Somalia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Sheikh Mukhtaar Roobow Ali (Abu Mansur), has issued a strong warning over what he described as “alarming levels of immorality” spreading in Mogadishu, claiming that foreign governments may be covertly encouraging the trend.
Speaking at a public event, Minister Roobow said that certain behaviors and cultural influences currently visible in the capital are “unacceptable and unprecedented.” He suggested that external actors could be deliberately pushing these practices into Somali society.
“Serious moral corruption is taking root in Mogadishu—things we never used to see before. It may be that foreign states are behind this,” the minister declared.
The remarks come at a time when Somali society is grappling with cultural shifts fueled by globalization, social media, and exposure to foreign entertainment. Roobow’s comments tap into widespread anxieties among traditional and religious leaders who fear a breakdown of Islamic values in the face of imported lifestyles.
The minister called on Somali parents, clerics, and government institutions to unite in “safeguarding the moral fabric of society” and protecting Islamic values. He also announced that the Ministry of Religious Affairs will launch new awareness campaigns aimed at countering behaviors considered harmful or un-Islamic.
Sheikh Mukhtaar Roobow, once a senior leader of the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab before defecting in 2017, has since reinvented himself as a government official. His outspoken approach to issues of religion and morality has often stirred debate in Somali politics, where questions of culture, faith, and foreign influence are deeply contested.
Roobow’s accusations against unnamed foreign governments reflect a broader narrative in Somalia: that outside powers not only shape politics and security but also influence cultural life. Whether his ministry’s campaigns can meaningfully slow these shifts, however, remains to be seen in a city as fast-changing and connected as Mogadishu.