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The need for both optimism and pragmatism in
Somalia's politics is a necessity without alternative, especially in
the current circumstances of prevailing pessimism, depression and
demoralization. Optimism should reign over
pessimism in Somalia's politics.
Pouring curses upon the warmongers, in an
effort to vent out one's anger and frustration, anticipating a bad
omen that this conflict looks like one that will never end in the
near future, as well as faction leaders, politicians and warlords
are wanton mindless morons who have no heart to pity the plight and
suffering of their brothers and sisters, thus unwilling to implement
peace initiatives recently, all of which avail naught whatsoever. (It
is just a talk of the town). One of the most optimistic and
pragmatic aspects is to face the reality beyond which there is no
other solution, and behold, the reality is a misery and irritating
to most of us, just as the falsehood allures us, because we are
living in an illusion and bare lies to ourselves, so let us leave
this behaviour behind and stand up for peace and prosperity. The
ignorance of an existing complex problem is no solution; neither the
negligence of one's own fundamental duties is an accomplishment
thereof. The first and earliest group of Somali immigrants who
sought asylum in the west prior to the civil war hoped they would go
back to peaceful Somalia before spending nearly quarter of a century
in the Diaspora. The following group of refugees who escaped to the
west just during the outbreak of the civil war have got only the
other half of this year left to complete the fifteenth anniversary
of their arrival. The inevitable reality is that there is no
hitherto in anyway an inhabitable home country with basic
infrastructure; however we should remain somewhat optimistic, pray
and hope for a mysterious hundred and eighty (180º) degree turnover
in an overnight, by the will of the Almighty omnipotent Allah.
Sometimes I indulge in a bout of reflection over the very objective
of the warlords!. But then I find out that majority of us, except
few innocent and neutral communities, are their culprit accomplice
because they are either our parents, brothers or at least the
necessary devils. Who is to address or remind about the agony and
ordeal our nation is currently undergoing; is it the warlords or the
general public themselves? Who bears the responsibility, the people
or the politicians?. It is optimism to be honest to one's self and
confirm that neither the politicians nor the public can do anything
to Somalia’s problems. It is a quagmire, somewhat similar to a
dark swamp in which all are firmly clogged and can not escape except
with solemn doctrine and extraordinary commitment. Politician
warlords and ordinary people alike, the former can not extinguish
the fire they kindled, nor can the latter shield themselves from the
flame. But when are we all going to pity the situation of our
children born and bred in the Diaspora, being bereft of anything
related to the original motherland and the one back home whose pen
is the gun, whose book is the memorization of the types of weaponry
and whose sweets is the QAT?!. Related to our nomadic nature, it is:
Wherever I lay my head that is my
home !. The nomads wander in the wilderness in search for a
green pasture and a source of water, then dwell in it totally
forgetting about the drought stricken barren land, they abandoned,
disowned and forsaken, from which they just yesterday drew
sustenance for their livelihood!. Due to the previous regime's iron
fist rule, it seems there is an overwhelming suspicion that any
would-be president would re-immerse the nation in the same abyss of
subjugation and darkness for at least another twenty whole years,
therefore no one trusts the other. Why not then come up with an
innocent and an honest one with clean hands who has never been a
disciple of the late regime?!. This itself is an optimistic
approach. There are two potentially successful approaches as far as
an everlasting peace and prosperity is seriously and honestly
concerned, but I am sure that some pessimistic readers of mine will
jump to the conclusion as to how my proposal is feasible while every
sub-clan established their own court of justice separately and
independently. Their argument is that we are dividing more and more
through the course of time, but from my optimistic perspective, I
anticipate that everything which proceeds swiftly to the negative
extreme returns to the opposite positive to counterbalance,
therefore, unity and integrity is inevitable soon.
Collective work and an independent monitoring
body (committee) are two factors of potential success and solution.
Both are exposed to detrimental obstacle arising from the mother of
all problems, Tribalism, which can be overcome with
solid faith, determination, and inner conscience. Collective work
means undertaking a task with the participation of every clan's
representatives in an equal proportion in order to
avoid possible rivalry owing to dissatisfaction of a certain clan
with the outcome. Imams of the mosques, chiefs of clans, elders and
men of authority and dignity among their constituents could convene
to a meeting with object to invoke either Allah's blessing or wrath
on any warlord who obeys or disobeys conditions of peace, justice
and reconciliation, respectively. Independent committee, besides,
means an independent authority that is superior to the influence of
the existing warlord powers, with full and unequivocal authority to
investigate matters, monitor and analyze procedures then present a
final verdict. An independent committee would be represented by an
elderly sage of every clan, sworn in the name of the Almighty Allah
to handle this noble and great responsibility, unbound to any
personal interest, obligations, or restrictions towards one's own
clan. This technique had been employed by the chiefs of Qureysh
twice, once for a good purpose, in an attempt to solve a dispute
pertaining to the dignity of laying the cornerstone of the Kaabah.
When Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wasallam) suggested the wisest and
most befitting breakthrough to spread a piece of cloth and place the
stone upon it, so that every member of a clan could participate in
laying it by holding to one side of it. Another time, for an evil
purpose, when Sheydan inspired the same chiefs of Qureysh to appoint
a strong man from every sub-clan to murder Muhammad (salallahu
alaihi wasallam) all at once, so that Bani Hashim could not take
revenge from a certain sub-clan responsible for the killing of
Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wasallam) nor could it do to the whole of
Qureysh.
We need to employ it for the good, positive,
blessed and prophetic purpose of peace.
If this article is meant for the warlords
back home, the pessimist would predict that it will definitely fall
into deaf ears, nevertheless I am optimistic and supplicating to
Allah that only one reader may possibly relay it, by the tenth
dimension of acquaintance, to the warlord or the latter himself may
one day browse the website while on his ivory tower and read it with
all his heart. I do not intend to be part of the thousand and one
articles posted on the websites with suggestions of possible
solutions but to no avail, because Somalis listen to the dialect and
tone of the adviser before accepting any of his or her advises to
discern which clan the latter belongs to, as well as detect any
signals of lopsided attitude towards his/her clan's interests and
objectives. This is a fatal disease and the only remedy is by
practical implementation of the Quran and the Sunnah, neither of
which we are completely applying to our daily life. The only
objection many people may have against optimism is that it may be
based on imaginations rather than facts. While this argument bears
certain level of significance, because we are living in a world of
cause and effect, yet there are more well-wishers and peace-lovers
than warmongers, and I adamantly and vehemently believe that with
the above mentioned strong doctrine and faith, development of inner
conscience and determination, nothing is impossible. The warlords,
faction leaders, politicians, chiefs of tribes, are just individuals
by themselves, if you and me do not assist them in evil,
they can never function. Optimism is the most the
prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) liked and admired. No
doubt, with the blessing and will of the Almighty Allah, Somalia
will one day in the near future be peaceful, prosperous and
progressive country. The golden rule is: Seek the pleasure of Allah
by His unification, sincere worship of Him alone, and supplication
to Him alone. With every hardship there is an ease, and indeed, with
every hardship there is an ease. |