Gabbal Posted April 29, 2005 Really? This is news to me. What evidence do you (or anyone else) have to prove your aforementioned statement? For example, were you present the day the Yemenis miraculously invented the 'dirac'? More importantly, how do you explain the prevalence of the 'dirac' in Somali culture? How prevalent is the 'dirac' in Yemeni culture today? P.S. Since we Somalis like to eat bananas with our lunch, does this tradition also come to us from across the Gulf of Aden? Just curious.. Sometimes sarcasm is a very accurate way of replying. Wind, thank you for showing just ludicris that assertion was. Do we have culture? Hmm, Let me answer by asking are you Somali? Do you speak Somali? Do you understand the meaning of "Ceeb" (shame)? Do you belong to a specific reer Hebel (Qabiil-clan)? Do you label any non-Somali or non-Arab as "Gaal" (infidel)? If you are a woman; are you obsessed with learning how to do "Buraanbur"? If you are a guy; are you forever looking for a "inan aad ku qabatid" (marriage prospect)? Do you understand what "maariin" and "madow qurux badan" mean? Have all the "aroosyaal" you attended consisted of a reception that started post-midnight? Had individuals you had never met before introduced theirselves to you in the "suuq" (market place) or "maqaayad" (restaurant) as your "adeer", "abti", "eedo", or "habaryar"? Have you heard enough "maah-maah" (sayings) to last you a life time? Have you had the pleasure of hearing centuries-old "gabays" (poems) recited in your presence? Does a "marti-qaad" (luncheon) usually consist of saffron-colored rice, "hilib-dhigaag" (spiced-chicken), and "hilib-adhi" (spiced-lamb)? During times of sickness, does every Somali that comes across of you give you a specific "daawo" (cure) as if they graduated with honors from the most prestigious medical learning institution? Does that "cure" happen to include "xabad-soodo" (blackseed)? Is the most loved material of your mothers' her "dahab" (gold jewelry)? Is the most loved material of your fathers' his matching "surwaal" (trouser) and "shaati" (sleeve-shirt)? Is the most loved material of your grandmothers' her "tusbax" (prayer bead)? Are the most loved material of your grandfathers' his "shaal" (shawl) and "bakoorad" (walking stick)? Those are just a few of the questions I would dare ask any individual that doubts the Somali's cultural uniqueness, but let me just say that our culture is not based on our material display but on our deeply rooted inner qualities and psyche. The words of our former president Abdirsheed Sharmaake ring true as he was speaking of the boundary divisions of the Somalis in the Horn: Our misfortunes do not stem from the unproductiveness of our soil, or from lack of mineral wealth. These limitations on our material well-being were accepted and compensated for by our forefathers from whom we inherited, among other things, a spiritual and cultural prosperity of inestimable value: the teaching of Islam on the one hand and lyric poetry on the other. Moreover, our forebears developed techniques of animal husbandry, which available to them. By their skills we live today, and, with the generous assistance of wealthier nations, we shall lay new foundations, in accordance with our liberal and democratic Constitution, for the spiritual and material enrichment of future Somali generations. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NGONGE Posted April 29, 2005 quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Really? This is news to me. What evidence do you (or anyone else) have to prove your aforementioned statement? For example, were you present the day the Yemenis miraculously invented the 'dirac'? More importantly, how do you explain the prevalence of the 'dirac' in Somali culture? How prevalent is the 'dirac' in Yemeni culture today? P.S. Since we Somalis like to eat bananas with our lunch, does this tradition also come to us from across the Gulf of Aden? Just curious.. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes sarcasm is a very accurate way of replying. Wind, thank you for showing just ludicris that assertion was. This is an inane subject that I would not normally condescend to address, however, every once in a while the thoughtless sneering and the misuse of sarcasm manage to bug me and draw me into such topics. Why do you suppose it to be a ludicrous assertion, saaxib? It might not prove true or even a proof might not be found, but it’s in no way a ludicrous assertion, saaxib. In the absence of any proof (from either side), one has to make an educated guess. As far as I’m aware, there does not seem to be any literature or history regarding the origins of Somali ‘diracs’! What we do know is the origin of the word itself (dirac). In classical Arabic (or Fosxa) Dirac for females was a form of dress shaped exactly in the same way as a Somali dirac (though not necessarily of the same material)! A dirac for a man on the other hand, was the metal armour that they wore when going to war. The female application of the word is still widely in use today. In addition - and I’m still on my guessing trail by the way – Somalis when referring to traditional female clothing (all that dhaqan stuff), usually cite some other ghastly attire as being our cultural form of dress. Of course I might be mistaken here and I’m sure that you’ll gladly correct me, but in my experience, I’ve never come across ‘dirac’ being lumped in the same category as those half naked dresses (traditionally speaking). The Arabs of southern Yemen wear diracs, call them dircas and treat them as their traditional clothes! I’m humming an old favourite whimsical love song of theirs in which the lover is describing the beauty of his beloved’s grey dirac and malkhamd! (Yes, that too seems to be a word they use – though they pronounce it ‘maq-rama’) Still, none of the above proves that this form of dress is of Yemeni origin, but, if anything, it only shows that the sister’s contention above was not as implausible as you seemed to think. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wiilo Posted April 29, 2005 If you are a woman; are you obsessed with learning how to do "Buraanbur"? Not all women obsessed with Baraanbur, just want to mention that, but I agree the rest of it with you..... SaLaAma kA dhEh:.......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
