Somali Journal Launches Without any Somali Voices, Highlighting Another Case of White Privilege in Academia - By Huda Hassan

[Admin]

White academics celebrating their African studies journal. Photo via Facebook

 

On the evening of March 25, the hashtag #CadaanStudies ("cadaan" meaning "white" in Somali) emerged amongst Twitter timelines as a small collective of Somali academics and writers spoke out, 140 characters (or less) at a time. Initiated by Safia Aidid, a Canadian Harvard PhD candidate, the hashtag gradually became a commentary on the whiteness and privileges prominent within academia. More specifically, the online conversation served as a direct response to the launch of the Somaliland Journal of African Studies (SJAS), a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that claims a particular focus on East Africa—the absence of a single Somali editor, advisory board member, or contributor left many pointing out that the only thing Somali about this journal is its title.

 

Founded by Rodrigo Vaz, a white male MSc candidate for The School of Oriental and African Studies at London School of Economics, the journal was made in collaboration with University of Hargeysa's Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. Yet somehow, it lacks any Somali involvement. This fundamental error is one often repeated in academia or any platforms that narrate the black or African experience.

 

"The content of [our] first issue had, unfortunately, no papers on Somalia...or by Somalis for a simple reason: we received none," says Vaz on the public criticism SJAS has received. "I take the blame for that. This happened likely because the call for papers didn't reach as many students and scholars as we would like to. That is something we are working on."

 

The content featured in SJAS's first issue involves no representation or inclusion of Somalia and its people, but rather material regarding the ECOWAS mission in Sierre Leone, migrant domestic work in South Africa, and the relationship between ethnicity and violence in Kenya elections. (They are currently in the midst of preparing the second issue.) But its description stating that SJAS is dedicated to "covering an academic research area in clear expansion" led many to wonder if this journal was simply created by an aspiring young, white academic hoping to attain credit in an area with growing scholarship that's still garnering little attention.

 

"The Horn of Africa and the Somali diaspora are 'hot' topics of academic and policy interest, and concern to many states, institutions and organizations for a number of reasons: states and their collapse, civil war and post-conflict society and restructuring, religion, radicalism and terrorism, gender, migration/diaspora, assimilation," said Aidid, a few days after #CadaanStudies attracted the attention of Somali academics and activists globally. (With 44,995 Somalis reportedly situated in Canada as of 2011, it is currently the country's largest African diaspora.)

 

Twitter activism is nothing new. In the case of #CadaanStudies, people used social media to deconstruct the privilege within academia while connecting communities internationally, strengthening the message that black voices will no longer be undervalued in African and Black studies. "The #CadaanStudies hashtag, Safia, and many others are completely right on this... reversing that is our top priority right now," said Vaz.

 

#CadaanStudies assembled 1,500 tweets in its first few days of inception and its Storifyhas been viewed around 1,200 times. "It wouldn't be a stretch to say that is information and debate [that has reached] more people than [those that] have downloaded most academic articles," said Aidid on the outreach of her hashtag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaz, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of SJAS, has yet to take to Twitter to respond to any of the hundreds of tweets directed to him: "My team and I want to show results attached to our words. Replying to the comments about SJAS without concrete measures would be empty talk. Once we have results to show, which should happen very soon—this week—we will upload them on the website and social media platforms. Until then, 140 characters won't do," said Vaz.

 

There is, of course, a long history of white people finding something untapped outside of their own peripheries and attempting to claim full ownership of it. Somali Studies as a field has formal origins in the 18th and 19th centuries, and during its time as an existing scholarly field, it has had an overwhelming presence of white academics who have intellectualized what has always been common knowledge to Somalis themselves. "

 

Abdul-Rahman Jama, a blogger and Oxford University student, believes that Somali Studies still maintains a "colonial flavour" in its production of knowledge on account of white academics: "The technique is simple; collect local stories, publish them as exciting new research, publish them, get further funding [and] repeat," he said. The knowledge that is produced becomes groundbreaking information despite it already being common knowledge to its "subjects."

 

"There has been certainly, and unfortunately—for colonialist reasons and legacies—a disproportion of white scholars on many levels of study fields, African studies included. That should change and if SJAS can contribute to that, then I can only be glad," said Vaz when asked if he recognized the ways in which the mistakes of SJAS thus far were reminiscent of a history of white monopolization in academia.

 

The conversation revolving around #CadaanStudies went far beyond these fundamental questions, however, when Markus Hoehne, a white German anthropologist and a co-editor of SJAS, discovered Aidid's initial announcement of her intended Twitter debate via her personal Facebook page. In one of his many responses to the growing concern of SJAS's lack of Somali presence, Hoehne insisted that there is a general absence of Somalis in academia because they don't seem to value scholarship. He went further to claim that this issue would subside if Somalis were willing to do the work.

 

"To add insult to injury, he suggested the reason none of us could grasp this is because we are Somali, and could benefit from looking 'beyond your Somali navel.' So not only was he wrong, he was wrong in the most patronizing and insulting way possible," said Aidid. She has since then published an open letter, A Collective Response to Dr. Markus Hoehne and the Somaliland Journal of African Studies, which has gathered signatures from over 200 academics, writers, and activists, primarily of Somali or African descent.

 

 

Screenshot

 

"I completely disagree with Markus Hoehne's remarks. Not only they are disrespectful to all Somali academics in Somalia and Somaliland... they were unnecessary and needlessly provocative," said Vaz on whether Hoehne's comments were reflective of the journal. "SJAS doesn't subscribe to statements made by its advisory board members, whose responsibility and accountability for what they say or do starts and ends with them."

 

Hoehne's comments ignited a further firestorm of debate, including responses from Somali activists, academics and writers, which led to his public response in the Sahan Journal that ran a few days after the same publication ran Somali writer Hawa Y. Mire's essay: "#CadaanStudies, Somali thought leaders and the inadequacy of white colonial scholarship."

 

"It is not just that Somalis are absent from academia. Why are they absent? Who benefits from this absence? Because we know who it benefits and it is not us," asks Illyas Abukar, a PhD candidate of University of Maryland College Park.

 

The online conversation has shed light on the continuous and prominent issues that lay within the production of knowledge about Africans and black people. #CadaanStudies challenges us to continuously ask the question: Who is granted the privilege of telling these narratives and why?

 

Huda Hassan is a copywriter and photographer based in Toronto with an interest in pop culture, cultural identity, politics and new media. She has worked in the past with Sway Magazine, Pound Magazine, MANIFESTO Festival, Vervegirl magazine and is currently a writer for Huffington Post Blog. She is also co-author of Basodee: An Anthology Dedicated To Black Youth. To see Huda's complete work experience, please click here. You can also find Huda on Twitter and herpersonal blog.

 

http://www.somaliaonline.com/somali-journal-launches-without-any-somali-voices-highlighting-another-case-of-white-privilege-in-academia-by-huda-hassan/

[Tallaabo]

According to SOL's weather forecast station, this huge storm which has been brewing in the last few days and which can now be seen from the International Space Station (by those who use twitter) is rather localised in a tea cup somewhere in a Boston suburb :-D

[Safferz]

<cite>

@Tallaabo

said:</cite>

According to SOL's weather forecast station, this huge storm which has been brewing in the last few days and which can now be seen from the International Space Station (by those who use twitter) is rather localised in a tea cup somewhere in a Boston suburb :-D

 

I'm so tired but it's been worth it

[Miyir]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

I'm so tired but it's been worth it

 

Saff

 

Agree 100%, Well done and thank you.

 

Talaabo

 

You upset eh? belittling of anyone who dares to criticise your beloved Cadaan

 

edited

[Tallaabo]

<cite>

@Miyir

said:</cite>

Saff

 

Agree 100%, Well done and thank you.

 

Talaabo

 

You upset eh? belittling of anyone who dares to criticise your beloved Cadaan

 

edited

I did not belittle Saffrez and will never do that. Indeed I admire the passion with which she defends the issues that are important to her such as the one here. Saffrez and I share many views some of which are controversial but we also respectfully disagree on others, therefore your interference here is not needed.

[somalee]

Whoever started this campaign did an excellent job and I commend her and the other contributors for their bravery and patriotism. I think the next step will be to launch our own journal of Somali/Somaliland Studies perhaps with the same name as this cadaan-launched one, or with a slight variation.

I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

 

Kudos Safferz :-)

[DoctorKenney]

This is very disappointing Safferz.

 

Why are you attacking these White people who took the time to study Somali history/culture?

 

There are plenty of Somalis who study Chinese history. There are Russians who study Egyptian history. There are Americans who study Persian history, etc.

 

Since when is a man's racial origins relevant when it comes to studying history or culture? How is simply being an ethnic Somali going to make you a credible voice on our Somali heritage?

 

Instead of countering this man's viewpoints, you seek to discredit him by invoking "White Privilege"....thereby creating a victimhood mentality amongst Somalis.

 

This is absolutely shameful.

[DoctorKenney]

And secondly, he is right. There really aren't many Somalis who take the time to deeply study their heritage and culture.

 

The amount of diaspora Somalis who have a mastery of the Somali language as well as Somali poetry are very few in number. The amount of diaspora Somalis who understand Somali history are very few in number.

 

Don't blame the European man for taking the time to study our history. Either debate him or say nothing, but to discredit this man simply because he's white is bigoted and hateful....and it exemplifies anti-intellectualism.

[Safferz]

You're pretty consistent on your views when it comes to social and political issues DK, but I have to say that I'm surprised that you still sound like Uncle Ruckus when someone has attacked Somali people collectively. Not interested in debating you on this, so cheers. The solidarity and Soomaalinimo that has come out of this critique speaks for itself.

[DoctorKenney]

Where did he attack Somali people collectively?

 

I'm sorry but....you're a Harvard student. You attend a school where ideas and debates are commonplace. Either you compete or you simply get lost.

 

If you don't like what this White man is saying, then you're free to create your own research papers countering his viewpoints. But for you to disparage him simply because he's White shows how dishonest you are.

 

I have SOMALI associates who are experts on Scandinavian history. Yet you will never see me try to discredit them simply because of their foreign ancestry.

 

Unlike you, my positions are very consistent. I'm not a hypocrite. If a German man wants to study Somali history then I say so be it. There plenty of Germans who also study Chinese, Arab, Persian, and Native American history. But as soon as someone studies SOMALI history you want to throw a tantrum.

 

Audhubilah.

[namrood]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

You're pretty consistent on your views when it comes to social and political issues DK, but I have to say that I'm surprised that you still sound like Uncle Ruckus when someone has attacked Somali people collectively. Not interested in debating you on this, so cheers. The solidarity and Soomaalinimo that has come out of this critique speaks for itself.

 

Markus didn't attack Somalis collectively, he defended himself against your disingenuous, and schemeful attempt to discredit him academically.

 

Now that doesn't mean I agree with the journal's existence (which I find dubious). In fact, Markus isn't that sharp and I'm astonished that you and your counterparts couldn't intellectually karbash him and instead resort to victim-hood sensationalism.

 

 

[Miyir]

<cite>@Namrood said:</cite>

 

Markus didn't attack Somalis collectively, he defended himself against your disingenuous, and schemeful attempt to discredit him academically.

 

 

 

Sure he did. go on have a go and get off your chest, it doesn't matter.

 

 

Now that doesn't mean I agree with the journal's existence (which I find dubious). In fact, Markus isn't that sharp and I'm astonished that you and your counterparts couldn't intellectually karbash him and instead resort to victim-hood sensationalism.

 

 

Agree he is very mediocre at best, go and look his influence and what he was hired before? tell us how to stop these vultures? you sound you have a better ideas

[namrood]

<cite>@Miyir said:</cite>

 

 

 

Sure he did. go on have a go and get off your chest, it doesn't matter.

 

Your intentional act of making grammatical errors is cute.

 

 

Agree he is very mediocre at best, go and look his influence and what he was hired before? tell us how to stop these vultures? you sound you have a better ideas

 

He isn't mediocre, he's a good academic. A bit of a shill, but a good academic nonetheless.

[Miyir]

<cite>

@Namrood

said:</cite>

<cite>

@Miyir

said:</cite>

 

He isn't mediocre, he's a good academic. A bit of a shill, but a good academic nonetheless.

 

in that case i'm a time traveler astronaut.

[namrood]

No you are a catfish account and a waste of bandwidth.