Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
Fri Jul 7, 10:37 AM ET
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A leading Mogadishu sheikh said on Friday Muslims who do not pray five times a day should be put to death -- the latest sign of a fast-emerging hardline face to Somalia's newly-powerful Islamists.
The sheikh's statement -- which he confirmed to Reuters after it was broadcast on local media -- caused consternation among residents and will fuel foreign fears the Islamists are planning a hardline Taliban-style rule.
"He who does not perform prayer will be considered as infidel and our sharia law orders that person to be killed," said Sheikh Abdalla Ali, who runs a sharia court in the Somali capital which the Islamists took last month.
After kicking out the U.S.-backed warlords from Mogadishu on June 5, the Islamists took a large swathe of southern Somalia from the coastal capital to near the border with Ethiopia.
The Islamists initially sought to project a moderate face.
But in recent weeks, a hardline cleric on international terrorism lists has risen to their most senior position, strict sharia law such as whipping has been increasingly applied to criminals, and zealous militia have broken up World Cup viewing.
An elder in the Gubta area of Mogadishu, which is the base of the sheikh who pronounced on the prayers, said he did not approve of the strict sharia punishments, "We are very sorry at these kinds of activities," said Aw Ahmed Jilacow.
VIDEO "FABRICATED"
The Islamists' hardline leader, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, said a video purportedly showing foreigners fighting alongside local militants was fabricated to discredit his movement, according to remarks published on Friday.
The potentially explosive tape circulating in Mogadishu this week appears to show foreign radicals alongside local Islamist militiamen during the recent battles against warlords.
If true, that would puncture the Islamists' claim to be an entirely home-grown movement, and fuel fears in Washington and elsewhere that their rise could make the Horn of Africa nation a magnet for Muslim extremists.
"This tape is fabricated and fraudulent and aims to harm the reputation of the Islamic Courts," Aweys, who is on a U.N. and U.S. terrorism list, told London-based Asharq al-Awsat daily.
Separately, Islamist militiamen faced off with a group vowing to fight Mogadishu's new rulers on Friday as residents feared another flare-up after a month of relative peace.
Manning checkpoints and driving pick-ups mounted with heavy guns, rival militias stood just 150 meters (yards) apart in the Kilometer Four area of Mogadishu.
Seeking to cling to an enclave in Kilometer Four, the warlord-linked Sa'ad sub-clan has boosted its defenses and refused to hand over weapons, as well as briefly seizing a vehicle from the pro-Islamist Ayr sub-clan, residents said.
"There are fears of fighting in Kilometre Four between Islamic Courts Union and the Sa'ad," resident Abdikarim Ahmed said. "The Sa'ad took over a vehicle owned by the Ayr and held it for several hours. They took several guns from the vehicle and later released it."
Warlord fighters linked to the Sa'ad last month vowed to regain territory they lost in the fight for Mogadishu, which killed 350 people in close range artillery duels.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
I want to assume that this isn't true Islam. Am I correct?
You are correct.
Its an un-Islamic act.
As is forced conversion, I see no difference.
"This world is a blank price tag, and whatever value you put on it, is what its worth to you. I have made this world priceless and worthless, so therefore I have placed my value in the afterlife."
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
I dont know about prayers, but in the early times when the Islamic world was still ruled by righteous people (i.e. almost imediatly after the death of the prophet), the leader (abu bakr r.a.) waged war against certain tribes who were arrogant enough to stop paying the zakat (complusory charity) to the state becuase the leader was no longer the prophet (saw). They were considered apostates. and under Islamic law apostates get put to death.
But like i said i dont know if people not praying falls in to this category.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
format_quote Originally Posted by cheese
I dont know about prayers, but in the early times when the Islamic world was still ruled by righteous people (i.e. almost imediatly after the death of the prophet), the leader (abu bakr r.a.) waged war against certain tribes who were arrogant enough to stop paying the zakat (complusory charity) to the state becuase the leader was no longer the prophet (saw). They were considered apostates. and under Islamic law apostates get put to death.
But like i said i dont know if people not praying falls in to this category.
Well, such a comparison seems valid to me. When you put it like this I can understand why those in Somalia think the way they do.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
assalaamu alaykum,
in the hanafi madhab (followed by most eastern european, turkish and s.e asian muslims) the punishment for not praying in the mosque is house imprisonment and arrest until such a man agrees to start his prayers in the mosque again.
as for not praying at all...
it is clearly an act of kufr, that is an act of apostasy but i have never heard it being applied so blanketly before.
i am not saying it is wrong, and these men are learned scholars and they might well have their daleel (evidence) for their position.
as i understand it usually the person refusing to pray is warned, warned again, arrested and finally i understand that the islamic courts could declare such a person an apostate and put them to death if they still refuse.
the reason for this is there are many sayings of the prophet Muhammad (saws) warning against leaving salaat, perhaps one of the most famous when Muhammad (saws) said "the difference between kufr (disbelief) and imaan (faith) is the salaat"
so leaving prayer or indeed any of the major acts of islam can be an act of apostasy, maybe causing us to leave the fold of islam and people need to be warned against it.
personally i think the taliban did a lot of good and dont see the issue if foreign fighters went there and helped their brothers, after all the americans have been helping the foreign warlords so what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
format_quote Originally Posted by searchingsoul
Just because the Quran states that forced conversion is unacceptable doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.
Go to any somali and call him a kafir he'll beat you unconcious or insult you, moqodishu is fast become a islamic state so if these people don't want to prey they can live among the kufar, or pay the Jiziya.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
format_quote Originally Posted by islam-truth
Go to any somali and call him a kafir he'll beat you unconcious or insult you, moqodishu is fast become a islamic state so if these people don't want to prey they can live among the kufar, or pay the Jiziya.
So are you saying that all Somalis' are violent Muslims. Not a non violent person in Somaie? Not a single Christian or Jew? Do you think you may have exzuarated just a little?
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
format_quote Originally Posted by wilberhum
So are you saying that all Somalis' are violent Muslims. Not a non violent person in Somaie? Not a single Christian or Jew? Do you think you may have exzuarated just a little?
Yes your correct I have never heard of a somali jew or christian and please don't twist my words thats the response you'd most likely get if you call them a kafir.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
format_quote Originally Posted by Daffodil
Im all up for an islamic state as long as they do everything according to shariah i have no problemo with that.
Such thinking is dangerous in the 21st century. With all respect, I think people with such thoughts need to closely examine what they are doing for the image of Islam, and hold themselves responsible for all hostilities and injustices perpetrated toward Muslims worldwide.
Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.
Re: Pray or die, Somali sheikh tells Muslims By Guled Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Bile
Such thinking is dangerous in the 21st century. With all respect, I think people with such thoughts need to closely examine what they are doing for the image of Islam, and hold themselves responsible for all hostilities and injustices perpetrated toward Muslims worldwide.
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