Questions? Africans or Arabs

[Paragon]

LST, thank you my friend.

[mahadi]

This is an interesting thread of discussion. Are we African or Arab? Why do you have to be either one or the other. Every somali I have ever spoken with reserves their most violent reaction to being called an Arab. Why I do not know.

 

I for one have always considered myself African.

 

To be an Arab, you must speak Arabic. It is the equivalent of being Hispanic or Latino. The Arabs share no common ethnicity, but a common language, which is easily demonstrated by the extreme differences in spoken Arabic. Just as latinos, Arabs come in all different colors from the white lebanese to the dark Omani.

 

I think it is indisputable that the Cushitic peoples have had a great deal of contact with the Arabs(particularly those of the Hijaz, Yemen, and Oman) However, that does not make us Arab. We are somali. Unlike our nubian brothers from Eygpt and Sudan, we have yet to be arabized. Hopefully never will.

 

After reading much history, it hard to dispute that beginning in the 6th century, much mixing with the Arabs has occured.

 

Being a Somali is one of the strongest and most homogenous identities in the world. Despite are current troubles, hopefully we will remember that.

[Gabbal]

Somalis Arab or African? Interesting topic. Let me Just say.

 

When it comes to skin color? We are African. When it comes to religion, culture, history. We are Arab. I am a Somali, but let me just say.

 

Somalis are a HAMATIC people who are neither Bantu nor Caucasion. Historians say the Somali people immigrated from Yemen (encarta encyclopedia). But Somalis do not have only Arab blood, they also have Jewish. The Yibir are the decendents of anicent Isrealites (www.haruth.com/JewsSomalia.html). Most Somali people in appearance look somewhat Arabic and Caucasoid. 1 luv to the world.

[Drama-Free]

Just cuz we'r Muslim doesn't mean we'r Arabs.

 

Wasn't it Siad Barre who begged and sobbed to Arabs to have the Somalis join the Arab league in 1969?? If the rest of the world perceived Somalis as Arabs, they would surely have Arabs featuring the movie Black Hawk. Don't you think?

 

Stop discriminating one another, nobody gives a rat's tail whether you'r light skinned, soft featured, nappy haired or flat nosed.

 

Wake up and smell the Soomaalinimo.

[jabarti]

Asalamu aleikum,

 

This question has been on our discussion tables for the past 30 years, and there are three different scenarios about Somali Origin.

 

1.African Origin but Cushite race not Bantu.

2.Pharoah race. (Faaciinta dadkoodii.)

3.From north-Arabian Peninsula (Yemen and Oman)

 

There are those who believe that Somalis are Cushitic (principally Somalis, Oromos, Danakil and Afar) and their evidence is that Somalis are within a wide family of peoples called Eastern Cushites by modern linguistics and described earlier in some instances as Hamites. From a broader cultural-linguistic perspective, the Cushite family belongs to a vast stock of languages and peoples considered Afro-Asiatic. Medieval Arabs referred to the Eastern Cushites as the Berberi. (That’s why we have Berbera)hahaha.

 

The second groups say, that Somalis belongs to a pharaoh’s race. In Other words those who ruled Egypt about 2000 years ago belong to same group of people as Somalis, Ethiopians, Eritrea’s, Sudanese, Chadian, Nubian Egyptian, Quarter of Libyans, Niger, north African Barbers, and Mauritanians. If you look these people who are stretch from Atlantic Ocean to Indian Ocean have same race. In addition to that there is also archaeological evidence from Pharaoh's writings that there were business and people contacts between them and the people of the land of Punt. (Present North Eastern Somalia or So called State of Puntland.

 

Last argument is that Somalis are the from followers of Prophet Muhammad on Somali coast in the early centuries Islam had significant impact on the Somalis, even some Scholars argue that Islam reached Somali earlier than Medina.

 

Where some others claim that some of the Somali tribes came from Yemen and Oman and belong to tribes who are living there such as Mehiris and Suri who live in Oman, Yemen, and Rubu Khali desert of Saudi Arabia.

 

Also, there are strong link between Sultanate of Mageirtenia, Awdal and the rules of Emirates, Yemen, and And Sultanate of Oman.

 

To conclude my point, I was in Oman three years ago to visit some of my family members who are currently Oman’s national. To my surprise I found that 99% of them do not speak Somali; rather they all speak Arabic as their first language, even though they been there for 100 years only. That it-self shows you that someone can become someone else in a short period of time. My argument is that if that’s the case then what about our forefathers who came to Somali shores several Centuries ago.

 

I personally believe that I am African by geographically, ethnically Somali, religiously Muslim and Originally Arab who belongs to Aqil tribe from Arabia.

 

If you disagree my view then I guess u are from other Somali tribes who originally from Oromo, Dinakil, Galla, or Bantu, therefore you have every right to trace your origin to African race. We are in a free world.!!!!!!

 

But don’t ever try to argue that we Somali tribes are all from same line, or same Origin, even though we are all Somalis now but, unfortunately we have different Origins, still we are Somalis and :confused: that’s what we should be proud of.

 

Jabarti.

[Baashi]

Arab or African?

 

Before I give my opinion, do we have to rely on what others think/write about us or what our oral history says about us?

 

Think about it! What does ur grandpa/ma think about this issue?

 

I just refuse to take instructions, dubed as knowledge, from colonial spies who were made scholars by powers they've been working like Richard Burton and I. M. Lewis.

[Gediid]

None of the above,Somali to the bone.

Warshad khaas ah ayaa laga soo saarey.

 

Peace

[Gabbal]

Geedid and Soul_Lady no one is becoming a traitor to Soomaalinimo, but we're just discussing our origins.

 

"Wasn't it Siad Barre who begged and sobbed to Arabs to have the Somalis join the Arab league in 1969??" No, Somalia became a member of the Arab League in 1974, and it was a joint commission from Oman and Saudi Arabia who proposed Somalia's entry into the Arab League in 1972. The Arab League summit of 1973 unanimously excepted that proposal on the grounds that the Somalis are decendents of Samaal and Saab, two brother said to have been members of the prophet's tribe the Quraysh. All fact.

[Alisomali]

iam Muslim who is a BLACK AFRICAN

[Alisomali]

Mujahid stop saying nigga. come on man you claim to be a good muslim but then you say ish like that.

Did the prophet Muhammed SWA call Bilal a nigga. No. He would have beat somebody down for calling HIS BLACK friend a nigga. That is if that word existed back then

[SoMeOnE To LoVe Me]

Well I aggree with you sis somalia is an African country, but ur forgetting that arabs also used to live in somalia aswell and they mixed with real nomads and so as the Ethiopians, Sudans and so on.

Thats why you get all different kinds of people like me who are light skinned and dont look nothing like somalis and yet we speak the language and stick to the culture.

I considor myself to be somali but when i tell that to westerners they dont believe and so they ask me where i originate and i say i dont know cos I DONT and so everyone gets confused including me!

Real Nomads considor me to be non somali but i was born and raised in somalia including family. Just coz i look diffrent coz of my long hair and light skin.

So Bros and Sis i have opened up another situation in which perhaps u can advice me on!

[nuune]

we don't even know whether we are arabs or africans,that is horrible,when should we know whether we r pure african or arab.

 

but i will have to follow the international opinion,most arab countries regard us as arabs,and so the Asian countries, two days ago ,i was watching Syrian TV,and there was this syrian lady having discussions with this somali family in syria,indeed the family were talking as they are arab and i agree that with them.

 

if u give me a single proof that we are africans then i will accept that otherwise our country is in africa doesn't mean we r africans,i need to know more!!

[Gediid]

Nuune

 

To be able to associate with a race I guess you have ton speak the language not learn it mind you but Ku dhalataa.

 

Kala saar barasho iyo u dhalasho

 

Thanks

[TIIMBARO]

you uninformed bunch of nomads! Somalis are somalis. This topic has been talked about for years, and it never gets better. The reason why somalis want to be arabs is that they hold a deep rooted inferiority complex which they do not wish to display. Let's just focus on the future and never talk about this non-sense topic. Talking about where somalis originated from is futile and counter-productive. As somalis we should be discussing about the well-being of our suffering brethren.

 

the nomad has spoken

[Paragon]

Originally posted by Baashi:

Arab or African?

 

Before I give my opinion, do we have to rely on what others think/write about us or what our oral history says about us?

 

Think about it! What does ur grandpa/ma think about this issue?

 

I just refuse to take instructions, dubed as knowledge, from colonial spies who were made scholars by powers they've been working like Richard Burton and

I. M. Lewis.

Shall i laugh or not!