Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — Today, Edna Adan Ismail, the recipient of the 2023 Templeton Prize, was scheduled to deliver a presentation at the University of New England. However, the University of New England removed the event listing from Google without issuing a statement regarding the planned event.
Edna has faced allegations of supporting the 2023 shelling of Laascaanood by Somaliland forces. She was quoted as saying, “If Laascaanood gets razed to the ground, we will rebuild a more beautiful Laascaanood than the present-day one.”
If the news of the cancellation is confirmed, it may signal repercussions for the impunity surrounding inflammatory statements made by Somali politicians. Somaliland forces shelled houses, health centres, and schools in Laascaanood, forcing over 300,000 individuals to flee the district.
The Templeton Prize citation for Edna reads: “Drawing from the resources of her Muslim faith, she receives this year’s award in recognition of her extraordinary efforts to harness the power of the sciences to affirm the dignity of women and help them to flourish physically and spiritually.”
© Puntland Post, 2024
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