The intellectual crisis of the Somali youth.

[Sophist]

Have you wondered what grime filled the Somali forums are. Have you pondered what is exactly the cause of this staggeringly horrendous intellectual debris? Many complain about the utter barren that our social gatherings has become. The so called educated young Somalis who write in foreign language (Intrinsically not indicative of intellectual refinement- but can be a sign of ) are reduced to engage their time in trivial matters- matters pertaining nothing short of social vomit; arbitrary relationships held in the most ad hoc fashion. Men in their twenties acting like a savage boys who had never seen a female; and in turn women with considerable age behaving as though they want to reclaim (that is if they ever had) their 'joyous' youth.

 

By god, I am angry and by rationality and universal objectivity I have bloody every right to be cross with our young minds. Every day, I study with young boys and girls not yet to be adult age (the adult age being 21 in Britain) but have embraceable social intellectual standing-notwithstanding when they consume the drink that robs their reason. These people who suppose to be inferior to us (in spiritual matters) are indeed in better stance. When I cited this example, my friends who though saw the decadence of our moral and intellectual fabric argued that apples can not be compared to cheese- assuming we are the later) But such argument can be refuted by the mere citation of other societies that the Somali nation have a lot in common with. The Sudanese come to mind. Where I study, I have met young girls and boys with immense intellectual breadth and great potential in succeeding in life. One thinks, being such a toph filled place these people will lose sight of their being. But to may utter astonishment-and of course delight- these young, ambitious and academically successful men and women are true to their Sudanese being. They are part of the mainstream but they also have their actual heritage-of course there are exception to the rules; some of you may find some Sudanese boys and girls are worst off then us.

 

Also, our arch enemy Ethiopians seems to be better off. Their forums (or so I was told, after a fellow student saw me surfing this forum-with great derision I hurried to close it down without further humiliation) have by far more socially acceptable.

 

In almost of the Somali forums subjects (and I speak from personal experience for I have been member of the infamous Somalinet forum for considerable time and the so relatively better SOL) are heave filled shite. The only things that pretends to be intellectual but fails miserably are the political sections.

 

It is terribly late where I am now, so I shall leave you by saying WHAT YOU WRITE IS DIRECT REFLECTION OF OUR INNER BEING-Some of you may right out of humour but such humour and 'filling the time' is the exact actuality of what resides within you.

 

May dearest brothers and sisters take this not a destructive criticism but indeed nothing short of a brother angered by his brethrens for he saw them not fulfilling their potential.

Be You, shine above others.

Sophist.

[ferocious]

lol............and u are one of them , writing in english :eek: :rolleyes:

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

Salafi, you second with him. Ah, again, I'm thirded with you guys. Afkeena xaa noo diiday u sheeg.

 

Sophist, let them be ciyaal kuni kuni. We all put our two taanos, intellect or not. People come to the forums with different reasons and different set of minds. Some vent. Some do jacburis like me. And others with their rigid, overzealous siyaasad with endless muran.

________________

 

Macsalaama.

[Zaylici]

The former article edited

Sophists, the problems with Somali youths, in particular and Somali soceity in general is profound one, that is the foolishness of the Somali people that manifests itself in variety of circumstances is nothing but a manifestation of deeper fundemental crisis, The Somali as I see, needs a high culture, a culture that molds harmonises her fragmented social personality, the low charecter that people compete to examplify in every given opportunity, be it in public or private, is nothing but poor human quality, that is a charecter that lacks excellence and vertue, I trace this problem to our modes of economic production, that is nomadic life, nomadism is premitive way of human subsistance, no civilisation, no art, and no industry or written science and literature in Nomadic soceity, the necessary consequence of this is fragmented soceity, that is a soceity that rejects modernity on one hand, and on the other hand admires the same thing that it hates, a soceity that likes education but does not cultivate profound scholarship, to put it clearly, we are a soceity, at this historical moment, that is not good or excellent in any conceivable manner, fragmentation is word that cuptures our historical reality, to speak in Hegilian terms. what is needed in such historical condition is Platonic revulution( that is fundemental transformation of the society through science and human thought, reconfugeration of the societal structure) and foundation of high culture that stresses the necessity of labor division and glorifies excellence in every thing that one does. I see majority of the Somalis as people who are deeply and profoundly fragmented, their blood is pouring in to the sand, where their sons and doughters literaly and metaphorically are suffering from lack of blood transfusion, they show symptoms of deap sociopolitcal malaise, the resolution of this problem, in my view is foundation of new civilisation, no less could save this suffering masses. Islam and Somali culture can provide raw material for this to be theorised civilisation. Far from being anti Somali or antinomadims, I beleive foolishness is nothing but to be a Somali, it works also the other way around, that is to be Somali is to foolish, poor fragmented human charecter, foolishness is simplicity, not a complex refinement, the latter is charecteristic of the soceity with high culutes, foolishness and simplicity as opposed to the compex refinement is a charecteristic that follows from socioeconomic condition, and not biological phinominon

so Much for discussion

[Sophist]

Once again it seems some of my fellow gents have misundertood what I meant in it's entirety; it would indeed be folly to follow up the error.

 

Miskiin Macruuf: Walaalkiis, arinku maaha in dadka qaarkiis ey kobtan uyimaadaan cayaayir iyo haasaawey; tani waa xaal dhalinyaro. Laakiin waxaa aniga shaqsiyan amakaag igu ridey in ku dhowaan kuligeen in aad moodo inaan cayaayir ku jirno.

 

Umadeena Soomaaliyeed xaalka ey hada kusugan tahay, marka dhinacyo badan laga eego, waa arin runtii ubaahan laab kac iyo kashaqeyn. Goloyaashan bandhigeed (Forums) waxaa larabey iney ahaadann meelihii tiiraanyada iyo xusniga laga dareemi lahaa; laakiin markaad timaado waxaad arkeysaa dad aad moodid in umadoodu ey dhaqan tahay. Tan weeye waxa aniga iga yaabiyey. Maalin kasta waxaan maqalnaa warar laga naxo, dadkeenii oo kumilmey dhaqan hoosaadka ka jira wadamadaan galbeedka (low- brow culture). Waxaa muuqata in dadku aaney dareensaneyn arinkaan mugdigiisa-- amabase aaneyba danba kalaheyn, labadan xaalba waa xaalal ba'an.

 

Zaylici, uuh, I Platonic revolution huh? You remind me of the lectures I had in social engineering. Akhii, the lack of transition from pastoral nomadism to modernity has had immeasurable effects upon our society. But that is not the only problem. I am nomadic by nature, but I would like to think myself as someone who has indeed integrated (not assimilated) into positive tenets of modernity--- I think this has nothing to do with one's intellectual capacity, but perhaps it is fundamentally part of how one is nurtured by his parents.

 

Walahi, the lack of ambition and respect of thyself is rife in our youth. If they see someone with a beacon of hope to make IT, they look at that person in what reasonably looks like an scornful stare. One wonders, what is happening with the families of these kids. Look at these forums I speak of my dear fellow, you will be reduced to shame how insipid and futile the subjects discussed are. They mostly revolve around issues that are stripped from any moral or intellectual attire-- I hope the excessive utilization of the word intellect will not irritate the people I speak about.

 

Zaylici, with frank inquisition; may I enquire how you survived this low brow and embraced the high culture which you certainly speak so fondly of. Perhaps with clear step by step menu will indeed provide the rescue of our fellow youth who are indeed in greater need for such action. ENlighten us, and Allah will guide you insha Allah.

 

To all, once again no hard feelings.

 

Be YOU AND SHINE ABOVE OTHERS.

 

Sophist

[Thinkerman]

I just think as a people we could do with being abit more humble in everything we do. A little bit of humility nevery hurt anyone, and alot f humility oftens softens the heart and opens the mind to a reality that is more diverse than the social problems that we seem to internalise and manage every day. And in this there is no better path than that of aquirin knowledge, and more specific islamic knowledge.

 

I dont think somali's can change the way they are, and by that i mean the essense that make us what we are, our sometimes brash ways, and Xenaphobic tendencess. Every culutre has something the makes them uniquly british, italian, chinsee and so forth.

 

I really believe that we have plenty of problems that afflict our society, but it is how we collectively deal with these problems that is the challange that we continue to fail to embrace.

 

From our homes to our leaders we lack stargey co-ordination and it is no suprise to me after all we are if anything a Nation of Individuals, of 1000 asipiring Presidents and 0 Revolutionaries.

 

Plz excuse me Shopist if i dieveted somewhat from answering your intial query

[The Observer.]

this is good, people calling out for change in a way, question brothers, we see what is going around with our youth, but have we gone out and talk and see what they are facing?

 

has anyone said am going to a highschool and talk to these so called wannabe thugs and see why they think this way? etc

[Waaq]

Every group of people is not homogenous. I do not understand why Somalis always insist on comparing themselves to every other group. Somalis are Somalis, there are good, bad, fat, thin, beautiful, ugly, dumb, smart, thug, awkwan, etc. I have plenty of Ethiopian friends who complaim about their community as well. Plus don't forget their are only 8 million Somalis vs. 40 million Ethiopians vs. 1.2 Billion Indians.

 

BTW, I write in English cause it is my first language, not out of any attempt appear superior. I would love to write in Somali, and inshaallah one day I will.

 

Peace

[N.O.R.F]

You can only do so much, if they take yr advice and pursue something good then thats wonderful. A fool will not learn from past mistakes and will carry on being 'ciyaal' for longer than normal and become stuck in this mind frame. If he/she wants to be a fool then so be it! Dont worry too much about these kids, most of them snap out of it. The ones that i do see who are up to no good, i can only hope and pray they turn out good.

 

Sophist, my attitude is get on with life as best as possible and dont let uncontrabble issues effect yr life resulting in anger and frustration. Life is too short to be wasting yr time with these sort of things that will probably not change much when yr older and is a repetitive cycle.

[-Nomadique-]

Sorry to move away from the topic of discussion but i couldnt help but be suprised by a statement made by Zaylici which I quote

 

 

I trace this problem to our modes of economic production, that is nomadic life, nomadism is premitive way of human subsistance, no civilisation, no art, and no industry or written science and literature in Nomadic soceity

Now I don't know about you but i think that our historical nomadic existence was a source of our great literary traditions so much so that Somalia is recognised as a "nation of bards" and whose general appeal was actually compared to that of Shakespeare during Elizabethen times

 

these are all facts

so the problem with the so called youth which I am a member of i might add, is not the lack of culture but the fact that the youth living in western society have not been blessed with being introduced to the rich culture that unfortunately seems to be disappearing.

[The Observer.]

meridian i so agree with the point on how the youth are not exposed with the culture which is vanishing.

 

but what about those who are exposed and are ignorant?

you know u gotta think both ways! haha

and waaq don't worry, u ain't the only one without the mothertongue of somali, inshallah before the culture and language vanishes we shall learn!

[wind talker]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

 

The eternal battle between nerd and jock continues. Dawg, jus write in plain English instead of writing in the 'Queens English.' I doubt that's gonna get you any closer to be an Englishman.

 

Other than that, regardless to what you're little bookworm friends told you, Ethiopian forums are a mess. The infamous SomaliNet became irrelevant because a large percentage of the threads were posted by a punch of high school kids who come home right after school and name all the cutest boys and girls here and there and wherever else. The point is, you can't judge Somali Forums by pointing you're finger at a single one. There are numerous forums that function accordingly and professionally, including SOL.

 

P.S. Peep out the ghetto man. You might get you're lingo refined!

[Sophist]

The chap above, you don't seriously think I would respond to such drivel?

 

 

Sihuwi:

 

Humility is a good thing, but it is a word that is overused in this forum.

 

 

Northener

 

My fellow, out of pity I feel these sentiments, it troubles me because it is an state of concious that is almost like insomnia!. One hopes with little expection, what would happen to these boys and girls. You say this will snap out of it but the thing is they have passed that age of trivial existence. I concern myself with these problems because I would like to think I care about the state of our social standing. We are acommunity and as such we all should indeed practice that cohetion.

 

Sophist

[N.O.R.F]

They all need sending back home for 'reconditioning' as i have seen many who have gone off the rails, only to come back more calm and mature. I hav worked with these kids before as a youth worker, i'm just saying help and encourage as when u can but dont be too hard on yr self and others. Somalis never do anything as a community, untill then, the situation will remain the same!

[Sophist]

Northener, Thanks for your contribution.

 

On te Point of Community. I think one can argue (so far as he has a command on sophistry) that the problem (not the wholesale problem, if one could identify it then we would be relased from our self-incurred inertia: of course the genarality is lack of Islamic erudition and practice) is there is no self-decipline. The whole culture is based upon commuinty concious or as my departed friend called it-- communal pride. Meaning that there is no individualised self-esteem. Whether this is good or not is debatable, I indeed think in this case it is quite problamatic.

 

We the young men and women of our society need self-tailored selfsteem. Not something that is a clifhanger.

 

Cheers again for your contr..

 

Sophist