How Do You Define Yourself As a Somali? As An African or an Arab??

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

The reason why many Somalis don’t consider themselves black is due to cultural and religious difference. Most attempts to classify Somali fails to take in account their distinct position as the interface of different cultures. The closest monitoring category – Black African, is too broad, when subsumed within this category, Somalis do not share any culture, language or religious practices with their fellow Black Africans. As Muslims, Somalis worship along side their co-religionist from Asian and Arab countries, but just as they diverge from Black Africans, Somalis do not share other aspects of culture, language or dress with their co-religionist. Somalis are thus a unique demographic community (UDC). They are niether african or Arab.

 

I am African and very proud, however when I see fellow African people showing clear contempt for Somali people, it makes me think twice about Africans and their xenophobic attitude towards their own kind (I say this with caution, by African, I mean Geographically).Even in South Africa, Somalis businesses are attacked and destroyed since the black South Africans don’t consider Somalis to be African.

 

The terms 'African' and 'Black' should not be used interchangeable, since they have different meanings.

[General Duke]

^^^ Yet in a world we are small you would have us divided? Think my brother.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Duke,

My position is not one based on ethnicity but rather interest.

[Legend of Zu]

Only a ****** person will make them mutually exclusive!

 

May be that should be your answer!

 

For example, the egyptians aren't they arabs, africans and also egyptians?

 

[General Duke]

So your interest lies in the division of Somali's?

[Abaay Heylay]

I am 100% Somali, African, ..... and I am proud of it:)

[The Zack]

Hmmm good question. I think I am an Arab

[Curly]

Originally posted by MAXIMUS POWERS:

Even in South Africa, Somalis businesses are attacked and destroyed since the black South Africans don’t consider Somalis to be African.

I think you'll find the reason was because those business owners weren't South African yet reaping the rewards of something South Africans fought for, for so long.

 

I don't know about the rest of your reasoning either, religion is hardly the reason why people think we might be ethnically different to Africans. The plain truth is that African have brought into the racist colonial ideas of what it means to be Black African.

[Curly]

DP

[Che -Guevara]

Curly Is "black" African an identity? And don't you think the very racist colonialism suppressed diversity within Africa by dividing the continent into generic Sub-Saharan black African and white northerners.

[N.O.R.F]

I have been from Eritrea for the past year or so.

[Baluug]

Somalis are unique, there's no one else in the world like them, so there's no need to claim being African or Arab. But for the sake of argument, Somalis are African simply because they're from Africa, same as Arabs in Egypt are African because they're from Africa.

[Curly]

Che, I'm not basing my judgement on skin colour like I said earlier Africa is very diverse.

 

Look at the geographical and historical facts...we're African. Most of the 'white northerners' are rarely true representations of their countries and they will tell you their gulf ancestry themselves.

[Che -Guevara]

^Gotchu you, Agreed as long as skin color isn't considered an identity. Northerners I met considered themselves Berbers (majority of whom are) and hence native to the continent.

 

Funny though, many look more white than Gulf Arabs.

[hodman]

We are what works for us at any particular time. Ain't nothing wrong with self interest