DDHK News - Somalia's Al-Shabab group prohibits non-Muslim men and women from shaking hands, chatting or walking together in public. Those who violate these rules can be jailed, flogged, or even executed.
The group, which is fighting for power in Somalia, has also banned women from working in public, including selling tea or vegetables in markets.
“This is a terrible rule. I feel like I am in detention… I have started to ignore greetings from women to avoid punishment, ”said Hussein Ali, a resident of the city of Jowhar, southern Somalia.
A similar edict was enacted in the city of Elasha.
Armed groups search for buses to search for women who are improperly dressed or traveling alone. One student, Hamdi Osman, in Elasha, admitted to having been beaten for wearing traditional Somali clothes, not the shapeless black long robe preferred by the Sl-Shabab group.
The Islamist group's insistence on women wearing long robes forces many women to stay at home because they cannot afford new clothes.
Al-Shabab controls most of southern and central Somalia. They continue to try to overthrow the UN-backed government.
Analysts believe that many Somalis do not support Al-Shabab because they often provide harsh punishments, various restrictions, and often kidnap children to be used as fighters.
In Jowhar, Al-Shabab requires men to wear beards, shave their mustaches, and prohibits entertainment (cinema, music).
"The last time I listened to a song or music, it was two years ago, before they ruled my village," said Bile Hassan. (Mel / CTVNews). *
