Rivals in Governance

This chapter discusses what Al-Shabaab delivers in the areas it controls. It focuses on three main sectors: preaching and education, organizing civil society, and justice. Al-Shabaab uses religion to enhance its legitimacy and as a means of social control. The group promotes religious education in Quranic schools, and exalts dogmatism and righteousness, which undermines tolerance and open-mindedness. On taking control of a community, Al-Shabaab will declare that Sharia, rather than xeer, will be applied. It therefore tends to disempower elders, while sometimes promoting and manipulating the role of other groups such as women, teenagers, and traders. The group enforces harsh rules of behaviour, but they are predictable. It also establishes courts that are generally considered to be non-corrupt and whose judgements are enforced.