(SomaliNet) The ousted Islamic Courts Union has for the first time sent an audiotape message calling on all Somali Muslim people to carry weapons to liberate the motherland (Somalia) from what they called ‘Ethiopian colony and its puppets’. No date was mentioned on the tape but it looked to be issued recently. 30 minute audiotape purportedly from the Islamists in Somalia warned the people of Somalia against the occupation of what they called infidels that made the country back to colony era. Copies of the new tape were given away to local and international media.
| The tape contained the voice of Aden Hashi Ayrow, a senior Islamist commander known as ‘Teacher Aden’ asserting that Somalia is a muslim country and has fallen into ‘crusaders’ and enemy of Somali people. |
Hashi Ayrow, who was not known to deliver speech, said in his tape that Somalis would never accept the occupation of the Ethiopian forces in the country and will continue the insurgence attacks till their death. He said that he is still alive denying US claims that he was killed in air strike on the southern tip of Somalia two months ago. He did not revealed his whereabouts in Somalia on the tape. “Despite I don’t like to speak through the media, I could not stand with the harassments being subjected to the Somalis by their enemy... it goes without saying that Somalis were troubled for their Islamist belief... look every corner in world, you can find Muslims being offended and occupied by the crusaders. The Ethiopian invasion in Somalia is part of the problems on Muslims in the world,” Hashi Ayrow said reciting some verses of the holy Koran indicating that infidels would never be pleasant of Muslims until you follow them.
| The Islamists accused the Ethiopian government of being responsible for the total destruction of Somalia dividing Somalis into opposing clans and blocking all roads to developments. |
It was the first audiotape sent by the Islamists since they were ousted from the capital late December 2006 by the Ethiopian backed interim government forces.