WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR YOUTH?

[Snake-i]

COMMENTARY

BY M.M. Afrah,

Toronto (Canada)

 

 

Having been raised as a "good boy" and changing over to become a sluggish copy boy in a newspaper office and later climbing up the ladder to become an editor and then editor-in-chief. But as I got older, I thought I liked to think that I have a strong sense of right and wrong. I joined anti-colonial demonstrations and with the help of hand operated press we printed inflammatory anti-colonial leaflets that naturally upset our colonial masters.

 

The Somali Youth League (SYL) formerly the Somali Youth Club (SYC) was formed by 13 devoted Somali youngsters who fought relentlessly for independence in their own way. Their slogan was 'XORNNIMO AMA GERI" (independence or death). Thousands of like minded boys, girls and elders joined them in their wholehearted and noble struggle. They all had grand dreams for the future of Somalia. Hence, the nationalist song "Soomaaliyey toosa." This Wake Up call paved the way for full independence in July 1960 despite various obstacles put up by you know who.

 

I also know that young students, like George Padmore, Kwame Nkrumah, Du Bois and Jomo Kenyatta among others created the great Pan Africanist movement in Britain in the 1930s and 1940s. From that humble beginning Africa sprung up to a full independence in 1960 when dozens of African countries became independent which subsequently led to the creation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Unfortunately, old Haile Selassie hijacked the organization and used it to undermine Somalia's fledging independence, convincing African heads of state that infant Somali government was an expansionist. Our delegates have been outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the emperor and his like minded cohorts within the OAU. As a result of these behind the scene machinations, a calamity was in the making in the form of border skirmishes intermingled with war of words. And eventually a full-scale war that claimed the lives of our youth in the spring of their lives. Historians now link those very machinations with the present conflict in Somalia as well as the volatile situation in the Horn of Africa. But that's another story.

 

What bugs me most is why our contemporary youth became docile and indifferent to the grim events in our country? I understand that not all people can get along due to the cancer of clan loyalties back home. But would it not make more sense for the youth in the Diaspora to join together and step out into the world as a unified force to bring about peace in their native country?

 

Now I may be an old fashioned man who has gone through the mills, but I am sure I am not the first person who has entertained this notion. Take for example the postings on the Banadir Public Forum by Libangedon who has been preaching a united Somali youth to fight the villains at home who ruined our country and reduced our people to paupers and corpses. The country became rapidly without government and people, a country where foreigners who wanted could come in and could go out at will without so much as by your leave. As a matter of fact a foreign diplomat described Somalia, unlike Afghanistan, as a fruit hanging from a tree (READY TO BE PICKED UP!).

 

This was not the way the founders of the SYL visualized that Somalia should be run, and that it needed to be put straight. That's where you come in. You should not expect manna to fall from the sky. Only you could make a difference. It is not for me to say who is called to lead the United Somali Youth and who is not. It is not for me to say whether or not someone is qualified to start the new movement or not, it just seems to me to be unnecessary to have the Somali youth divided along clan lines forever. I had always believed that the youth in the Diaspora are free from that cancer called tribalism or clanism.

 

This leads me to wonder what is wrong with our youth today? I believe many would say I am a dinosaur and that boys wearing ear rings and spending hours glued to the BET channel, listening to rap music or wearing over sized pants are "the in thing". But I ask myself: do those Pan Africanists and the founders of the Somali Youth League long time ago did not know what they were doing and as such it is necessary to be ashamed to be a Somali, and that boys wearing ear rings and watching the BET channel day in and day out is "Cool". I am sure BET will never teach you how to rebuild the country from the ashes of vicious clan wars or resuscitate the economy. Today the old Wake up Call is as important as it was 50 or 60 years ago.

 

No doubt that after you have been uprooted from your native country by nasty people with guns, it has been challenging living in the Diaspora face-to-face with stone-faced immigration honchos, beefy security men and bullying landlords. But thanks to our Somali ingenuity and tenacity we are still standing and it is time to begin to look ahead to all the good things the old country has in store for us in the near future.

 

You may have faltered, you may have stumbled or you may even have considered yourself an outright failure, but dear future leaders of Somalia I want you to rise and prepare yourself for tomorrow. There is nothing you can do about what had happened to our country during the last ten years. Yes, the past may be a story written in blood but the future can be written in gold. Do not be discouraged about the sad stories emanating daily from Somalia. For almost every great country on earth had gone through similar turmoil, or even worse. Here are few examples, the American and Spanish civil wars, not to mention the devastation of the Two World Wars and the Bolshevik Revolution that claimed the lives of millions of people. Again, it was the youth and the womenfolk who rebuilt their countries from scratch under extreme difficult circumstances.

 

The ball is NOW in your court.

[Sharmarkee]

 

This leads me to wonder what is wrong with our youth today? I believe many would say I am a dinosaur and that boys wearing ear rings and spending hours glued to the BET channel, listening to rap music or wearing over sized pants are "the in thing". But I ask myself: do those Pan Africanists and the founders of the Somali Youth League long time ago did not know what they were doing and as such it is necessary to be ashamed to be a Somali, and that boys wearing ear rings and watching the BET channel day in and day out is "Cool". I am sure BET will never teach you how to rebuild the country from the ashes of vicious clan wars or resuscitate the economy. Today the old Wake up Call is as important as it was 50 or 60 years ago.

 

Salaam Global Nomads,

 

The problem with the Somali Youth in diaspora is The Role Models of the ex-drug dealers and criminals turn into Rappers and promoted by Giant corporations like music channels e.g MTV, Universal Music and Paramount playing as a role models for our naive and innocent youth, and turned them into gangsta yob, and little criminals selling drugs on the broad daylight in the major british cities, and they are the children who came from a good homes and decent families but they think this the way forward hip,sleek and chick :mad:

 

there prefect role models are the likes as Curtis Jackson aka 50 cent, Tyler, Snoop dog, Jay-Z.

 

there will be a time when Faraax in the mafarish will be like a saint, just wait and see how this kids behave and God knows what kinda of drugs they take. All what they like to say is WAG 1 (the west slang of hello), and Welcome to the future.

 

 

 

[/QB]

[Arawella]

Bisinka, :eek: . You are extremely harsh towards the youth of today! I don’t think our future is as bleak as you paint it. We might be slow in picking our spears but deep down we are patriotic and unlike our forefathers we do not choose our foes by their tribe. Be aware that the youth are the victims and not the initiators of the situation in which Somalia finds itself today.

[Sharmarkee]

Originally posted by LaVie:

Bisinka, :eek: . You are extremely harsh towards the youth of today! I don’t think our future is as bleak as you paint it. We might be slow in picking our spears but deep down we are patriotic and unlike our forefathers we do not choose our foes by their tribe. Be aware that the youth are the victims and not the initiators of the situation in which Somalia finds itself today.

Salaam,

 

May be Iam too harsh on them, but in reality if we don't do something about this and change the trend for now in collective manner we will bear the consequences, of course they have nothing to do with clannish/tribal rubbish, sure it wasn't there fault coming here and having all this upheaval, but they becoming the hooded, new blacks in this country, the kids is been sucked into a gang and drug culture, and quickly they becoming couriers and drugs peddlers replacing the old community doing this sort of things.

 

In Bristol alone last year no single boy/girl used to sell drugs, now they are more than 30 kids selling the hardcore drugs in the middle of the town,in one single block in a street corner, the police and all drug agents knows that, it’s the Somali kids that becoming the drug kings and queens so quickly, recurited by west-indies and most of the community is so silent about this. the question beggs if not now,when?, and if not us who? will fix this problems or may be the best way is putting our heads in the sand, so it will go away soon.

[Mowgli]

Lavie I have to disagree with you there...the high school I went to did not have a lot of somali students, but most that were there would not even talk to ppl they suspected of being of a "foe" clan. Even now I come across ppl (youth) after five minutes of talking to you ask you about your clan. Yes we know the future is bleak, yes we know that our youth are in trouble...but actions speak louder then words.

[Yeniceri]

^^

 

That's just sad.

 

What bugs me most is why our contemporary youth became docile and indifferent to the grim events in our country?

What other choice do they have, really? Why would the youth worry when the adults - the supposed "role models" - are able to quickly collect thousands of dollar$ as soon as Clan X attacks Clan Z, but will sit and watch (behave indifferently, if you will) as 2 million Somalis face death due to drought, starvation and an enduring conflict?

 

Sometimes, indifference is the only weapon against flat-out depression. Somalia, in its current state, is a very depressing country to think about.

[Ibtisam]

Salaam Global Nomads,

 

The problem with the Somali Youth in diaspora is The Role Models of the ex-drug dealers and criminals turn into Rappers and promoted by Giant corporations like music channels e.g MTV, Universal Music and Paramount playing as a role models for our naive and innocent youth, and turned them into gangsta yob, and little criminals selling drugs on the broad daylight in the major british cities, and they are the children who came from a good homes and decent families but they think this the way forward hip,sleek and chick

 

there prefect role models are the likes as Curtis Jackson aka 50 cent, Tyler, Snoop dog, Jay-Z.

 

there will be a time when Faraax in the mafarish will be like a saint, just wait and see how this kids behave and God knows what kinda of drugs they take. All what they like to say is WAG 1 (the west slang of hello), and Welcome to the future.

:eek: :eek: :rolleyes:

 

idil really what part of UK do you hail from. I’ve lived her all my life and up this day no one has ever asked me my clan. i would probably beat them silly or die of shock. Strange.

 

As for the topic i think we have bigger problems to worry about then our youth in the west. That’s a choice that they make, and it’s their fault for not making use of the opportunities open to them, whether it be education or life style. They have choice to act and life their live in a different way, and they do not deserve sympathy, nor concern. People can only help those that want to be helped. i think instead we should be helping or be concerned about people who have no choice about their life style, yesterday i saw the figures that over 2 million Somalis face death due to drought, starvation and an enduring conflict, it is these people that need your help and concern. Not people who have had all the opportunity to make something of themselves and instead turned to robbery, drugs and whatever else you accuse them of.

 

cheers

[Katrina]

But would it not make more sense for the youth in the Diaspora to join together and step out into the world as a unified force to bring about peace in their native country?

How funny (Idil) I choose this part of the article before reading what you said...great minds think alike. Idil, I know I've seen many high school kids talk about qabil like it's cool or like your not one of us and use it define friendships based on what they hear at home.

 

Today's youth are the mistakes of the generations of Somalis who ruined or stood silent while our country was demolished! Yes, I'm looking to all you who thought there is no harm in teaching a child to have pride aka arrogance in his qabil, excuse bad behavior, occasionally scold them coz y'all to busy (chewing, smoking, playing cards, womanizing, gossiping about politics) while your kids roam the streets like wild animals. How many of you believed in spending quality time with your kids before the civil war? Most of y'all come from a generation that believes kids should be seen but not heard well guess what they sure taught y'all.

The kids in the diaspora are the ghosts of your past actions as a community/country here to haunt us all...fix it or live with it.

 

Sharmarkee, you said we'll bear the consequence if we don't do something but guess what this is the consequence. These kids doing & selling drugs etc. You said a year ago no Somali kids where selling drugs and now there's at least 30. Doesn't that tell the Somali community in Bristol that they slept while their kids slowly strayed? Where were those parents doing when the tell-all signs were hitting 'em in the face? It took a year to occur and what intervention methods were taken? I agree with you only drastic actions might save those kids and if not the lost souls then the other kids.

 

We underestimate the power of peer pressure! Heck, adults give in to it all the time just imagine what it does to kids. Until Bristol malis unite to protect their kids they will continue on a downward slope to nothing.

 

Question to ponder, every community that migrated to the west has had their faith and way of life challenged, some survive while others crumbled. The indo-pak community has passed the test with flying colors. The key to their success is making education the nucleus of their family and community. This love or blind following for education isn't in their gene. It's something each parent and relatives force-fed it into their babies till it became second nature for them good kids, bad kids and rebellious kids breathe it like air.

 

Ask yourself what has been and still is the nucleus of Somalis?????? There lies the answer and where change needs to start!

 

All of you we're rebellious to different lengths in your youth except for the occasional annoying goody-goody two shoes who made me look bad.

Yet how quickly we forget what been a teen is all about. Just coz you've seen the wisdom of religion or your erroneous ways doesn't mean you can't easily relate to kids today. How many of you call your little siblings, cousins, nephews&nieces and neighbours to shoot some hoops, shoot pool with their friends, take 'em to the movies and dinner, dessert and girl talk, know their friends (good and bad), speak their language, share your crazy teen stories (having to spend a night in jail with my friends as a teen coz the authorities wanted to teach us a lesson we'd never forget...I was traumatized for months afterwards, couldn't sleep or eat...sharing and laughing about one's mistakes makes kids relate to adults more. Trying to act like a saint and hide your heydays won't make them open up, trust you or tell you anything before you can change/stop them from doing something they'll regret. Oh, those of you who are preaching to kids all the time and it isn't working...chill out and try a different approach.

 

Need to stop writing before I pop a vein!

[Laba-X]

Don't blame the youth of Today, Blame the parents that raised them

[RedSea]

Assalamu Calaykum,

 

I think no body is blaming our youth, but it's hard for anyone to ignore the fact that our future as a people is at stake in terms of culture,values, and as well as our youth that were suppose to be the upcoming leaders of tomorrow. As brother Sharmarke stressed, our youth are in big trouble and we are in big trouble, because there are few of them that actually have kept the traditional Somali values and culture. They mostly follow the tracks of dark hearted rappers, sport atheletes. I wouldn't have any problems if they just played sports and even sometimes go as far as listening to music, but in this case our youth today are beyond that point. They talk, dress, and have taken the attitudes of rappers, basketball players.

 

If you go around and ask our youth to name one Somali region or just simple question about their country they might not know. Even stranger, they can't even put together good sentence of purely somali without dropping an English word here and there.

 

There is no question, that our youth are at stake, and you can argue that our future is at stake,because they are our future. However, there are good bright young Somalis who have vision towards their future and for the future of their country and their poeple. These kind of young people are aware of the happening and events of their country. These young poeple are usually the ones that attend the Masjid and have taken Islamic studies at early ages.

 

No body is blaming our youth but those are facts that we Somalis need to deal with and try to change and try to shape the future of these young people before things get out of hand. Their parents have raised them well and nurished them well but it's the evironment that has made them of nothing. We can help them by simply creating freindship with them and then influencing them to go to the Masjid and other good places. Bonding a good friendship with these young people will make them grow up into their own and may Insha Allah change the way they do things. We hope that happens Insha Allah. Please brothers and sisters stay active in helping your fellow Somalis who are ever indeed of survival from this dangerous environment that we all live in.

 

Assalamu Calaykum.

[Paragon]

Staying intune with the Dhaqan iyo Hiddo , having pride in Somaliness, not collecting the Qaaraan , not asking others their clan, even feeling deeply sorry for the plight of Somalis back home and abroad aint, (if you will excuse my cockney) jack schmit! None of the above is remotely uselful, yes even the God-forsaken Somalinimo, is a piece of concocted crap, as long as it aint action-oriented. So spare us the 'youth' this, the 'elders' that hullaballoos. One has to either act or just keep their big gob shut! Who are we kidding here. That is all I have to say.

[Animal Farm]

What happened to our parents, what’s wrong with the older generation? They actually give us a right of passage to fail – we don’t have a country that we can be proud of, and we try to change things, the older generation stands in the way with their irrational politics – what are we to do.

 

I personally approached the so-called academics of the Somali community, and spend five minutes with them and you’ll see how narrow minded they are. They can write all the bs they want in online qabil affiliated websites, but in the evening, catch them at coffee shops parading about the success of their respective warlords.

 

As children we watched the horrors of Somalia and we watched and ran – how can we do something for Somalia when we can’t even get through the elders in the west, imagine those in Somalia how difficult it would be to actually stabilize them.

 

I say drugs is the only haven for our misfortunes and failed expectations, and every possible dream we have ever had that went down the drain washed down with coke and rum – I’m surprised no Somali youth has yet to set him/herself on fire – many of them socialized us to accept tribalism – sad – recently, in Toronto during Eid, Somalis pray’d apart from each other D’s and H’s - what examples have they set for us.

 

I stand up as a failure to whatever prospects the older generation had in mind.

[Mowgli]

lol ibtisam, west london...need I say more?

 

Only a few days ago I was having a general conversation with this police officer then he started asking me about my family, if I had any siblings, more specifically brothers and I said yeah sure...then he asked me what they did and i said they are still young...he then continued about telling me how the majority of the crime in our area was indeed committed by Somali youth.

 

Katrina, like always I agree with you :cool:

Charity starts at home...make sure your siblings and cousins etc have better things to do than standing in some street corners....teach them that education is the key...some parents do not give a monkey's **** about what their kids do or don't do or how they are progressiving at school...a parent that has been in the country for more than ten years and still cannot speak the languauge isn't exactly a role model.

[RendezVous]

I thought Somalis were Muslims and better they go back and separate between Their Culture and ISLAM..Throwing the tenets and objectives of ISLAM as a religion aside caused a lot of social upheavals and suffering for Somalis.People kill innocent muslims,maim everyone children, people are enemies of each other and so on and so forth.

 

ONE ADVICE:

 

Practice ISLAM and see some changez..

 

ISLAM is about CADAALA(justice and

Equality),Brotherhood..It is said that a muslim is a brother of another muslim..I don't need to say more..I think everyone of you know where the real problems are.

 

There is something wrong to the entire Somali community(Djibouti to Tanzania)..