My dear brother Abdulkadir Yahya,
On your behalf, I would like to thank each and everyone, national and international, for their prayers, condolences, support and sympathy.
I especially want to show my respect and admiration for those Somalians who have put your loss above our immediate family bereavement and considered your death as a national loss and who have seen you as a man of peace for all of Somalia .
My compatriots, I sincerely THANK you again, speaking for the family of Abdulkadir Yahya, for the warm Somalian feeling you have extended to us in these difficult times. I am proud to be one of you.
My brother, I remember that, when I left the country in 1990, I advised you to also leave the country for security reasons. Abdulkadir, your reaction then was, “ I was born in the most beautiful country of the world and I pray that, when my time has come, I will be allowed to die there”. My brother, your prayer has been answered and you have died in our beloved country.
However, the timing and the way you have been killed raises a lot of questions and brings up different emotions (baffled, disappointed, who is behind the murder? what is the motive?). There are a lot of speculations on who is behind your murder and why, but I don't want to pay too much attention to that. Fortunately, our family is not intent upon revenge or hatred or on more bloodshed. I am positive, Abdulkadir, that you would not have wanted that either. It would go against all your work towards reconciliation and peace.
Yet, I would like to pose a few questions, like you would have done. How is it possible that people can be shot dead, just like that, in our country and especially in Mogadishu ? How is it that nobody will or can prosecute the perpetrators? How long do we have to be bystanders? Where are the saviors of our country? These questions and many more must be answered by the Somalians themselves. Why? Because there is no other alternative than to pursue the search for the solution to this long and senseless war that already has claimed so many precious lives.
Finding the answers to these questions depends on the willingness of all Somalians, particularly the wise, the elders, the spiritual leaders, the mothers, the intellectuals, the young, truly everybody, to strive for collectivity, solidarity, perseverance, confidence, faith and the readiness to take action. The more I think about your murder and the current situation in our country, the more questions arise.
During your recent visit to Geneva , Switzerland , to undergo heart surgery, I asked you again to take things a bit easier and to stay abroad for a while. Your answer was that our people needed you badly, especially at that time. Consequently, you said that peace in Somalia was within reach. You dreamed of a country where people are not separated by their tribe or by the region they come from. But you foresaw a country where the people, be it Reer-Qurac, Reer-Qansax, Reer-Garas, Reer magaal, Reer baaddiye, Xoolaleey, Beeraleey, Kalluumaysato, Taajir iyo faqiir, can live together as valuable citizens of one nation. A country where there is respect for the life of every individual.
When your dream is shared by many it will no longer be just a dream but it will become ( Insha-Allaah ) the beginning of a reality of beautiful people in a beautiful country.
Finally, let me promise you three things:
• Your dear children will grow up in the loving care of their mothers ,all your brothers and all Somali piece loving people and they will get to know you well.
• The torch of peace that you have carried for so long will not remain untouched for long. I and hopefully many others will take it up again. I will follow in your footsteps and carry your message of peace until our country is delivered from this darkness.
• I will cherish your memory.
The past 15 years we have said goodbye to each other at various airports all over the world. It was our ritual to embrace each other. Today you are no longer physically present. That hurts, my legendary brother SHARAFLE. I will miss your wisdom, your courage and your enthusiasm. I will pray for you, Abdulkadir, that you will have a long and peaceful journey in the hands of the merciful Allah,
Aamiin.
The end is endless.
I will always love you.
Farewell,
Your younger brother
Ali Yahya
Rotterdam ,
Holland
