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| Africa Horn | |
| Islamic Courts Leader Vows To End Tribal Rule | |
| 2006-09-28 | |
Mogadishu, 28 Sept. (AKI) - The leader of Somalia's Islamic courts movement, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, has signalled it wants to terminate the decades-long rule of the country by tribal warlords and create an Islamic state. "We were wrong to trust the tribal leaders who have created so many problems for Somalia," Aweys told pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in an interview. "We need to get away from these tribal problems. We want to form a government that is unhindered by bureacracy...we intend to create an Islamic state and will take Badoia," Aweys stated.
Aweys appealed to Arab states not to intervene in Somalia's internal politics, asking them instead to limit themselves to involvement in the areas of health, education and humanitarian aid, projects he said could link Somalia to the "wider Arab nation." Yusuf last week survived an assassination attempt in Badoia. No-one has claimed responsibility for the carbomb attack outside the parliament building on 18 September that killed eight people. Yusuf supports the deployment of foreign peacekeepers in Somalia - a move strongly rejected by the Islamists, who say they can manage security in the country. Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 when dictator Siad Barre was overthrown. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Actually, he is playing to Islam's strengths. One of the big reasons Islam was so popular so long ago was that it was far better than tribalism--it was the obviously better organizational choice. What has not been mentioned is that Islam is essentially tribal rule scaled up to a quasi-federalist level. Other than that, it is still as brutal, antiquated and arbitrary as any shamanistic head-hunting cannibal chief. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-28 16:41 |
| #2 Actually, he is playing to Islam's strengths. One of the big reasons Islam was so popular so long ago was that it was far better than tribalism--it was the obviously better organizational choice. However western civilization is one or two levels of organization better than Islam, which is why when given a choice, most people vie for civility. It also shows the stakes, here. Islam is Darwinistically trying to wipe out tribalism; but in turn, if western civilization has its way, Islam as a means of organization, if not a religion, will also be wiped out. A reduction in power not unlike the decline of Catholic power since the Pope was a political-military leader. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-09-28 09:21 |
| #1 Heck...if there's gonna be any killin' round here, it's gonna be legal like. You know, islamic and stuff. That'll learn 'em. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2006-09-28 09:13 |