Idilinaa
VIP
There’s literally no credible evidence that he was an atheist, hated Islam, or was a drinker. These accusations are often repeated without proof and seem more like politically motivated slander than fact.
In contrast, there is evidence showing that figures like Egal, Abdullahi Yusuf, and Aidiid were heavy drinkers. Ironically, many of these same individuals openly branded themselves as secularists and deliberately distanced their politics from Islam. Some even sought alliances with actors known for their hostility toward Islam and Muslims, just to gain external backing.
As for the sheikhs who were executed they were put on trial, and many were found to lack even basic Islamic knowledge. One wasn't Somali and another was Ethiopian. The group itself was reportedly organized abroad and had political motivations. Their public incitement, including using the inheritance law issue as a pretext, pointed to a broader agenda that went beyond simple religious disagreement.
That said, I do agree that the government’s decision to execute them was a mistake. It gave people an emotional symbol to rally around later and allowed the incident to be used as long term propaganda against the state.
That’s a politically motivated smear rooted in Abdullahi Yusuf’s self-serving and often dishonest narrative. His memoir is far from an objective historical record , it reads like a propaganda piece tailored to absolve himself and deflect blame onto others. It's hard to take claims like this seriously when there’s no corroborating evidence from neutral or credible sources. If such an extreme statement and public policy like declaring “Majerteen are the enemy of the revolution” had actually been made in Gaalkacyo a Majeerteen stronghold there would be far more reporting, testimonies, or documentation from others.
Let’s also not forget Abdullahi Yusuf’s own record. He was a known schemer who openly admitted to misleading foreign governments to gain support for his ambitions. In a Kenyan interview, he bragged about lying to Kenyan authorities about Somalia to get backing and claimed credit for helping Ethiopia rebound militarily in 1978 after Somalia’s Ogaden campaign basically admitting to betraying his country in favor of a historic enemy:
This is someone who spent decades trying to whitewash his role in Somalia’s instability while painting others as villains. He had every incentive to exaggerate or fabricate accusations, especially against the Kacaan regime, which he opposed and fought militarily.
If you really want to understand what happened, look for accounts that aren’t rooted in personal grudges or revisionist politics. The truth is always more complex than what one disgraced political actor claims in a self-promoting memoir.
You can read this thread yourself it outlines how Abdullahi Yusuf lived one of the most disgraceful political lives in Somali history, marked by deception, betrayal, and opportunism:
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