Who are the Somalis? (The Truth)
by Abunas2008
What race are Somalis and who we really are? Are they a separate African race? Or are they mixed with Arabs and Europeans, to an extent which would explain their appearance. Although craniofacially (judging by facial features and our human the skull) Somalis resemble Nordic (particularly Norwegian) people more than any other ethnic group.
Also recent research has shown that the average Somali is genetically (when testing someone’s DNA) only 15% Caucasian, which includes Arabs, North Africans, as well as Europeans. The rest of the Somali genome consists of 5% Sub-Saharan African genes, and the remaining 80% consists of Cushitic (and possible semi-ancient Egyptian) genes.*
Please read this anthropology report about Somali people
Because of recent studies of Cushitic people, anthropologists have had to discard some of their prior theories on the origin and progression of the human race. Genetically, East Africans are at the midpoint in relationship to Sub-Saharan Africans, and the peoples of Europe and Asia.
"When the nonadaptive aspects of craniofacial configuration are the basis for assessment, the Somalis cluster with Europeans before showing a tie with the people of West Africa or the Congo Basin."
"As our data show, the people of the Horn of Africa are craniofacially less distinct from a spectrum of samples marginally including South Asia and running all the way from the Middle East to northwest Europe than they are to any group in sub-Saharan Africa."
Cushitic people are found largely in the Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, which are the main countries which constitute the Horn of Africa and within these nations the following dominant Cushitic ethnic groups are as follows
Oromo: Largely populated in Ethiopia, Kenya and parts of Somalia [mainly as migrant workers or fleeing political persecution]
Somalis: Populated in Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.
Afar: Populated in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Erirea.
Sidamo: Largely populated in Ethiopia.
Somalis nearest cousins and without a shadow of a doubt in my opinion are Afar ethic group. We share a similar Cushitic language, same racial features, same culture and traditional clothing and religion i.e. over 99.9% of Afar people are Sunni Muslims like Somalis.
If you STILL have difficulty in believing me check out my Youtube clip of Afar people and TRY to spot any difference
What is Cushitic?
The origin of the word Cushitic (also spelt as Kushitic) is from the Kingdom of Kush. The Kingdom that had traded, rivalled, was subjugated under but also ruled over the ancient Egyptian Kingdom. Here are some brief history about Kush Kingdom:
· The Kush Kingdom located in Nubia - present day Northern Sudan was first based in Kerma, then at Napata and finally at Meroe. By about 1700 BC the town Kerma had grown into a town of 10,000 with rich minerals like gold…
· The Egyptians even though having economical interests considered the Kush Kingdom a threat and occupied the territory for about 500 years.
· However from around 850BC the Egyptan state fell and rose the Kush which gain authority over all of Egypt.
· The Kush dynasty was based at Napata however after several hundred years of rule the dynasty ended after a military defeat at the hands of the Assyrians (a kingdom that was located in modern day Iraq)
· Around 600BC the Kushites was moved again further south along the Nile from Napata to Meroe.
· The Kush Kingdom flourished again as an advanced society through farming and new natural resources like iron: ore made Meroe the ‘Birmingham’ of the world with renowned blacksmiths.
· But again the after several hundred years Kush Kingdom in Meroe began to fade by the first or second century AD due to a major war with the Rome Egypt and the decline of its traditional industries like iron.
· The final blow to the kingdom was around 350AD when an army from the Kingdom of Axum (present day Meles Zenawi Tigray region of Ethiopia) invaded Meroe.
· However the Kushites (Cushitic) people by then had already dispersed eventually settling further down pass the Nile rive scattering and inhabiting throughout present day Horn of Africa.
From Meroe to Somalia (my thesis)
Some Kush people from Meroe eventually began to settle in present day north western and north eastern regions of Somalia stretching from Djibouti to all the way to Bosaaso. As they had settle they had continue to practice their old tradition such as blacksmith (iron workers) raising cattle’s or farming skills which they have acquired from Meroe.
As time went by and the religion of Islam began to spread, a (few) Arab traders had settled and taught Islam and married locals…and with this they had introduced new methods of transportation and raising livestock and cattle and a notable example is the camel and the system of semi-nomadic pastoralism.
Eventually after a few hundred years through intermarriage and the adoption of the true religion which is Islam and the adaptation of Arabic tribal/clan systeam, a distinct ethnic group of Somalis was created. Many Somali clans and sub-clans were created but due rugged terrain and lack of water in Northern Somalia many clans began to move south and competition due to conflict over grazing land for their livestock and cattles and water.
However, not all Somalis adopted the pastoralist way of living a few remand in the north and retained their skills as blacksmiths (iron worker) however due to the Somalis clannish ideologies these group of Somalis were and still are treated unequal in society due to their lower caste occupation i.e. Midgaan and others who are blacksmiths and craftsman.
The Somali youth must be aware of our beautiful culture and history something which sadly only a few are aware of. Somali youths MUST not class themselves as BLACK it is a derogative word...just get a 20>50 year old English dictionary and learn what the REAL meaning of BLACK or you even watch Malcolm X film directed by Spike Lee and see the meaning of 'BLACK'
AND please people STOP saying Somalis 'are from Arabs' yes 15% of our blood is Arabs but who cares I don't. I am proud to be instead 80% indigenous African...something that I will always be proud of.
p.s. plz send me any message If any one wants for info on any of my posted topics.
source:
*Distribution of blood groups in the East African Somali population.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract
