Deconstructing Al-Shabaab: Farah’s critique of Islamic Militancy

Abstract

Somalia has been the issue of both local and international debates since colonization, but has recently become the symbol of Islamic fundamentalist activities in the region. This ongoing conflict in Somalia, with the invasion of Ethiopia and the intervention of international forces, has led the corruption and misuse of the area by traditional clan elders and armed clan militia. The ‘statelessness’ of Somalia is the result of this inconvenience, so the region has become indefensible to different kinds of dilemmas. This paper argues the influence of Somali crisis on both local and diasporic Somalians, through the narrative of Nuruddin Farah. In his latest work Crossbones, Farah points out the superficiality of Somali piracy, digs out the real causes behind the apparent scene, and adds “religionists’ militancy” to the picture.