Who gets your Vote: The greatest Somali

[Muhammad]

The Horn of Africa

 

CSC 1984

 

SUBJECT AREA Strategic Issues

 

ABSTRACT

 

 

Author: GOMEZ, Arthur, Major, USMC

 

 

Title: The Horn of Africa

 

 

Publisher: Marine Corps Command and Staff College

 

 

Date: 2 April 1984

 

Europeans had a legend of a powerful Christian king, called Prester John,

 

who could aid them against the Moslems. When African traders brought back word

 

of the existence of Ethiopia, the Europeans thought they had found John's king-

 

dom. Portugal made attempts to contact the Ethiopians and set up diplomatic

 

relations in 1509.(10) While the Portugese were looking for help against the

 

Moslems, they ended up giving assistance as Ethiopia fought the Moslems.

 

The Moslems of the Horn had a powerful leader, the Iman of Harar, Ahmed

 

Ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, also called Ahmed "Gran" (the left handed), who was

 

leading a jihad against Christian Ethiopia. He was a skillful military leader

 

who also had the benefit of aid from Turkey in the form of troops and firearms.

 

(11) The jihad was based on religion and on new Somali migrations which added

 

population pressures to the Moslem kingdoms of the Horn. The Somalis provided

 

the bulk of the Moslem army which was very successful as most of the central

 

highlands were overrun, sacked, converted to Islam, or put to the sword. The

 

jihad was only checked when the Portugese sent 400 musketeers, under the Dom

 

Christopher da Gama, a son of Vasco da Gama, to aid the Ethiopians.

In 1542,

 

they helped the Ethiopians defeat Gran and forced him to retreat. Examples of

 

the animosities of the war included da Gama claiming one of Ahmed's wives as a

 

part of his share of the spoils of war. When Ahmed returned, he brought 900

 

Moslem musketeers and more cannon and defeated the combined Christian armies.

He also captured da Gama, had him tortured and then killed.

Gran's victory was

 

so complete, he thought the war was over and released his musketeers. The new

 

Emperor, Galadewos, surprised Gran and forced a battle where Gran was killed

 

and his army routed. Battles continued and saw a nephew of Gran defeat Gala-dewos in 1559. The nephew returned to Harar with a present for the widow of Gran, the head of Galadewos.(12)

 

The importance of the jihad is summarized by Robert Gorman:

 

Gran's jihad had two important long-term psychological effects.

First, it reinforced the Abyssinian perception that Ethiopia was a

"Christian island in an Islamic Sea," underscoring the religious

nature of much of the conflict that had transpired on the Horn.

Second, though ultimately unsuccessful, Gran is remembered among

Somali as a folk hero and an archetypal national figure despite the

ambiguity surrounding his ethnic origins.

 

While one should not underestimate the significance of these

psychological factors on the development of subsequent relations

between Ethiopia and Somalia, a more tangible effect of Gran's

exploits was the participation of Turks and other Arabs in the

conquests. This fostered claims by Turkey, and later by Egypt, to

both the Red Sea ports and much of what is now Eritrea. One can

trace the causes of the current Eritrean succession back to these

earlier historical developments.

 

Finally, there is an eerie, although largely coincidental, re-

semblance between the impact of foreign involvement during the Gran

episode and the Ethiopian-Somali war of 1977/78. In each case the

use of foreign mercenaries and equipment was decisisve to the out-

come. Foreign influences from Gran, through the colonial era to

Grazianni and beyond to the 1977 war, have greatly affected

Ethiopian-Somali relations.(13)

 

The battles ceased as both sides had to meet a greater challenge, a new

 

migration by the Oromo. As the Somali expanded into the Horn, they pushed the

 

Oromo out of their previous areas and set them in motion towards the interior.

 

The Oromo movements overran some areas, bypassed strong resistance in others,

 

and spread unevenly throughout the highlands.(14)

 

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1984/GA.htm

[Hebel]

Me DAMN IT!!!

[Hebel]

Me DAMN IT!

[sayfulaah-almasluul]

Originally posted by Gediid:

Ladiif

 

History can be misleading if misinterpreted by the wrong people.In this case 21 years of kacaan has left behind a nation brainwashed by loopsided history,made brutal murderers into national heroes and real heroes into traitors.The Sayid I believe is a prime example.He went on a rampage and in the process killed more innocent Somalis than the Italians, British and Ethiopians combined.Some were killed beacause of who they were and others for their property.A very few others beacuse they worked for the colonial powers.Honestly he was no Sayid or sheikh but he has 21 years of kacaan to be thankful for that.

Thanks

everyone look at the history from one angle and that is so natural.it is the nature of human bein not to aggree on one thing,however the idea that siyaad did mislead the somali history is in absolute false,siyaad did not and could't mislead the history,we all know that sayid have some opposition who did not supported his ideas but that does not make him killer as some of you put it!!!!!!it is absolute inevitable suation,his great jihad would have been in choas had he not dealt with those who oppose his leadership.people can be persuaded in diffrent ways and sayid did tried to persuade his opposers by negotiation but coul't make agreement cuz they were so greedy and stooges of colonial power that they thought that will never go away!!!!!!!!all those of u who think he was on wrong way must read and study his poems.

there is no way we can put sayid or compare him with mass murderers.like all somali warlords.

[AYOUB]

Miskiin macruuf

The founders of SYL, the fathers of Soomaalinimo, the Aabiyaashii Ummada Soomaaliyeed meel walba ay joogaan.

As much as I agree with SYL's fight against colonialist, I believe that they and their SNL counterpart were the first generation of Somalis who were 'educated' and chose western education and government systems over Islamic ones. The decisions taken by the 'Aabiyaashii Ummada' when they first took power were major mistakes worth learning from and not repeated. Rather than being heroes, some of these 'founding fathers' played a major role and could be considered the source of the disaster Somalis are in at the moment. They were incharge of the first colapsed government and their disputes with one another lead to the 1969 coup.

 

sayfulaah

however the idea that siyaad did mislead the somali history is in absolute false,siyaad did not and could't mislead the history,

I don't know what your source of history is but, there are many Somalis who's only source was Siad's books and propaganda. These individuals still believe that they were the victors in 1977, we are all homogenous, Ahmed 'Gurey' was Somali and Sayid was a saint- when the truth might be different.

[Beerlula]

interesting topic.

 

Obviously, most votes seem to go to the Sayid. It just proves that what we lack is great Somalis. As much I applaud the Sayid’s fight against the gaalo, I don’t think he should be glamorized nor categorized as being a good muslim. The man among other things ruthlessly killed thousands of Somalis, looted poor families to further his cause. Most of his poetry is based on clanism and is very degrading. Certianly not very Islamic

 

As for Ahmed Guray, Ethiopians claim that he is Ethiopian and is recorded in all their history books as Ahmed Gran.

[sayfulaah-almasluul]

Originally posted by Beerlula:

interesting topic.

 

Obviously, most votes seem to go to the Sayid. It just proves that what we lack is great Somalis. As much I applaud the Sayid?s fight against the gaalo, I don?t think he should be glamorized nor categorized as being a good muslim. The man among other things ruthlessly killed thousands of Somalis, looted poor families to further his cause. Most of his poetry is based on clanism and is very degrading. Certianly not very Islamic

 

As for Ahmed Guray, Ethiopians claim that he is Ethiopian and is recorded in all their history books as Ahmed Gran.

sayis maxamed c/hasan had fought agaist colonial masters in somali,his primary objective was to free the somali people from the blood sucker,of brithish and italians.and in situation like this one must be quite ready for all obstacles which could be layed down by agressors or their stooges.it is very painfull situation when ur somalibrother want u to be killed,all somalis were not with sayid's idea of liberation.obviously some were agaist it.now what is best way to deal with people who openly oppose and even fights the liberators(sayid's darawish) there are two options

1- negociation,

2- fight

i wouldn't rule out that sayid many time tried to persuade his opponanet with talks .but obviously did not work and only option left was to fight them, which i think was approriate. by the way do we consider those who were agaist the liiberation of somali as good musllims if we do not consider sayid and his folowers as mujjahideen and liberators?

as far as ahmed Gurey is concern i would recommende u to read abook about the history of somali galbeed by the name: taxfatul al-awfiyaaa