Hiiraan Online

My article has created a good discussion on both sides of the political isle in the Somali region of Ethiopia. I was surprised with the number of encouraging and thanking emails that I received. But, I also received a lot of emails from ONLF operatives and its supporters. As expected, none of these emails contained any good discussion. They were just filled with hate and explicit language. I’m not going to discuss these emails with you but I felt to respond to one article that was posted in ONLF run websites and some websites affiliated with it. The only reason I’m responding to this article is that it justifies my critizism of the organization and it proves me right of my description of the organization, and its supporters. I apologize to those readers who didn’t get the chance to read my previous article about the ONLF and who might feel lost while reading this piece. My previous piece was published in Hiiraan Online and kilil5.com.

In my previous article, I critised the ONLF for the group think that is so prevalent in the organization and among its supporters. My biggest complaint was the pervasive culture in the ONLF of stamping everyone who disagrees with their mission or criticizes their approach, “Dabaqoothi” or “Woyane”. As someone who has extensive knowledge of the ONLF and its followers, I have to say, I was still depressed with the magnitude of ignorance, hate, shallowness exhibited by ONLF operatives and its supporters and their inability to think or see beyond their point of view or belief. Here is the beginning of an email that was sent with an article that I received and was supposedly written by a lady I very much respect her political or ideological believes but very much disagree with her views about the ONLF. “Hey Dabaqoodhi, Enjoy the attachment as a result of your stink, filth, long mouth that you pointed to ONLF, The freedom fighters. This is the sole writing of young intelligent Ogadenian patriot, Hibaq Duale, who intended to teach a lesson to sick people like you Dabaqodhi. Dabaqodhi Abdishakur, this is what I have to tell you, if your mother didn’t teach you discipline, the world will teach you” "Xasbuna ALLAHU wanicmal wakiil" ….A lot of you readers will say this is an isolated case and doesn’t represent the views of ONLF or its majority supporters. Unfortunately, this might belong to some of the more intelligent emails that I received. Majority of the ONLF supporters whether you meet them on the street, or in ONLF organized conferences or Coffee places, reason and park more or less like this individual. And this is precisely why ONLF scares the hell out of me both in the short and long term. This is an organization that should scare everyone from the Somali region of Ethiopia because of its potential for destruction and the risks laden with its ideology, structure, operation and goals for the Somali region of Ethiopia.

 The present ONLF leadership are a true symbol of the current generation of supposedly Somali leaders, the worst among us who are the by-products of an era in Somali society, that has produced a group of power hungry, lazy, greedy, selfish, unproductive, unintelligent individuals, who are infected with the deadly viral clan strain and who are all purporting to be the messiah of their clans. These worthless leaders have done a tremendous damage to our Somali society by brain washing our young people with their nauseating behavior patterns which don’t allow intelligent reasoning or free thinking, free from the chains of clan protectionism.

The clan cult of the ONLF cannot stand critical thinking or any opinion that opposes their agenda. Hence the worn-out, primitive, tribal "us versus them" absolutism. Let me share with you the damage and brainwashing that I’m talking about and the dangers that it carries for all of us. Hibaq Duale, responding to my previous article titled “ONLF and its supporters confronted by reality” had this to say “To my amusement and delight you quote the ONLF official as saying Somaligalbeed goes as Ogaden clan goes. The Ogadenis are the engine of the region that drives the region. First and foremost, no ONLF official---senior or subordinate---would ever use Somaligalbeed as a reference to the Ogaden region. Both ONLF members and supporters have and will always recognize the region as OGADENIA. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I suggest you write this down for future reference; the ‘O’ in ONLF stands for Ogadenia!  Somaligalbeed is a term that exists only in the imagination of individuals who object to the legitimate name of the region for reasons I will not get into.” This is coming from a young lady who most likely wasn’t born in the region, who has never seen the region, whose only historical knowledge of the region is the clan dominated propaganda of the ONLF. Evidence!! Her honest use of the word Ogadenia and belief in the ideology behind the word, a word and ideology that was introduced to all of us in little over ten years. What was troubling to me and should be troubling to every Somali from the region is how she easily dismisses the historical Somaligalbeed name and identity that still binds all of us from the region. Hibaq continues and follows up with the above paragraph with the ONLF contradiction that I talked in my previous article. “….Secondly, the ONLF is an organization created for the sole purpose of advancing and furthering the well-being of the SOMALI population in the Ogaden region, despite their tribe, gender, age or socio-economic status. ONLF members, like the region, is made up of different ethnic groups from all walks of life”. This is the contradiction that is of the ONLF and its cult-like followers. Breaking and dismissing the bond that holds together the region’s inhabitants over a relatively new clan terminology”Ogadenia” but insisting it represents all of us.

I also critised in my article, the brutality of the ONLF in the region, especially against people opposed to the organization, and the inability of the leadership to rain on their young foot soldiers operating in the region. Everyone from the region doesn’t need to be told about the ruthlessness and brutality of the ONLF against our civilian population who simply do not share their goals and objectives for the region. I don’t want to insinuate you with Hibaq’ unfortunate but understandable brain washed beliefs, but here are some more “… Holding the ONLF accountable is as preposterous as holding the police accountable for every murder and rape that takes place in the United States.” What I see in this young lady’s reasoning is the frantic, deliberate scurrying of clannish rats confusing our young people with “antagonism of opinion and free reasoning”, the ability of our young people to explore different perspectives and the integrity to think independently. For the sake of this discussion, here is my more contradiction and the reasoning of a confused young mind “..Those of us who have not been infected with qabillness (qabilism) realize the name of the region is nothing more than the name of the region. There is nothing discriminatory or unjust about it. The Somali population living in the region has more pressing issues to worry about; making the name inconsequential. You are obviously intimidated by the Ogaden tribe, many are, and putting yourself respect on the line is not going to change the name of the region. How can we dispute the name of a country we do not own yet? The name will come under deliberation once we become a sovereign and independent nation.”  My fellow Somalis, how can we expect our young people to be leaders when we are confusing them to this extent. This is the reason why I believe the ONLF is the biggest current and future threat to the Somali speaking people of Ethiopia. The ONLF threat I see is one that goes and destroys the essence of our identity, our bond, our fabric, our being as Somaligalbeed Somalis. The ONLF is breeding in our region a very dangerous strain of the clan virus that has the potential to unleash a very destructive element in the region.

ONLF is a group-inspired, clan ideological epidemic that thrives behind the mask of freedom fighting organization. ONLF is also a cult in my opinion. Placing the interest of few power hungry individuals ahead of human life is a defining characteristic of cults. In practice this means that individuals are expendable. Thus we casually accept the conscience-numbing daily news of death and dismemberment by ONLF of our citizens, bloody mixture of civilian deaths, Somali state civil servants deaths, regional educators, health workers and NGOs employees. Similarly, economic "interests are destroyed and development work are shelved or on a standstill because of the ONLF. And a narrow defined clannish political ambition and ideology supersede the individual. In my view, the ONLF mission and vision is nothing more than a Clan driven, backward looking ideology that has grown into and perpetuates to what amounts to a fanatical clannish political predator with fundamentalist clannish fangs and moneyed, powerful, manipulative individuals that are milking their organizations in a variety of ways. These powerful individuals have corrupted innocent less sophisticated Ogaden clan members and our young people. They have deformed an already dysfunctional clan worshipping society with their never ending clan slogans and outrageous propaganda lies about an unattainable “clan state”.

With characteristic clannish cult missionizing, Mohamed Omar and his inner circle, a clan hawkish group, blinded by their pursuit of “clan state”, are indulging in a dangerous, clan lethal groupthink, which are outmoded, medieval, brutal and destructive clannish behaviors. Today, fanatical groups, organizations and individuals, wearing their clan badge, but disguising themselves with predictable popular slogans, are wreaking death and destruction across the Somali society. Aided by technology, the clan fanaticism is everywhere. In the ONLF, we have a Tyrannosaurus organization, a destructive cult and group dynamics that reinforce and spread “clan state” beliefs and ideology, that will be far more devastating than any plague in the Somali region. Few of this destructive organization’s members or supporters want to pause and look at the face of this marauding beast because it’s clannishly incorrect to challenge or critique its direction, and its clannish ideologies.

ONLF is using clan slogans to rally popular support, and to recruit new followers, new meat for the ideological slaughter house. An outside enemy also serves an important psychological function; we are saved from looking honestly at our own shortcomings and failures, which then enables us to project all of our problems onto the "enemy" who is then responsible for all our problems, and to keep what is really happening under wraps, usually in the name of clan interests. Behind this black curtain which the ONLF hides behind is designed to keep us blissfully ignorant of the real intent, the true motives and, in particular, the power structures that shape and control the ONLFs real agenda.

Education about the danger of destructive group dynamics such as the ONLF and similar Somali organizations that are sprouting everywhere in our society needs to be a number one priority for all of us. The Somali people must come to grips with clannish groups, political or ideological, that teach others to hate, kill in the name of their clan ideology or in whatever name to reach their short and long term political agenda. The ONLF and other extreme groups indoctrination and brainwashing of our young people needs to be understood as a deadly group dynamic that must no longer be tolerated in the Somali society or the current insanity and suffering will be nothing compared to what these groups are capable to bring upon us in the future.

Abdishakur Garad
E-mail: [email protected]>