MOGADISHU, 28 December 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Twenty-three people were killed in Mogadishu on 3 December 2009 when a blast ripped through a graduation ceremony. Among the dead was a 24-year-old final year medical student whose mother, Hawa Siyaad, spoke to IRIN about that fateful day.
“My son asked me not to be late so I was one of the first to arrive. I closed my business [selling fuel] to be there. I was happy because I knew that my boy, Mohamed, would be going through the same ceremony next year. As the ceremony was in progress a huge explosion ripped through the hotel.
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“All of a sudden, everything was in darkness. For what seemed like a long time I could not see or hear anything. I was dazed but everyone around me was scrambling to get away. I followed the crowd and then realized that my son was at the front. I started looking for him. There were dead and injured people everywhere. I finally found my son underneath an injured person. At first I thought he was also injured but quickly realized that he was dead.
“I tried to pick him up but could not. I just sat there next to him until someone helped me carry his body. You cannot imagine the pain of holding your oldest child, dead. That day they broke my heart and took away my hope and dreams.
“I worked so hard to put him through university. Every day, no matter how difficult – even with bullets flying around – I sat and sold fuel to make sure he got an education. He was our future and our hope. That day they killed my hope and the future of our family… He and his friends did not deserve to die like that before they had even begun their lives.
“I know of no religion – not mine or anyone else’s – that condones what they [the perpetrators] did. I will never forget or forgive what they have done to us.”
Source: IRIN, December 28, 2009
Subxaanallaah, Ilaahay Naxariistii jano haka waraabiyo, hoyadii, ehelkii iyo qaraabadiisna samir iyo iimaan ha ka waraabiyo. This is what we are dealing with, people who lack basic human desency and respect for life. Alshabaab needs to go, we can not afford to ignore such evil in our door step, It needs united effort from all concern parties (Somaliland, Southern Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya and AU, UN and EU ).
We can wait until this disease spreads or we can erradicated while it is easier to uproot it. This would definitely require lending meaningful support to S.Somalia and allowing Somaliland to be self-sustainable by granting it recognition so they both develop the economic and military strengh needed to defeat this menace and immoral beast eating away the fabric of our religion and society. It is time to put away the in-fighting, hatred and animosity and focus all our energy in removing and disinfecting this disease from the face of earth. Remember if you turn blind eye to this menace, you are just as culpable and if you lend suppot you are just as guilty as they are. Either way your reward is hell fire.
"The nerves touched were not only mine, Dr. Edna Adan who arrived at the graduation hall in University of Pretoria to receive a chancelor medal for her to contribution to humanity betterment, condemns this brutality “I strongly condemn to the deepest of my human heart and sense the atrocities that are not only inflicted to the families of the killed students, doctors and teachers but also to the people of Somaliland and humanity at large, my heartfelt sympathy and Du’aas goes to the families of the killed ones, May Allah grant them Janatul Firdowza to those who died in Shamow, May the Almighty Allah cure all those wounded…amin”amin amin. Dr. Edna"
Extracts from Saeed Furaa's moving letter