British Somalis: nomads no more

[Che -Guevara]

Nadifa Mohamed

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

 

For most of my childhood in London people were confused by me. They would look at me askance and ask, "Are you Pakistani or Jamaican?" "I'm from Somalia," I would reply irritably, receiving a blank look before the inevitable response: "Where's that, then?"

 

After Mo Farah's glorious Olympics victory on Saturday night I hope I won't have to be asked that again.

 

Much has been written about how Britain's Jamaican community celebrated Usain Bolt's charge to gold. But British Somalis, who have been here in numbers for over two decades, are not so firmly placed in the national consciousness. And often when we are written about it is with the worst connotations: violence, terrorism, gangs. Farah, the journalist Rageh Omar and the rapper K'naan go some way in creating a positive image, but young Somalis' sense of identity seems more powerfully formed by the persistently negative representations found in the media.

 

Five years ago I tutored children in London, aged eight to 14, and asked what made them proud of their heritage. They struggled to answer. They knew little more about the history of Somalia than my English classmates. Some of them had been born in Somalia, others in the Gulf, others had spent time in refugee centres in Norway, and despite holding closely to their Somaliness – the language, the family networks, the food – it was almost like a tatty old blanket they found comfort in but that had no intrinsic value. As they got older, they either preferred to identify with a wider black culture or put Islam at the centre of their lives and identity. Somali culture seemed parochial, uncool, too much about clans and conflict to warrant their attention. It was almost as if the ambivalent place in the world that Somalia held – a state only in name, a stretch of Africa heavily influenced by Asia – was reflected in the confusion these children experienced.

 

Click

[burahadeer]

barren land the cause of all evil...the somali agony will continue so long as there no resources.

[GaraadMon]

burahadeer;855505 wrote:

barren land the cause of all evil...the somali agony will continue so long as there no resources.

Israel is more densely packed and even more barren than Somalia, Japan is another nation that has little in the way of natural resources. Why are Africans and middle easterners always under the illusion that natural resources are their only ticket to prosperity. Hardship and necessity is the mother of all innovations, but that rule only applies outside the dark continent for some reason.

[burahadeer]

True,africans have worm infested head..they haven't developed beyond ape...see how all their life is centered on tribe,ethnic, imported religions and adamant about it....no room to maneuver,wasting soo much precious time.

[Che -Guevara]

I guess you are not African?

[oba hiloowlow]

Che didn't you know his ancestors are ahlul beyt.

[burahadeer]

My avatar tells you:D

[NGONGE]

Much as I admire Nadifa I feel this article of hers missed the mark in a great way. The title and body of the article do not really fit and she seems lost between talking about the "idea" of being British and that of being a Somali.

 

On the other hand, maybe the confusion is deliberate!

[Chimera]

^I actually think she nailed it. Somalis in Britain are the oldest African community, but outside of old pictures of Somali Sailors in British ports, you would never know, and most people think we arrived with the Vietnamese and Afghans. This is because those Somali communities were like an eb and flow, changing with the fortunes of the Somali Republic. In good times, many would take their hard-earned money and settle back in the homeland, in bad times these same men would bring their families to the host country, and now that the fortunes are beginning to change for the better many will make a back-migration, and this could be considerably large.

 

If Somalia were to have another dictatorship or god forbid a civil-war in thirty years time, the Somalis arriving in Britain would most likely again have to start from scratch unless a substantial group of professionals remains in the country dating from our current era. Nadifa was also spot on the dead, static and uncool Somali entertainment industry of today that our kids want nothing to do with. Somali songs are all dated, Somali films are an embarassment, almost all Somali novels always leave a ''bad taste in your mouth'', however the likes of K'naan, Nadifa, Rageh Omaar, Mataano, Mo Ali, Mo Farah, and dozens of other rising and established icons are a good start, and will shape a modern Somali identity the kids can grab with both hands.

[Alpha Blondy]

^ token somalis who i feel do not represent the common somali on the streets of the uk. we'll need to encourage more people to achieve higher in schools, employment and being law-abiding citizens. otherwise we'll become like the African-Caribbean and look to sports, music and entertainment as sources of successes.

[ElPunto]

Alpha Blondy;856248 wrote:

^ token somalis who i feel do not represent the common somali on the streets of the uk. we'll need to encourage more people to achieve higher in schools, employment and being law-abiding citizens. otherwise we'll become like the African-Caribbean and look to sports, music and entertainment as sources of successes.

Blondy making sense. What do you know. You gotta be grateful for the lucid moments I guess.

[NGONGE]

Chimera;856175 wrote:

^I actually think she nailed it. Somalis in Britain are the oldest African community, but outside of old pictures of Somali Sailors in British ports, you would never know, and most people think we arrived with the Vietnamese and Afghans. This is because those Somali communities were like an eb and flow, changing with the fortunes of the Somali Republic. In good times, many would take their hard-earned money and settle back in the homeland, in bad times these same men would bring their families to the host country, and now that the fortunes are beginning to change for the better many will make a back-migration, and this could be considerably large.

 

If Somalia were to have another dictatorship or god forbid a civil-war in thirty years time, the Somalis arriving in Britain would most likely again have to start from scratch unless a substantial group of professionals remains in the country dating from our current era. Nadifa was also spot on the dead, static and uncool Somali entertainment industry of today that our kids want nothing to do with. Somali songs are all dated, Somali films are an embarassment, almost all Somali novels always leave a ''bad taste in your mouth'', however the likes of K'naan, Nadifa, Rageh Omaar, Mataano, Mo Ali, Mo Farah, and dozens of other rising and established icons are a good start, and will shape a modern Somali identity the kids can grab with both hands.

You just repeated what Nadifa said on her article, saaxib. How does what you say (and she said) fit in with the title NOMADS NO MORE?

[Blessed]

I was a bit lost with article as well. She talks about how Somalis are very much connected with home, how the emerging peace back home means many will be returning and for those that stay it will mean a new chapter will begin. I agree with everything she said, except it doesn't really address the title, perhaps, we're more confident / visible nomads?

 

p.s Ayeeyo, how do you feel about Somalis in the media now?

[Chimera]

NGONGE;856507 wrote:

You just repeated what Nadifa said on her article, saaxib. How does what you say (and she said) fit in with the title NOMADS NO MORE?

'Mo Farah's glorious gold medal symbolises the emergence of Britain's Somali community' - Nadifa Mohamed.

 

It's clear that some of us are here to stay permanently, regardless of the changing fortunes back home. I agree with her on that front, in twenty years time there will be a much more robust and prominent Somali community in Britain represented in all walks of life, that can't be compared to the various communities of the past that left us with a small foundation to stand upon. In this decade alone we have more British icons of Somali origins than the whole preceding century.

 

Indeed nomads no more!

[NGONGE]

^^ I'd love to ride that made wave that you're forever on, saaxib. But, here on dry land, the article gives one title and then goes on mainly talking about people returning back to Somalia, etc. In fact, the body of the article does not (really) say much about the difference that Mo's win will make for UK Somalis. It's all about the "some will stay" and "some will go" fence sitting that you're sharing with me here. Something that would have likely happened regardless of Mo's win. Where is the impact? What was the point of the article and how does the title relate to any of it? (save for the couple of sentences at the end and the sub title at the top?).

 

 

Ayeeyo,

 

You make it sound like I was against it, ayeeyo. I dedicated an entire thread to the amazing ability of Somalis to be noticed and don't at all feel that (for me at least) Mo has done anything new. It's a different story for my kids who simply adore the guy (along with all the other Brits winners).

 

Anyway, as I told someone else in another place, can you imagine if some of the pirates were taking part in the Olympics? They're great rowers who break world records to try to get to a target ship. They're great swimmers when they fall into the water and they would probably make great water polo swimmers (from their ability to throw grandes to ship decks from such big distances). I needent talk about the shooting competitions, sailing, gymnastics, pole vault or the hammer. :D