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So he decided to go to Benadir University, itself a miraculous institution and a beacon of optimism and pride. He never gave up or gave in. He didn’t want to escape and be a refugee like many do or did. He knew that was an option but not the best one. He rationalized and reasoned that if all that can escape, escape who would take care of the abandoned ones? He convinced himself to be the one to revive life and restore hope and peace in this unruly city. Some can run away and leave the carnage. Some can come back to calm things. Others can come back and add more fire to the hell that is burning here. But not him. He stayed true to his promise.He refused to be part of all that ignorance and insanity. He and his classmates were different. They were courageous cadres who convinced themselves to become the new vanguards and the future leaders of a country in chaos and people gone cruel and wild. Six years of sleepless nights of studying while listening to the sound of mortars and bombs are now over and today is the day to graduate and celebrate. Six years of unrelenting struggles and survival finally is coming to fruition. And today is the day. He knows that it is just passage to another journey; the real journey to give hope and to take care of people,; that journey will begin tomorrow after today's celebration. So he donned his white shirt and celestial pants, put on his tailored suit and knotted tightly his silky tie. He put on his shiny s black shoes. He wore his black and golden gown with big smile and huge bride. He hugged his siblings and hi-fived his neighborhood buddies. He laughed when he heard the cheering and clapping of his aunties. Joyful tears came to his eyes as his mother planted a caring kiss on his buttery cheeks. He was always the one who starts new ventures in the neighborhood. He was the one who stays back and resists joining the gangs, the one who questions the group thinking and the irrational behavior of his peers. He was a collector of knowledge, a scavenger of torn books and burned papers from the amassing filthy and garbage around him. He was voracious reader and he enjoyed studying. He spoke Arabic and English and studied sciences and math at the few schools available in this cursed city of Mogadishu. He was never tempted to be a militia gangster or a militant extremist. He stayed true to his passion of learning and studying. Some of his friends and relatives left the country for good and joined the many Somali refugees dispersed around the globe. Instead of joining them or begging them to spare few pennies, he decided to stay put and sacrifice his life for the betterment of his wretched and cursed lot. Someone has to sacrifice and lead the way to sanity. And he knew he was the chosen one. And he was proud of the sacrifice and the choice he made! He said "see you soon" to all as he set out for the hotel where the graduation ceremony will be held. He waved goodbye to family and friends – Fii-Amaanallah! He left timely to get a ride to the hotel where the graduation ceremony will be held. He changed rides many times and get cheering and supporting hurrahs and ululations from passengers in the rundown mini-vans and strangers in the streets alike. One passerby blessed him with few prayers. People saw a light and hope in him. They knew with his beautiful gown and spirit their nightmare will end someday soon. That is why they smiled and waved to him as he rode and walked among people accustomed to chaos and carnage. When he reached the hotel, he jumped and joined his graduating class. They hugged each other and happily came together and held hands. This was it. It was a day to rejoice, a new beginning and rebirth of hope. He looked around and saw a sea of optimism; he admired the scene of seeing such luminaries in his chosen career and the invited selfless dignitaries present to celebrate the graduation of his class. All he could say was Maashallah! He and other graduates lined up and walked in the auditorium hall with elegance . They had beautiful spirit. He was seated with his classmates. Beside him was seated his sweetheart and future bride. She was too part of his study group and the graduating class. They listened together to recitations of Quranic verses and beautiful poems emphasizing the benefits of education and learning. They heard uplifting and congratulatory speeches from professors and experienced doctors. It was light upon light, a joy upon joy, a gathering of brilliance, beauty and benevolence. He had an air of tranquility and humility. Then all of sudden, big deadly explosion tore things apart. Darkness and hate filled the air around him. All of sudden, he is breathing heavy and can’t see anything. He tries to sit up but he can’t. He tries to grasp the hand of his sweetheart but it is frozen and motionless. He sees blood coming from his chest and lower abdomen and that was it. His soul is no more! Before he collapses for good, he murmurs Laa Ilaaha Illa Laah ! His name was Raaghe, the one who was christened to persist and stay alive for long time. His friends called him Dr. Raajis after the legendary late Somali medical doctor. Raaghe wanted to be like Dr. Raajis and wanted to live for long time to treat patients and cure diseases. But today instead of seeing his dream to come true, he was blown up by someone who gave up on life and gave in to wicked ideology. Dr. Raaghe is blown up by a suicide bomber who graduated from another kind of school, that of terror and hate. Though Dr. Raaghe didn’t last, hope is not dead yet. It may take another six years or so, as Raaghe’s younger sister Rahma is determined to follow her brother’s footsteps and not only finish medical school in this bloodyplace but witness serenity in her graduating ball and become the mercy and compassion her brother wanted to bring back into his community. After all, She is Rahma and she signifies mercy and compassion. As she buries her fallen heroic brother, Rahma swears to never give up and give in to despair; to fulfill her brother’s dream of helping people. Despite the unstoppable tears pouring on her cheeks, despite the sadness and the pain, she loudly and determinedly shouts … “Rest in peace brother Raaghe! I promise that I will make you proud someday Rest in peace Raaghe. I will be a doctor just like you! Inshallah” When we read the Quran, we open it in the name of ALLAH, the MERCIFUL and the BENEFICIENT. Why and how all the mercy and beneficence is lost to those who absurdly claim to be fighting for the cause of that merciful and compassionate GOD? Subhaanallah! Blowing up and killing students and doctors is not Jihad-fii- sabiibilaah! That is the work of the Shaitaan and his followers who sadly call themselves Al-Shabaab but are in fact the lost ones – AL-HABAAB as we Somalis now call them. Abdulkadir Mohamed (Ato) Email:Abaadir0@gmail.com ---------------------------------- Related articles: *In Mogadishu, They Slaughtered The Cream of The Best By Abdi Arwo *The Massacre of medical students in Shamo Hotel * Somalia is in Need of Massive International Intervention * No Where Is Safe! A Heinous Act of Mass Murder in Mogadishu * Al Shabaab baa farta lagu wada fiiqayaa * MUQDISHO (Maanso) __________________________________________________________________________________ We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com |
