Should Somaliland allow the formation of a unionist party?

Bashir Goth

Ludicrous idea, isn’t it? How can I suggest such a treacherous idea when I am known as an unflinching advocate for Somaliland’s independence and sovereignty? How could I dare even to utter the ugly U-word which I have denigrated so forcefully and irrevocably in many of my writings? I can see jaws dropping with bewilderment, devoted readers unbelievably double checking the source, and some of those already besotted with cynicism against the loyalty of clans on the fringes of Somaliland jumping to conclusion as soon as they see the title without reading any further and saying with a great sense of satisfaction: “Hey, gotcha? We knew all along that he was a unionist in disguise?” Likewise, I can see also unionist “Somalilanders” getting ecstatic about my rebellious approach.

Before anyone jumps to any conclusions, I would like to point out that Somaliland has chosen democracy as its system of government. And democracy entails equality and freedom for all citizens. Under the tree of freedom come its many branches such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. Under the umbrella of this system of democracy and freedom comes also one’s right for dissent among many other rights. Any tax paying citizen should have the right to challenge the political system and be able to express his/her political opinion in a peaceful way. Democracy is not only about conformity, or herd mentality, or even about seeing only different shades of the existing system; but it is also about calling for dismantling the existing system and taking the nation’s destiny to a completely different direction if need be. It is therefore the right of every citizen to demand and promote the political system he/she sees as suitable for the country.

If the Kulmiye government opens the gate for the creation of many political parties as the party’s leadership promised during the election campaign, I can envisage many parties carrying different ideologies and diverse political orientations coming to the political scene. Other than the plethora of clan-based parties that will choke the party pipeline, one can anticipate the arrival of some ideology- based parties such an Islamic party, a secular party, a liberal party, a social-democratic party and most probably a communist party. With the onset of such unfettered democracy I don’t see why it should still be a taboo to create a unionist party, demanding Somaliland’s reunification with Somalia.

In Somaliland today there is a strange and unfounded fear of anyone expressing an opinion for union. Strange because Somaliland has adopted democracy as a political system and democracy is indivisible. You cannot deny citizens to demand their democratic rights to hold and express opposing views; and unfounded because the people of Somaliland have made their choice to abandon the union and reclaim their sovereignty with their own free will. Therefore to punish and criminalize people for calling or publicly advocating for the Somali union is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Somaliland. If anything, it shows insecurity and paranoia about the sustainability of the Somaliland project.

The absurdity is that any Somali from anywhere in the world, particularly Somalis from Ethiopia, Djibitouti, Kenya and even Somalia can enter, stay and do business in Somaliland, but Somalilanders who happened to have participated in the politics of Somalia cannot attend even the burial of their own relatives in Hargeisa, Borama, Buroa or any other place in Somaliland. Somalis who hold high political posts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti are welcomed in Somaliland even though they uphold their respective governments’ official position of rejecting the recognition of Somaliland, but Somalis who hail from Somaliland by birth are treated as criminals and thrown into prison if they step on the soil of their homeland and are not even allowed to visit their ailing mothers. Their only crime is that they oppose the secession of Somaliland. This makes Somaliland democracy and freedom a cruel joke, at least to the families of the victims of such an absurd reality.

And finally, here is the beef. Yes, I am a firm believer in Somaliland’s sovereignty and independence and will remain a staunch advocate for its recognition. The people of Somaliland underwent great suffering and yet still found the courage and willpower to invest a priceless amount of energy, time and wisdom in creating a country from scratch and establishing such an admirable model of democracy in Africa. And despite its lack of recognition, I want to see Somaliland determined to uphold its constitutional democracy and hopefully one day be a guiding light for African countries as well as others professing democracy yet denying their citizens basic rights. Obviously, neither I nor any sound human being would like to see Somaliland’s achievements go up in flames for someone’s fantasyland dreams, but I also strongly believe that Somaliland has attained a high degree of political maturity to democratically and peacefully challenge and defeat anyone that confronts its legal rights at the ballot box. Hence, I resent seeing my beautiful Somaliland that stands on unshakeable democratic pillars, behaving like a banana republic by incarcerating and denying its citizens the exercise of their political rights. And that includes allowing the minority unionist individuals to raise their voice and form their own party. We all know that such dissenters do not stand a chance of winning any votes, but giving them a political platform may contribute to deflating their argument and saving their lives from dying in the hellfire of Mogadishu.

28 August 2010.

Mr. Cukusow Wax La Qariyo Qudhun Baa Ku Jira

Bashir Goth

Sida aan ognahay waxa ay warbaahinta Somaliland fidisay digniin uu Afayeenka Madaxtooyada Somaliland Cabdillaahi Maxamed Daahir (Cukuse) uu u jeediyey saxaafadda isaga oo uga digay falanqaynta iyo faragalinta arrimaha Diinta iyo Qabiilooyinka.
Ma aha markii ugu horreysay ee Cukuse uu isticmaalo erayga “digniin”. Waxana la yaab leh nin sheeganaya Afhayeen Madaxweyne oo isticmaalaya erayga “digniin”. Haddaba, waxa habboon in uu Cukuse ogaado in aan erayga digniin aanay ku jirin xeeraka Afayeenada Madaxda. Saxaafadda digniin lama siiyo. Maxaa yeelay marka aad tidhaahdo “Waxan uga digayaa” waxa daba taalla ciqaab, waxana markaa ka dhan-dhamaya digtaatoornimo, waxana ay xambaarsan tahay “shaqo ayaan idinka qaban doonaa”, taasi oo la mid ah ul taagan. Waa car juuq haddii kale is jira. Digniini ma aha hadal ku habboon Afayeen dal dimoqraadi ah oo xaqdhawraya saxaafadda xorta ah ee aad adigu bahda ka ahaan jirtay.

Afhayeenka waxa looga fadhiya in uu erayada uu odhaanyo ka fiirsado, eray kastana eego miisaanka uu leeyahay iyo macnaha uu xambaarsan yahay. Waa in uu wax kasta magaciisa ugu yeedhaa. Taasina arrin fudud ma aha haddii ay isaga la dhib yar tahay.
Waxa jirta sheeko tidhaahda faylasuufkii Shiinaha ee la odhan jiray Konfushiyas (Confiucius) ayaa mar la weydiiyey waxa ugu horreeya ee uu qaban lahaa haddii dalka xukunkiisa loo dhiibo. In yar markuu fikiray ayuu ku jawaabay: “ Waxa ugu horreeya ee aan qaban lahaa waxa weeyi waxan sixi lahaa wax kasta magaciisa. ( I would rectify the names of things).” Ninkii su’aasha u soo jeediyey ayaa isaga oo yaaban weydiiyey: “oo arrintaasi siday xukun wanaag u keeni kartaa?” Markaas buu faylasuufkii ku jawaabay: “ Marka wax kasta magaciisu qaldan yahay, hadal caqliga gala laguma hadlo. Marka uu hadalku caqliga geli waayana waxna sida ugu habboon looma qabto. Marka waxna sida ugu habboon loo qaban waayana dhismaha bulshada ayaa dhaawacma. Marka dhismaha bulshadu dhaawacmana ciqaabta iyo dambiga ayaa is le’ekaan waaya. Marka ciqaabta iyo dambigu is le’ekaan waayaana dadku waxa ay garan waayaan wax ay sameeyaan. Ninka qummani wax kaleba ha sameeyee waa in aanu hadal aanu u meel dayin ku hadal.” Sidaas bay diinteenuna u tidhi: “ (ilaahay) Aadam wuxu baray magacda….Wa calama Aadama Al Asma’a…”

Haddaba, Cukusow waa inaad garataa in erayga kaa soo baxaa haddii aanad u meel dayin uu dhaawac gaadhsiin karo Madaxweynaha iyo dawladdaba. Hadhawna aanad Saxaafadda ku canaanan karin.

Haddaba waxa lagaaga fadhiyaa ma aha digniino aad bixiso ee waxa kuu banaan in aad beeniso wixii aan jirin ee saxaafaddu qorto oo aad bayaamiso waxay runtu tahay. Erayada aad adeegsan karto marka aad doonayso in aad saxaafadda toosiso waxa ka mid ah: “ Waxa habboonayd, runtu waxay tahay, waxa wanaagsan, ilama habboona, way fiicnaan lahayd, waxan talo ku bixin lahaa iwm…”. Markaa digniin maya.

Waxa kale oo aad saxaafadda uga DIGTAY in ay ka fogaato ka hadalka amuuraha Diinta iyo Qabiilka. Waxase hubaal ah in aanay saxaafaddu abuurin muranka diinta iyo hadal haynta qabiilka midna. Saxaafaddu waa dhuunmareen (medium) oo wixii dhaca ayuun bay werisaa. Qabyaaladda waxa baabi’isa caddaalad. Haddii ay xukuumadda jirtaa caddaalada baahiso qabyaaladda hadalhaynteedu wuu iska baaba’aa, laakiin ha ka hadlina kuma aasanto. Waxad ogsoon tahay in Diktaatoorkii Siyaad Barre uu yidhi qabyaaladdii waan aasnay ee qofna yaanu ku hadlin isaguna uu hoosta (Gosha)ku haystay. Markaa arrintiisu waxay ahayd aniga ayuun bay ii banaan tahay in aan ku shaqaysto qabiilka. Haddaba markaad amrayso saxaafadda in aanay qabyaalad ka hadlin miyaad illowday in ay saxaafaddu tahay ta looga baahan yahay in ay iftiimiso qaladaadka xukuumadda ee qabiilku ka mid noqon karo. Wuxu hadalkaagu u egyahay in aad leedahay indhaha naga weeciya(Laliya) waxbaan laaqanaynaaye. Ogsoonow saxaafaddu haddii ay u muuqan weydo qabyaalad xukuumaddu waddo wax aan jirin qori mayso.

Arrinta diinta waa laga hadli haddii xukuumaddu soo kala dhex gasho dadka iyo ilaahay. Dadkeenu Muslim buu ahaa 14 qarni iyo ka badan. Markaa haddii Wasiirka Diinta iyo Awqaaftu fidmo abuuro oo uu yidhaahdo wixii aad soo caabudayseen aniga hortay waa waxba kama jiraan ee anigaa dariiqa toosan idinku ridaya saxaafaddu xaq bay u leedahay in ay dadka weydiiso in ay raalli ka yihiin iyo in kale. Xaq bay u leedahay in ay farta ku fiiqdo in diin waageeni ahi ina soo gashay, xaq bay u leedahay in ay sidii dacawga ka daba cido ciddii ummadda soofdaran habaabinaysa. Haddii aad doonayso in aad sida gorayada madaxa aasato saxaafadda waxa ku waajib ah in ay dadka tusto in qarqarka dambe uuni ku muuqdo oo uu maduxu ku aasan yahay.

Hadalkaagu wuxu u egyahay in saxaafaddu damaqday boogo aad doonayso in ay qarsoonaato ama ajandha aad soo wadateen oo aydaan doonayn in dadku ogaado. Haddiise ay kaa daacad tahay waxa fiicnaan lahayd in aad faahfaahin ka bixiso hadalada laga argagaxay ee fidna diineedka inagu abuuri kara ee ka soo yeedhay wadaadka aad arrimaha diinta u dhiibteen. Mase illoobay wadaadku in Idaacaddu hoos timaaddo Wasiirka Warfaafinta oo aanu isagu shuqul ku lahayn. Miyuuse illoobay in dalka xornimo ka jirto oo aanu cidna ku dirqiyi Karin bucsharad uu dibadda kala yimid.

Ogsoonow Cukusoow saxaafaddu aamusi mayso weliba waxa u dambaysa in ay badka soo dhigto halka wadaadku ka damqanayo iyo cidda uu gacan hoosaadka la leeyahay. Haddaba inta aad saxaafadda u dig iyo damlaynayso bal horta xukuumadda aad Afhayeenka u tahay bar sida wax walba magaciisa loo yidhaahdo adiguna iska bilow, had iyo jeerna xusuuso in saxaafaddu mabda’eegu yahay: “wax la qariyo qudhun baa ku jiro.”.

Maqaalkan waxa lagu nashriyey baraha Internetka Somaalida 18 August 2010.