Bukur: reconciliation metaphor!

[xiinfaniin]

Bukur: reconciliation metaphor.

 

Anytime I engage with my fellow brothers and debate about the need of reconciliation to save Somalia I encounter with admittedly powerful reference of what Ethiopians and their cohorts did in and around Xamar last year and half. Look the atrocities. Look at the forced exodus. There are thousands of youths maimed. Thousands of children orphaned. Thousands of wives widowed. Many have been abducted and are still missing. Add the visible destruction of infrastructure and loss of belongings that resulted from sacking Xamar, and you get a feeling of the inescapable and the enormous damage that has been exacted on that city. That’s what I encounter all the time. I am not talking about debate with clannish folks, I am talking about ones with religious brother.

And thinking about this, I recalled right after the shabaabs vs. Yey conflict in Puntland, one of the most revered scholars of that region embarked on a peace mission to persuade the elders of that region to forget and forgive that conflict and start a new page in living peace. In early nineties, the scholar visited us in Kenya. There was a grand majlis where significant elders and waxgarads of that region were present. The shiekh talked at length about inevitable mistakes sahwah leaders may commit and asserted the large benefits this sahwah brought to the region far outweigh whatever faults might occur. The shiekh would present his arguments along those lines and anytime you thought he made headways, this articulate elder would take his turn to undo whatever appeal sheikhs talk had on the audience. He, the elder is, would talk about how the leaders of that region trusted these wadaads, how they gave the keys of their harbors and airports. He would eloquently cite how the entire region’s revenue collection management was in the hands of these al itihaad leaders. And then he would conclude how they abused it and turned those revenues a resource to arm themselves and bring about a coup to forcefully rule over those who gave them the authority to begin with. How could we ever again reconcile with such a untrustworthy entity, he would query the audience. That scholar was very patient with these angry elders. Any time such an elder does what I described above the sheikh would try at his best to undo it and lecture about shortcomings that bound humans. This continued back and forth until one elder, an intellectual in many ways, took the turn of the talk and to put down what he thought was unnecessary appeal of emotion in the face of great moment of courage to embrace peace, he cited the story of Bukur. And here it’s yaa Jamacah!

 

There were two neighboring Somali clans. They lived in peace in many years. They intermarried. They never fought each other. But that changed when Bukur was killed unjustly. Bukur’s clan could not swallow how Bukur a great man was killed. Bukur’s death will not be a sheep’s death, they determined. They armed themselves for the great fight to avenge Bukur. Hundreds perished in the wars that ensued. After years of fighting and killings, wise men from both clans started to realize that this fight was going to weaken both clans and will continue take innocent lives. They arranged peace talks, after some hesitation they got acceptance from both sides. In the peace gathering, any time a resolution nears, Bukur’s clan would pose an emotional question: Horta aan heshiinnee Bukur muxuu ku dhintay? ! No one would have a satisfactory answer to such a deeply emotional question, and hence the peace talks would end abruptly. Fights would resume afresh. Lives would continue to be lost. And again another peace initiative would get momentum. But again the very question would be posed---and you get sense of where this would go. Then one day when a elder from Bukur’s clan posed the same question, a wise man from the very same clan retorted: Bukur wuxuu ku dhintayba dhimayyaye, inteenna nooli aan tashanno. Tashasho they did and that’s how they ended that war.

 

That story left elders who articulately opposed sheikh’s peace drive quite soundless with insignificant grumble. The silent intellectual bullet in this story is: decide for a better future, and don’t get stuck in the past grievance

 

Ps—war ha la isaxo ciddii si fiican sheekaadda Bukur u garanaysaa…

[xiinfaniin]

Another reconciliation metaphor...

 

Waxaa la yiri nin baa dhul carra-san ah oo uu soo sahansaday u guuray. Markuu geedigii furay oo reerka aqalkii loo yag-leelay buu wuxuu bilaabay inuu xoolaha xerada u ootto.

 

Goor uu ooddi jarayyo baa mas dilaa ha oo afka ku abruniyyaa kusoo baxay. Gudintii uu oodda ku jarayyey buu kula dhaqaaqay. Maskii baa inta gadaal u joogsaday ninkii ku yiri: waryaa aan is nabad gelinee xerada ha degin. Ninkiibaa inta gudintii u baaciyey, yiri: xerada adiga kaaga guuri mayye yaadan dhimmane naftaada bad-baadi. maskii baa inta iska dhaqaaqay yiri: war hoy xerada ha degin ee meelkale raadso.

 

Ninkii xeradiisii buu oottay. Intuu xoolihiisa soo xareeyey oo caano ka dhergay buu dug yiri. Habbenkii baa maskii wiilkii curadka ahaa ee ninku dhalay qaniinyo goostay. Ninkii wiilkii buu subaxdii aasay. asagoo carro bestii la ah oo cill faruuryaha qaniinayya buu maskii oo dhereg la jiifa kusoo baxay. Gudintiisa buu isla soo maqiiqay. Maskii buu madaxa kala beegsaday oo ku dhufo is yiri. Hase yeeshee inta la waayey buu laantii uu masku barkanaa kala gooyey. Maskii baa xagga u booday. Markuu arkay inuusan dili karin buu yiri waryaa aan heshiinno. Maskii baa yiri war ma heshiinkarnee xerada isaga guur waryaa!

 

Oo maxaanan u heshiin karin buu ninkii su'aalay. Wuxuu maskii ku jawaabay: intaa wiilkaagii curadka ahaa qabrigiisu kuu muuqdo, anna laantii aad gudintaad ii wadday ku goysay ii muuqatto, ma heshiin karnee xerada isaga guur.

 

Ninkii waxaa laga sheegay inuu yiri waan tashan!

[Nephissa]

How many people have died over the various centuries in various places because of the idea "Iga guur, iyo kaa guuri mayo?"

 

Here's a revolutionary solution..

 

Nin-koow Guur! .

 

..ofcourse afterall, the Snake was there first.

 

Besides, how long before this little problem belongs to a lot of people other then the "Man" and the "Snake?"

 

In the end I think I fear most for the Man for he makes ten new foes, for every innocent bystander snake he 'maqiiqis Gudintiisa' with.

 

The solution, I fear, lies in the inevitable vengeance of the ghosts of the Snake.

[xiinfaniin]

^^

 

Waad heysaa Bishaaroy!

 

The two stories are different in a fundamental way. The first suggests that courage and clear rationale for peace must override the powerful appeal of emotions. No matter how many times one invokes Bukur’s unjust murder. Fact is that Bukur died and belongs to the ages. Not only that, but many perished during the reprisal wars that ensued after his death. Waa in laga tashadaa Bukur oo nabad la qaataa--- if not for anything else to save what’s left of his clansmen.

 

The latter story depicts a scenario where reconciliation is nowise possible and the good Snake aptly summed it up. You see as long the Man and his family is united against the killer Snake, their struggle and fight will succeed. And they are justified on that stance for Reconciliation between a prey and its predator remains in the realm of rarity and is indeed a futile exercise.

 

The first story applies to the conflict between Somalis. The latter is analogous to the existential threat Ethiopia poses to Somalia. But it requires common understanding or as the Man calls, tallo, to face such a challenge!

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Xiin, yaa nabad diidan? Ma qof Soomaaliyeed miirkiis/keeda juusto yahay ayaa diidi karo nabad?

 

Waa maya, of course.

 

Ee su'aalaha waxee yihiin: See nabad lagu gaaraa?

 

Xaal intuu jiraa oo nabad lagu heli karaa?

 

What you are propagating, advocating, championing is a lofty, ideal goal. No sane Soomaali kasoo horjeesan karo in uu jiro, ee laakiin see lagu gaaraa?

 

Soomaali dagaal wey ka daashay, waa runtaa. Isdilid, isbaabis, isxasuuq, isbarakicin -- Soomaali ma dhaafin xataa ciidooda, dhulkooda, deegaankooda, xoolahooda, duurjoogtooda, badkunoolkooda, wax ee dhaafeen maleh.

 

Shir gogol ah, oo nabad lagu raadinaayo anaga dhan u wada baahan, kan tuulo Jacburis joogo iyo kan Alaska qaxooti ku ah oo baraf dilay, iyo tan iyo kan baddaha yar yar ee Yeman iyo Liibiya u dhaw ku dhamaanooyo Soomaali ah wada rabo in dalkeena hagaago, oo nabad waarto dhab xaal ah laga gaaro masiibada aan isku keenay ku jirno.

 

Again, see lagu gaaraa nabadda iyo xaal kama dambeyn ah?

 

Waxaa leedahay hala iska iloowo geriga weyn meesha taagan ka daaqaayo, geedihii [waa dadka Soomaaliyeedee la xasuuqay] eber ka dhigay oo qoorta dheer -- waa Xabashi and their brutal occupation. See loo iloowaa? Haba sheegin xasuuqee geysteen, kufsigii iyo barakicintii.

 

Soomaali waligeed isdili jirtay, boqolaal sano isleen jirtay, ka bacdina geed hoostiis xaalkooda ku kala bixi jireen, bilaa cuqdad la'aan. Maanta?

 

Maanta Xabashi ayaa lasoo watay, lasoo kaxeystay, oo maatidii Soomaaliyeed lagu xasuuqay, lagu baabiye, lagu tirtiray, lagu gumaaday. All this hala iska iloowo leedahay. See loo iloowaa? Xabashi ma Soomaali baa, see loo cafinaa? Ma isdhiib ayee kaa tahay, oo kaa dhaadhacsan inay yihiin some potent, invincible mighty army marka dadka qaarkiin leeyihiin Xabashi meelna uma socoto unless la isku dhiibin. Yes, Xabashi wey u soconee, xoog markii loogu bixiyo. And the last time I knew, they were some poorly-armed third world's least organized militia, barely bordering an army.

 

Again, Xabashi ma'aha dal awood leh; heck maba ah dal xataa wax dal la dhaho, waa ummad dalka la sheegaayo ummadda u badan xoog badankood lagu heysto, oo tiny minority u taliso masaakiinta xoogga loogu heysto ee majority ag.

 

Today, we have two choices: Inaa isdhiibno ama inaanan isdhiibin, xataa haddaan ahayn kuwa Soomaaliya ku sugan, kuwa Soomaali Galbeed ku sugan oo gacantooda ku dagaalamaayo, waa inaa afkeena, maalkeena iyo boggeena kula dagaalano naceybka aan u qabno cadowgeena soo jiritaanka ah ee Xabashida.

 

Xabashi meelna uma socoto haddaan la kicin, oo aan la jabin, yaan been la isku sheegin.

 

The least they would do, if faraha laga qaado, oo aan lala dagaalamin, is building bases in Soomaaliya. They have a long-term, strategic goal and plan in Soomaaliya. You better should have known that. Xabashi kumanaan ciidankeeda bilaash uguma dhiman ciida Soomaaliyeed in order to leave markee Soomaali heshiiyaan iyagoo qoslaayo. Siyaasadaas intee laga ciyaaraa, aniga kuma aanan arag dhulkaan ifka la leeyahay.

 

Teeda kalena you should better have known by now, iyagoo dalkii ku sugneyn ayee faragilis kulul wadeen, waa taas shirkii Nayroobi ugu dambeeye see farahooda ugula jireen arrimaheena. Wacdala maanta meeshii dalkeena ahaa oo ay ciidankooda, saraakiishooda, basaasiintooda, jaajuuskooda wada dhooban aad leedahay shir ha lagu qabto. Waxaaga waxaa waaye libaax baahan geed saaran hoostiis lo' haku shiraan.

 

Haddii xataa shirkaas la qabto, ama shirar meel kale lagu soo qabto, oo wax kasoo baxaan la isku raaco, ma u maleyneysaa inay Xabashi saas ku baxeyso, oo ay dhihi doonaan, "Bas, Soomaaliyeey, waa heshiiseenee waa ka baxeynaa dalkaan, ee hooda furahiisa."

 

If one believes that, then that is sheer naivety of thinking and indeed lacks the real political realities.

 

Bar iskeerso ayee Talyaaniga dhahaan markaan camal. Xabashi "safaarad" uguma furan right next to Filla Soomaaliya without a shrewd political intention. This alone hints you what a calculating, master plan is in their long-term, one of which is having a perpetual puppet leadership that rules in Soomaaliya, if not then the Soomaali state being in a state of chaos, civil strife, disunity that abides for as long as they can maintain, while still arming each side.

 

It seems your lofty, noble goal is completely nearsighted -- or even worse, sightless -- about the political reality on the ground. That is the blind spot of this utopian-like goal, and which we cannot ignore -- the future of Soomaaliya is too grave to ignore it today.

[Laba-X]

Are you still trying to cement down your ideas of reconciliation, surprised that they are reaching no where!

[xiinfaniin]

^^Who said the idea of reconciliation between Somalis is going nowhere? Adeer there is a reason why the Asmara team is in Cairo. As Mr. Pain said many moons ago, time has more converts than reason and we shall see how you react when the relevant folks rise to this historic juncture of Somali history, and accept some of the very ideas we’ve been discussing on these boards.

 

MMA, adeer Mashruuca Xamar amxaaro ka weyn, and it’s an American one. And regardless whose project it is one thing is certain; Somalis need to bridge their differences before they embark on challenging America, Ethiopia and their cohorts in their country.

To be sure this post was not meant to be accusatory. But reading your post there I can’t help but notice the analogy between you and Bukur moaners!

 

Why did they kill Bukur?

[Gabbal]

Irrelevant!

 

 

Xiin, adeer Tigreey iyo Shabaab ayaa is haysto.

 

Maxay ku heshiin?

 

This continuous reconciliation you speak of is relevant in an inter-Somali situation but the court has long ceased to include Somali clans!

 

After 8 pages of debate, you still wish to ignore this very apparent fact!

[xiinfaniin]

Simplistic!

 

Yours is a half-truth for if that were the case alshabaab would’ve won long time ago. Tigreey is riding on the mistrust between Somali clans, and you know it. From Boosaaso to Ras kimboni, their influence is felt not because that they are the army of a great empire but rather their political influence and military rise is directly proportional to the level of division between us.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Soomaali mistrust wey ka dhaxeysaa, nothing new in this reality. However, you are now rationalizing Xabashi occupation, Xiinoow. Taas ha gaarin, if you do, doodda inay sii soconeyso ma moodi.

 

Soomaali mistrust haddee ka dhaxeyso, and wey ka dhaxeysaa oo qabyaalad u horseed ah, iyagaa ka heshiinaayo. Xabashi has to go. Is that too much? Uncle Sam iyo Mareykan ayaa dabada ka taagan cabsi daradeeda yaanan la isku sheegin.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar:

Soomaali mistrust wey ka dhaxeysaa, nothing new in this reality. However, you are now rationalizing Xabashi occupation, Xiinoow. Taas ha gaarin, if you do, doodda inay sii soconeyso ma moodi.

 

Soomaali mistrust haddee ka dhaxeyso, and wey ka dhaxeysaa oo qabyaalad u horseed ah, iyagaa ka heshiinaayo. Xabashi has to go. Is that too much? Uncle Sam iyo Mareykan ayaa dabada ka taagan cabsi daradeeda yaanan la isku sheegin.

Rationalizing Ethiopian occupation? How so yaa Miskiin? By calling for unconditional reconciliation? I am not stubborn and if you are reasonable man you can persuade me to drop this call. Go right ahead and show me how my position amounts to such a rationalization!

 

Midda kale, if you agree that Somalis are deeply divided people, and agree their mistrust caused their enemy’s triumph, what makes you think few segments of them can defeat Ethiopia?

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Some groups fighting for liberation is better than nothing, better than isdhiibid and naively believing Xabashi will leave by themselves with their own time frame without any resistance against them.

 

Resistance has to start from somewhere. Every liberation has started from somewhere.

 

I don't particularly agree some of the resistant fighters' ideology. Men like Ceyroow, Rooboow, Turki, et al, I don't much agree their political outlook and ideological doctrine. However, I don't have a choice: I see a foreign, arch-enemy on one side and a Soomaali fighting for our country's liberation, even if some think she or he is alone in the struggle, which of where the rationalization part comes in. Telling that some 'segments' -- and not every Soomaali -- of our fellow countrypeople are only fighting is a rationalizing the occupation.

[xiinfaniin]

So you retracted your admission of our division? Or is it telling it, as you put it, that you deemed it rationalization of the Ethiopia’s current aggression?

 

MMA waxaa rabtid aqri , far keliya fool ma dhaqdo! We cant fight Ethiopia on the cheap. Soomaali waa soomaali meelay joogtaba waana inay heshiiyyaan isku tanaasulaan. Once we realize that unity then we can talk about strategies to challenge Ethiopia’s influence. I believe her occupation will end soon in Xamar. But it will continue in the north and in the east. There will also still be Ethiopian presence in the border areas. You must remember Ethiopia itself is a very fragile nation. If we remove the source of her dominance then we can eventually deal with her. But if our divisions continue and some of us would just be happy when it leaves particular area only to entrench her self in other parts, then we lose. We must deal Ethiopia in comprehensive way.

 

The formula for dealing with her is simple in concept but requires courage and vision. I am hopeful some understanding between Somalis will be arrived soon.

 

Adi soo ducee, in muwaafaqa anaggga dhexdeenna Allaah dhigo saaxiib!

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Xiinka, waa late oo ma doodi kari now, though I have to comment on one point.

 

So you retracted your admission of our division? Or is it telling it, as you put it, that you deemed it rationalization of the Ethiopia’s current aggression?

You retract something one flip-flops. I never denied our 'mistrust,' did I? If you call, however, some groups watching while other Soomaalis fighting against Xabashis division, well, Xiinoow, I don't. I call that caqlixumo iyo Soomaalinimo yaraan iyo dad qabyaalad ku raagtay, oo aanan arag wax kale but their qabiils' interests, even haddee Xabashi la saftaan moodaan inay interest ugu jirto of their qabiils.

 

What you have is a noble goal, my brother, but duruufaadka lagu jiro maanta maka soconeyso. Qof aniga shaqsi ahaanteyda iga nabad jecel maleh, Soomaalina dadka safka hore u istaagaayo ku jiraa inay dalkeena hagaago, oo barwaaqo nabad waarto ka dhalato. Saas oo ay tahay, xaalka jiro ma iska indhatireyno.

 

Duco waa u wada baanahay, we all need it, siiba walaalaheena ku dhibaateysan dalka gudihiisa iyo dibadiisaba. Our country desperately needs one as well, ee Eebba hanoo hagaajiyo -- aamiin, aamiin.

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

yes, an eye for an eye will leave all of blind!

but sadly that is the fate of Somalia. No matter how many bukur there are,Somalis will never learn from it, matters fact, we are not the learning kind, we are bound to repeat those mistakes that have kept Somalia in the condition that it is. And yes, i don't get these thing with the shababs and the Ethios, all they seem to kill is innocent by standers, you would think that if they are beefing with Ethiopia they would go to addis or anywhere in Ethiopia. as is the case in Afghanistan and pakistan, these kinds of people (Apparently calling a terrorist a terrorist offends some in here) lose any kind of support they had from the people which is vital to their existence. I am not against reconciliation, but people, it has become pretty obvious that is not a solution in Somalia. the solution to defeat these people is in using brute force, whatever the source. as for the opposing sides or clans,one side must win with democratic elections but these futile attempt at consensus have shown not work.

 

MMA"MMA "Soomaali waligeed isdili jirtay, boqolaal sano isleen jirtay, ka bacdina geed hoostiis xaalkooda ku kala bixi jireen, bilaa cuqdad la'aan. Maanta?" if this is the norm Somalia, is it worth saving?