By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Police in Somalia have launched a campaign on mass seizure of Islamic face veils, known as niqabs from female residents, the city’s police chief says.
Warsame Ahmed Gelle told newsmen that authorities have been conducting operations to “fight” the veils, over fear that jihadists could conceal their identity and carry out attacks.
Heritage Times HT recalls that large parts of southern and central Somalia are controlled by al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda.
The armed group has waged a brutal insurgency for nearly 20 years against the government in Somalia backed by the United States.
Several persons were on Friday killed at a popular beachfront location in Mogadishu, the nation’s capital.
Officers in Kismayo have been confiscating the veils by stopping women in the streets and forcing them to remove the garment.
The operation began last Wednesday, Wasame said.
Women caught wearing the niqab, which covers the whole face expect for the eyes, also face jail or a fine.
Because al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia,
Kismayo and its surrounding areas are the only places in the state of Jubaland where security forces can enforce the ban as al-Shabab controls a larger part of southern Somalia.
The state initially introduced the niqab ban in 2013, citing security risks, but witnessed weak enforcement.
The police said at least 37 people were killed during Friday’s beachfront attack and several more were wounded.
Al-Shabab, who claimed responsibility for the attack, said the death toll and injuries are much higher than figures released by the police.
The Somali military recently killed dozens of jihadist fighters in Jubaland so reprisal attacks are a possibility.
Niqabs are seen as a sign of modesty in Islam – a religion which, according to government statistics, is practised by 99% of Somalia’s population.
