Hassan Sh. Muumin

Jacaylbaro · January 26, 2008

Awdalnews Network, ABU DHABI - Djibouti government decided to award the highest medal of culture posthumously to Hassan Sheikh Mumin, a celebrated Somali playwright who died in Oslo on 16th January 2008, when his body arrives at Djibouti airport on Saturday morning, 26 January 2008, according to Hashi Abdillahi Orrah, Djibouti President’s Advisor on Cultural Affairs.

Speaking to Awdalnews Network on telophone, Mr. Orrah said full ceremonial reception would be held for Mumin’s body including awarding him posthumously the highest medal of culture, known in Somali as Baal (feather), and draping the coffin with Djibouti national flag.

“We wanted to give him an official funeral in Djibouti but Mumin has requested to be buried in his fathers mausoleum in Borama. His will has to be respected,” said Orrah.

Djibouti Minister of Culture, Ali Abdi Farah, will decorate the body with the medal on behalf of President Ismail Omar Guelleh. Also present at the ceremony will be Saeed Barkahd, Minister of Justice, Orrah, Faisal Mohammed Haddi, from Djibouti Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Mohammed Dahir Afrah, President of Somali PEN and others.

Meanwhile, Djibouti Ambassador to the UAE, Idriss Chirwa, described Mumin as a legendary and talented playwright who had left a wealth of beautiful literature for the Somali speaking people.

Talking to Awdalnews in Abu Dhabi, Chirwa said “Mumin had been involved in the Somali theatre over the last 52 years and had left a great legacy.” He extended his condolence to Mumin’s family, relatives and all the people who loved his works.

Air France flew the body of Mumin Thursday afternoon, 24 January, after ritual prayers were offered on him at Oslo Grand Mosque. A number of Somaliland community members had seen the body off at Oslo airport..

Family members with whom Awdalnews has spoken said Mumin’s elder son, Mohammed and a relative Abdirashid Anshrar, have left Oslo today and will accompany the body from Paris via Air France to Djibouti. The flight will land at Djibouti Airport at 7 a.m local time.

A special private jet will carry the body from Djibouti to Borama. Djiboutian officials accompanying the body will include Hashi Abdillahi Orrah, Faisal Mohammed Haddi , Abdi Farah Ahmed Good, businessman and nephew of Mumin as well as Dr. Afrah.

The Somaliland government has requested the body to be dispatched to Hargeisa where arrangements have been made to give him official honoring. However the organizers of the funeral were forced to accept a direct flight from Djibouti to Borama due to barely passable rough road between Borama and Dilla, which during the rainy season has the potential to become even worse. The fact that the body has been in a morgue for a long time and the lack of mobile refrigerated morgues in Hargeisa has also contributed to the family’s decision.

Mumin’s body will be laid to rest in his father’s mausoleum in the Ahmed Guray area of Borama. Hundreds of Borama people are expected to attend the funeral. Awdalnews learned that several Somaliland Ministers would attend the funeral, while some people expect the President himself to be present.

The Awdalite community in Oslo has donated 100,000 Norwegian Kroner (18,221.2 US Dollar) to cover the cost of the body transport. Also other Somaliland communities in Oslo have raised 24,714.0 Norwegian Kroner (US$ 4,500 US Dollar) as support to Mumin’s family.

Somaliland Community in Oslo also plans to organize a night to remember Hassan Sheikh Mumin and discuss his legacy and listen to some of his works.

Hassan Sheikh Momin was a talented playwright whose plays were dominated by satirical and paradoxical language typical of which were “Dawo bukootay, Dab dhaxmooday, Durdur oomay”in his famous “Shabeel Nagood” play. Shabeel Nagood was the first and only Somali play ever translated into English. He was famous for borrowing a lot of his language from the rich Somali folklore literature, thus reviving the dead language and popularising it. One good example is the song “Waxan ahay wahdiga dugsiyada, waxan ahay waanada macallinka” which he wrote as part of the Somali government’s awareness campaign to popularize the Somali script. His other works include “Gaaraa bildhaan”, other plays and dozens of songs.

Coming from a religious family, Hassan Sheikh Momin learned Quran and took a clerical career early in his life. He became a religious teacher and was prepared to follow in his father’s footsteps as a religious scholar when he joined the Somali struggle for independence in the early 1950s.

Many of poems and lyrics had become a rallying cry for the independence campaigners

Jacaylbaro · January 26, 2008

Laba-X · January 26, 2008

The death of these famous Abwaans has already marked the demise of the Somali language. Most of the beacons of Somali literature are now dead and the few that are remaining - Gaariye, Hadrawi, etc - are already at a ripe old age.

What will become of the Somali language/literature I wonder? Will we ever have the likes of Xassan Sh. Mu'min, Yamyam, C/llahi Qarshe? Or will we stick with the poor regurgitation of their brilliant works?

Somali language is sluggishly diminishing, and so are its people! Alle ha u wada naxariisto.

Jacaylbaro · January 26, 2008

Hundreds of people attend the funeral of Hassan Sheikh Mumin in Borama

Borama, 26 Jan. 2008--Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of Hassan Sheikh Mumin, the celebrated Somali playwright, who died in Oslo in the middle of January.

Present at the funeral were Somaliland Ministers, opposition leaders, poets, singers, prominent figures and thousands of people of Awdal and other Somalilanders who came from all regions of the country.

Also present were a 12 member delegation from Djibouti led by Djibouti President’s Cultural Advisor, Hashi Abdillahi Orrah. Orrah has told that audience that Djibouti government had posthumously awarded the playwright the highest cultural medal. Djibouti Minister of Culture, Ali Abdi Farah, had laid the medal on the body at Djibouti Aiport.

“I have the decree in which the President Ismail Omar Geilleh has awarded the medal to late Hassan Sheikh Mumin. I will hand it over to Hassan’s family,” said Orrah.

Ahmed Mohammed Silanyo, leader of the main opposition pary Kulmiye, described Hassan Sheikh Mumin as a teacher of the Somali nation.

“He was farsighted and legendary artist. His death is a loss to all Somali speaking people,” he said.

Dr. Mohammed Rashid Sheikh Hassan, a former BBC staff who had interviewed Hassan a number of times, described Hassan as a philosopher who was ahead of the people in his thinking, noting that a memorial night will be organized in Hargeisa where Hassan’s works would be discussed. He also said that a cultural Center to be named after him would be established.

A number other speakers have all given glowing tributes to Hassan’s legacy and personality.

He was buried at his father’s Mausoleum in Ahmed Guray area of Borama town.

AYOUB · January 27, 2008

Abwaan Xasan Sh Muumin Alle ha u naxariistee Oo Maanta magaalada Boorama aas qaran loogu sameeyay

Gudoomiyaha xisbiga Kulmiye Axmed Siilaanyo ayaa isna shakhsiyadii abwaanka sidan uga faalooday "Inaa lilaah wa inaa ilyhi raajucuun abwaanka Alle ha u naxariistee waxa uu ahaa shakhsiyad aad u balaadhan oo magac iyo qadarin umadiisa ka kasbaday reer Awdal uun maaha, reer soomaaliland oo kaliyana maaha ee umada soomaalida oo dhan waxa kale oo uu ahaa hal abuur fikirkiisu dheeraa oo wax badan inooga tagay oo aan odhan karo macalin umadeed buu ahaa, waydinkaa arkaya jinaasadiisii in meel walba looga yimid min Jabuuti ilaa gobolada dalkeena, dibadaha iyo meel walba taas oo cabiraysa miisaankii shakhsiyadiisa"

Abwaan Xasan Sh Muumin Alle ha u naxariistee Oo Maanta magaalada Boorama aas qaran loogu sameeyay

Sawirada aas qaran loo sameeyay Abwaan Xasan Sh Muumin