Dr. Abdurahman Baadiyow
Sharif Mahmud Abdirahman (Maracade) was born in Luuq in 1904, in Jubaland, Somalia. After memorizing the Quran in his early childhood, he traveled to Egypt in 1923 to continue his education amidst the Egyptian Revolution against British occupation. This was also when Italian fascism began to dominate southern Somalia, enforcing segregation and forced labor. While studying at Al-Azhar University, he was influenced by Egyptian politics, Arab nationalism, and the early Muslim Brotherhood, shaping his anti-colonial views.
Returning to Somalia in the late 1930s, he opposed Italian fascist rule and oppressive policies. His defiance led to his exile to Bandar Qasim (Bosasso). During the Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1937), he refused to issue a fatwa permitting Somali soldiers to break their Ramadan fast while fighting for the Italians. He argued that the conflict was between two Christian states and did not concern Muslims. This stance angered the Italians.
After the defeat of Fascism in the Horn of Africa during WWII in 1941, Sharif Mahmud continued his struggle against the British Military Administration (1941-1950) and resisted the imposition of the Swahili language in Somalia. He rallied scholars and intellectuals to preserve the Arabic language and strengthen Somali cultural identity, leading to his exile to Brava. There, he continued to raise public awareness and resist British policies. After the Somali Youth League (SYL) was proclaimed in 1947, Sharif Mahmud joined and became its spokesperson during the Four Powers Commission visit in 1948. However, he resigned from the SYL in late 1949 for unknown reasons and founded the Somali Islamic League in 1950.
The Islamic League aimed to protect Somalis from increasing Westernization, secularism, and Christianization following the return of Italians under the UN trusteeship. During this period, missionaries from the Catholic Church, the Mennonite mission, and the Sudan Interior Mission took advantage of religious freedom under the UN system to openly and covertly Christianize many Somalis through their schools and activities.
Sharif Mahmud believed establishing the Arabic language and Islamic schools was essential to confronting Christian missionaries. He forged strong relations with Egypt, leading to Al-Azhar sending a mission to Somalia in 1953 and the Egyptian Ministry of Education opening schools in 1954. Besides successfully opening these schools, Sharif Mahmud mobilized Somali support for the Palestinian cause during their 1936-1938 revolt and supported Egypt during the Tripartite Aggression in 1956 by collecting donations. He met with President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat, then head of the Islamic Solidarity Organization. His ties with Arab countries worried the Italian authorities, who accused him of pushing for Somalia’s membership in the Arab League, a goal realized in 1974.
Sharif Mohamud was a key figure in Somalia’s second phase of Islamist revivalism (1950-1967), emphasizing Islamic education and awareness. The wide and active propagation of Islam in Somalia historically spans four phases. The first phase involved the resurgence of Sufi orders, which revitalized Islamic spirituality through mystical practices and teachings from the nineteenth century until 1950. During this period, Sufi orders widely spread Islamic teachings and confronted colonial powers using both armed and non-violent means. Notable armed resistance leaders included Sheikh Ahmed Gabyow, Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan, Sheikh Bashir Ismael, Sheikh Hassan Barsane, Sheikh Abdi Gafle, and Ma’alin Mursal Abdi Yusuf. Sufi masters of the Qadiriyah and Ahmadiyah orders and other Islamic scholars mostly led peaceful resistance in agricultural and settled communities in southern Somalia.
Sharif Mohamud led the second phase of Islamist revivalism, continuing Haji Oomar’s institutional approach that began with the founding of the Somali Islamic organization in 1925 but discontinued after his exile and death in 1949. The Islamic League emphasized integrating Islamic teachings with formal Arabic-language education to counteract colonial influences. This period focused on establishing educational institutions that instilled Islamic values and promoted a deeper understanding of Islam. The third phase (1967-1978) saw the growth of Islamic propagation through organizations like the Renaissance (Al-Nahda), Al-Ahal, and Wahdah, laying the groundwork for more structured Islamist movements in the 1970s. The fourth phase involved the rise and consolidation of Islamist organizations advocating for the implementation of Islamic law in the state and society. Current Islamist organizations trace their roots to the efforts begun in the 1950s and nurtured through Arabic language schools and scholarships at Arab universities.
The drive to introduce an Islamist vision in Somalia, alongside the Islamic League, was also led by Ahmed Sheikh Mousa, a 1950s Al-Azhar University graduate who established an Islamic institute in Burco. He founded the Islamic political party “Hizbullah,” which adopted the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, advocating for the implementation of Islamic Sharia in all aspects of Muslim life, including politics. Ahmed authored a book titled “The Party of God and the Party of Satan” to spread his ideas. The Islamic League’s leaders learned lessons from early scholars’ experience of the anti-colonial resistance, using new methods to enhance Islamic identity through education and culture and preserving Arabic as Somalia’s official language.
In the early years of the SYL, Arabic was considered the official language, and SYL schools taught Arabic alongside English, opposing the return of Italian rule. The SYL sought assistance from Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa El-Nahhas in 1949 to strengthen Arab and Islamic identity through education. Egypt responded by directly contributing to the education sector in the 1950s, addressing concerns that Italy’s return might close SYL schools providing basic education. Encouraged by the British military administration (1941-1950), these schools broke the Catholic mission’s monopoly on education.
Egypt’s response to the Somali Youth League (SYL) request was swift and positive, granting twenty-five annual scholarships to graduates of the party’s Arabic schools. Additionally, Egypt sent two Al-Azhar scholars to promote Islam and explore further opportunities for Egyptian influence in Somalia. Based on their report and with support from Kamal El-Din Saleh, an Egyptian member of the United Nations Advisory Council, Egypt signed an agreement with the Italian trusteeship authority to establish schools affiliated with the Al-Azhar mission in Somalia. Consequently 1953, six Al-Azhar scholars, including teachers and missionaries, were sent to Somalia. The SYL Party welcomed these scholars and issued a statement declaring Arabic as the official language of the SYL and all Somali people, emphasizing it as a divine gift. Many SYL members and Somali scholars saw the arrival of the Al-Azhar scholars as a crucial step towards invigorating Islamic education.
In this context, the Islamic League increased social awareness among Somalis through seminars and lectures on national issues and the importance of unity, independence, and dignity. The League’s leaders aimed to strengthen relations with Arab countries, recognizing the significance of Arab support against colonial challenges. In the 1950s, they focused on promoting Arabic education to counter the spread of Italian-language schools following Somalia’s return to Italian administration under the United Nations trusteeship. Somalis feared colonial education, particularly the risk of conversion to Christianity.
Scholars also opposed missionary activities spreading Christianity through education and resisted writing the Somali language in Latin script or locally invented Ottoman characters, viewing these as steps toward secularization. While the language policy of the Islamic League can be debated today, during that period, all efforts aimed to protect Somali children from Christian conversion. The debate over the Somali language script persisted between supporters of Arabic script and advocates of Latin script until the military regime adopted the Latin alphabet in 1972.
Under Sharif Mohamud’s leadership, the Islamic Association took two key steps to achieve its goals. First, it advocated establishing Arabic as Somalia’s official language. In November 1950, the association submitted a petition to the Italian authorities and the United Nations Advisory Council, signed by Sharif Mohamud Abdirahman and Somali leaders, urging that Arabic be confirmed as the official language to preserve Somali cultural and religious identity. Second, the Islamic League sought support from Egypt and the Arab League to establish Arabic-language schools and provide scholarships for Somali students at Egyptian universities. Revolutionary Egypt, led by Gamal Abdel Nasser and Kamal El-Din Saleh, collaborated with the Islamic League to establish and promote these schools. By 1958, over 15 schools had been opened across Somalia, with notable Secondary schools in Mogadishu, “the School of Allah,” producing many Somali leaders and officers. Additionally, about 200 scholarships were awarded to Somali graduates between 1952 and 1959.
In the 1950s, increased Christian missionary activities following Italy’s return sparked heightened awareness of Islam. This led to intense competition between Egyptian missions and Christian missionaries. The establishment of the Al-Azhar mission in 1953 coincided with the arrival of the Mennonite Mission, and the introduction of the modern Egyptian school system coincided with the arrival of the Sudan Interior Mission in 1954. The Roman Catholic Church also expanded its educational programs during this period. Italy issued licenses for Christian missions under the guise of the UN Charter’s guarantee of freedom of belief, reviving memories of past conflicts with colonialism and opposition to modern education.
Sharif Mohamud and the Islamic League significantly impacted Somalia’s history. Sharif Mohamud was key in the rise of the Islamist movement by establishing Arabic language schools and scholarships. This movement gained momentum in the 1960s and supported Somalia’s integration into the Arab world. The proliferation of Arabic Language schools and the emergence of the Arabic-speaking elites, specifically in the military, led to Somalia joining the Arab League in 1974. This alignment strengthened Somalia’s political and cultural ties with Arab nations, reinforcing Islamic and Arab identity.
Mohamud’s efforts and the Islamic League’s activities played a crucial role in shaping modern Somali identity, bridging educational and cultural exchanges with the Arab world. These contributions continue to influence Somalia’s contemporary socio-political landscape. During military rule, Islamic organizations were banned, but Sharif Mahmoud’s efforts produced Islamic elites who led the revival in Somalia, opposing Westernization and secularization. During the civil war, he moved to Brava, then Mombasa, and finally to Cairo, where he passed away in 1994.
In conclusion, a deep understanding of this historical context and the pivotal role played by key individuals is crucial for the new generations of Somalis working to rebuild and reinstitute the Somali state. Recognizing the legacy of figures like Sharif Mohamud and the Islamic League helps illuminate the foundational efforts that have shaped modern Somali identity and national aspirations.
This historical insight not only honors the achievements and struggles of past leaders but also provides valuable lessons for addressing contemporary challenges and fostering a renewed sense of unity and purpose.
Dr. Abdurahman Baadiyow
Email: [email protected]
———-
Dr. Abdurahman Baadiyow is a Professor of Modern Islamic History and a Senior Adviser for the Somali President on Peace and Reconciliation.
———-
Related articles
History of the Ahmadiyah Sufi Order in Somalia By Abdirahman Baadiyow
The prominent Sheikhs of the Qadiriyya order in Banadir By A Baadiyow
Sheikh Madar: The Qadiriyya Sufi, a founder of Hargeisa and a societal reformer By A Baadiyow
Sheikh Ahmed Gabyow (1844-1933): A poet and early anti-colonial scholar By A Baadiyow
Haji Farah Oomar IIeeye (1879-1949): The staunch nationalist and the first Somali lawyer By A Baadiyow
We welcome the submission of all articles for possible publication on WardheerNews.com. WardheerNews will only consider articles sent exclusively. Please email your article today . Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of WardheerNews.
WardheerNew’s tolerance platform is engaging with diversity of opinion, political ideology and self-expression. Tolerance is a necessary ingredient for creativity and civility.Tolerance fuels tenacity and audacity.
WardheerNews waxay tixgelin gaara siinaysaa maqaaladaha sida gaarka ah loogu soo diro ee aan lagu daabicin goobo kale. Maqaalkani wuxuu ka turjumayaa aragtida Qoraaga loomana fasiran karo tan WardheerNews.
Copyright © 2024 WardheerNews, All rights reserved
