The political image of Somalia

When Somalia became independent in 1960 the leaders adopted clan-based politics covered up with the bright veneer of democracy. It failed largely because the pillars on which their democracy stood was not genuine. The governments of 60's have not honored the Somali Youth League SYL and its commendable achievements. They simply rushed to their political forays to contest for the most coveted post of the newly-established administration.

God knew what they were doing and sent a bunch of military officers who overthrew them in a blood les coup in October 1969. The military embarked on a cleansing project by packing them in prison cells and canceling all what they have accomplished during their tenure as political leaders of the country. They gave them all sorts of bad names by calling them Af-minshaar, Musuqmaasuq etc.

Children who were born during the early revolution years virtually did know nothing about these past administrations, their history and achievements. The revolution discredited and disreputed its leaders by indiscriminately calling them blood-suckers and enemies of the nation.

21 years later the revolution was dislodged in a popular uprising and factional fighting staged on tribal basis by businessmen and military generals. They took revenge against the revolution and whoever supported that regime by destroying all structures set up by the military government. A child born during the chaotic periods of Somalia is now 16 years old and he or she does not know anything about the revolution and its accomplishments.

I have once interviewed a group of school children and asked them if they had heard of the military regime which had ruled this country nearly a quarter of a century. I was astonished to learn that most of them knew of that government but never heard anything positive it had done to this country.

In fact I got nearly shocked when I came to know that all what a teenage girl heard about the revolution was " That regime was unislamic because those days girls did not cover their heads or played basketball" The revolution has been put out of the minds of the young generation much the same way as it had wiped out all what its predecessors had accomplished.

Now we have Islamic courts appearing upon Somalia's political scene. Would they put together the shattered pieces of our history or would they smash the mirror of hope further into smaller bits and pieces? Would they start a new era for Somalia based on trust and brotherhood or would they follow the footsteps of the previous leaders? Would they save the country by continuing talks with the Transitional Government or would they go to war as a way of unleashing revenge blows to the Cilmaniya (secularism) which had so long frustrated them or denied them to purse their ambitions of ruling this country on the basis of Sharia Law?

Anyway we should know that the political changes taking place in our neighboring countries are not destructive as the ones we are embarking on. Their changes are supportive to keep their identity and existence alive in the roots of their history. But the changes taking place in our country are burying our history and cultural values in the fathomless pits of despondency.

Apart from the aggression of the neighboring countries, we are getting thawed or otherwise being absorbed into murky and rather deep political waters.

It is a widespread notion that weaker nations who are an enemy to their very existence and history shall slowly be swallowed by neighboring nations whose history and language are growing, no matter how shaky their political environments are. They survive and swallow others so long as their neighbors are politically disoriented and socially dislocated.