Clerics beheaded in Somalia.3/21/2009 1:43:49 PM Militiamen have beheaded be·head tr.v. be·head·ed, be·head·ing, be·heads To separate the head from; decapitate. [Middle English biheden, from Old English beh two clerics from a rival group in central Somalia, Sheikh sheikh or shaykh Among Arabic-speaking tribes, especially Bedouin, the male head of the family, as well as of each successively larger social unit making up the tribal structure. The sheikh is generally assisted by an informal tribal council of male elders. Abdullahi Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Ibrahim al-Ansari, better known as Abu Yusuf (Arabic:أبو يوسف) (d.798) was a student of legist Abu Hanifah (d.767) who helped spread the influence of the Hanafi school of Islamic law through his writings and the government , a spokesman for the clerics' group said. Thursday's beheadings took place after the vehicle in which the clerics were travelling was stopped on the way to a hospital. The clerics were members of the Ahlu Sunna Wal-jama'ah group, which had been fighting with rivals from the al-Shabab movement, Abu Yusuf said on Saturday. Abu Yusuf blamed al-Shabab for the beheadings and said the clerics were unarmed when they were attacked. "They did not take part in the recent clashes, though they sustained wounds in a gun battle," he said. Ahlu Sunna Wal-jama'ah blamed al-Shabab for the recent fighting in the town of Balad, north of Mogadishu, and said it was only defending itself against al-Shabab attacks. Al-Shabab has not commented on the alleged beheadings. Al-Shabab and allied groups control much of southern and central Somalia and want to impose their version of sharia (Islamic law Noun 1. Islamic law - the code of law derived from the Koran and from the teachings and example of Mohammed; "sharia is only applicable to Muslims"; "under Islamic law there is no separation of church and state" sharia, sharia law, shariah, shariah law ) in the country. Rival members of the al-Shabab and Ahlu Sunna Wal-jama'ah have clashed repeatedly over control of the region. On Thursday, Osama bin Laden Osama bin Laden: see bin Laden, Osama. called on Somali fighters to overthrow Sharif Ahmed Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (Somali: Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed; Arabic: الشيخ شريف شيخ أحم? , the new Somali president, saying he is a "tool" of the US. In January, the Somali parliament elected Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, to form an inclusive unity government and bring peace to the Horn of Africa Horn of Africa, peninsula, NE Africa, opposite the S Arabia Peninsula. Also known as the Somali Peninsula, it encompasses Somalia and E Ethiopia and is the easternmost extension of the continent, separating the Gulf of Aden from the Indian Ocean. state. His election was welcomed by the United Nations and the US. Counter-terrorism officials from the United States have warned of al-Qaeda's growing ties with the al-Shabab fighters. Last year, the US state department added al-Shabab to its list of foreign terrorist organisations. Al-Shabab denies links to al-Qaeda and has distanced itself from the Somali opposition based in Eritrea, saying it is too secular. Aljazeera.net 2003 - 2009 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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