By Mohamed Ibrahim Abdulle
I want to comment on the execution of Sheikh Omar in Mogadishu on My 2nd, 2006. This execution was unjust, inhumane and selective. Sheikh Omar’s guilt or innocence is not the focus in this writing, but the spectacle in which this execution is carried out. Sheikh Omar’s victim is deliberately left out in my discussion as the point is not to debate whether capital punishment is right or wrong.Sheikh Omar was living in Mogadishu and belonged to the Jareer Wayne clan. The Jareer Wayne clans are not armed and are labeled as minorities. Sheikh Omar was accused of committing a murder on January 27th, 2006 by stabbing 18 times to death Moallim Osman Ali. Moallim Osman also belonged to the same Jareer-Wayne clan. Sheikh Omar was arrested by armed militia belonged to Maka Al Mukarama Court and sentenced him to death. The “court” ordered that this execution be carried out in public.
The “court” also allowed that the oldest son of the murdered victim to carry out a vengeance execution of Sheikh Omar. On May 2nd, Sheikh Omar was chained against a tree and a large crowd of people gathered to watch the execution. Armed militia guarded the perimeter set up for the execution and controlled the public behind a “police line”. Camera crew was also present to take pictures. 16 year old, Mohamed Moallim was ready to revenge and carry out the “court’s” execution order. Mohamed Moallim, the executioner, posed for the camera before the start of the execution. The cameraman then photographed Sheikh Omar who had his eyes fixed on somewhere other than the camera.
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The Execution of Sheikh Omar |
Sheikh Omar was blindfolded in the last minute, just before the execution. The teenage executioner stabbed Sheik Omar 5 times. The first blow hit the left site on his neck. Sheikh Omar collapsed on the ground. The executioner walked around, allowing the cameraman to get clear shots and stabbed four more on Sheikh Omar’s chest. The lifeless body of Sheikh Omar was photographed by the camera crew before it was taken from the execution site. The cruelty of the camera crew displays their lack of humane values.
Cameraman Mohamed Bashir kept taking pictures blow by blow. The cameraman was taking the pictures up close and personal. These pictures were posted the same day on shabellenews.com. These images; the execution site, the dust and the dirt on the ground, the executioner’s face, his shoes and his girly walk, the condemned man’s face and his shoes, the crowd, the guards especially the lazy one that sat on a stone, the preparation of the blindfold cloth, the chain, the actual killing, and the old man who said that he wanted to carry out the execution; all gave me nightmares.
Would Sheikh Omar be executed if he was Abgal, or Habar Gedir or Murusade living in Mogadishu? Maybe, if the first victim was also from the same clan. For example, if an Abgal kills another Abgal in Mogadishu and both families agree that the killer be executed, it is possible that the killer in this case would be executed. An eye for an eye justice is usually possible in Somalia when the two victims are from the same clan. Most of the time, though, a victim’s family accepts blood money and the issue rests.
If Sheikh Omar was Abgal or Habar Gedir or Murusade living in Mogadishu and he was to be executed, most likely the circus-like scene would not have taken place. The larger clan would perceive this spectacle execution a threat to their dignity. But Sheikh Omar had no family protection. The execution took place as a form of theater. No one feared any repercussion, because Sheikh Omar belonged to an unarmed clan. The only humanly act that was reported from the scene was that two women fainted as they witnessed a human being slowly slaughtered in public.
Are Jareers less human than other clans in Mogadishu? There are over 100 civil society groups in Mogadishu and none of them denounced the human rights violation against the Jareers and Sheikh Omar in particular. Most of these Mogadishu civil societies usually speak up when the victims are from the armed clans. Their silence in this case can be seen as a sign of weakness and incompetence or that they support such human rights violations or they do not consider Sheikh Omar as being a member of the human race. Where is the government? The silence of the government in this case is a sign that it doesn’t exist or it doesn’t regard the life of Sheikh Omar as worthy.
Somali media groups, especially shabellenews have a civic responsibility to censor these pictures. Most of Somali media groups, including shabellenews, exercise censorship daily. For example, almost all of them refrain from stating clan names in their news. They use terms such as “beel” or “community” to replace an actual name of a clan. Since censorship is part of their daily practice, why not use it professionally and censor such primitive and inhumane pictures?
Wrong has been done here. As Somalis say, whenever there is injustice, three sources know that wrong has been committed: God knows, the victim knows, and the perpetrator knows. In this case, Sheikh Omar’s spectacle execution will be in front of Allah and those who participated will answer when that day comes.
Mohamed Ibrahim Abdulle
E-mail: mabdulle416@yahoo.ca
