What has three sides and is filled with tasty meat? If you guessed the Trinity, you’re close — actually it’s a samosa. It’s the latest ridiculous crackdown by Islamic militants in Somalia. Yes, the hard-core followers of Mohammed believe that eating a samosa is tantamount to converting to Christianity. Why? Because, in their reasoning, samosas have three sides and they just might — might — remind someone of the Trinity.
I’m reminded of my 27th birthday when my friend Chegge and I traveled from Nakuru to Marigat. In Marigat, there was a small restaurant called “Cafe Arafat” which sold samosas for 10 shillings each. We had gone there specifically to eat samosas. We called it our “Samosa Derby”. We were each armed with 100 shillings and that proved more than enough for us for the day. We ate samosas to our fill and traveled back to Nakuru, bursting at the seams. Ironically, never once that day did we even think or talk about the Trinity!
This ban is ridiculous on so many levels. First, does that mean that triangles have also been banned? How about the number 3? What about other shapes, like the square? After all, God is not a square….or is He? Second, this is ridiculous because, by all reports, Somalia is in the grips of a famine. Instead of telling people what foods are allowed, how about actually telling people where they can find food? The whole ban reeks of a desperate move by a group desperately trying to hold onto a semblance of power.
It’s a sad situation and it’s only more sad when lunatics like al-Shabaab in are in control.
