BBC NEWS
Friday, September 22, 2006
 Many Somali men spend hours chewing khat leaves |
The Union of Islamic Courts has banned the sale and use of the stimulant khat, during the holy month of Ramadan.
The execution was the first since the UIC seized the capital in June. Hundreds turned out to witness a 25-year-old man shot by firing squad.
The Islamist group denies US charges that they are linked to al-Qaeda.
Many Somali men, especially militiamen, spend hours chewing khat.
 |  The militia had their faces covered and they fired until Abdulkadir was dead  Witness Ahmed Mukhtar |
But the BBC’s Mohammed Olad Hassan says it is still openly on sale in Mogadishu as the Muslim holy month has not yet started.
‘Painful’
“The militia had their faces covered and they fired until Abdulkadir was dead,” witness Ahmed Mukhtar told the AFP news agency.
It was very scary to see a person killed,” said another witness, Amina Osman.
“It was violent but Abdlkadir killed someone while robbing him. The Koran says justice is the only solution even if it is painful.”
The UIC have carried out several public floggings, mostly of cannabis dealers.
The courts are divided between moderates and hardliners who want to set up a Taleban-style state.
Some cinemas have also been closed down for showing foreign football matches and films.
Security has improved in the city and the UIC say there is no need for foreign peacekeepers.
The African Union has agreed to a request from the weak interim government based in Baidoa, 250km from Mogadishu, to send peacekeepers.
On Friday, Islamist supporters again held a protest against the idea.
The UIC and the government are due to hold talks in Sudan later this month aimed at preventing conflict.
The UIC seized Mogadishu and surrounding areas from an alliance of warlords in June.
Source: BBC, Sept 22, 2006
