HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT: TASK BEFORE THE NEW SOMALI PARLIAMENT

At last, light seems to have appeared on the horizon. New Constitution has been approved for the war-torn and devastated Country. The members of the Parliament are nominated by traditional elders of the Nation. That should immediately translate to “islamic state” since virtually all traditional elders are muslims, which is unkempt for a Federal Constitution as promulgated.

Hence, the utmost task before the new parliament is to free the jaundiced Nation from the grip to islamic fundamentalists that have held the Arab world to ransom for years. Somalia has had enough of islamic and quoranic misleading and should adopt a Federal Constitution where anybody is not selected or nominated for any job or elected into any political office due to his religious background.

Technical Selection Committee (TSC) monitors prospective candidates into the Parliament with Halimo Ismael Ibrahim as the co-chairman. UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga should sit with TSC, President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Prime Minister Abdiwali Mohamed Ali, Speaker of Parliament of Transitional Federal Government Sherif Hassan Sheekh Aden to tinker on what is involved in any Federal Constitution. As it stands now, Somalia is hegemoniously islamic which is why the Nation has not known peace.

Since they have embraced Federal Constitution, every Federating Unit must be allowed to democratically grow at its pace with the Center as uniting force. This entails 100% Secularity of State where no Religion holds sway. TSC has maximum of 275 membership out of which 202 has already been announced.

Mrs. Ibrahim has listed the criteria used for selecting members of the New Legislature as:

- Age (21 – 75)
- Education Level & Experience
- Crime Records
- Health Status
- Protecting the values of islam
Somalia has had so much islamic fundamentalism and cannot afford to build the ensuring younger Nation on religious principles. It must embrace all the ethics of a Federal Government of which Freedom of Worship is the fulcrum: this implies Secularity of State.

Somalia can never go any where with making the protection of the values of islam a reason for belonging to Government. Suppose, not supposition, there are other religious adherents who cannot protect the values of islam. What is their fate in Somalia? They should form their own country or what? Is that not islamic fundamentalists that are the pyrates and shites that have held Somalia to the jocular for donkey years?

The truth is that no nation that has thrived on religious stateism. Somalia has been on religious stateism and has been amorphous for years. Now they have decided to come together and effect change, they should jettison inclination to any religion and build the Country on Federal Structure that is bathed on democratic Secularity of State. Only this can change Somalia. Expunge with immediacy, the vexed issues of protecting the values of islam as a particular religion and an other religion. Build Somalia on The Truth that saves, not on any religion that enslaves. islam, like any other religion, enslaves. Only The Truth can save any nation.

Comrade Kindness Innocent Jonah is a seasoned Human Rights Activist and an unbiased National Commentator. Also visit these facebook sites: Justice Stand, Nigeria Unity and Kindness Innocent Jonah. Read his write-ups also in: the [email protected]. His Facebook Account is kindness Innocent Jonah. Please visit his site.

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