Somalia: Suicide bomber’s father calls his son scapegoat

Mogadishu Thursday 10 December 2009 SMC


On the 3rd of December 2009 a suicide bomber has detonated explosive devices which were wrapped in his pelvis girdle inside a hall in Shamo hotel where new medical graduate were obtaining their degree.

In the blast more than 25 people were killed including 3 cabinet Ministers, tutors of the graduating students, journalists, parents and other participants.

It was not immediately easy to detect who the suicide bomber was, but after thorough investigations were done it was eventually proved that the suicide bomber was a man called Abdurrahman aged 26 years old from the suburbs of the Danish capital Copenhagen.

Abdurrahman had been living in Denmark for a quite long time of period, and has been a very frank teen that used to be part of his male buddies, and used to go out during the night hours to nightclubs with his friends.

After sometimes Abdurrahman has abstain all the ill behaviours of going to clubs, dancing with women and several other things which are taboo in both the Islamic Sharia law and the Somali culture, Abdurrahman has gradually started isolating himself from the rest of his friends which they used to play football together.

In the mid of June 2008 Abdurrahman has decided to go back to Somalia where he has previously arrived from, before touching the Danish soil.

Before taking off to Somalia deceased Abdurrahman has informed his biological father Hassan Hajji that he wants to go back to Somalia, and his father had no any other option, and wished safe journey for his son.

Abdurrahman has eventually reached at the coastal town of Marka in Somalia which is some 110km from the capital Mogadishu, and used to communicate frequently with his father Hassan Hajji in Denmark during his days in Somalia.

“First and foremost I pray for the deceased Somali people who were the light of the nation who have passed away in the suicide attack of Thursday the 3rd of December 2009, secondly I am clearly and loudly saying that my son is a scapegoat, and I don’t think that he will carry such evil act, in his last phone call with me he told me that he is unable to endure with the situation of Somalia, and is willing to departure to Cairo, soon after his pregnant wife in Marka delivers, and I told him that that sounds good, my son came to Mogadishu and left his wife in Marka, to do for her shopping before she delivers, and my son Abdurrahman in Mogadishu met with a friend of his who was among the medical graduating students, and invited him to attend at the graduation ceremony which was to take place in Shamo hotel one of the most deluxe hotels in Mogadishu, and my son has joined his friend without expressing any hesitation, and the two friends were sited shoulder to shoulder, enjoying the momentous event taking in the well decorated hall, wobbling with distinguished guests who were watching the lightening faces of the graduating students in their black gown with the yellow strips, and allover sudden there was an earsplitting blast which has claimed the lives of more than 25 people, and among them was my son Abdurrahman and he was considered as the man who has carried out the act of suicide because he was the only person who was unable to be identified by the people in the hall, since his friend who has invited him in the graduation ceremony has passed away” said perished Abdurrahman’s father speaking to Somaliweyn Website.

This suicide bomb remains in the brains of the Somali people, and they have staged several demonstrations against the attack in some big towns in the world.

Likewise the international community has condemned the attack, and called it evil and barbaric act.