Mahmoud Jama Ahmed-Hamdi, a lecturer at the University of Hargeisa, was imprisoned for blasphemy and faced serious death threats after suggesting on Facebook that prayers would not solve droughts.
authoring books on Somalian politics, political Islam, and education; producing and hosting a political TV show
Mahmoud Jama Ahmed-Hamdi is a former Somalian university professor, talk show host, and political, civic, and educational activist. He has long argued that Somalia should rely less on scripture and more on reason in meeting its societal challenges. This is the exact argument he made in a March 2019 Facebook post, in which he criticized the common practice of attempting to dispel drought with prayer in Somalia. He argued this was not a serious means of responding to such crises and that science, rather than religion, should be the guiding principle in public and political life.
“The advanced countries, those we are considering [to be] unbelievers and [claiming] God hates them, live in prosperity even if God hates them. It means that they overcame God by knowledge and using reason. So, we should learn and base our life on reason and knowledge, not on Myths.” - Mahmoud Jama Ahmed
Almost immediately, this post went viral as angry fundamentalists accused Mahmoud of blasphemy. Soon after, he was arrested for blasphemy by Somaliland authorities, by his claim “without the court’s permission.” He also claims to have been subject to abuse and threats of execution while in detention. After more than a month in jail, he was finally sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment for his comments. An appeal was filed and denied.
In January 2020, Mahmoud was granted “conditional amnesty.” In other words, he was released from prison, but he was placed under surveillance with heavy restrictions on his freedom of action and expression. Upon this release, he took to hiding, remaining in his home out of fear for his life. He became subject to regular death threats, including a local imam who publicly called for his death. He has been accused of apostasy, despite identifying as a secular Muslim, and remains in danger.
Somali Atheists, Finding That "Islam is Untouchable," Help Victims Move Abroad - Patheos Friendly Atheist
Protect Mahmoud, the Somali professor accused of blasphemy for a Facebook post - Humanists International
Individual Briefing: Mahmoud Jama Ahmed - Humanists International
Somalia’s recent history has been riddled with violent conflict, and much of its territory remains under the control of the militant Islamist organization al-Shabaab. Additionally, the northwestern part of the nation, Somaliland, is controlled by a separate government which is generally not internationally recognized, and it is governed by the same penal code and a similar constitution as Somalia. In Somalia proper, Islam is the state religion, and blasphemy is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and fines. There is no separate punishment for apostasy, but the constitution notes that no laws may be enacted which contradict Islamic religious law. Publicized prosecutions for blasphemy are rare, probably owing to the fragile political situation and consequent difficulty of international access to information about local and regional goings-on, but at least one has taken place in Somaliland, and al-Shabaab authorities may impose capital punishment for blasphemy and apostasy.