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Imagine an SS officer (nazi secret police) of
the rank Lt Colonel, His regime defeated humiliated after all the
atrocities they committed. The Colonel runs for the Presidency,
which he wins, and on his duties is to complain and show the world
the savagery of his regime, He shows people the concentration camps,
the mass graves and even dedicate memorials while he never
apologizes.
Of course that could never happen anywhere
else but Somalia (Somaliland) I was disgusted after I saw an
interview with Dahir Riyale Kahin in which he spoke in length about
the mass graves. I thought that was an insult to the victims of the
war crimes committed by the brutal Barre Regime in which Riyale was
a henchman to the end, he did not only dishonor those victims but
also insulted our intelligence.
There are few things we Somali's are unique
at, and I call them advanced case of hypocrisy. These is only a
classic example of how our distorted minds rationalize while we lack
memory capacity, our judgment process is compromised and ultimately
we gladly accept our failures and stay whatever course to our
destination of destruction.
Fools are we indeed to be able not to
distinguish right and wrong, accepting are we to fate that we don't
deserve, blinds are we to the wrongs that are done in our names.
Somalia committed a National suicide about
fifteen years ago, ever since that the few who were lucky enough to
be living outside that man made Hell on Earth, suffered a severe
case of amnesia, maybe to suppress the unimaginable savagery that
was taking place in our land committed by our own people against and
among ourselves.
We are stuck in between a hard place and a
rock, we have gambled with the future of the next generations and
are incapable of turning around this course maybe few are unwilling.
Only when you realize that you have a problem would you try to find
a solution. Most Somalis tend to agree that Tribalism is what has
caused all this and I tend to disagree completely and respectfully
with this argument by the simple fact of that all these clans has
coexisted, and feuded and ultimately found solutions for at least as
long as our history. Before we jump to conclusions let us ask
ourselves is there a logic to this? Is there a motive and who gains
most out of this?
Few pointers and reminders are why have we
collectively forgot or simply forgave those who perpetrated crimes
against our country and people for the longest times. Gross and more
severe crimes have a cured after that is the most common answer
(only in Somalia) who are those that have most to gain from the
status queue? The obvious group is the Barre henchmen who not only
got away Scott free but gained status and prestige among every
community. You hear General, colonel, Minister, ambassador and
various other titles mentioned and bestowed upon undeserving
certainly unqualified pathetic figures.
These are men who were willing participants
and not bystanders of severe crimes that can only be categorized as
war crimes. Respect they do not deserve have they gained in the name
of a clan that they cared least about.
They were in it for themselves. We even have
outdone ourselves by granting them Interviews asking them the Somali
History and how we could reach solution to our problems, not to
mention that we even accord them Hero status by giving them National
Burial. Only in Somalia.
The other group is the Crime Lords whom we
tend to believe that they are protecting our clannish interest
(whatever that might be) and the Loyalty we have for them is
Insurmountable the support unquestionable.
Every decent Somali knows that these men are criminals who cause as
nothing but misery and pain and the only achievement is destruction
of the country that they can claim, yet we defend them whole
heartedly, Only in Somalia.
In my humble opinion tribalism is not our
problem, the problem is we. We have been willingly used and abused.
I can only ad to the debate that every single Somali is asking
him/herself but the solution is completely a requirement that is
obviously expected of us collectively.
While it is a shameful situation it is not
hopeless.
Farah Mohamed
farah@cox.net |