The New Somali Studies - By Safia Aidid

[namrood]

<cite>

@Safferz

said:</cite>

Overinflating your own importance

Perhaps when you present material, ideas, points, etc - if you can - we can engage in a discussion. But you haven't said anything here. Bye!

 

I'll address this above comment as if it were directed to me.

 

"Material, ideas, points, etc" were obviously presented. You chose to dismiss them and instead resorted to trying to goad me into an insult fest thread.

 

I'm not one of your sheep and I'm certainly not drinking your koolaid.

 

Stop running away.

[somalee]

Safferz don't be disheartened by these unsupportive brothers. This campaign is much bigger than that German academic and the journal, and it sends a clear message to those cadaans who believe we can't think for ourselves and study our own people.

 

 

[namrood]

<cite>

@somalee

said:</cite>

Safferz don't be disheartened by these unsupportive brothers. This campaign is much bigger than that German academic and the journal, and it sends a clear message to those cadaans who believe we can't think for ourselves and study our own people.

 

"Unsupportive brothers" I'm not here for @Safferz, I'm here for the intellectual wellness of Somalis. That means no koolaid drinking, regardless of who made the punch bowl.

[DoctorKenney]

<cite>

@somalee

said:</cite>

Safferz don't be disheartened by these unsupportive brothers. This campaign is much bigger than that German academic and the journal, and it sends a clear message to those cadaans who believe we can't think for ourselves and study our own people.

 

Stop acting like a victim. Nothing is stopping you from studying your own people. You are free to register at your local university and study any subject you please.

 

I personally know Somalis who study French history and Chinese history, and no one says anything about this. Yet when some German guy wants to study our Somali history, you want to throw a tantrum and start a Twitter campaign. If you don't like what this man has to say, then you are free to challenge him in the academic arena. Create a research paper, make it peer-reviewed, and send it out to the general public.

 

Creating Twitter hashtags about #CadaanStudies reeks of an inferiority complex and a lack of confidence in your own abilities. I know Safferz would be laughed out of any University lecture hall with this nonsense she's trying to sell to the Somali community.

 

This is academia. No one cares about your racial origin in the academic world. Either you compete or you sit down. If you can't handle the heat, then maybe you should have chosen a different career path.

[Safferz]

<cite>

@DoctorKenney

said:</cite> I know Safferz would be laughed out of any University lecture hall with this nonsense she's trying to sell to the Somali community.

 

This is academia. No one cares about your racial origin in the academic world. Either you compete or you sit down. If you can't handle the heat, then maybe you should have chosen a different career path.

 

Let's review the non-Somali academics who are in support of the #CadaanStudies critique:

 

- Allison Taylor, PhD Brandeis, sociocultural anthropologist

- Sean Hawkins, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Toronto

- Antoinette Handley, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto

- Rima Berns-McGown, Associate Director, Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures, Simon Frasier University

- John Comaroff, Professor of African and African American Studies and Anthropology, Harvard University

- Jean Comaroff, Professor of African and African American Studies and Anthropology, Harvard University

- Laura Correa Ochoa, PhD Student in History, Harvard University

- John Gee, PhD Candidate in History, Harvard University

- Rita Nketiah, PhD Student in Women's Studies, University of Western Ontario

- Tshweu Moleme, Political Science researcher, Munk School at the University of Toronto

- Rachel Thompson, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, Harvard University

- Juliane Okot Bitek, poet and PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies, Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia

- Ryan Kelpin, MA Political Science at York University and Executive DIrector, Cities First

- Kelly-Mae Saville, Student Chair for Sociology and Policy, Aston University UK

- Tendisai Cromwell, writer and filmmaker

- Sakinah Hasib, student, University of Waterloo

- AFRICA IS A COUNTRY

- Binyavanga Wainaina, writer

- Melissa Finn, Lecturer in Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University

- Erin MacLeod, PhD, Lecturer, University of West Indies, Mona Campus

- Jasmine Zine, Associate Professor of Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University

- Elleni Centime Zeleke, Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Social and Political Thought, York University

- Amber Young, Graduate Student, Social Work, University of Calgary

- Harry Verhoeven, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, Associate Member of Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University, Convener of Oxford China-Africa Network

- Yolande Bouka, PhD, Researcher, Institute of Security Studies Nairobi

- Bethlehem Seifu Belaineh, student, activist, community organizer and Racial Minority Senator, Brandeis University

- Rowa Mohamed, University of Western Ontario

- Tracian Meikle, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, Planning, and International Development, University of Amsterdam

- Benjamin Dix, PhD Candidate in the Anthropology of Violence, Director of PositiveNegatives

- Kariima Ali, BSc Psychology, Goldsmiths University UK

- Netta Kornberg, Research Assistant, Faculty of Education, York University

- Juliane Hammer, Associate Professor, Department of Religions Studies, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

- Denise Spitzer, PhD, Canada Research Chair, University of Ottawa

- Caroline Elkins, Professor of African and African American Studies and History, Harvard University

- Monica Fagioli-Ndlovu, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, The New School for Social Research

- TRANSITION MAGAZINE

- Mulugeta Hailemariam Zegeye, BA Addis Ababa University, MSc University of Glasgow, Former Member of Ethiopian Parliament (Chairman of Budget Committee) and Fmr Chairman of Ethiopian Athletics, African Languages Program, Harvard University

- Jamilla Davis, student in Anthropology and Educational Studies, Bates College

- Hawa Noor, writer, BA International Relations and African Studies, University of Toronto

- Jacqueline Russel, MA, Health Research Specialist, Toronto Public Health

- Sarah Kennedy Bates, PhD Candidate in History, Harvard University

- Alemayehu Weldemariam, former Professor at Suffolk University, graduate studies George Mason University

- Nakanyike Musisi, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Toronto

- Yannick Marshall, poet, PhD Candidate, Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University

- James J.T. Roane, PhD Candidate in History, Columbia University

- Axelle Karera, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, Penn State University

- Tiffany Tsantsoulas, PhD Student in Philosophy, Penn State University

- Ricky Varghese, PhD, RSW, psychotherapist, art critic and writer, University of Toronto

- Kathy Kiloh, PhD, Instructor, OCAD University

- Vasuki Shanmuganathan, PhD Candidate in German and Women and Gender Studies, University of Toronto

- Ajamu Nangwaya, PhD, Instructor, Seneca College

- Rachael Hill, PhD Candidate in African History, Stanford University

- Lena Weber, MSc Candidate in Human Ecology, Lund University Sweden

- Bhakti Shringarpure, editor-in-chief Warscapes Magazine and Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut

- Hillina Seife, PhD Candidate in History, University of Michigan

- Natasha Issa Shivji, Lecturer, Department of History, University of Dodoma, Tanzaniaand PhD Candidate in History, New York University

- WARSCAPES MAGAZINE

- Natasha Obiri, blogger, BA History and Philosophy, University of Toronto

- Keguro Macharia, Independent Scholar, Nairobi

- Stephanie Belmer, PhD, Instructor, Vanier College

- Kay Kaufman Shelemay, G. Gordon Watts Professor of Music and Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University

- Alessandra Di Maio, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities, University of Palermo, Italy

- Efe Levent, National Chiao Tung University, PhD Institute of Applied Arts

- Andrew Pope, PhD Candidate, Harvard University

- Chambi Chachage, PhD Candidate, Harvard University

- THE AFRICA COLLECTIVE

- Andreas Admasie, PhD Candidate, University of Basel

- Alula Eshete, MBA Candidate, Harvard Business School

- Molefi Kete Asante, Professor, Temple University

- Molefi Kete Asante Institute for Afrocentric Studies

- Afrocentricity International Inc.

- Maxi Schoeman, Professor and Head of Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

- David McGraw Schuchman, MSW, LICSW, Clinical Social Worker, Minneapolis

- Michael Busch, Senior Editor of Warscapes Magazine, and Doctoral Candidate in Political Science, The Graduate Center, CUNY

- Aaron Bady, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas, Austin

- Alexandra Berceanu, MA Communications & Culture, Ryerson University

- Moyosore Arewa, student, Wilfred Laurier University and Opinion Editor, The Chord

- George Brooke-Smith, BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics, University of York

- Sinthujan Varatharajah, PhD Candidate in Political Geography, University College London, University of London

- Meghan Healy-Clancy, PhD, Lecturer on Social Studies and on Women, Gender and Sexuality, Harvard University

- Jeremy Rich, PhD, Chair, Social Sciences Department, Maywood University

- Karen Larbi, BA Hons, Law and Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London

- Azeezat Johnson, PhD Student in Geography, University of Sheffield UK

- Jill Kelly, History, Southern Methodist University

- Bilal Zenab Ahmed, PhD Student, SOAS, University of London

- Arman Osmany, MA Comparative Literature, King's College London

- Jonathan Paul Katz, MSc Student in Migration Studies, University of Oxford

- Keren Weitzberg, PhD, Postdoctorate Researcher, Joseph H. Lauder School of Management and International Studies, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania

- Nadiya Ali, PhD Candidate, SOAS, University of London and Co-Founder, Indigenous Insight-Africa

- MJ Rwigema, PhD Student in Social Work, University of Toronto

- Jonathan Paul Katz, MSc Student in Migration Studies, University of Oxford

- Sarah Nwafor, African Studies, University of Birmingham

- Jessica Cammaert, PhD, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Global Studies, Wilfrid Laurier

- Kabita Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, Children's Studies, Humanities LAPS, York University

- Elisabeth Gade, MA Student, University of Oslo, Norway

- Nathaniel Matthews, PhD Candidate, Northwestern University

- Gatete TK, LLM Human Rights and Democratisation of Africa, University of Pretoria

- Shireen Ahmed, writer and sports activist

- Joakim Gundel, Political Analyst, Katuni Consult

- Robin Turner, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science, Butler University

- Anni Movsisyan, BA Mixed Media Fine Art, University of Westminster UK and Activist

- Kim Yi Dionne, Assistant Professor of Government, Smith College

- Gurminder K. Bhambra, Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick UK

- Jasmine Gani, Lecturer, School of International Relations, University of St.Andrews

- Wossen Ayele, JD Candidate, Harvard Law School

- Emmanuel Akyeampong, Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Harvard University

- Rannveig Haga, Postdoctoral Researcher, Södertörn University College

- Simmi Dullay, Black Consciousness Decolonial Scholar and Cultural Producer

- Marcia Lynx Qualey, ARABLIT e-magazine

- Stephanie Lämmert, PhD Student in History, European University Institute

- Nishi Singh, MA Candidate in Globalization Studies, Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition, McMaster University

- Ylva Habel, Assistant Professor, Media and Communication Studies, Department of Learning and Communication, Södertörn University Sweden

- Uros Zver, Department of History and Civilization, European University Institute Italy

- Sara Ahmed, Professor of Race and Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London

- Muneer Karcher-Ramos, Community Faculty, University of Minnesota

- Tommaso Giordani, Doctor in History and Civilization, European University Institute, Florence

- Silvan Heinze, Student of Area Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin

- Monica J. Casper, PhD, Professor and Head, Gender and Women's Studies, Affiliated Faculty in Africana Studies & School of Sociology, University of Arizona

- Stephanie Latty, PhD Student, Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

- Dylan Lambert-Gilliam, Student of Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

- Aili Tripp, Professor of Political Science and Gender & Women's Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

- Angela Last, PhD, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow

- Jesse Mills, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of Ethnic Studies, University of San Diego

- Brian Kwoba, PhD Student in History, Oxford University and organizer of Oxford Pan-Afrikan Forum

- THE FEMINIST WIRE

- Marta Kozlowska, PhD Candidate and Research Associate at the Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin

- Rahma Bavelaar, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, University of Amsterdam

- Anna Hermanson, MSc Candidate, Lund University

- Steven Mageri, Graduate Student, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership

- Kassahun Checole, Publisher, Africa World Press Inc., Red Sea Press Inc

- Danielle Provencher, MA Candidate, University of Ottawa

[namrood]

@Safferz,

 

For the love of all that is holy, stop playing softball with @DoctorKenney, and get back to the subject matter I addressed.

 

 

 

[Miyir]

DR

 

What's with you and Alpha? Saff spurned you somehow? You make no sense mister

[Che -Guevara]

This reminds of

 

 

Somalis vs Maryooley

 

 

 

Kudos to Somali Safferz!

[Holac]

^ namrood is trolling senselessly now. He has not made a single substantive counter argument to refute what Safferz wrote. All he keeps telling us is that social sciences are useless. It looks he is new to SOL but he needs to quote paragraphs, point out inconsistencies, make counter claims, etc. That is the tradition of a smart debate on this forum. He has not done that. lol

 

 

 

 

 

[namrood]

 

@Che-Guevara, I guess that's a pretty funny set of jokes for a 1996 audience of average intelligence.

 

@Safferz, can we please get back to the subject matter I first addressed?

 

 

[namrood]

@Holac

 

 

 

"Namrood is trolling senselessly now"

 

 

I'm not trolling.

 

 

"All he keeps telling us is that social sciences are useless"

 

 

I didn't say they were useless.

 

 

"He has not made a single substantive counter argument"

 

 

My counterargument (for empiricism) in response to her silly and selfish proclamation was very clear.

 

And also, for you slow ones out there, she threw "theory" in with "subjective and postcolonial critiques" and said let's move away from "rigid methodological empiricism".

 

What does this most likely mean? "I want to make theories, tell stories, and not have them tested"

 

Deepak Chopra in the house.

 

And to add insult to injury, the social sciences "that has dominated Somali Studies from its colonial beginnings" as she claims has barely any real attempts at "rigid methodological empiricism" aside from the anthropological sciences.

 

 

"but he needs to quote paragraphs, point out inconsistencies, make counter claims, etc. That is the tradition of a smart debate on this forum. He has not done that."

 

 

I did all of that. Do you have vision or reading comprehension issues? Obviously not.

[Miyir]

<cite>

@Tallaabo

said:</cite>

Safiyaay your arguments in this article are very well articulated and convincing, therefore I am officially withdrawing my opposition to your campaign :-D

 

 

 

At last some hope, It looks like after all you haven't been totally brain-washed yet.

[Miyir]

Namrood

 

The more you try, the more it’s going to be obvious you have an axe to grind! carry on

[DoctorKenney]

<cite>

@Miyir

said:</cite>

DR

 

What's with you and Alpha? Saff spurned you somehow? You make no sense mister

 

I assure you. This isn't personal. I really do like Safferz personally.

 

I just really hate the victimhood mentality which most Somalis in the West have started to develop. I hate how our rhetoric is now starting to resemble that of the African-Americans, and I hate our inconsistencies. We Somalis are a proud people, and we should never concern ourselves with the petty opinions of some Ajnaabi. You will never find a proud German ever worrying about what some foreigner thinks of him, yet we Somalis have this mentality and it's an extremely poisonous mentality to have. I'm well-traveled and I've encountered the Somalis who live in the Horn of Africa and trust me they DO NOT think like this at all. The average Somali in Somalia couldn't give a damn what some European or Asian thinks of him.

 

Yet now we have Somalis like Safferz who make twitter hashtags about "White Privilege" and you're actually giving this Markus Hoehne character a pedestal. You're making him more important than he really is.

 

If you really don't like what this man says, then you could easily create an academic research paper and counter his points factually. Going on twitter and making hashtags won't solve anything. Complaining that a "White Man" is studying Somali history won't solve anything either. White men study every single topic in every single country. I know Whites who actually take the time to study the history/culture of some obscure African tribe in the Congo. So it shouldn't be surprising that we have some who have gained an expertise on Somali history and culture.

 

Why do we even care?

[Miyir]

Doctor

 

your arguments here don't make sense to me, before you go over the cliff read again what saffers wrote.