Somali Adulterer Stoned To Death

Nov. 12, 2009 - PRLog -- In a nation that has not had a working national government for 18 years, Islamists in southern Somalia have stoned a man to death for adultery. His pregnant girlfriend was spared until such time as she gives birth.

Aged 33, Abas Hussein Abdirahman was assassinated in front of a crowd of around 300 people, in the port town of Merka. This is the third time Islamists in the past year, have stoned a person to death for adultery.

An officer from the al-Shabab group said the woman would be killed after she has had her baby. Her baby will be given out to relatives to bring up.

Islamist groups run a large amount of southern Somalia, while the UN-backed government only controls parts of the capital.

Al-Shabab official, Sheikh Suldan Aala Mohamed, revealed Mr Abdirahman confessed to adultery before an Islamic court.

President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has blamed al-Shabab of spoiling the image of Islam by killing people and harassing women.

The moderate Islamist, Mogadishu, said during a ceremony at which he nominated a new administration for the capital, "Their actions have nothing to do with Islam. They are forcing women to wear very heavy clothes, saying they want them to properly cover their bodies but we know they have economic interests behind - they sell these kinds of clothes and want to force people to buy them."

Two men were stoned to death last month in the same town, after being blamed for spying.

Last year, a 13-year-old girl was stoned to death for adultery in the southern town of Kismayo. Human rights groups confirm she had been raped.

Another man has also been punished in this way in the Lower Shabelle region.
In January, Mr Sharif, a former rebel leader, was sworn in as president after UN-brokered peace talks.
Yet he affirms he also wants to implement Sharia, but says his version of Islamic law would be too lenient.

Since the early 1990’s the pirates of Somalia have been a menace to international shipping. According to Kenyan foreign minister, Somali pirates have granted over US$150 million during the 12 months prior to November 2008.

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