On May 14, 2026, Shahada News Agency, the official Arabic outlet of Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab) published on its website a summary of a new video produced by the group’s media arm, Al-Kati’ab. The release is part of documentary series that advances claims about alleged longstanding foreign religious and cultural influence in Somalia.[1]
The production, titled “Wa Waddu Law Takfurun” a Quranic reference in Somali meaning “They wish that you disbelieve”, serves the group’s broader media strategy aimed at shaping public narratives around Somali history, identity, and foreign involvement.
As of this writing, the release has not been disseminated on the group’s official platforms.
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Describing the documentary series, Shahada said it is produced in the Somali language, and examines the “hidden and deeply rooted role” played by Christian missionary institutions in Somalia. It traces this claim historically from the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference—where European colonial powers divided parts of Africa—to present day.
The first episode, released on May 13, presents a narrative suggesting that religious institutions have been intertwined with colonial-era activities and later developments in Somali political and social structures.
It focuses on historical accounts of missionary activity in Somalia, including in cities such as Mogadishu, Merca, and other regions. It also highlights education systems established during colonial rule, alleging that they played a role in shaping elites and administrative structures after the country became independent.
The documentary relies heavily on interviews, anecdotal accounts, and historical references, alongside commentary from individuals associated with Al‑Shabab. Among those featured are senior Somali citizens recounting experiences from their youth, as well as figures aligned with the group who interpret these experiences within a broader political and ideological framework.
One such speaker, described as among the “most prominent characters who appeared in the film, was Dr. Ibrahim Adam Farah, a man over 100 years old,” who spoke about his early experience within church institutions, explaining that he was one of a large number of children who were educated and raised by churches, before Allah saved him from falling into the trap of Christianization.
The episode also included the testimony of Hussein Mahina Hussein, a native of southern Somalia who received a church education as a child. He recalled the atmosphere of Christian religious celebrations he participated in at the age of nine or ten, describing the rituals supervised by the priests and the roles that children played in those ceremonies.
According to Shahada, the episode also featured the appearance of Sheikh Hassan Yacoub, an Al-Shabab official, who spoke at length about the goals that churches seek to achieve inside Somalia, arguing that the issue is not just limited to religious activity, but an integrated project aimed at reshaping the identity of Somali society, religiously and culturally.
“One of the production’s striking angles is its reference to the presence of Somali figures who view their experience within church institutions positively, including Hussein Mohamed Farah Aideed, which the documentary uses to highlight the extent of the influence that the churches have been able to establish within some elites and public figures,” reported Shahada.
The documentary goes further, posing the idea that churches engaged not only missionary or educational activity, but also played a pivotal role in shaping the political and administrative structure of the Somali state after independence, by training figures who received their education within those institutions, and who were later pushed to the forefront of the political and administrative scene.
One of the most “sensitive issues raised by the documentary”, according to Shahada, is its depiction of “the attempts to revive churches that were destroyed in previous stages”, blaming Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of “creating the necessary political and administrative climate for the return of such activity.”
The video also traces the work of a number of Christian pastors inside Somalia, including “Pastor Andrew Little,” who works inside the “Helni” camp in Mogadishu. It quotes an alleged speech he made describing his stay in Somalia for about five years, and his visits to several cities, including Berbera, Basaso and Kismayo, expressing his joy at meeting other priests at a church located in the vicinity of the camp.
Shahad ended by noting that the episode concludes “with introductory hints that the upcoming episodes will touch on more sensitive and complex cases, in a series that seems likely to spark a broad debate within Somalia, given the nature of the issues it addresses and the volume of questions it raises about the relationship between religion, politics and foreign influence in the country.”