http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cg ... t=bildhaan
brief excerts
“I am a Somali.” Unsatisfied by the answer, Fitzpatrick
inquired about his birthplace, to which Abdirazak replied Galkayo.
Fitzpatrick smiled and then added that he was unlucky to be from
Galkayo and to work under him. Abdirazak retorted that they would
have no problem since he intended to do his work. Fitzpatrick
expressed doubt since, in his experience, Somalis from Galkayo were
hardheaded."
Once Fitzpatrick settled
into his chair, Abdirazak took the morning mail to him without taking
his shoes off. The Captain’s reaction was predictable. He demanded to
know why Abdirazak entered the office with shoes and broke the rule.
When Abdirazak replied, in Italian, that no such government regulation
existed, Fitzpatrick asked if he was deliberately defying his superior’s
instruction. Abdirazak responded that all government
regulations were printed and he had no intention of disobeying legitimate
orders. Fitzpatrick became more furious, left his chair, and
punched his subordinate in the face. Abdirazak fought back and outmaneuvered
him as the two fell and wrestled on the floor. Fitzpatrick
called for help and Ardoon came running. He was ordered to take
Abdirazak to the jailhouse, run by one Mohamoud Mireh, who later
became a member of Siyaad Barre’s military regime in Somalia. Abdirazak
was brought to the Commissioner’s office later that day and
instructed to take his shoes off. When he refused to do so, he spent the
rest of the day in the jailhouse.
It was during those hours in prison that Abdirazak decided to try to
physically eliminate this “colonialist.” As a good Moslem, he convinced
himself that he would go to heaven if he undertook such a
righteous act. Accordingly, he went to the local blacksmith to order a
dagger.
On his way to his assignment in Iskushuban, Abdirazak spent some
time in Boosaaso and helped establish a SYL branch.Later that year,
Abdirashid and Abdirazak opened the SYL branch in Iskushuban and
other villages in the region.
Since it was SYL policy not to take acts of revenge
against Somali attackers but rather to target their Italian bosses, a small
and armed group, including Abdirazak, decided to confront the Italian
mayor of Mogadishu. Fifty-three Italians were killed and the Governor,
upon hearing about the mayhem in town, speedily left his office
and took refuge in the Catholic Church.
The military police and
two other uniformed Italians physically assaulted him repeatedly. He
was later taken to a prison cell where others were kept. Soon, the others
were removed and he became the sole occupant of the cell. The
senior Somali prison warden was a pro-Italian man from Mogadishu,
an inspector named Daud Abdilla Hersi.Abdirazak did not realize that he was spitting blood as a result of
the beating until the following morning. He then came down with a
fever and could not eat the meager prison rations provided. No one
checked on his condition until the fourth day, when a Somali prison
inspector opened the cell door. He was shocked and asked why there
was so much blood in the cell. He immediately went to the D.C.’s
office and reported that the man in that cell was dying. The two came
together and the D.C. asked Abdirazak what happened, but he did not
respond. The Somali inspector then went to the Governor and told him
about Abdirazak’s condition. Disturbed by what he saw, the Governor
called his staff, including the D.C., and inquired about what had happened.
Everyone pretended that they did not know. An ambulance
took Abdirazak to the hospital.
