THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN SOMALIA

So, I was invited to a panel discussion held at George Mason University on the current state of affairs in Somalia. The discussion was chaired by Professor Wallace Warfield of ICAR (Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution). The participants were faculty members and invited guests: Professor James Price (research), Mr. Hussein Yusuf (PhD student), Professor Terrence Lyons (faculty) and Mr. Mahdi Abdi from East African Policy Institute.

Professor James Price expounded on the conflict between religion and politics and the sacrilization to overcome and the secularization to be resisted by religious fanatics. It took a long time to resolve these issues in the United States; he said and will take even longer in the case of Somalia. The example he used of Jean Piaget's description of the preoperational stage children go through, lead him to conclude that religious fanatics do not have the mental actions that obey logical rules. Instead, their thinking is rigid, limited to one aspect of a situation at a time and tied to their own religious beliefs, without regard to the feelings of others.

Professor Terrence Lyons described the horrific violence going on in Mogadishu that had appeared somewhat calmer after the Ethiopian intervention was over. He went on to describe the rise of Al Shabab and the significant assistance that it is receiving from Eritrea and other countries (Saudi Arabia?). He did not mince words to accurately point out that, if Al Shabab were to control Mogadishu, Ethiopia will be there the following morning! ..more..http://www.waltainfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10443&Itemid=82