So the renegade Professor Ahmed Samatar is giving lecture here! Got question?

[NGONGE]

The professor recently visited London and I had the fortune of attending both his lectures (one in Somali and another in English). The Somali lecture was, obviously, about Somaliland and Somaliland’s future. The English one was to answer a question about Somalia being a useful economic partner in the Horn (or something along those lines).

 

I am usually not one that gets swayed by personalities or suffers from pangs of hero worship. However, I did find the professor an interesting, eloquent and logical man. I enjoyed both lectures (for different reasons) and, at times, believed him to be chasing a futile dream.

 

Still, the reason I took the trouble to log in and reply was that I found myself tickled by the originator of this thread and his promise to ask a “serious” question (I recently picked up the habit of only reading the site rather than participating; call it a sabbatical).

 

In both lectures that I attended, there were lots of people with their hands up and all were dying to ask their versions of these “serious” questions. In the Somali one, when the question and answer session began, a man put his hand up, was asked to speak, stood up waving a couple of books in the air (and giving us the impression that he’ll dive straight into a long and convoluted history lesson) only to say “Professor, labadan buug baan qoray, ma ku siiyaa?”

 

In the English lecture, another guy got up and gave a long rant about the inviolability of Somali Unity. The professor and the chair of the meeting kept asking him “what’s your question” and he strung them along with the words “It is coming, it’s coming” without asking a single question at the end of a tediously predictable and dull tirade.

 

So, my advice to you is to go to and listen to the man speak. If you’re serious and dispassionate, you will actually enjoy his delivery and style (regardless of his somewhat idealistic political opinions).

 

p.s.

I, of course, disagree with the man because he still has not grasped the fact that Clan IS Everything.

[Hassan1508736697]

<cite>

@NGONGE

said:</cite>

The professor recently visited London and I had the fortune of attending both his lectures (one in Somali and another in English). The Somali lecture was, obviously, about Somaliland and Somaliland’s future. The English one was to answer a question about Somalia being a useful economic partner in the Horn (or something along those lines).

 

I am usually not one that gets swayed by personalities or suffers from pangs of hero worship. However, I did find the professor an interesting, eloquent and logical man. I enjoyed both lectures (for different reasons) and, at times, believed him to be chasing a futile dream.

 

Still, the reason I took the trouble to log in and reply was that I found myself tickled by the originator of this thread and his promise to ask a “serious” question (I recently picked up the habit of only reading the site rather than participating; call it a sabbatical).

 

In both lectures that I attended, there were lots of people with their hands up and all were dying to ask their versions of these “serious” questions. In the Somali one, when the question and answer session began, a man put his hand up, was asked to speak, stood up waving a couple of books in the air (and giving us the impression that he’ll dive straight into a long and convoluted history lesson) only to say “Professor, labadan buug baan qoray, ma ku siiyaa?”

 

In the English lecture, another guy got up and gave a long rant about the inviolability of Somali Unity. The professor and the chair of the meeting kept asking him “what’s your question” and he strung them along with the words “It is coming, it’s coming” without asking a single question at the end of a tediously predictable and dull tirade.

 

So, my advice to you is to go to and listen to the man speak. If you’re serious and dispassionate, you will actually enjoy his delivery and style (regardless of his somewhat idealistic political opinions).

 

p.s.

I, of course, disagree with the man because he still has not grasped the fact that Clan IS Everything.

 

In your attempts to seek elitism in this forum you have rendered me incapable of asking him a strategically placed question which will force him to scramble for face saving recovery.

 

I am appalled by the amount of elitist sufferers in this forum. Cot-dammit you ain't working for no cot-dam think-tank, this ain't no Chatham house..get loose y'all, cot-dam these mofo are uptight like they related to the queen of England

[Reeyo]

<cite>

@NGONGE

said:</cite>

The professor recently visited London and I had the fortune of attending both his lectures (one in Somali and another in English). The Somali lecture was, obviously, about Somaliland and Somaliland’s future. The English one was to answer a question about Somalia being a useful economic partner in the Horn (or something along those lines).

 

I am usually not one that gets swayed by personalities or suffers from pangs of hero worship. However, I did find the professor an interesting, eloquent and logical man. I enjoyed both lectures (for different reasons) and, at times, believed him to be chasing a futile dream.

 

Still, the reason I took the trouble to log in and reply was that I found myself tickled by the originator of this thread and his promise to ask a “serious” question (I recently picked up the habit of only reading the site rather than participating; call it a sabbatical).

 

In both lectures that I attended, there were lots of people with their hands up and all were dying to ask their versions of these “serious” questions. In the Somali one, when the question and answer session began, a man put his hand up, was asked to speak, stood up waving a couple of books in the air (and giving us the impression that he’ll dive straight into a long and convoluted history lesson) only to say “Professor, labadan buug baan qoray, ma ku siiyaa?”

 

In the English lecture, another guy got up and gave a long rant about the inviolability of Somali Unity. The professor and the chair of the meeting kept asking him “what’s your question” and he strung them along with the words “It is coming, it’s coming” without asking a single question at the end of a tediously predictable and dull tirade.

 

So, my advice to you is to go to and listen to the man speak. If you’re serious and dispassionate, you will actually enjoy his delivery and style (regardless of his somewhat idealistic political opinions).

 

p.s.

I, of course, disagree with the man because he still has not grasped the fact that Clan IS Everything.

 

Awoowee I think we were both in the same audience but have heard two very different man. Maybe I had high expectations but he made little if any logical arguments. His speechs were predictable and I can easily sit in Somali shaah shop and get better explanations of issues that face Somalis.

 

As for the 'serious questions' and people's egos, he fell in the same category, little sense, no coherence and nothing FACTUAL or OBJECTIVE.

 

I honestly don't care what country he promotes or about his politics, I just wanted a Somali intellectual to make an appearance.

 

 

[NGONGE]

Hassan, it's not "elitism" you oaf, it's simply being literate.

 

<cite>

@Reeyo

said:</cite>

Awoowee I think we were both in the same audience but have heard two very different man. Maybe I had high expectations but he made little if any logical arguments. His speechs were predictable and I can easily sit in Somali shaah shop and get better explanations of issues that face Somalis.

 

As for the 'serious questions' and people's egos, he fell in the same category, little sense, no coherence and nothing FACTUAL or OBJECTIVE.

 

I honestly don't care what country he promotes or about his politics, I just wanted a Somali intellectual to make an appearance.

 

You must have gone to his Somali lecture. I too felt that one was watered down and didn’t offer any new insights. After all, he was preaching to the converted and didn’t need to exert himself much, they would have lapped up any old tosh anyway. However, even with the lack of original ideas, I still felt he was eloquent and erudite enough to listen to for another hour or two.

 

The English lecture at SOAS was much better. Obviously, I didn’t take notes (though the students around me were frantically typing every single word in their laptops); however, I got the gist of his lecture and enjoyed the very scholarly presentation.

 

This one was about answering the question concerning Somalis being partners for development. It wasn’t one about allegiance to Somaliland or Somalia and he used his experience and knowledge of political economy to reach the (obvious) answer. It was full of statistics, facts and details about the economies of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. It attempted to view the Somali economy from Hobbesian and Keynesian perspectives (in a downwards scale that goes from one to the other). This was the main body of his lecture and I’m sure it was illuminating even for students of Development and Economy, never mind the average Somali.

 

Here, he was also forthcoming with his answers because his audience was not a Somaliland one that would clap every time he said the word “Somaliland” (I exaggerate of course). He knew his audience was mainly made of scholars and students and he delivered better thought replies and expanded on unclear ideas.

 

For example, someone asked him about his old Hiil Qaran party and the reasons of abandoning it. He, of course, repeated the same answer about losing faith with the current Somali government and how he discovered the chronic level of clannism that exists in the Somali capital. However, he still insisted that he fully supports the party and hopes those that are running it today will someday see their efforts come to fruition. He was very scathing about Hassan Sheikh and Somali politician in general (including those in Somaliland). He used the Yusra story to illustrate their shortcomings and gave a hint that but for this he probably would not have abandoned the Somali cause.

 

Now, if such delivery, such rhetoric, such ability to entrance in audience with reasoned and cultured discourse is not your idea of a heavy weight intellectual, I fear you’ve mistaken intellectuals for prophets my dear.

[Hassan1508736697]

@Ngonge, bro, I politely request that you don't call me names. I'm a simple man with simple intentions here. I would prefer to chat with Reeyo. Abaayo iska waran nooh!

[Reeyo]

Ngonge, you have guessed right, I did sit through the Somali one and left disappointed, swearing never to 'expect' and demand a logical analysis of Somalia from him, naturally I didn't bother with the other, especially as it was held in that 'oriental' mental slavery uni. I felt deceived and felt I was participating in an intellectual hoax. Now you tell me he was playing the whiteman disguise??

 

So his performance in front of a Somali audience, speaking in his native tongue was watered down on purpose? He went out of his way to ensure we (Us poor average Somali) couldn't not engage with his 'research' nor his high rational analysis of the current economic situation of Somalia? So he gave us the makhayad talk instead believing we couldn't comprehend anything? He was suppose to share findings, actual objective data and evaluation of various developments in SL, local/national political trends, education, trade, cultural?

 

I think you made my opinion of him grow worst, he 'preforms' in English in front of 'scholars and students'.

 

 

[Hassan1508736697]

@Reeyo, alla maxaan bood bodeysaa sidii inaad qaarad xoreysey..remember that in few years mid faraxa ba 8 kaa soo tuuri and that your fit body will collapse like the twin towers ..is deji

[Khayr]

 

p.s.

I, of course, disagree with the man because he still has not grasped the fact that Clan IS Everything.

 

That reminds me:

My Clan IS Much better than your clan.

[NGONGE]

Khayer, it probably is. But that has nothing to do with Clan being EVERYTHING. Wax fahan.

 

<cite>

@Reeyo

said:</cite>

Ngonge, you have guessed right, I did sit through the Somali one and left disappointed, swearing never to 'expect' and demand a logical analysis of Somalia from him, naturally I didn't bother with the other, especially as it was held in that 'oriental' mental slavery uni. I felt deceived and felt I was participating in an intellectual hoax. Now you tell me he was playing the whiteman disguise??

 

So his performance in front of a Somali audience, speaking in his native tongue was watered down on purpose? He went out of his way to ensure we (Us poor average Somali) couldn't not engage with his 'research' nor his high rational analysis of the current economic situation of Somalia? So he gave us the makhayad talk instead believing we couldn't comprehend anything? He was suppose to share findings, actual objective data and evaluation of various developments in SL, local/national political trends, education, trade, cultural?

 

I think you made my opinion of him grow worst, he 'preforms' in English in front of 'scholars and students'.

 

Like I said, different subjects and different approaches. I didn't reply in order to change your opinion about his personality, approach or politics. I simply wanted to challenge the idea that he was NOT an intellectual. And again, if you expected him to be whiter than white or that all his listeners would agree with every word he says, it wasn't an intellectual you needed but a prophet. Wax fahan.

[Hassan1508736697]

So the conclusion we've arrived at is that Reeyo wanted a seasoned thoroughly white intellectual.

[burahadeer]

He was the darling & great messiah for somalia year ago and now no more that he switched to otha side.Very predictable for union dreamers.one only has to dig SOL threads about him to see how opportunistic they are

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

The koonfurians are just angry because he has left them thats all no need to dance in circles and try to measure his intellectuality or his intentions when he was in Somalia.