The Law of False Pride: Addressing the Political Turmoil in Somalia

By Abdirazak Takar, PhD

Somalia has once again entered a dangerous and sensitive political phase. Disputes are intensifying over the constitution, electoral processes, the relationship between the federal government and regional states, and the overall direction of state-building in the country. For a nation that has sacrificed so much simply to arrive at this point, the gravity of the current moment cannot be overstated.

While political disagreements are an inherent feature of any democratic system, particular concern arises when those in positions of leadership systematically disregard counsel and warnings offered in good faith by fellow political stakeholders, civil society, and the broader national community. In the Islamic tradition of governance, the obligation of a ruler to engage in Shuura , consultative deliberation with those he leads, is not merely a political courtesy. It is a moral and religious duty. To abandon that duty is to begin the journey toward a leadership that has lost its legitimacy in the deepest sense.

There is a principle, old and well evidenced, known as the Law of False Pride. It describes the condition of a leader or institution that becomes so persuaded of its own authority and indispensability that it ceases to listen, ceases to consult, and ultimately ceases to govern in any meaningful sense of the word. The Quran itself warns against the arrogance of those entrusted with authority, reminding us that power is a trust, an Amaanah, not a possession.