Al-Shabaab (”Youth” in Arabic), the hardline Islamist group (believed to be a Al-Qaeda proxy) which controls most of south and central Somalia and has rigorously enforced Sharia law is in the news again, this time involving ringtones.
25 year-old Sacdiyo Sheeq used to love listening to Bollywood movie songs on her mobile telephone. Now she can’t. She said: “Al-Shabaab wants our ringtones to be only a Muslim cleric reading the Hadith or Koranic verse. I used to listen to my favourite Indian songs on my cell phone, but now I have just thrown that memory away.”
But that’s not all that Al-Shabaab did. Previously it caned women simply because they wore bras. Among the prescribed punishment was the requriement, after caning, to remove the bras, and to shake their breasts. And before that, 3 robbers had their limbs (hands and legs) amputated.
Now Al-Shabaab has also banned movies, dancing at weddings, and get this – watching or playing soccer games. Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, Al-Shabaab’s spokesman said: “We don’t allow anything that goes against our religion, especially music and sexy videos.”
Al-Shabaab has also shut down 3 grassroots women’s organization. These are the Halgan Businesswomen’s Organisation, the Sed Huro Human Rights Organisation and Farhan Woman for Peace. Al-Shabaab has promised to shut down 5 other NGOs. Maalim Daaud Mohmed, the chairman of Balad Hawa said: “We have taken this step after we recognised that women need to stay in their homes and take care of their children. Islam does not allow women to go to offices.”
Think about it. Is Maalim Daaud Mohmed right is saying that women need to stay at home and take care of children because Islam does not allow them to go to offices? Should any authority be involved in dictating how one should wear? Should it also regulate what you can watch or play, like soccer matches? And should it have the moral right to impose itself upon you, in dictating what you should use as ringtones on your cell phones?
Earlier posts
Somalia – Muslim Women Caned For Wearing Bras
Somalia – 3 Men Amputated Under Sharia Law
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