Some people might argue blue is the new black. Others might argue black, blue, beaten and bruised, the nation of Somalia is quickly becoming the new Afghanistan.
Sunday, a group of Islamic militants under the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia shut down a radio station in Jowhar. The militants, who operate in conjunction with the Union of Islamic Courts, ordered Radio Jowhar to immediately stop the broadcast of all music and songs Saturday before using armed force to shut down the station the following day.
The civic journalism group Reporters Without Borders reported an SICS commander as saying the radio was shut down to prevent it from broadcasting “music that promotes devilish behavior.”
This occurrence, while perhaps seemingly minor in the entire scheme of things in Somalia, sadly enough bears a haunting resemblance to the banning of all secular music, by the Taliban in Afghanistan shortly before being overthrown during the United States’ invasion in 2001.
Somalia hasn’t seen a successful government since the early ’90s, but has seen failed humanitarian efforts brought in by foreign aid. As is quite obvious, the internal problems of Somalia reach farther than any love song broadcasting over the airwaves in Jowhar, and what can be done to initiate a progressive revolution in Somalia has yet to be discovered. The people of Somalia seem inherently and aggressively opposed to using armed forces from foreign sources in order to attempt a restoration of order, therefore making it even more difficult than normal for U.N. or other international entities to step in.
While there may not be an obvious solution to permanently resolving the conflict and crisis right now, it is of the utmost importance that the United States and international leaders continue to keep a watchful eye on the progress of new governing bodies in the nation.
Beyond the spectrum of religious intolerance, the current direction of the UIC and the militants in close proximity to power is teetering close to seriously infringing on the basic human rights of the Somali people, such as the freedom to listen to love songs.
This is a difficult point to argue, as on the surface it would appear these entities have made great strides in providing some stability to the region. Here again is the resemblance to the activities of the Taliban.
In our nation’s War on Terror, we seem to take no issue with taking preventative, even pre-emptive, measures to ensure our own safety. The administration speaks of Iraq as the “breeding ground” for terrorism, but has anyone taken the time to consider the potential for the same outside of the Middle East and away from all the oil?
The UIC is currently training militants in Somalia, and though the potential for anti-American terrorism may seem distant, it only takes a short period of time for desperate people to turn to desperate measures.
The training these Somalis are receiving won’t be pro-America, to say the least.
Hence, instead of turning a blind eye to fundamentalism and warlord regimes, we should be ever mindful of the opportunity for peace-starved people to use whatever means possible to alleviate their situation.
Now would be the perfect time to open serious debate on how to prevent the civil oppression of war-torn and poverty stricken countries under the rule of fundamentalist regimes from ever happening again.