Deficiency!

[NGONGE]

Dr Nimco Cali an eminent Canadian anthropologist has gone back to her homeland to do “her bit†for her people. Dr Nimco was not a feminist, though she believed in women’s rights. Dr Nimco was not a sexist, though she supposed all Somali men to be a bunch of sick misogynists. Dr Nimco was born and raised in Toronto in what could be termed a middle class family; her father was also a doctor and her mother was a university lecturer.

 

Nimco was an ambitious bookworm who studied and worked hard to gain her doctorate in anthropology at the young age of 30! She was single and fairly inexperienced.

 

Nimco was an independent and strong willed individual. As soon as she set foot back in her homeland, she hired a small house and bought herself a landcrusier! She could have stayed with her relatives but this was a statement of intent on her part. Nimco’s mission was to empower her Somali sisters. She believed the first part of achieving that was by asserting her very own independence and showing the women of her homeland that a woman can take charge of her own destiny.

 

After a few months of staying in her country and mingling with the womenfolk, Nimco decided it’s time to up the ante a little and tackle one of the main problems facing Somali women. She dreamed of abolishing the dreaded practise of FGM!

 

During the same period, the rumour mill has been working extra hard and various stories have sprung up about this western-acting spinster who lives alone and drives a car! People wondered about the reason for her single hood at the age of 30. Some used this, her independence and some of her “shameful†western ways to suggest that it would not be a farfetched idea to assume that Nimco also had a secret smoking habit. Others spread more sinister rumours about her. In no time at all, it was agreed by most that western and uncultured Nimco was a lesbian. Living alone, driving a car and having an alleged smoking habit were all strong signs of this “western†disease.

 

Nimco, unaware of these rumours, got down to work and started questioning women about FGM and their feelings about it. Being the studious scientist that she is, she did not start by asking specific questions but rather limited her questions to those that were general in nature at first. She would strike up a conversation with a woman and ask her if she was married, how good is married life, were bedroom activities to her satisfaction, etc.

 

By using this gossipy style of eliciting information, Nimco hoped to get an honest and fair idea of the effects of FGM on married women. The married women on the other hand, thought this western lesbian was flirting with them and were all aghast at her daring and shameful behaviour.

 

The womenfolk decided to save this lost child and talk her into changing her disgusting ways. One day, while Nimco was sitting at home reading a book about FGM, a delegation of females knocked at her door and asked to be let in. Nimco put her book down on a table and invited them in with the usual exclamations of how her humble house has been blessed by such a visit, etc.

 

The women, upon entering the room, noticed the book on the table and saw a glimpse of a photo of a female’s private part! They were horrified and one of them loudly declared this to be a lost cause and suggested that they all leave. The chairwoman of this delegation was adamant that they should all stay and have a word with Nimco. Nimco on her part, was very excited, and having been reading the FGM book for the past hour or so, felt equipped to tackle the issue head-on!

 

The chairwoman started by eulogising the Somali culture and the Islamic faith (as you do). She went on to talk about how hard a woman’s lot in this world is and how Somali women always bore such hardships and responsibilities with great dignity and never neglected or rejected their duties.

 

Nimco interrupted the old lady and told her that while it was indeed a noble thing to adhere to one’s duties, some parts of the Somali culture were wrong and needed to be eradicated. She was using FGM as her point of reference and assumed that the women implicitly understood her aim. The women were using her abnormal lifestyle as their point of reference and assumed that she tacitly understood their aim.

 

When Nimco informed them that God created humans equal and that women should not meekly submit to the unreasonable whims of men, the women sighed in unison. This was, in their eyes, a confirmation of Nimco’s lesbianism and her desire to really be a man! Some of the women quietly surveyed the room for signs of cigarettes, but when they did not find any, the sight of an empty ashtray on the table was enough confirmation of this woman’s deviant ways!

 

Nimco was appalled by what she perceived as meekness and submissiveness on their part and thought it was high time for plain talking. She was not going to mince her words anymore and was going to talk, directly, clearly and specifically about the horrid practise that is FGM.

 

The women, having seen the stubbornness of this mixed up western spinster, were also outraged and decided to, once and for all, put this woman in her place. Whatever credit or respect she had from them was gone, the benefit of the doubt was no longer to be extended. This was a wayward child that’s needed a telling off!

 

Nimco started speaking and mentioned FGM and how barbaric that practise was. The women were instantly on the defensive and, despite hearing the sense in her words, were not going to agree with a lesbian! One of them stumbled upon the brilliant idea of asking Nimco if she had gone through the, very normal process of FGM! Nimco told her that, fortunately for her, she never had to suffer such barbaric treatment. The women all looked at each other in shock and stared back at Nimco with petty, as if she divulged an embarrassing secret!

 

Nimco, for her part, was shocked at their reaction! She was on the point of losing her temper and that was becoming obvious from her words as she told them that they all are, in a very small way, deformed! The women laughed, all at once. Some had tears in their eyes as they informed her that, in this society at least, she was the one who was deformed. Dr Nimco Cali the eminent Canadian anthropologist was independent, intelligent, highly cultivated and deformed!

 

A few weeks after this incident took place, Dr Nimco was back in Canada where she felt normal again and was in no way deformed (though of course, being a Hijab wearer, the Canadians regarded her as a poor and oppressed woman who was forced by men’s interpretation of their and her faith to be submissive and meek).

 

 

PS

 

The above story is a work of fiction and none of the characters in it are real. In addition, it was my aim to leave it open to all manner of interpretation and not give my personal take on the issue.

 

 

PPS

I wrote this in a bit of a hurry fifteen minutes ago, so I apologise in advance for any grammatical, spelling or factual mistakes. One wasn’t trying to win the Nobel Prize for literature, see.

[o0o]

I almost thought it was a true story. :eek:

[- Femme -]

Wow. Nice story Ngonge.

 

Misunderstandings can be a pain in the neck!

[Baashi]

Misunderstanding is the culprit here yes? Loved the simplicity of the piece, the correct portrayal of the two worlds, the honesty of the two sides, the overall message, and the inescapable truth it conveys. Articulate, thoughtful, observant, creative, and reasonable nomad, that you are saaxiib. Four thumps up brother.

[Faarax-Brawn]

Fantastic story line, great moral to the story. Good writing skills.(although you could have minimised the number of times you have used her name)

 

But you haven’t given us Nimco’s sexual preference in the beginning, there is no mention of her sexual orientation, if she liked men or liked women. For all we know she could be secretly be a lesbian or have some characteristic of a bisexual individual. (Besides living alone/unmarried).

 

Are we just to assume that by her being a Somali, then most likely she’s not a lesbian?

 

Suppose we assume, What was she doing with a picture of a female’s private part? After all she’s an anthropologist and not a gynecologist.

 

There is little or no biographical information about Nimco’s life in Canada. What was her childhood like?

Did she play with dolls? What was her dating life like etc?

 

For all we know she could be a lesbian.

 

 

Ps. We are supposed to look at this literally right? (Entirely fictional) No?

[SomeAlien]

wow, i think i learned alot about Brown here. wow.

[Faarax-Brawn]

^Tell me what have you learnt?

 

You best not be mocking me.

[Strawberry_Xu]

One day, while Nimco was sitting at home

reading a book about FGM

, a delegation of females knocked at her door and asked to be let in. Nimco put her book down on a table and invited them in with the usual exclamations of how her humble house has been blessed by such a visit, etc.

Brown, that explains the question regarding apparent pornographic material

 

The bit about the Somali women's stubborn denials struck me as interesting. I have found that many Somali people or Muslim people (some of my family members included), are very reluctant to accept the opinion of anyone who is different.

 

Though it is right to consider the character of the person presenting an opinion, in order to partially establish the validity of their comment. Some of the Somali people I know, fiercly oppose any argument presented by a non-Somali/Muslim, when it's blatantly true.

 

This stubborn habit of confusing one's argument and one's personality puzzles me. Granted a lot of them have had cause to be suspicious of "outsiders" in the past, but to employ a blanket dismissal of anyone who doesn't subscribe to the same religion/culture is really fascinating. I wonder sometimes, what their distressing experiences were with "outsiders" or if Somali people in general are naturally suspicious.

 

Though Nimco was also to blame for contributing to the misunderstanding. As an anthropologist, you have to be sensitive to people's culutures and behaviour. For instance, she should have anticipated that by publicly manifesting her independence, she would have caused some outrage. She should have known that she was likely to be the object of suspicion.

 

I don't see how she could have failed to register the women's (misguided) disgust when she was making small-talk with them. Either she was completely unprepared when she began her mission or she is generally very naive.

[Faarax-Brawn]

Brown, that explains the question regarding apparent pornographic material

Oh,lol. must have overlooked it.

 

Eitherways, do you see my take on this tho?

 

There was no enough historical background on the subject for us(me?) to be convinced otherwise that she has never entertained the idea(act?) of lesbianism.

 

someone refute this theory.

[NGONGE]

PS

 

The above story is a work of fiction and none of the characters in it are real. In addition, it was my aim to leave it open to all manner of interpretation and not give my personal take on the issue.

 

 

PPS

I wrote this in a bit of a hurry fifteen minutes ago, so I apologise in advance for any grammatical, spelling or factual mistakes. One wasn’t trying to win the Nobel Prize for literature, see. [big Grin]

[checkmate]

Najis Najis dhaley iyo idankiis, Ma anaan ka garan firfir coonidiisa,Aabahaa alla janeeh!

 

 

asxantu

[dawoco]

Nice simple story line that conveys its message well without any pretenses. Very intresting indeed.

 

As Baashi and Check mate said before me, a piece written by a very reasonable nomad oo najis najis dhalay ah

 

I concur with the compliments on the story, everything else is for personal interpretation and interactions i suppose.

[STOIC]

Ngonge, Atlanta Journal Constitution should assign you the responsibility of analyzing the FGM(joking).They had a whole section today adressing the Somali immigrant and FGM practices.The paper stated that 98% of Somalis practice FGM.My roomate reacted with disgust that this practice exist in my community.I had to wear the "i am not aware" face, which i am good at it.

[shyhem]

Nimco, for her part, was shocked at their reaction! She was on the point of losing her temper and that was becoming obvious from her words as she told them that they all are, in a very small way, deformed! The women laughed, all at once. Some had tears in their eyes as they informed her that, in this society at least, she was the one who was deformed. Dr Nimco Cali the eminent Canadian anthropologist was independent, intelligent, highly cultivated and deformed!

Ngonge

I think the above qoute says it all.The fear of the unknown(in this case imagine life without F.G.M in somalia) makes some pple believe "better the devil u know than the angel u don't know"

 

Change is good but one should avoid drastic change and instead try changing habits gradually.I think time was dr nimco's enemy here, and certainly her idea was far ahead of her time.

[Bess.]

I loved this piece...I thought of it as human interest piece....it showed the basic human need to judge or misunderstand that which is different from it....even in the case of Nimco who essentially is Somali (although she was born and raised somewhere else) and the other Somali women....ppl always assume that they know what is good for others, just because their views don't necessary agree with each other...Nimco assumed that these Somali women had it bad cause she heard all these things and read all these books....and the Somali women assumed that she was a lesbian just cause she drove a car and lived alone....and all those missionaries assumed that Africans were savages just cause they were not Christian...well...to each his own.....

cool piece Ngonge