Our problem is not the Clan

[Dantay1]

The clan is not to blame it’s the those who strive to better themselves using the clan card. Like any sectarian based ideology, look at the Tutsi Hutu problem, Zulu Xhosa disputes. Somali’s have been fooled into believing their problems are based exclusively on clan. The biggest problem is that our leaders from the outset misunderstand the needs of the people. Leaders without vision leading a blind nation.

 

Another problem is that the clan exists in Somali society, example of this is when your family wants you to marry a certain clan. When even the youth identify with their clans, when you are proud to be from Somaliland immediately people know your clan, if you stress Puntland then its even more immediate.

 

But this is not a problem, the problem is poverty ignorance and limited resources for an ever growing population. There has to be a political solution in which your clan identity is only an identity, “be proud of it but don’t put it in my face” when there is transparency and accountability in our leadership then some of our problems will be behind us. Even if this happens and we get a Mandela head and a Japanese efficient government with minimal red tape , we will only be on our way to solving our real problems.

[GarYaQaaN]

I agree with you on everything u said...

but I don't know about "Japanese efficient government" lol. Have you read about Jap politics lately? Its not as rosy is you think!

[Valenteenah.]

Originally posted by Dantay1:

The clan is not to blame it’s the those who strive to better themselves using the clan card. Like any sectarian based ideology, look at the Tutsi Hutu problem, Zulu Xhosa disputes. Somali’s have been fooled into believing their problems are based exclusively on clan. The biggest problem is that our leaders from the outset misunderstand the needs of the people. Leaders without vision leading a blind nation.

 

Another problem is that the clan exists in Somali society, example of this is when your family wants you to marry a certain clan. When even the youth identify with their clans, when you are proud to be from Somaliland immediately people know your clan, if you stress Puntland then its even more immediate.

 

But this is not a problem, the problem is poverty ignorance and limited resources for an ever growing population. There has to be a political solution in which your clan identity is only an identity, “be proud of it but don’t put it in my face” when there is transparency and accountability in our leadership then some of our problems will be behind us. Even if this happens and we get a Mandela head and a Japanese efficient government with minimal red tape , we will only be on our way to solving our real problems.

Well put!

 

Salaam Dantay,

 

Glad to see you posting again.

 

"when there is transparency and accountability in our leadership then some of our problems will be behind us."

 

There you have it. You've hit on the problem right there. When people assume that the whole meaning of leadership is lining your pockets and having the power to do as you please, is it any wonder that the worst sort of individuals always claw their way to the top?

 

When will our people and politicians realise that leaders (and the government) have a duty to the welfare of the population, to the protection and progress of the country, and to the conservation and maintenance of the environment? When will we wake up and realise it doesn't matter what tribe our leaders are as long as they are fulfilling their duties and are accountable for their actions?

[Baashi]

While the clan or the tribe is not to blame, negative tribalism is a big problem. In fact negative tribalism is the root cause of our ills. It is the very instrument that is used to create, conduct, and sustain mistrust among Somalis. Mistrust breeds violence and violence leads (already led) us to anarchy. The fact that known clannish leaders have constituents (some are both informed and educated, and great number of them are misled and manipulated) should make clear to all of us where the root cause of the problem is emanating. Ignorance, poverty, injustice, and bad governance are all manifestations or the symptoms not the root cause. We can tackle these immediate concerns once we address this malaise.

 

Now! I’m not saying the problem is one dimensional. It is not. Right leadership with clannish environment hardly functions unless we come up a system that checks the tribalism. Tribalism is the most immediate and present danger that we need to address. How? You tell me! Give Islamist a chance. You see! Islam has a system, have leaders who truly embrace that system and who have both character and direction. The only thing that is missing is informed populous. That can be addressed, I think.

[Coloow]

Dantey, While it is true that mismanagement of public funds, greed and poverty are the main causes of our problems, you forget to mention nepotism as the root cause of these three variables. You see if the leader does not have a group or a clan to identify with, there would be less mouths to feed (less greed), less pressure on him to mismanage public funds because he would know that if and when he is tried, there would be no clan to go to war on his behalf. The money saved in satisfying the maffia(because that is what clanism is about) would go to respond to poverty.

 

The somali problem has been caused by clanism. In the sixties when somalia got its independence from the white men, power was given to small maffia that abused the trust of the people. This maffia had the backing of clanists and resulted in the entrance of afweyne, who used the somalinimo card and abolished tribalised in theory but never practiced as he preached. Instead, everything was based on tribalism, barbaric acts against certain tribes, both cultural and mental slavery on some other clans.

 

Tribalism has contributed to the cultural alienation of some somalis. its dark forces are in culture, society and the economics of our nation. It is embedded in everything- and thus has to be the root cause.

 

Finally, when afweyne was ejected from power tribalism again played apart in the ethnic cleansing of somalis.

 

Tribalism has the same structure as the maffia. Intimidation, pride and hate are the holemarks. I tell you why tribalism is a problem in somalia, it is a concept that even an infant is hard to beleive in..yet somalis practice it.