The United States has an actual presence in the African Horn, and it hasn’t been far from
the Somali affairs; it has a military presence in the international water near Somalia; also,
it has a quasipermanent air surveillance over Mogadishu and the surrounding areas; add
to this that the Somali street believes that the United States was giving a spiritual and
material support to the warlords who have been recently defeated in Mogadishu; also, its
stance towards the interim government is mysterious; it hadn’t given a clearcut stance
towards it before the recent incidents. The United States considers Somalia a safe haven
for Islamic figures whom it considers members in the so called (terrorism); it considers
this a danger to its national security; it is worth mentioning that the US record in tackling
the Somali state wasn’t to the benefit of the Somali cause; no big change regarding these
stances is expected.