Saturday, 31 March 2012
Al-Shabaab on verge of defeat, analysts say
By Mahmoud Mohamed in Mogadishu
February 27, 2012
Successive military setbacks and the loss of key leaders have debilitated al-Shabaab in Somalia, Somali government officials and security analysts say.
Squeezed on three fronts by regional forces and the Somali military,
the movement suffered another major blow on Friday (February 24th), when
an airstrike reportedly killed a number of foreign militants fighting alongside the al-Qaeda allied group in Lower Shabelle.
According to media reports, a militant by the name of Mohammed Sakr was killed, along with two other foreign militants. Somali media reports also suggested a Kenyan, Sheik Abukar Haji Ahmed, and an Egyptian may have also been killed, although the extent of their involvement remains unclear.
"Al-Shabaab is on its way towards defeat," Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohammed Ali said at the conclusion of the London conference on Somalia Thursday, adding that he would welcome "targeted" airstrikes against al-Shabaab strongholds and al-Qaeda elements in Somalia.
"The [militants] have lost the hearts and minds of the Somali people, which is why they are losing territory day after day and we hope that the rebel al-Shabaab group will have no military existence in about a month's time," Ali said.
Somali security and political analysts say the airstrikes against al-Shabaab leaders, terrorist camps and foreign al-Qaeda elements are helping debilitate the group.
"The foreign fighters from al-Qaeda came to Somalia to undermine peace and destabilise our country and the region and to create a safe haven for terrorists in Somalia from all over the world," Somali security analyst Bashir Mohammed told Sabahi. "That is why we welcome the air raids against them."
Mohammed said the reported deaths of foreign fighters in the Friday strike and the earlier death of Bilal al-Berjawi, a key leader of al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, represent a severe blow to al-Qaeda and its extremist allies in the Horn of Africa.
The Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) announced in a statement that liberating the city of Baidoa represents the beginning of the end for the al-Shabaab extremist group.
Several analysts said al-Shabaab has suffered from repeated defeats and consecutive setbacks on the ground during the past few months and is on the verge of being defeated.
"Al-Shabaab is currently the subject of a wide-scale military operation on three fronts simultaneously," political analyst Ahmed Warsame told Sabahi. "The Somali, Kenyan and Ethiopian triple attack to crush al-Shabaab rebels is starting to bear fruit and the group is drawing its last breath after its geographical control receded."
Political analyst Abdirahman Omar said the liberation of Baidoa, which is the third largest and one of the most important cities in southern Somalia, is another setback for al-Shabaab.
"Al-Shabaab has recently been in a state of retreat, but the capture of Baidoa and other towns in the southwest of the country without much resistance is a sign that al-Shabaab is getting weaker and that it is unable to stand in the face of the advancement of the Somali government troops and its Ethiopian allies," Omar told Sabahi.
Omar said that repeated setbacks suffered by al-Shabaab -- in Mogadishu, Beledweyne, Baidoa and other parts of southern Somalia -- are indicative of the militant group's diminishing force.
"This step has indicated that al-Shabaab is waning and is on its way to being defeated. This step will isolate and tighten the noose around the group, paving the way for the complete demise of al-Shabaab," he said.
Daud Makran, a Somali political analyst and university lecturer, also said al-Shabaab's retreat in Baidoa indicates the group is becoming weaker.
"Al-Shabaab's retreat from Baidoa without putting up a fight is indicative of the group's diminishing military might or even its military defeat," he told Sabahi. "It seems that al-Shabaab has been defeated and is unable to confront the military campaign against it by the allied forces."
Makran said he expects more allied-military successes. "I personally think that these allied forces will soon take over more regions in central and southern Somalia," he said.
"For the first time in three years, the residents of Baidoa have been freed from the grasp of the extremists after we took over control of the city," he said.
"We are now planning to pursue remnants of the al-Shabaab terrorist group who have fled the city before the arrival of our forces," Mohammed told Sabahi. "We will continue this military campaign against al-Shabaab and will first march towards the city of Burakaba and then towards the rest of the cities in the region. This campaign will continue until we liberate the region completely. We will hunt down the terrorists wherever they may be until they are obliterated."
Al-Shabaab, however, downplayed their loss of Baidoa.
"Our retreat from Baidoa was a tactical procedure to change the military strategy," al-Shabaab military spokesperson Abdul Azziz Abu Musaab said. "The fight against [Somali] government, Ethiopian and Kenyan forces will continue more fiercely than it has in the past."
"The jihadists retreated without fighting," Abu Musaab told al-Andalus Radio, which is run by al-Shabaab. "We are now in the surrounding areas of the city and promise to make the areas taken over, including Baidoa, a graveyard for occupying crusaders and their allied Somali militias."
Abu Musaab said that losing Baidoa does not mean that al-Shabaab has been militarily defeated.
The UN Security Council agreed to supply AMISOM with nine helicopters, including three attack helicopters. The Council also pledged logistical support for AMISOM forces to expand their mission outside Mogadishu. Previously, AMISOM's mandate was restricted to the capital.
AMISOM Commander Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha told journalists in Mogadishu on Thursday that al-Shabaab is on its way to collapsing and that large numbers of its members, especially foreign elements, are fleeing to Yemen by sea.
Mugisha said the timeframe for defeating al-Shabaab depends on the international community's willingness to assist AMISOM and Somali government forces.
"If we get what we requested in terms of increasing the number of troops and supplying us with helicopters and other necessary equipment to carry out this mission, this means that defeating al-Shabaab might not take long," Mugisha said.
"We are witnessing an internal collapse [of al-Shabaab] and it is probable that the group will very soon collapse from within," he said.
Mugisha said around 300 al-Shabaab members have fled Somalia and are heading towards Yemen, which he called "a sign of defeat".
"I hope that Somalis understand that al-Shabaab, which urges children to turn themselves into [human] bombs, when the heat is on, they flee Somalia. I hope they get rid of this madness," he said.
"There is no doubt that al-Shabaab has been significantly weakened during the past period and that the group is in dire straits and is exponentially losing its military capability," Somali analyst Abubakar Ali told Sabahi. "However, this does not mean that the group has reached the point where it is fleeing the country."
Ali said the fighters could be going to Yemen to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
"I think that the group will continue its rebellion one way or another and the most likely scenario is that it will continue its terrorist attacks, its hit-and-run, as well as laying traps more than ever before," Ali said.
-
![Somali police and military soldiers stand guard suspected al-Shabaab members at a temporary jail in Mogadishu on February 21st. [Abdurashid Abdulle Abikar/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/02/27/mogadishu-shabaab-jail-340_227.jpg)
Somali police and military soldiers stand guard suspected
al-Shabaab members at a temporary jail in Mogadishu on February 21st.
[Abdurashid Abdulle Abikar/AFP]
![Somali police and military soldiers stand guard suspected al-Shabaab members at a temporary jail in Mogadishu on February 21st. [Abdurashid Abdulle Abikar/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/02/27/mogadishu-shabaab-jail.jpg)
According to media reports, a militant by the name of Mohammed Sakr was killed, along with two other foreign militants. Somali media reports also suggested a Kenyan, Sheik Abukar Haji Ahmed, and an Egyptian may have also been killed, although the extent of their involvement remains unclear.
"Al-Shabaab is on its way towards defeat," Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohammed Ali said at the conclusion of the London conference on Somalia Thursday, adding that he would welcome "targeted" airstrikes against al-Shabaab strongholds and al-Qaeda elements in Somalia.
"The [militants] have lost the hearts and minds of the Somali people, which is why they are losing territory day after day and we hope that the rebel al-Shabaab group will have no military existence in about a month's time," Ali said.
Somali security and political analysts say the airstrikes against al-Shabaab leaders, terrorist camps and foreign al-Qaeda elements are helping debilitate the group.
"The foreign fighters from al-Qaeda came to Somalia to undermine peace and destabilise our country and the region and to create a safe haven for terrorists in Somalia from all over the world," Somali security analyst Bashir Mohammed told Sabahi. "That is why we welcome the air raids against them."
Mohammed said the reported deaths of foreign fighters in the Friday strike and the earlier death of Bilal al-Berjawi, a key leader of al-Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, represent a severe blow to al-Qaeda and its extremist allies in the Horn of Africa.
Baidoa a major success in fight against al-Shabaab
Friday's air strike came two days after Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies took control of Baidoa -- one of al-Shabaab's biggest strategic strongholds in southern Somalia.The Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) announced in a statement that liberating the city of Baidoa represents the beginning of the end for the al-Shabaab extremist group.
Several analysts said al-Shabaab has suffered from repeated defeats and consecutive setbacks on the ground during the past few months and is on the verge of being defeated.
"Al-Shabaab is currently the subject of a wide-scale military operation on three fronts simultaneously," political analyst Ahmed Warsame told Sabahi. "The Somali, Kenyan and Ethiopian triple attack to crush al-Shabaab rebels is starting to bear fruit and the group is drawing its last breath after its geographical control receded."
Political analyst Abdirahman Omar said the liberation of Baidoa, which is the third largest and one of the most important cities in southern Somalia, is another setback for al-Shabaab.
"Al-Shabaab has recently been in a state of retreat, but the capture of Baidoa and other towns in the southwest of the country without much resistance is a sign that al-Shabaab is getting weaker and that it is unable to stand in the face of the advancement of the Somali government troops and its Ethiopian allies," Omar told Sabahi.
Omar said that repeated setbacks suffered by al-Shabaab -- in Mogadishu, Beledweyne, Baidoa and other parts of southern Somalia -- are indicative of the militant group's diminishing force.
"This step has indicated that al-Shabaab is waning and is on its way to being defeated. This step will isolate and tighten the noose around the group, paving the way for the complete demise of al-Shabaab," he said.
Daud Makran, a Somali political analyst and university lecturer, also said al-Shabaab's retreat in Baidoa indicates the group is becoming weaker.
"Al-Shabaab's retreat from Baidoa without putting up a fight is indicative of the group's diminishing military might or even its military defeat," he told Sabahi. "It seems that al-Shabaab has been defeated and is unable to confront the military campaign against it by the allied forces."
Makran said he expects more allied-military successes. "I personally think that these allied forces will soon take over more regions in central and southern Somalia," he said.
Baidoa 'free from the grasp of extremists'
Abdifatah Mohammed, governor of the Bay region, of which Baidoa is the capital, and who leads the government forces that took over Baidoa with support from Ethiopian forces, vowed to continue the campaign against al-Shabaab."For the first time in three years, the residents of Baidoa have been freed from the grasp of the extremists after we took over control of the city," he said.
"We are now planning to pursue remnants of the al-Shabaab terrorist group who have fled the city before the arrival of our forces," Mohammed told Sabahi. "We will continue this military campaign against al-Shabaab and will first march towards the city of Burakaba and then towards the rest of the cities in the region. This campaign will continue until we liberate the region completely. We will hunt down the terrorists wherever they may be until they are obliterated."
Al-Shabaab, however, downplayed their loss of Baidoa.
"Our retreat from Baidoa was a tactical procedure to change the military strategy," al-Shabaab military spokesperson Abdul Azziz Abu Musaab said. "The fight against [Somali] government, Ethiopian and Kenyan forces will continue more fiercely than it has in the past."
"The jihadists retreated without fighting," Abu Musaab told al-Andalus Radio, which is run by al-Shabaab. "We are now in the surrounding areas of the city and promise to make the areas taken over, including Baidoa, a graveyard for occupying crusaders and their allied Somali militias."
Abu Musaab said that losing Baidoa does not mean that al-Shabaab has been militarily defeated.
Al-Shabaab fighters flee to Yemen
These military developments come at a time when the UN Security Council unanimously voted to increase the number of African Union troops in Somalia to more than 17,000. The increase aims to intensify military pressure against al-Shabaab and bolster support of the Somali government. It also gives the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) greater powers to carry out attacks against al-Shabaab.The UN Security Council agreed to supply AMISOM with nine helicopters, including three attack helicopters. The Council also pledged logistical support for AMISOM forces to expand their mission outside Mogadishu. Previously, AMISOM's mandate was restricted to the capital.
AMISOM Commander Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha told journalists in Mogadishu on Thursday that al-Shabaab is on its way to collapsing and that large numbers of its members, especially foreign elements, are fleeing to Yemen by sea.
Mugisha said the timeframe for defeating al-Shabaab depends on the international community's willingness to assist AMISOM and Somali government forces.
"If we get what we requested in terms of increasing the number of troops and supplying us with helicopters and other necessary equipment to carry out this mission, this means that defeating al-Shabaab might not take long," Mugisha said.
"We are witnessing an internal collapse [of al-Shabaab] and it is probable that the group will very soon collapse from within," he said.
Mugisha said around 300 al-Shabaab members have fled Somalia and are heading towards Yemen, which he called "a sign of defeat".
"I hope that Somalis understand that al-Shabaab, which urges children to turn themselves into [human] bombs, when the heat is on, they flee Somalia. I hope they get rid of this madness," he said.
Some say al-Shabaab threat not over
Nonetheless, some analysts warned that recent military defeats do not mean the group is completely finished."There is no doubt that al-Shabaab has been significantly weakened during the past period and that the group is in dire straits and is exponentially losing its military capability," Somali analyst Abubakar Ali told Sabahi. "However, this does not mean that the group has reached the point where it is fleeing the country."
Ali said the fighters could be going to Yemen to join al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
"I think that the group will continue its rebellion one way or another and the most likely scenario is that it will continue its terrorist attacks, its hit-and-run, as well as laying traps more than ever before," Ali said.
Free online Islamic university attracts thousands of students
The Milli Gazette
Education and Careers
Published Online: Feb 18, 2012
Print Issue: 16-29 February 2012
IOU PRESS RELEASE
From the 1st of April, 2010, Dr Bilal Philip’s Islamic Online
University (IOU) launched the world’s first tuition-free, Bachelor of
Arts in Islamic Studies in English completely online. The IOU represents
a major new step towards helping Muslims across the globe fulfill the
Prophet’s command to seek knowledge of the religion and correct their
understanding of its tenets.
After successfully running a collection of 24 free diploma courses
since 2007, in which more than 50,000 students are currently registered
from more than 202 different countries, Dr Bilal has taken the bold step
of offering a BA in Islamic studies along similar lines.
World’s First Tuition-Free BA in Islamic Studies Online
World’s First Tuition-Free BA in Islamic Studies Online
This path-breaking initiative utilizes the worldwide presence of the
internet and advanced open source online learning technology to bring
tuition-free university level Islamic education within reach of
virtually anyone on the planet that has access to a computer and the
internet.
The program has recorded audio and video lectures and weekly live
tutorial classes in a virtual classroom setting on the net and its
syllabi are based on the BA in Usool ud-Deen (Religious Foundations)
curriculums of Madeenah University, Saudi Arabia, Omdurman Islamic
University, Sudan, Al-Azhar in Egypt and other similar reputable Islamic
institutions. Six subjects are offered each semester. Each semester is 5
months, having an online mid-term exam after two and a half months and a
supervised final online at the end of the fifth month. Students are
free to access their classes whenever it is convenient for them, however
assignments have to be turned in and exams (mid-term and finals) have
to be taken at fixed times.
There are no fees for the courses. However, there is a fixed modest
registration fee each semester which is calculated on a sliding scale
(from $40 to $120) depending on the student’s country of residence.
Enrolment for the spring semester (March 2012 - August 2012) has begun
at www.islamiconlineuniversity.com and for further clarification or
help, the registrar may be contacted at email:
registrar@islamiconlineuniversity.com; Students in India may contact,
mobile +91 90007-77950, iou.india@islamiconlineuniversity.com,
www.iouindia.com
It is worth noting that in 2010, the Islamic University of Madeenah
celebrated its 40th year of operation during which some 30,000 students
studied in its lecture halls. In contrast, that number of students has
been achieved by the IOU in three and a half years of operation. Of
course, Dr Bilal was one of the Islamic University’s graduates, so the
IOU is ultimately one of its products, al-hamdu lillaah. Furthermore,
study at Madeenah is superior to study in IOU from a language
perspective and depth of courses. Also, AOU (American Open University),
the oldest and most prestigious Islamic University offering distance
learning from the USA, founded in 1995, after 15 years had 6,000
students and 600 graduates.
It is also notable that students in IOU are required to take courses in
modern fields important to graduates when they return to their
communities, like Islamic psychology, Islamic economics and banking,
Islamic business administration, teaching methodology, information
technology (computers), etc. Students also have the option to do an
additional semester of study in which five of the core courses for those
majoring in these fields are taken. Thus, IOU graduates can obtain BA
in Islamic studies degrees with minors in psychology, or economics and
banking, or business administration, etc.
The success of the Islamic Online University led to its founder, Dr Abu
Ameenah Bilal Philips, being mentioned in the media section of the
first two editions (2009 & 2010) of the 500 Most Influential Muslims
in the World produced by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in
Jordan.
The benefits of studying the IOU BA or Diploma courses:
- It provides a non-sectarian, authentic, Qur’aan and Sunnah based understanding of Islamic teachings.
- It clears up the many misconceptions which have led some Muslims into extreme views involving violence and terrorism.
- It gives those in various professions an Islamic perspective from which to practice their professions while maintaining Islamic values and limits.
- It empowers Muslim women who rarely get the opportunity to study the religion in depth and to address the contemporary contentious gender related issues.
- It facilitates easy access to Islamic knowledge, as all its courses are taught in English medium with the exception of Arabic.
- It offers a structured course for the study of Arabic enabling students to master the basics of the Arabic language and preparing them to be efficient translators in the future.
- It focuses on a well-rounded program of study by integrating in the syllabus modern subjects like, management, economics, psychology, educational methodology, etc. all taught from a comparative perspective.
- It is geared to produce upright, productive citizens through its focus on ethical teachings of Islam in all spheres of life.
- It promotes religious tolerance among its students and graduates by introducing them to the historical foundations of multicultural societies which Muslims established around the world like those in Spain, Baghdad, Cairo, Palestine, etc.
(Advertorial)
This article appeared in The Milli Gazette print issue of 16-29 February 2012 on page no. 24
Friday, 30 March 2012
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Attention worldwide Muslims no matter where you live,
Do you
really understand what is Being a Muslim? Is it something that you inherit from
your forefathers? or is it just a word that you say ? and that’s it, or is it
holding a passport of a certain country or countries? Is it being an Arab? Or
is it a system that makes it possible
for us to enslave one another? Or is it the best system that frees humans from
any kind of slavery and evil practices? How many first new moon do we have, one
or two? In twenty four hours how many days do we have? It sounds funny isn’t? twenty
four hours is always day and night . how
many first day of the Islamic month hijriya is there, How come the first day is
also the second day to some Muslims or it might be the third day to some, this
is a human err and a puzzle that we have created ourselves, we need to think
wisely about what made this division to take place in our Ummah in our
time.
If you
can answer honestly some of these question please write to us and let us
work together, the truth is when it is an issue concerning the Ummatul Islam,
that makes us Ummah without frontier , we are just Ummah , why let the sighting
of the moon to be the worst of all frontiers that we have, a man made frontiers,
but in Islam you don’t have a choice to make of any kind, what you should
know is there is no decision at all to decide when to fast or how to fast . but you have to follow the easy way that was
made easy for you to follow by the Allah the most Merciful the Wise
Allah said:
It
is not fitting for a Believer man or woman when a matter has been decided by
Allah and His Apostle to have any option about their decision: if anyone
disobeys Allah and His Apostle he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.
Al-Quran – 33:36
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Monday, 26 March 2012
جعل الله الشمس ضياء والقمر نورا وقدر القمر تنتقل من مكان الى اخر لى نعلم عدد السنين والحساب
قال الله تعالى
{ هو الذي جعل الشمس ضياء والقمر نورا وقدره منازل لتعلموا عدد السنين والحسابد}
وقوله :
{ وجعل الليل سكنا والشمس والقمر حسبانا }
وقوله :
{ الشمس والقمر بحسبان }
وقوله
{ والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم }
وقوله
: { يسألونك عن الأهلة قل هي مواقيت للناس والحج }
دليل على توقيت ما فيها من التوقيت للسنين والحساب
فقوله:
{ لتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب }
{ وقدره منازل } .
و قوله
: { إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله }
{ الحج أشهر معلومات } :
{ وجعلنا الليل والنهار آيتين فمحونا آية الليل وجعلنا آية النهار مبصرة لتبتغوا فضلا من ربكم ولتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب } .
وقوله :
{ وجعل الليل سكنا والشمس والقمر حسبانا }
وقوله :
{ الشمس والقمر بحسبان }
وقوله
{ والقمر قدرناه منازل حتى عاد كالعرجون القديم }
وقوله
: { يسألونك عن الأهلة قل هي مواقيت للناس والحج }
دليل على توقيت ما فيها من التوقيت للسنين والحساب
فقوله:
{ لتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب }
{ وقدره منازل } .
و قوله
: { إن عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا في كتاب الله }
{ الحج أشهر معلومات } :
{ وجعلنا الليل والنهار آيتين فمحونا آية الليل وجعلنا آية النهار مبصرة لتبتغوا فضلا من ربكم ولتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب } .
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Saturday, 24 March 2012
25th of march is the 2nd of Jmadul Awel,
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TURcuHXhG4A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Uploaded by East Africa Moon Sighting on Mar 24, 2012
25th of march is the 2nd of Jmadul Awel, the video was taken at 7:10 pm East African Time in Nairobi south C
Friday, 23 March 2012
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