Haatu;941495 wrote: Chimera, you really are the eternal optimist aren't you? I tell you this, Somalis are NEVER going to let go of qabiil. Here is where you are wrong, they have done so repeatedly throughout history. The problem here is that there was never a direct reward to relinquishing their clans in the form of national military victories, and economic prosperity. A pan-Somalist soldier reverted to clan only after losing the O-war, a pan-Somalist politician reverted to clan only after being persecuted by a clannist president, a pan-Somalist nomad or farmer only reverted to clan when their profits were destroyed by food-aid greenlit by the state. What you need to brainstorm about is how to strengthen the Somali identity so none of us ever feels the need to revert back to a backwards system. You said you read the Meji Restoration, then you would know the odds the Japanese Emperor had to face were a hundred times greater than what the Somali President faces, yet they succeeded. How I could wish for otherwise but that will never be the case. Better to reduce its influence and bring it out into the open than to leave it to linger underneath dinner tables. I refer you to the Old Man's dictum, C is E. Your institutionalizing clan, that's a recipe for a war that will make the past 20 years look like a skirmish.

Safferz;941497 wrote: There is no question we've had a heterogenous historical experience and nomadic pastoralism is not the definite marker of Somaliness, I'm not arguing that. But what I am saying is that arguing the Somali literary canon is not one of orality is a losing argument. The valorization of the written word is something that emerged in a particular moment in European history - Enlightenment thought linking the act of writing to human reason and rationality - and it is only in that Western framework that the written is held in higher regard than the oral. You're right to point out that colonialism used these textual battles as "evidence" of the backwardness of Africans and their incapability of rational thought. But I think your response is defensive, which only reinscribes the supposed primacy of the textual. The Somali mode of literary production is primarily oral literature. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you believe writing is somehow better. The reason I reserve judgement is because the scope and depth of historic Somali literature has barely been touched upon. Remember that we had various important centers of learning that were considered the cream of the crop in Africa, the likes of Mogadishu and Zeila come to mind, and Harar to a certain extent. We know that other hubs like Timbuktu enjoyed a similar reputation, and through extensive research of private libraries hundreds of thousands of manuscripts were recovered. A similar excercise in Somalia would potentially yield great results, and only after studying those manuscripts and their impact on society of each era can we compare one with the other.

Haatu;941478 wrote: People, if you're going to oppose then at least give us why. What's exactly is redeemable about the clan-system? Did it give us our unique language? No, our songs, poems and plays are in Somali. Did it give us our religion? No, we converted long before the mythical Sheikhs arrived. Did it give us our unique genetic code? No, in-fact it predates this crap system by five thousand years. Did it give us our independence? No. This was achieved through the sacrifices of Pan-Somalists. If you want to propose a productive solution to the clan-cancer, then strengthening the much more interesting and enriching identity of Somali, would be the right step. With this surname nonsense, you're only creating easy targets for discrimination, prejudice or worse, murder. Strip Somalis of their clans, and what are they? ---> SOMALIS.

Haatu;941451 wrote: Somalis love their clans and are proud of it. I for one would be proud to have my jilib as my surname and I would expect this to be a natural step for many. The only reason it hasn't been done might be due to SYL's efforts to eradicate it in the 40s-independence (which failed, obviously). So no my friend, it is not optimistic at all. SYL fought for Somalia's independence, while these proud qabiils would have rendered us imperial subjects for the rest of our existence, and in some way it has succeeded.

What happened to Al-Baraawi, or A. Al-Zayla'i, or Y. Al-Kowneyn, or Al-Qutbi, etc? These scholars had massive followings. I think we should be careful how we depict our ancestors, the colonialist scholars used various degrading extremes, despite our historic experience being multi-dimensional. We were nomads, but we had renowned paramount cities too. We herded live-stock, but we practiced farming and hydraulic engineering too. We built aqals, but we also constructed massive castles and fortresses too. We had tribal warriors, but we had disciplined soldiers clad in chain-mail too. We preferred living in our homeland, yet sustained a large seafaring trade network too, etc You get where I'm going with this?

And people say I'm optimistic. You're playing with an Atom bomb,

Haatu, why would I chain myself to a sh!tty system? I wouldn't mind calling myself Adam Dahabshiil, or Adam Hormuud, now that's epic! I think it would help my businesses too, but a sh!tty qabiil name is radio-active. The Scottish clans were obliterated, and in the case of the Arabs, in each country or kingdom you have a kingpin clan that rules all others. None of those examples are applicable to Somalia.

Safferz;941393 wrote: Umm Chimera you think you can tell me about a Somali steam punk-like story and not give me a citation so I can go read it? lol LOL, to be fair its more of a case where the writer has played with time and put Italian and Portuguese in the same time-line. The indirect source was: "New Arabic documents from Somalia". But yes, I agree with you on the point of literacy, but I think orality is more than simply the absence of writing. It's a worldview in many ways, a mode of thinking and communication. "High literature" in Somali culture is oral literature, whereas the literary production in societies with writing systems has always been textual and associated with cities and the upper classes (and oral forms like folk stories were seen as rural, lower class, etc art forms). Somali literature is almost a reverse of this, where we venerate the nomad and his oral verse. So it's not only a question of literacy but the forms of literary production societies emphasize and place value on. I don't think we can make such a judgement on historic Somali literature yet, even the likes of I.M Lewis have admitted that it was impossible for them to acquire access to private libraries. There is still much we don't know, and all the patterns of superiority and prejudice evident in other nations/ethnicities' literature might very well be present in old Somali literature, including looking down on nomadism.

*Blessed;941152 wrote: Iranian men had started a FB campaign where they dress like women in a show of solidarity following a bizarre court court judgement . Here's a photo stream of Kurd Men for Equality page - it's hilarious but does it work? I think the Iranian initiative would suit Alpha Blondy well, he was made for that campaign.

Safferz;941345 wrote: Alpha, colonial thinking is the assumption that Africans did not and cannot write or think for themselves, which is what makes recovering these old texts produced by Somalis all the more historically significant. It is true that Somali society is predominantly an oral one , but that's not to say that some people were not literate in other languages and wrote in those scripts, either in those languages themselves or to transcribe Somali. Not only do we have some early English writings like this one, but there is an entire body of work which is Somali in Arabic script (something found across various Muslim societies in Africa, known as Ajami literature). The world was predominantly "oral" for much of history. The literacy rate in the Ottoman Empire for example was only 5%. Somalis had written books for centuries, there is even one that could be dubbed a steam-punk fantasy lol. (16th century Portuguese with steamships attacking Adal.)

Pretty badazz

Alpha Blondy;940789 wrote: ''white superstructure'' does NOT have the same meaning, context or exchange value as a simple plain 'superstructure' . you're a waste of time, walle. The context I used, and the one you employed however are one and the same. BTW, I reported you with the message that you have induced immense emotional distress in me with those insults, and laid it on pretty thick lol. I think another script is in order my friend, and I shall divide Alpha Blondy's kingdom amongst my brethren.

Alpha Blondy;940779 wrote: xageeyga waa OKAY, inaar. i'd worry about this plagarisng, too clever by the half, out-of-touch-with-the-reality, mala yanci little hermaphrodite - that is metaphorical speaking.... Quoted for reference, Alpha lol I'm going to get you banned. Checkmate

Alpha Blondy;940777 wrote: here....... 3rd of march 2012. Beenlow, you only started using "superstructure" after I did, haha. Chimera;780624 wrote: The only time a Somali husband can get away with beating his wife is if the latter has no male relatives, in-fact even in conflict - after the collapse or corruption of the superstructure that is the State - the only time a woman faces abuse is when the male relatives have been overpowered or obliterated. If they are still very much alive and a power to be reckoned with the backlash that comes with abuse is usually a great enough deterrent for would-be-beaters/abusers. 2012 -1-27

Prove it, inaar.

Alpha Blondy;940768 wrote: in your hasty attempts to appease '' white superstructural supremacists'' I see my posts have influenced your writing, inaar. or to tow the popular sentiments of vile music executives Your unconcious music topic is full of vile music executive manufactured songs, eh egg on your face. ............lil-Biilaal and lil Doni-B are excellent. they are original. the song is perfect. it doesn't require any changes. its perfect. the song with its subtle nuances and insider's knowledge reference is praise-worthy. its satirical lyrics are quite funny, too. at one stage, they make references to yusra luza herbal cream LOOOL. From your perspective, it makes perfectly sense, Michael Jackson got nothing on them. its social commentary at its best. the song is reflective of the new innovative ways; people are using new effective modes of communication, in this internationalised social media era, to compress geographic space, . Oeh, look at those fancy words. act local; think internationally, ma istidhi? High quality is high quality ee sida uula soco inaar.

Safferz;940554 wrote: She's very pretty, but everyone in that vid could use an extra 20 lbs lol The song had potential, it has a nice beat. I think a 12-week fitness program for the boys to bulk up could have aided their hippity hip hop style. A vocal coach could have upgraded their voices as well, with some of the English lyrics and foreign cities references removed as well. The video should have been set in Lido-beach, with no weird special effects and the girl, they're trying to seduce, working at a beachfront restaurant. She was the only one that looked like she should be part of a music video lol.

This is by the catchiest degenerate Somali rap songs I have ever seen lol:

OdaySomali;940651 wrote: Great News . My only concern is that the survey results are probably flawed. Its nonsense, their starting point is post-collapse of the Somali government, and they immediately put the percentage at 95-99%, while completely ignoring the massive eradication campaign that was initiated by the Somali government and the Somali Women's Democratic Organization in the preceding years. Unicef and other NGOs by doing this now can claim credit for a decline that had already been ongoing long before their non-applicable workshops, and money-wasting. Initially like Egypt, Somalia started it's eradication campaign by encouraging partial clitoridectomy, rather than infibulation, under use of anesthesia and antibiotics(today all forms of FGM are banned). The Somali Campaign was innovative because it's message focused on the four premises associated with the practice: ''It was not healthy, not clean, not islamic and did not even guarantee virginity''. In Somalia the impetus to eradicate came from within: It was strongly advocated by the Somali Women's Democratic Organization. The measures advocated included the need for an educational effort throughout the country to present medical facts and re-examine traditional attitudes: co-operation with community leaders(religious leaders, doctors etc) to combat this practice and the use of mass media to encourage change and to establish a different relationship between the sexes. Eventually one of the women leading the campaign and the Author of 'Sisters in Affliction:Circumcis ion and Infibulation of Women in Africa' by Raqiya Abdullah became the deputy minister of health in 1983. - Women in Muslim societies: diversity within unity pg 53 Never trust statistics on Somalia by NGOs, they all serve a purpose.

NGONGE;827412 wrote: A pipe dream. Sooner or later, they'll drive Turkey away with their infights and petty arguments. There is a crack in your Crystal ball, the Turks are still here.

xiinfaniin;940046 wrote: http://www.gabiley.net/files/images/20130419091328.jpg " frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> There it is. A simple picture did it :D Pictures are very powerful. I am tempted to write a piece about the strategy of using them as a leverage. Haddaan sawir kula galo , shirka ma imaanaysaa Xiin, S-land used to be an unknown, uttery absent entity from the international scene, there was only Somalia, and that's it. Today the leader of a major western power is shaking the hands of Siilaanyo. Whatever the outcome of the talks are, even it fails, Somaliland stands to gain for its now in the psyche of the International community. We are lucky that the system is stacked in our favour, and that we have a level-headed government taking advantage of this.

Haatu;940439 wrote: What's a Prince Claus award? They should be given him a Nobel prize not some unknown rubbish (not that we need their prizes to know how great he is). Come'on Haatu, not you too.

In front of family, friends, activists, ministers and members of parliament, Somali poet Maxamed Ibraahim Warsame ‘Hadraawi’ accepted the 2012 Prince Claus Award from HE Ambassador Joost Reintjes on 17 April 2013. The ceremony in Hargeisa was accompanied by the launch of a new translation of the laureate’s poems entitled Hadraawi: The Man and the Poet – Vol. 1. -- Link