Hiiraan Online (in Somali)

A demonstration attended by a large number of people, most of them supporters of the United Mogadishu Islamic Courts, was today held in Tarabuunka square, Mogadishu. The demonstration, which was organized by a group called the Revolutionary Council for the Defense of Islam and the Country, was staged after the Friday prayers. The gathering was addressed by prominent religious leaders in Mogadishu.

Addressing the demonstrators, Umbrella Somali Ulama Council Deputy Chairman Shaykh Nur Barud Gurhan called on the US Government to stop financing the fight against Islam.

Also speaking was Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmed, the chairman of the United Mogadishu Islamic Courts, who said that the demonstrators gathered in Tarabuunka grounds were ready to defend their religion and confront their enemies. Shaykh Sharif accused the faction chiefs who created an antiterror alliance of being terrorists themselves. He said they [faction chiefs] always brought into Somalia Americans, Israelis, and Ethiopians.

Also addressing the demonstration was Ahmed Muhammad Abdulle, the chairman of the Revolutionary Council for the Defense of Islam and the Country. He said they would die for Islam, a religion that was above all other religions of the world.

Today’s demonstration in Tarabuunka square brought vehicular traffic using nearby roads to a standstill. The roads were blocked to ensure the safety of the protesters.