When we think of Somalia and the enforcement of Sharia law punishments on adultery and theft, and we mentally see adulterers being stoned to death and thieves having their limbs cut off. Now there is another case of death by stoning reported in Somalia.
Most time the al-Shabaab group (believed by the US to be proxy for al-Qaeda) are responsible for imposing such punishments. The rebel al-Shabaab group controls extensive parts of Somalia while the UN-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed controls only parts of the capital. Somalia does not have a functioning government for the past 18 years.
To be sure, there are other rebel groups operating in Somalia, but by and large, they do not follow al-Shabaab’s strict enforcement of Sharia law. However this appears to be changing now. The latest case of death by stoning was not carried out by the al-Shabaab group. Instead it was carried out by another rebel group calling itself Hizbul Islam.
But who was this person stoned to death? What crime do he do to merit such a punishment?
The person in question is 48-year old Mohamed Abukar Ibrahim. He was found guilty of adultery, and according to Sharia law, the punishment is death by stoning.
So a couple of days ago, in Afgoye, approximately 20 miles from the capital of Mogadishu, a group of Islamic militants from Hizbul Islam gathered the villagers to witness the death by stoning execution.
Prior to this, a rebel appointed judge announced that 3 people had been found guilty of various crimes. The first man was found guilty of adultery. The woman involved was found guilty of fornication. And the second man was found guilty of murder.
Then the punishments were read out. The man guilty of adultery is to be stoned to death. The woman, because she said she was never married, was sentenced to 100 lashes of the cane. The murderer was sentenced to death by shooting.
But it seems that after the verdicts were announced, there was a disagreement between 2 factions within the Hizbul Islam fighters. One group apparently wanted to delay the executions while the other, which is the majority, wanted to carry out the executions immediately.
The disagreement resulted in a gun battle between the groups. This resulted in 3 deaths and 5 injured between the 2 groups. In the end, the group wanting to implement immediate executions won.
According to eye witnesses, after the gun battle ended, Mohamed Abukar Ibrahim, the adulterer, was first buried in a hole up to his chest. Then ignoring his plea to stop the execution, the militants pelted him with rocks until he died.
As for the murderer, it seems that a relative of the murdered victim shot the murderer while he laid on the ground.
And what did the judge have to say to all this? Rebel appointed Sharia judge Osman Siidow Hasan said: ”This is their day of justice. We investigated and they confessed.”
Think about it. Does this look like a scene from the Dark Ages? Did the 3 criminals receive a fair trial? Were they represented by counsel. And who and where were the witnesses?
Earlier posts
Somalia – Another Woman Stoned To Death For Adultery
Somalia – Death By Stoning For Adultery
Somalia – Muslim Women Caned For Wearing Bras
Somalia – 3 Men Amputated Under Sharia Law
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