History of Education in Adel (Awdal)

[NASSIR]

-History of Education in Awdal

 

March 07, 2005

 

 

"The world will belong to those who do the right things today" Al-Haji Malik Shabazz(Malcolm X).

 

"The road to education is long and bitter, but for those who take the time to do it, the fruits are sweet" Nelson Madella.

 

History of Education in "Awdal" (Adel), and Somaliland

 

Pre-colonial education:

 

Ibna-Batuta and many other ancient travelers to the land of "Adel empire" from the eleven century until the advent of the European colonization in the 19th century, have very interesting stories regarding the area between Adari (Harrar) and Zayla (Awdal). Through out the last millennium, The area attracted the attention of the Greeks, Ottoman Turks, Berbers, Arabs and Europeans. Cosmopolitan Zayla (Awdal) and "Adari" were once the centers of trade, education, culture, Folklore, religion and music. Students from those cities were used to be sent to Al-Azhar University in Egypt. From anecdotal stories passed from generation to generation, as recently as the early to the middle part of the twenty century, students and scholars of religion used to go to Harrar for scholarship and religious studies. It is also a fact that, religious scholars located in the twin cities of "Zayla" and "Harrar", were spreading Islam thorough the Horn of Africa for over a thousand years. Zayla was also the door through which Islam entered the Horn of Africa.

 

"Masaalik-Al-Absaar", a book written by an Egyptian author, called "Zayla" the city of lights, which has many mosques and schools, where all kinds of subjects were taught. He described "Zayla" as a place where one can acquire any kind of knowledge that may be taught in that period of time. The book indicated the people of "Zayla" were 100% Muslim, who gather in large numbers in the Mosques of the city. Those Mosques could be compared to the public libraries that can be found in big cities of our modern times. Sometimes people in other parts of the Muslim world used to call Zayla "Diraa-Sal-Al-Islaam.

 

Another great pillar of the precolonial education was Sheik Aw Barkhadleh, the architect of the "Alif-La-Kor-Dhabay-Alif-La-Hos-Dabay-Alif-laa-Goday" style of phonetics. Sheik Aw Barkhadleh completely revolutionized the way Arab phonetics is thought. His translation of Arabic phonetics into Somali phonetics simplified the learning of the holy Koran, Islamic religion and Arabic language. His radical efforts helped spread Islam in the Horn of Africa.

 

One time, Harrar was the 4th most holiest Muslim city in the Islamic world, just after Mecca Al-Muka-Rama, Al-Madiina-Ta-Almun-Awara, and Al-Qudas Al-Sharif (Jerusalem). People used to flock from all over the Horn of Africa and beyond to those cities for scholarship, enlightenment, spiritual and religious enrichment. The twin cities of "Zayla" and "Harrar" have a huge impact on " modern Awdal" in particular and Somaliland in general, in terms of education, culture, civic-mindedness, cuisine and religion. Awdal's pioneering spirit and its relative edge in education despite 40 years of neglect, is not something out of the blue and new, or started by one individual or a group of individuals. Awdal education has a very long history, spanning for nearly one thousand years.

 

It is worth mentioning though, that there were some educational movements, that rekindled or sparked if you will, from time to time; the ancient spirit of innovation, adventurism, love for education and enlightenment inherent in the area for a very long time. One of those movements originally started in French Somaliland in the thirties, and overtime spilled into "Awdal" and Somaliland.

 

One of the pioneers of the "1930's" educational movement in Somaliland was Sheik Abdirahman Sheik Nuur, who started the first elementary school in Borama in "1932" . Sheik Abdirahman Sheik Nuur who I have cited many times in my writings, was the author of a well written book, published in "1992" by the name of "Il-Bah-Nimadii-Adel-Iyo-Sooyaalkii-Soomaa-lida". In 1959, the first elementary school in Tug-Wajaale was started with the initiative of Sheik Omar Sheik Musa Liban. Liban started the school by the traditional Awdalian style of fund raising, in which he collected about 30 oxen from the area.

 

Another movement was started in Somaliland in the mid fifties by the "G.u.d.i.b.i.r.s.i Civil Servants Association" (SCSA). These were mostly junior and senior British colonial government officials. They founded "SCSA" an Educational Association or a Trust Fund if you will, whose main objective was to help poor students pay their school fee. Honorable Adan Isaa Ahmed was one of the preeminent founders of that Association. Over the years "SCSA" has helped numerous students accomplish their dreams of education.

 

Colonial and post-colonial education:

 

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmed Ali, Mr.Yusuf Haji Aden, Aden Isaak Ahmed, Haji Jama Muhumed, Yusuf Ismail Samater (Gandhi), Yusuf Adan Bokah and others were instrumental in both the limited colonial and the post colonial education in Somaliland. During colonial times, the whole country has two secondary schools, one technical institute, one Teachers Training Center (T.T.C.), and one Clerical Training Center (C.T.C). These two latter institutions were originally combined into one institution based in Amoud in the forties, by the name of Vocational Training Center (V.T.C.)

 

In the 1930's in French Somaliland itself, great leaders like Jama Zaylici, Ahmed Sahal, Jibril Jilane and others started an educational movement. These prominent men in the mid-thirties started a short lived University in Djibouti. But their movement left a huge impact on Awdal.

 

You can not talk about education in Somaliland, and ignore the role of Haji Jama Muhumed, Hagi Dahir Aw Elmi, Rableh Goud, Haji Olhaye, Haji Ibrahim Nuur, Ali Warsame Biriko, Honorable Adan Isaak Ahmed, Sheik Abdirahman Sheik Ibrahim Brawi, Sheik Fadumo , Sheik Hassan Nuriye, Shiek Abdirahman Sh. Nuur and others. Haji Jama Muhumed a local legend laid the first stone for the foundation of Amoud Secondary School, along with a British colonial officer Mr. C.R.V.Bell in "1952". In the post colonial era, Somaliland schools have been undergone a tremendous exponential growth.

 

Most of the progress made by Somaliland schools during those infamous years was community based. By "199"1, when the military dictatorship was toppled, there was at least one high school in every region of the country. Hargeisa has three secondary schools and one technical institute, Borama has three secondary schools including an agricultural secondary school, Burao has one secondary school, and one technical institute. Each of the following towns ( Gabiley, Zayla, Airegavo, Las-Annod, and Qulijeed) has one secondary school.

 

A profile of a preeminent religious scholar who played a major role in Awdal education: (Sheik Omar Goth)

 

Sheik Omar Goth was born in the Guban area of region in "1918". He accomplished his early education in Harrar, Zayla, Sudan, and Yemen. In the mid-fifties, he has successfully completed his long scholarship in the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Following his return from Al-Azhar University, he made his base in Awdal region where he spent the rest of his long and distinguished career.

 

Talking about the history of education in the great state of "Awdal", one cannot afford to overlook this preeminent religious scholar, educator, community leader and a courageous advocate of civil rights. In "1959", Sheik Omar Goth was instrumental in the first co-education class in the then Somaliland Protectorate, which became operational in Dilla elementary school, against the objections of some local community members and even the enlightened educational officer of the day.

 

Sheik Ali Jowhar Secondary School came into existence following an inspirational speech, Sheik Omar delivered in Borama grand mosque that moved the worshipers into frenzy. After that day, he started an aggressive fund raising drive into the country, where he collected more than 300 hundred heads of sheep. When the construction of the school was completed, the city elders proposed to name the school after him. He respectfully declined the offer, and in turn proposed the school to be named after his teacher, the great religious scholar of all times, Sheik Ali Jowhar. That was a short glimpse of how Sheik Ali Jowhar Secondary School came into being. The construction of the school was completely a community project. The school was opened in "1973".

 

He was also behind the creation of the first cooperative farms in the region, which is still functional as I speak. Sheik Omar also vehemently defended the writing of the Somali language in Latin script, a very controversial project at the time. Sheik Omar's accomplishments in terms of education, civil rights, justice, teaching, counseling and conflict resolution are infinite and endless, but I am just trying here to put a short synopsis of the long career of this selfless leader into perspective.

 

She Omar may Allah bless his soul was a courageous visionary, a respected educator, a selfless community leader, an advocate, a loud voice for the voiceless, and a valuable peacemaker. The British colonial administration put him in jail due to his fervent pro-independence sentiments. He was an open-minded, progressive religious scholar and a revolutionary. He always stood on the side of what was right, and never shrank from standing by controversial issues if he thought they are right. Sheik Omar successfully overcame numerous roadblocks and obstacles put forth in front of Awdal education by some religious fanatics or zealots of the time, who were preaching that modern education was tantamount to christianization.

 

In the 1940's again he was instrumental in averting an armed clash between two Gada.bour.si sub clans. His extensive knowledge in Islamic jurisprudence, Koranic exegesis, prophet's traditions, Arabic grammar, literature and shear wisdom helped him resolve disputes between communities, rally communities for good causes, speak out against both the British colonial administration and the successive corrupt governments that ruled the area. Sheik Omar was always on the side of fairness and justice and what was right no matter what. Sheik Omar may Allah bless his soul passed away in 1988.

 

More-Source

[LANDER]

The ancient Adal Kingdom and the modern day province of Awdal are not necessarily two of the same as the title of this article might be misleading. Unintentionally perhaps, thought I should point that out.

[Sky]

^^^

 

nuff for the laugh, the gada.bursi are known to be educationalists. this piece of history is just a confirmation. interesting about sheikh aw barkhadle, he is the cause of why i had pleasure in learning the arabic alphabet.

 

Alif-La-Kor-Dhabay-Alif-La-Hos-Dabay-Alif-laa-Goday

Baa-La-Kor-Dhabay-Baa-La-Hos-Dabay-Baa-laa-Goday

Taa-La-Kor-Dhabay-Taa-La-Hos-Dabay-Taa-laa-Goday

etcetera... when i start, i just cant stop.

 

and the career of sheikh cumar good was interesting too, i dont think he would like his name being spelled like the christian name "goth".

[Paragon]

[-Serenity-]

Originally posted by sky.african:

^^^

 

nuff for the laugh, the gada.bursi are known to be educationalists.

And intellectuals

[Baashi]

^careful there lady

 

I can see pple objecting that characterization...

[NASSIR]

You are making mistakes on this. The problem here is that Saylac was a center for commerce and knowledge historically. Its inhabitants therefore was not only Somalis but an assortment of different races, majority of whom were ARabs. It is unwise to conclude that the current settlers of Adel constituted that lofty depiction.

 

In fact, if you read on the diary of Richard in 1840s, he said that the inhabitants are mainly nomads who got fear at the sight of gun and when he showed them, they all dived on the earth and submitted to his will.

 

I a m not making any false statement on the subject clan but this is the truth. Besides, the first writing script of its kind in Somali language was the Usmaaniya--original and superb invention.

 

And the whole subject was to do of the history of the state of Adel.