Christina R. Religion Post

While religion can be used as a unifying force, in Somalia this is not the case. The majority of the population follows Islam, which does not have to be a violent religion, but opposing factions have led it to be one. Islam is the reason for the ongoing civil war in Somalia. The puritanical Al-Shabab faction is violent and dangerous. This faction is associated with Al-Qaida which in recent years has led countries like the United States to keep a vigilant watch on Somalia as a potential terrorist threat. (fpif.org) Al-Shabab is against all religions except Islam. Their violence towards Christians was displayed when in January of 2012,”Islamic extremists from the rebel Al-Shabab militia in Somalia beheaded a Christian on the outskirts of Mogadishu” (compassdirect.org). The other faction is the Sufis. The Sufis believe in the importance of having a close relationship with god through personal discipline. They were originally nonviolent but have become a violent faction in reaction to tensions with the Al-Shabab Muslims regarding their efforts to inflict a strict version of sharia law.

The only way religion would be able to unite Somalia would be if the religion of the population was a nonviolent one. Since Somalia is currently dominated with violent puritanical Muslims there is no way Islam could be a uniting force and the current war has proven it not to be. The tension between opposing views fosters a violent environment. If the favored religion was nonviolent moderate Islam then the country might be more peaceful, however converting everyone to moderate Islam would be impossible because of the stubborn nature of the puritans. They would never accept moderate Islam because they believe it to be corrupted by western ideals. Tolerance toward all religions might also be an effective peace solution but the problem is that puritanical Muslims do not believe in religious tolerance and therefore would not accept it nor enforce it.

Additional Sources

Shank, Michael. "Foreign Policy In Focus." FPIF. 5 Jan. 2007. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.fpif.org/articles/the_future_of_political_islam_in_somalia>.

Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia." Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia. Web. 17 May 2012. http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/somalia/article_1390864.html.