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

[Khayr]

Originally posted by Norfsky:

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

and how has that been working out for you saxib. More pay? More Adoration? Have you been signing more?

[Qandalawi]

All: Somali, African, Arab. Laa maanic!

 

I am all, and all is me.

[Ismahaan]

Somali,east african,Muslim.

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by Khayr:

quote:Originally posted by Norfsky:

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

and how has that been working out for you saxib. More pay? More Adoration? Have you been signing more?

So far so good. Only when people ask and want me to be more specific than 'East Africa' do I blurt out Eritrea.

[SayidSomal]

Eritrea of all places - you might as well claim to come from Burco.

[MZanzi]

we are all africans,as long as your country is in the african continent dont let any1 look down on you as if youre an alien,God bless Africa

[Kamaavi]

Nogobi Muslim African Somali.

[Mist]

Originally posted by 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.

That made no sense whatsoever.

1st I've never met a 'Somali' that does not consider themselves 'Black', the other alternative is 'white'.

2nd There are more 'Muslim' countries in Africa then there are in Arabia.

3rd our language is related to East African spoken languages.

Our culture has been Arabized in the 19th century due to the religious shift from Sufism to more Arab/Saudi Arabia influenced Shafi' methodology.

Before that we had a culture very similar to most East African countries.

 

We might share a religion with Asian but we are far from sharing an identity with them.

 

I've never understood why people like to complicate things, its hard enough finding a place in the word.

Its simple: Somali, Black, African.

[NASSIR]

Identity: African

Sub-Identity: Cushitic aka Afro-Asiatic group

Ethnicity: Somali

Religion: Muslim

Country: Greater Somalia

Republic: Somalia

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

People should be able to define their identity by constructing it. What do someone in Hargeisa and I have in common baal? communication technology and cheap transportation have made it possible for people to move from one place to another and for this reason, among many other, people can define their identity since their travels and interactions with other peoples have all contributed to how people perceive themselves. Having said that, I will always identify myself as Somalilander, though I have ever been there once but it had deep and dramatic impact on me.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

jamaican

[grasshopper]

When people ask about my background I always say Somali or African. But never Black. Black is how other people might define me

 

Have you ever met a German/Dutch/Irish/etc. who will define themselves as "white" first?? I've never. White is how I might define them if I didn't know what they were though

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by S*S:

Eritrea of all places - you might as well claim to come from Burco.

I do. Only it's in Eritrea

[Baashi]

Waryee Northern where have you been lately? I am getting laid off pretty soon. My year is up pretty soon and I am not getting along with these French Canadians I have the misfortune to work with.

 

We gotta catch up soon -- over cup of chai perhaps.

[N.O.R.F]

^Really? Will PM you.