What is the Somali Culture?

[Legend of Zu]

To me the Somali culture is quite enigma. Hard to explain or define. You think it is easy i beg to differ. not many are able to explain or define what is excatly the somali culture? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Somali culture, what are they? Do we really understand our own culture?

 

What is your understanding or definition of the Somali Culture?

 

Cheers

 

PS:

Wrote the above in a haste hope you will forgive with any misspelling or run on sentences.

[Medley of extemporanea]

i would say there poetry, their music, the way they dress (the women) and the life stype of the nomads (if there are still any). There is also the traditions they have and the family structures qabiil and all that. whats so hard to define about it?

[Jacpher]

The only aspect of Somali cutlure I find most disgusting is how qabiil is utilized. Qabiil can be a good thing if it’s used positively, not abused or misused. In a typical Somali culture, your qabiil leaves a bigger impression in society than your success in life. Somalis have proven to be the masters of qabiil and their sole game. If qabiil never existed, I think we could have accomplished more than we destroyed. And if it decides to abandon us today, we could be that much closer to a working solution for our ongoing problems. A week ago, I had a conversation with a West African brother and he said what better could Somalis ask for [Allah] than same religion and language that connects them. Obviously, we failed to benefit what Allah has given us.

[Qandalawi]

Hard to explain or define. You think it is easy i beg to differ. not many are able to explain or define what is excatly the somali culture?

Whats so hard about Somali culture, what part of it don't you understand?

 

Generally culture of people could be difined or identified how they behave from their social intercation to beliefs, arts which includes linguistic and other traditional plays.

 

Are you saying none of that Somali posses or rather never heard about it thus want to be educated and be taught our culture.

 

I'll set the stage for Ducaqabe to give you a bit of our eternal wisdom or better use of the lingo to stunningly bring full attention of your audience, Perhaps a taste of "Ragoow kibirka waa lagu kufaa kaa ha la ogaado" Abwaan Ismaaciil Mire.

 

That is one(not all bear in mind) of the classic Somali culture rather stricking weapon, that can be used to either cause havoc or create peaceful situation. I must say thou, it is not as influential nowadays as it used to be in our Somali hey era.

 

Ducaqabe Sxb you can take it on, Welcome to the stage

[Arawella]

Have to agree on this with Legend of Zu. Not many us of when asked to define Somali culture are able to give a direct explanation.

 

Is Somali culture limited to our music, language and attire? What about our heritage, our lineage that should not be forgotten as suggested by Ducaqabe.

 

Exactly who are our ancestors? Do Somalis have any history to be proud of?

------------------------------------

A low-class man will just talk; deeds are the hallmark of a gentleman (Knappert)

[Yoonis_Cadue]

Somali nomad, symbol of the country's predominantly pastoral life

 

THE SOMALIS ARE A CULTURALLY, linguistically, and religiously homogeneous people, who are divided along clan lines and sparsely scattered over a harsh, dry land. There are significant distinctions among sectors of the population, related in part to variations in means of livelihood. In the early 1990s, roughly 60 percent of an estimated population of more than 8.4 million were still nomadic pastoralists or seminomadic herders, subject to the vicissitudes of an arid climate. Twenty to 25 percent of the people were cultivators, most living in the southern half of the country, on or between Somalia's two major rivers, the Jubba and the Shabeelle. The remainder were town dwellers, the vast majority of whom resided in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.

 

With the fall of General Mahammad Siad Barre's regime on January 27, 1991, and the ensuing internal warfare that resulted in the disintegration of the Somali state, patterns of residency changed dramatically. For instance, the population of Mogadishu, estimated at 500,000 in the mid-1980s, witnessed the influx of thousands of refugees. As a result, Mogadishu reportedly had about 2 million inhabitants in early 1992. Throughout the country the civil war, along with the lawlessness as Siad Barre's regime collapsed and the absence of functioning governmental and social institutions, produced a chaotic situation.

 

Although 95 percent of the population are ethnic Somalis, sharing a common culture, in traditional society they segmented themselves into a hierarchical system of patrilineal descent groups, each said to originate with a single male ancestor. The most comprehensive of these groups were the six clan-families (see Glossary). Their constituent units were the clans (see Glossary), which in turn were made up of lineages (see Glossary), which themselves were further segmented. Among the sedentary interriverine Somalis, however, descent gave way in part to territoriality as a framework for social, political, and economic organization.

 

Membership in clans and lineages shaped the allocation of individual rights and obligations. The principle of descent, however, was modified (although rarely overridden) by Somali heer, or traditional jurisprudence. Contracts or treaties bound specified descent groups and their individual members together for the making of war and peace and, above all, for the provision of compensation in cases of homicide and injury.

 

The Somali social order has been marked by competition and often by armed conflict between clans and lineages, even between units of the same clan-family or clan. Within each unit, Somali males considered better warriors, wiser arbiters, or abler speakers commanded greater respect in council. However, pastoral Somalis looked down on sedentary ones, and both looked down on non-Somali clients (see Glossary) of the sedentary Somalis and members of despised occupational groups such as hunters and smiths, who made up, however, only a very small proportion of the population.

 

The segmented social order, with relatively minor modifications, was carried into the independence period. In a very poor country, many Somalis were disaffected by the competition for power and wealth that often took the form of shifting alliances and conflicts between greater and lesser clans and lineage segments. Simultaneously, new cleavages emerged between educated urban dwellers who had mastered a foreign language and the less-sophisticated rural Somalis.

 

Soon after the October 1969 military coup, Siad Barre's socialist government aimed an attack at the traditional system. In principle at least, his regime reduced the significance of clans and lineages, encouraged women to participate in government and attend school, and sanctioned the social equality of lowstatus groups. The gap that had opened between educated Englishor Italian-speaking Somalis and the rest of the population was reduced somewhat by the institution of a Somali script and the designation of Somali as the official language.

 

Siad Barre's government insisted that socialism was compatible with Islam, the religion of the overwhelming majority of Somalis. Although Somalis had not always conformed to the rigors of orthodox Islam, their identity was bound up with being Muslim. With few, if any, exceptions leaders of the socialist regime were Muslims and did not attack religion. However, they also did not hesitate to institute reforms that displeased conservative Muslim leaders.

 

Despite government encouragement of change, clan and lineage remained important throughout Siad Barre's rule, and Siad Barre remained in power by manipulating clans and clan leaders. In fact, soon after the revolution, kinship considerations and nepotism were evident at the highest levels of the regime.

 

The workings of the lineage system were predicated on the solidarity of the segments of the same order with one another and the relative equality of the members of each segment. The growth of the state and the development of different degrees of wealth and access to other private-sector resources caused an incipient stratification that had the potential to override lineage solidarity as it diminished equality.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Muxuu yahay Soomaali 'culture?'

 

Read this.

 

We arrived in the dreary dead winter of February, 1996, from Nairobi.

 

Baltimore, Maryland.

 

In the first week, I and this pal used to go out, to see the snow, explore the immediate area. One day, this Soomaali guy driving past saw us walking. He screeched his car to a halt, came out, shook our hands, and when learned we're new to the area, told us to come to his apartment. We went along.

 

He was iskaabulo, shaah u noo kariye. Pizza uu noo dalbay. Raashiin naga dharjiye. He did all this without even knowing our first name. Markaas uu noo sheegay inuu Soomaali uu arko jidka socdaan waa hore ugu danbeysay markuu San Diego daganaa, inkastoo few live in the area now in Baltimore.

 

He was "so proud to see us." Very, very "glad to see us." Can't "believe he had a Soomaali company at home" finally. Markaas uu wareesi galay, goortaan nimid, saan ugu helnay xaafada, etc.

 

Markee sheegada noo dhamaatay wuuna sii sagootiye. He didn't stop after that. When his iskaabulo friend arrived, he told him our meeting. That iskaabulo friend promptly arrived our home. After wareesi iyo salaan, he drove us to KFC, intuu chicken soo tubay uu dhahay ka dharga Afrika ka ka imaateen ee isku gura. Markaas uu magaalada nagu soo wareejiye, telling us to visit them any time we wanted, especially the next night since there was a much awaited boxing match between Tyson and Bruno.

 

They did all of this in the name of Soomaalinimo. I can't even forget the first guy's name, Geedi. Geedi if you ever happen to read this, raggeedi ayaa tahay.

 

This is dhaqanka suuban oo wanaagsan ee Soomaalida.

[who-me]

Maskiin Macruuf I had scenario close to that one happen to me and some of my friends few years ago. We drove from Canada to go and see some Somali concert in Minneapolis and our plan was to spend the night in some hotel after the concert since we didn’t know anyone from town. When partying was done late at that night we felt little hungry and decided to grab few bites from one of those Somali restaurants in town before we head to our resting place, so we found our selves in some place on Cedar St.. The restaurant owner was a bright old fella and he right away figured out that we were some Soogalootis and while we were there one of my friends stuck conversion with the gentle man for a while and he asked us where we from and where we spending the night at and when we told him that we were headed to a hotel, he put his arms on his head and said A HOTEL!!!. Yes a hotel… On the spot the gentle man insisted that we spend the night at his place, not to bug him we politely tried to turn down his offer but when we realised it was doing more harm than good by ignoring his hospitality we decided to put our land gear at his place. Late at that night while I was searching for a sleep at his place I kept staring at the sealing and started thinking about if other cultures did have this kind of hospitality to the point I realize that It is something unique to Somalis. I mean I don’t think if anyone out there will trust couple of aliens from planet X at their doorsteps let alone letting them in their homes. We have a lot to cherish and also few nasty habits but hey I would not trade anything with Somali culture..

[RendezVous]

Originally posted by Ducaqabe:

A week ago, I had a conversation with a West African brother and he said what better could Somalis ask for [Allah] than same religion and language that connects them. Obviously, we failed to benefit what Allah has given us.

If only Somalis could Follow their Religion..ISLAM..All problems would end..

[Yeniceri]

On one hand, I truly feel MMA's story because I've been helped by fellow Somalis in the name of Soomaalinimo, and I've helped others.

 

On the other hand, I truly recognize that some aspects of Somali culture are the primary reason we're in this current sh!thole.

 

A love-hate relationship.

[xiinfaniin]

L o Z:

 

Marka qabiilka iyo siyaasadda laga reebo, dhaqanka soomaalidu aad buu u fiicanyahay. Suugaantooda, hab-guursigooda, martisoorkooda, ganacsigooda iyo macaamiladooduba waa wax aan la heli karin.

 

But all of that would be easily eclipsed when examined through wrong lenses.

 

Selective and isolated incidents that exhibit off-putting incidents of ours do not give you the whole picture of Somali culture. I personally think that Somalis are good people who are going through very tough times. If not because of their unique qualities they would’ve been extinct by now.

 

They have a culture that supports the needy and elderly, that recognizes and respects the role of woman in the society and values charity and compassion. Remember all these mid-night phone calls from distant relatives whom yo have never known but still felt obliged to send some money to them. Remember the qaaraan you paid for building a school or a well or something for a social cause. Where else would you find a society that still functions without central authority?

 

Sure we are segmented society that does not appreciate the meaning of compromise and seeking common ground. Sure we still cling to our old and clannish concepts of governance, and we are certainly not a civilized people and still have our nomadic tendencies, but our culture is not villain of our social ills. If any thing we survived because of it. be proud of it, saaxiib.

 

Time to give credit where it truly belongs.

[Legend of Zu]

Thanks Fellas,

 

I appreciate the responses…and you have highlighted few good and bad sides of our culture.

 

But I was more like looking how you will, after seeing other cultures, define your Somali culture.

 

Haniif: You highlighted the attire/dress, music and poetry

 

Yonis: provided an overview of the current state of the Somali society

MMA: give us a live example of the generosity and hospitality of the Somalis

Dhuusaaye and Yonis again enforced MMA's view

 

Fathia has similar questions as I

 

Xiin: see the good side of our society’s structure, compassion, generosity and support we provide for one another.

 

As you will agree “Culture†means shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours and artefacts. Then all of these qualities are conveyed from generation to generation thus (language, poetry and any other forms of literature comes to mind)

 

However every culture is influenced by external and internal factors (forces). Externals being outside environment and other communities that migrate and become part of this culture or vice versa. Where the Internal forces are the inner evolution, development and how the members of the society react to the events that occur in their surroundings.

 

The Somali society have witnessed all the above (as were mentioned by Yonis and Xiin) which means that these outside forces had impact on the core and fundamentals of the Somali culture thus we see the changes that we Somalis are going thru.

 

Now When i asked what is the Somali culture it wasn't a lack of understanding from my side it was a question where I am questioning of you see the changes to our culture from the positive to negative. Let’s say Somali diaspora are slowly integrating to the host cultures, are we leaving behind the good and positive aspects of our culture? Are we changing the negative aspects? Are the changes to our culture good and so on.

 

Now you could be prolly thinking why I didn’t ask these questions to start with. I say " My intentions what to see how you define what is our culture and then move to the next step and discuss the changes".

 

Sorry again…Am in a haste… I work for others for living you know : I can’t spend time proof reading …Hopefully am clearer now!!!

 

Cheers

[juba]

totally understand where your coming from Zu because i feel like that all the time!

 

some cultures are just more elaborate then others say the indian or chinese culture (which has so many rules and procedures it makes my head spin) while others are more simplistic like Somali culture. Its so simple that it can be boring

[Medley of extemporanea]

Yeah, Somali are very much influenced by outside forces. Which is understandable taken where they live and how small and powerless they are. I wonder how much of what we think of as "Somali" culture is in fact east African culture.

 

For example, I was very surprised recently to learn how much Somali music and Eritrean music sound alike.

[Yeniceri]

^^

 

Somali culture was influenced, true, but so are other cultures the world over. Let's not forget, people, that we live in a global community of cultures whose values overlap and interconnect in more ways than one.

 

But we do have certain aspects of Somali culture that are uniquely Somali, most prominently af-Soomaali, that connects a group of people in four officially distinct nations (Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya).

 

What about things like buraambur, xeer Soomaali etc.? Was that adopted from another culture? I don't even know.