Remembering the Atrocities
It’s a beautiful day with lots of hopes and uncertainties but certainly the sun rose with a new promises just as would expect in Somalia. We met, planned and looked ahead each passing day not knowing what will happen next or the future holds for us. We went through so much in life experiencing many hurts and heartbreaks but learned to push forward and looked ahead for better days, all for hopes and nothing guaranteed. One thing life never taught us or prepared anyone of us is how to deal and process the loss of a loved one. How do we learn to push through or fill the void left. As Muslims, we must have a sabr(endurance) but accept the pain, the numbness and hurt will always be there. They say time heals all wound, so am wondering, can this wound ever heal?.
Memories of certain dates are important to many people to remember and 14th October 2017 is a date that will be remembered by many, not for happy reason but for the senseless bloodshed of the day. Many were lost including mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends and colleagues. Children were left orphans and countless families in grievance. Each and every one of us lost a loved and Somalia lost a lot of aspiring young minds and thus the future of Somalia was robbed. It’s been a year since this national disaster but feels like it’s yesterday.
Just like any other days, friends and families are discussing what life would mean if Somalia was a whole and peaceful again – a place where no tribe/clan or the so called Al-shabab terror don’t exist or have no influence.
That faithful day, I said my goodbye to a friend and a brother to pick up our discussion for later – little did I know tomorrow belongs to no man and nothing was left for living. How could I predict that our later will never come and for him to be gone in that blast. It was indeed the darkest day of our life.
Mohamud Hassan Elmi also known as Obama – he was a son, brother, a husband, father and to many of us – he was friend, colleague and a mentor. He was the kind of person who lights up a room when he walks in, and challenges any norms if it wasn’t right. Family doesn’t necessary mean by who you share blood with. Obama was not only a friend and a confidant but a brother to me. I know I lost a brother that day but he was much more to many others.
He never shied away from arguments, always in the front line to help if anyone was in need. He was someone you could count on regardless of the issue or matter. It’s a huge misfortune that lost such a great man who would have been a great force of change in Somalia but Allah knows best – we belong to Allah and we shall return to him. May Allah grant jannatul firdaus to all of the deceased and give sabra and strength to their families.
As we remember the people we lost on this day a year ago, let’s not remember today as a dark day but reckoning, a wakeup call to what is holding us back, killing our future, leaving our children orphan, and fight to liberate ourselves from the shackles of ignorance. The enemy is within us and comes in different forms. Only when we stand together as one can we make a difference.
Change starts with you and me.
# Shuhadadii14October
Mohamed Hassan