Why Somali religious party was defeated so quickly.
By: Abubakar N. Kasin

Some people might wonder why it took only a matter of days for the collapse and defeat of the ruling religious party in much of the southern Somalia without a great amount of resistance.

The majority of human beings in general resent and reject extremism and fanaticism. Balance and moderation is the only thing that appeals to the mind and intellect of human beings whether they are Muslims or otherwise.

Prophet Mohammed was reported to have encouraged his followers t be easy with people and not to make the religion so difficult.

I strongly believe that the main reason for the quick melting down of the religious party that was ruling much of the southern Somalia was due to their strict and narrow –minded interpretation of Islam. They made the religion so difficult and harsh to everyone. As a result, people were not happy to have them as an alternative force that was capable and ready to rule the country.

Although I resent and condemn the involvement of the Ethiopian or any other foreign forces in the internal Somali affairs, but in the mean time, I don’t loose the sleep over the unknown fate of the religious ruling party that once dominated much of the southern Somalia.

Unfortunately, the religious party portrayed and represented an ugly picture of the religion and started to use force against anyone who dared to do things differently.

They were a force of extremism that created an atmosphere in people’s live. They did not tolerate the deference in people and they only saw things their own way. It is either their way or the highway.

They recently invaded a small town of the Southern Somalia called Barawa where its inhabitants constitute of a minority in the country. They warned people from not praying at mosques where there are graveyards built inside or around the places of worship. While people were once gathering at a famous mosque to commemorate one of the town’s well known scholars, the religious party abruptly entered the mosque by force. They started beating up people including the elders. They threw the food into the ocean and smashed the graveyard of the scholar into pieces and everyone fled the scene after suffering physical and psychological trauma. The entire city was saddened and frightened as to what would happen next. The city of Barawa was well known throughout the history of Somalia as a place of knowledge, peace and calmness. Great Muslim scholars were from the town. Its people settled in that area as merchants from Arab world and Persia at around 10 AD as merchants.

They have their own dialect known as Chimbalazi which is similar to the Swahili language.

Although this religious party brought peace throughout the country, but they also brought fear and terror with their narrow-minded interpretation and extreme views of the religion that promotes peace and harmony not only amongst Muslims but also with the entire humanity at large.

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Source: Ahlu-Sunna-Waljama'a