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.

An open letter to Somaliland’s President-elect: Congratulations but take heed

By Bashir Goth
July 01, 2010

Now that you have won the election; let me first congratulate you, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo, on winning the long-awaited presidency. It has been indeed a long journey for you and you have shown the tenacity and the single-mindedness it takes to be focused on your goal. I have admired your abilities to rally different sectors of Somaliland’s people behind you.

I also extend my congratulations to the people of Somaliland for their wisdom, dignity and civility. By coming out peacefully in their thousands in huge rallies during the campaign and giving equal respect and hospitality to all the three parties, our people have demonstrated a high level of political maturity. I have no doubt that history will witness Somaliland people as being the real heroes of the 26 June 2010 presidential election. They made us all proud Somalilanders.

Mr. President-elect, with the election now behind you, it is time that you have to be reminded of the people’s expectations. There is no respite for you. We cannot afford to give you a honeymoon. Not because you don’t deserve it, but because you have urgent work to do. Your table is already full. Apart from the promises you made during the election campaign which were too many, there are pressing domestic, regional and international issues that you have to deal with. In addition you are aware that as a veteran politician your legacy starts from day one. A political novice can be allowed to make mistakes. But any mistake from a veteran politician like you will be fatal. Therefore, you have to make it good on your first move.

Domestic front

On the domestic front, the most urgent work waiting for you is to unite the people that have been fragmented by the election campaign. We expect you to reassure everyone that you are the President of all Somaliland and not of one segment of the community.

It is time to depart from your confrontational rhetoric and show the magnanimity of a statesman. It is time for humility in victory Mr. Silanyo and not time for bravado and vengefulness. Peace is the foundation on which Somaliland stands. And sustaining that peace needs conciliatory leadership, inclusive government and a healthy democratic debate.

We will not judge you by the gaffes you made on the campaign trail, but we will judge you by the actions you take as a president. We will judge you by the kind of government you form, the political approach you adopt and the peaceful overtures you make to your political opponents. We will judge you by how hard you work towards delivering the promises you made during the election campaign. It is, therefore, up to you to decide whether you rise above local politics and see the bigger picture or immerse yourself deeper and deeper into the domestic bickering and tribal quagmire. Remember Mr. President-elect what is built by Tolay is destroyed by Tolay. So keep your distance from the Tolay mentality and lead the people towards nationhood.

You have come to the power on a message of change and hope; on transparency and good governance; on strengthening free enterprise; on building modern infrastructure; on the provision of good healthcare and quality education; on creating jobs for the youth and ushering in an era of economic prosperity; and on top of all on redoubling the government’s efforts to win international support for the legitimacy of our nationhood.

These are a tall order Mr. President-elect. But these are your promises and you are expected to deliver them. The clock is already ticking and people have started watching it. You accused the previous President by saying: “Riyaale wuxu sheegay in dhiishiisii u buuxsantay, anagu dhiil ka buuxsan mayno ee shacabka ayaan dhiisha u buuxinaynaa…”. (Rayale said he got his bowl full; we will not fill our bowls but we will make sure that we fill the people’s bowl). This is why many people have voted for you, Mr. President-elect; they believed in you and now they are dusting their bowls.

Mr. President-elect, we are a tribal society and as you know a tribal society is like a house of cards; if one card falls the whole house collapses. We have survived thus far by using our time-tested customary laws and wisdom in constantly mending our faults, constantly licking our wounds, constantly listening to the voice of reason, constantly yielding to reconciliation efforts and collectively acting to safeguard the greatest assets we have which is peace first, peace second and peace third. For only in peace we can dream and only in peace we can prosper. We expect you, Mr. President-elect, to nurture and sustain this peace at any cost.


Our women, Mr. President-elect, are the bedrock of our nation’s survival, the breadwinners of our families, the gatekeepers of our harmony, the goodwill ambassadors between our people at times of crisis and the strongest voting constituency. They need to be heard, to be well represented in your government and to be given the priority in all development projects.

Neighboring countries

Having friendly and mutually beneficial relations with our neighboring countries has been the basis of Somaliland’s peace and prosperity. Wisdom demands Mr. President-elect that you build on these good ties and take them to even higher levels. Ethiopia in particular has been a strong ally of Somaliland for a long a time. This is a strategic and mutually productive alliance for both countries; it is an alliance that has to be kept and handled with great care and diligence.

Somalia, Mr. President-elect, is totally another issue. Wisdom and experience have taught our people to stay away from it. Unlike Somaliland, Somalia has all the international community on its side. We cannot do a better job so let Somalia clean up its mess with the help of the international community. Somalia is our sisterly neighbor. We feel their pain, we pray for them and we hope that the opposing forces there would listen to the voice of reason and restore peace and stability for the people, but you have been elected to lead Somaliland to nationhood and it is obvious that Somaliand’s sovereignty and nationhood do not run through the blood soaked streets of Mogadishu. As I write this piece, Somaliland Election Commission is announcing the 2010 Presidential election results and I am sure you are excitedly following your victory and Somaliland people are jubilantly celebrating the occasion; but in Somalia, the President of the TFG is leading fierce battles against destructive and suicidal forces, tragically on the 50th anniversary of Somalia’s independence and it’s unification with Somaliland. The standing policy of Somaliland’s successive governments has been to avoid dragging ourselves into that quagmire.

Your duty, Mr. President, is to keep our borders tight and our people safe from the intolerant ideologies ravaging Somalia.

State institutions, political parties and The Election Commission

One final word, Mr. President-elect, democracy in Somaliland, though vibrant and glamorous, is still fragile. It thrives on herd mentality and lacks the acceptance of dissent voices. As a veteran politician we expect you to bring a more accommodative political environment where citizens can freely debate their opinions without fear of political repression and physical incarceration; where people can enjoy equal rights; where freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of worship are respected as basic human rights and where the rule of law takes precedence over tribal allegiance.

Creating state institutions where staffing is based on qualifications, integrity and competence and not on clan affiliations and nepotism could be a memorable hallmark of your term of office. You can make a good start by forming a lean and professional cabinet of ministers with a clear mission to bring a qualitative change of style in administration and to translate the message of hope and change that was your election platform into a tangible reality.

The three-party system we have, Mr. President-elect, has proved to be a protective shield against the fragmentation of our people into clan fiefdoms. I understand the temptation to open the door for the creation of more parties, but you know that would also be a recipe for disaster. The 1969 chaotic election in former Somalia where more than 60 clan-based parties made a mockery of the multiparty system should be a warning guide for you. Having lived through that ugly state, it was wise of our late President Mohamed Ibrahim Egal to have enshrined in our constitution that Somaliland’s national parties should not exceed three at presidential and parliamentary elections. It is my humble opinion that this should be maintained to save our people from falling apart like a fractured glass.

Finally, Mr. President-elect, the Somaliland Election Commission has proven to be a pillar of the country’s democracy. The Commission members executed their duties with a commendable professionalism. It will be highly expected of you to empower this institution and make it one of Somaliland’s enduring democracy gatekeepers.

Congratulations Mr. President-elect but take heed.

Ciddu Yey Didin – Maanso xisaabtan ah
From a Poet’s Pen:
By Bashir Goth

It may seem unbecoming for a poet to take pains to elucidate his work for the general reader. And I may absolutely agree with Robert Penn Warren who said: “The poet is in the end probably more afraid of the dogmatist who wants to extract the message from the poem and throw the poem away than he is of the sentimentalist who says, “Oh, just let me enjoy the poem.”

The poet, however, may be obliged to play the role of a critic in the absence of literary critics and in the presence of younger Somali immigrant population for whom the language of Somali poetry may look like gibberish and the imagery archaic.

This is unfortunately the plight of immigrant poets who write for a younger Somali speaking generation who find themselves so distant from their language and rich culture. Although art in general seems to be as endangered as Somali dugongs in today’s technology driven world, the high art of Somali poetry seems to have suffered a devastating blow as a result of the mass migration of the Somali people to the West.

Poetry is about the beauty of language and no matter whether one understands the words or the meaning the music alone always exudes beauty. As Carl Sandburg noted “poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess what is seen during a moment”. I find it unfair to poetry to be left covered in a mist. I prefer to raise the curtain just enough to entice the readers to explore more by themselves. Therefore, unlocking the poem’s meaning will follow the text:

CIDDU YAY DIDIN
Hadduu canbar iyo

Illaa calankii

Taallo caaniyo

Caaqil weyn iyo

Uu ciiltire iyo

Ceeleeye ahaa

Sidii culaygii

Cidaad marsadoo

Aan ceebiba qaban

*

Gol cammiranuu
Ku caweeyiyo
Caadilku xareed
Firdowsa cawa leh
Ha ka cabbiyee
Cigaal dhimayoo...

Read more Harowo, Camuudnews, Awdalpress, Farshaxan

Hadh Qaboobidaayey, Hooyo

I wrote the following song as a tribute to my mother on the occasion of the Mother's Day, 9th May 2010. My mother, Sheikha Rahma Egeh Dirir, was also my first teacher who taught me reading and writing and imbibed me on the beauty of the Somali literature and culture through her stories, lyrics and poetry that she used to tell me during my childhood. The song is also a tribute to all mothers and particularly Somali speaking mothers who can understand the meaning of the lyrics.

Waddamada adduunka intooda badan ayaa bisha May laga xusaa maalinta hooyada. Dhab ahaantii haddii Hooyada wanaageeda lagu xuso ammin kasta iyo arad kasta oo la joogaba lama gudi karo xaqeeda, hase yeeshee waxa lagama maarmaan noqotay in ay yeelato maalin gaar ah oo lagu xusuusto.

Haddaba heestan soo socota oo la yidhaahdo HOOYO waxan ku xusayaa hooyaday Sheekha Raxma Cige Dirir oo hooyonnimada ka sokow ah macallinkaygii ii bilowday Alif-Ba’da ee i bartay akhriska iyo qoraalka Quraanka iyo Afka-Carabiga, indhahayga u furtay nuurka aqoonta. Waana ababiyahaygii igu anqarisay jacaylka suugaanta iyo dhaqanka ee aan sheekooyinkeedii, halaanhalkeedii iyo tixihii ay ii dareerin jirtay yaraantii ay ii noqotay ceel wahdi ah oo aan iga maaxdumin iyo sahay aan madhanayn oo aan kaga gudbo suudiga waayaha, kana qadhaabto midhaha aan suugaanta ku curiyo.

Heesta aniga oo munaasabadda maalinta hooyada u hibaynaya hooyaday waxa la wadaaga hooyo kasta oo adduunka joogta, gaar ahaan kuwa ku hadla af-Soomaliga ee fahmaya afka ay heestu ku qoran tahay. In kasta oo ay habboonayd in heesta la dhegeysto iyada oo muusig wadata, xilliga ayaa igu simi waayey, muusiguna goortiisa ayuu iman doonaa isaga oo sida heestu u qorantahay uun u dhici doona.

Hadh Qaboobidaa, Hooyo

Dunidoo holcaysoo
Hooyo
Halasuhu wax leefay
Hooyo
Halkaad adigu joogtiyo
Hooyo
Hadh qaboobidaayey
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo.
***
Jiilaal hawaarsaday
Hooyo
Hamaddigu wax laayay
Hooyo
Goshaad igu habaysiyo
Hooyo
Hugaagii dugsoonaa
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Colaad la isku hiifiyo
Hooyo
Meel balo ka hoortay
Hooyo
Hoobeeyadaadaan
Hooyo
Hurdo nabad ku seexdaa
hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Anoo kaa hulleelaad
Hooyo
Hareertayda joogtaa
Hooyo
Dhagixii i hantaaqaba
Hooyo
Hobo' baad i leedahay
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Anoo kuba hilmaamaad
Hooyo
Laabta igu haysaa
Hooyo
Habaar iima quudhide
Hooyo
Ducaad igu hagoogtaaa
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Halyeey iyo haldhaa iyo
Hooyo
Hoodo iyo Hibaaq dhala
Hooyo
Hadba kii hafeef qaba
Hooyo
Hurdadawga saakuma
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Waan arkaa humaaggii
Hooyo
Adoo igu hadraayee
Hooyo
Hadhka iyo habeenkii
Hooyo
Waan kugu hadaaqaa
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo
***
Eebbeheen ku hanayoo
Hooyo
Wadka maalmo kaa hay
Hooyo
Oo jannooyin hooda leh
Hooyo
Ku waar hoyga aakhiro
Hooyo
Hooyo, hooyo, hooyo
Hooooooooyo

©Bashir Goth, 09 May 2010
Email: bsogoth@yahoo.com

Somali music between Maryan Ali’s refined taste and Al Shabab’s philistine manners

By Bashir Goth

Never have I felt so much hope and gloom at the same time for Somali music; that wonderful aesthetic product by default of the otherwise harsh Somali pastoral life. Onboard a plane from Minneapolis to Washington DC, I read an interview that Professor Ahmed I. Samater conducted with Maryam Omar Ali, commonly known as Aryette, a woman with a passion for Somali music and literature.
The lengthy interview which ran over 20 pages was published in Bildhaan, an International Journal of Somali Studies, which I picked up while attending a Tol Convention in Minneapolis in early April.

With an ear for music since childhood, Maryan explained how she managed to possess a collection of about 9000 songs of solo music and from Somali plays. Among her collection are the original and finest songs of the celebrated singers such as Magool, Mohamed Suleiman, Omar Dhuule, Zahra Ahmed, Maandeeq, Baxsan, Fadumo Qasim and others as well as some of the memorable plays of the sixties and seventies. They include Shabeel Nagood and Gaarabildhaan, the two great works of the legendary Hassan Sheikh Muumin. She has also in her possession Galbeed waa la xoreeyey by Hassan Abdillaahi Ganay, Kariye’s Jacaylkii Waalaye Aynu Weeraka aadno and Osman Adan Askari’s Wadhafkiyo Shimbirihii War Iskuma Hayaan of which Maryan herself has authored the script and some of the songs.
Mentioning her leaning towards the patriotic songs of the early sixties which Professor Samatar calls the “honeymoon years of the 1960s”, Maryan’s talked about the memorable lyrics of the time such as Mohamed Suleiman’s “Dharaartaan Waxyeeladii dhaqdhaqay” and Osman Mohamed and Nooleya’s “Naa Kaalayo bal kaalay aan gelin soconee”.

Citing Magool as Somali singer par excellence, Maryan describes the singer’s rendition of “Kii Dhaba Jayaclkuna” as occupying a special place in her “aesthetic taste.”

At one point, Maryan has even raised Professor Samatar’s interest by emphatically insisting on the artists being better observers of the society’s ills and foreseeing the future than the scholars.

“Somali scholars often think of themselves, perhaps pretentiously, as the brains, eyes, and ears of the nation. Are you saying that the artists are equal to them?” asked Dr. Samatar.

“Yes, and, I believe, they are even better than you scholars!,” Maryan said,” Fannaanin live closer to durable myths, yet they are unafraid to peek into the future.”

Still amused by the idea, Dr. Samatar asked Maryan to elaborate more, to which she responded: “First, at the general level, I believe that a Fannaanin and Abwaan usually demonstrate a courageous allegiance to a vision of truth and delicate sensibilities that, together, define their sense of being in the world.” She also cited that the Abwaans and Fannaanin as “creators and keepers of the best of the Somali tradition. They were a major element in the rise of collective consciousness and the efforts towards decolonization. With the dawn of independence, they kept a flickering vision of national unity and purpose among the people and warned of the gravity of the gathering menace that was to envelop them.”
She however got my unequivocal admiration with her concluding testimony about what arts (fann) mean for her.

“There are, in my opinion, two perspectives of this topic,” she said in the interview. “One sees Fann as a source of passing time or fleeting entertainment (madadaalo). Thus, there is neither such attention paid to nor appreciation of the hard creative labor that lies behind the composition and the event. The second understands Fann as a precious marrow in the making of strong bones of a culture and national identity. Among the lasting indicators of the dignity of a society is the degree of excellence of its Fann production.”
With these powerful words lingering in mind I couldn’t help comparing Maryan’s admirable 35 year long passion, as she explained to me in a telephone conversation later, in preserving the Somali musical heritage to that of Rose Valland who saved the French art treasure from being stolen and looted during the Nazi occupation of Paris. What makes Maryan’s collection unique, however, is that she does not only collect songs as anyone of us would, but she indexes them, classifies and categorizes them according to their themes and genres, digitalizes them, labels them with the names of singers , lyric writers and music composers and eventually archives them. She undertakes this tremendous work which consumes both her energy and resources while fighting off a breast cancer that may have weakened her body but never her zeal and devotion for saving Somali music for posterity.

Somali music and literary heritage in my view are the only monuments that Somali people truly share and commonly admire, and Maryan’s passion for collection has made them a paradise regained of what would otherwise have been lost forever. As Maryan’s words took me back to “the honeymoon years of the 1960s”, I spent the rest of the two-hour flight reminiscing about the glorious past, the great music and the iconic poetry of the Somali people. I even hoped that the day would come when Maryan and probably other anonymous curators of Somali music and Somali artifacts would be honored just like Valland for saving the nation’s cultural heritage during these trying years of the Somali history.

But as soon as I landed at Dulles airport I woke up from my dream world to Washington’s warm spring weather and the gloomy news of Somali Al Shabab and Hizbul Islam extremists banning Somali radios and TV stations in the areas they control from playing Somali music. It is on reading about this barbaric drive of cultural genocide that I decided to give a call to Maryan and thank her for being a Godsend cultural custodian who would be getting the recognition she deserves for her priceless efforts from future generations and would be rewarded for her good deeds to humanity in the world hereafter. There is no doubt that once the terror reign of Al Shabab and Hizbul Islam with their philistine treatment of art and music and their hatred for cultural beauty are long forgotten in the dustbin of history, Maryan Ali’s name will resonate with generations of lovers and scholars of Somali music and literary treasures.

Somaliland: America’s underestimated friend
By Bashir Goth
Think about Somalia and all that jumps to mind is the image of a lawless country where extremist forces have turned it into killing fields, where people are butchered, maimed and their dignities and human rights are trampled on in the name of a mangled Islam, where piracy is a lucrative business that brings brides and undreamed of wealth and luxuries to hapless maritime scarecrows. It is a place where the President of the internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) hides in a foxhole called Villa Somalia with the protection of African Forces but gets red-carpet treatment in western countries. A place where corruption is so rife that government officials as well as clan militias and unscrupulous local contractors get hefty bribes in order to allow world donated food supplies to reach the displaced and the needy sheltered in make-shift camps. A place where the TFG’s western trained military sells its weapons to their sworn enemies due to an intricate mix of clan loyalty and endemic indifference to military values and patriotic feelings.

Somalia is a place where each of the fighting groups is so fragmented that any hope of one group coming on top as dominant force to bring stability remains a distant dream. A place where internationally-concocted peace conferences have become a profitable industry that no sooner one is held to satiate the greed of some groups, another one is demanded by groups who feel left out of the spoils of the first by starting another horrendous conflict. Topping the list of these surrealistic images is the picture of the suicidal group Al Shabab that allures disillusioned youth of Somali origin from North America and Europe to be part of what they claim to be a legendary Islamic revolution of equal status to Prophet Mohammed’s conquest of Mecca from the pagan Quraishites or to die for the fantasy of wedding virgin girls in the life after death.

Compare this to another people of Somali stock who managed to avoid all the above vices and vagaries; people who are like your next door neighbors and have worked to restore peace and stability in their territory; people who opted to consult the fine products of their culture and human mind in running their own affairs and kept Islam in God’s turf and in its dignified place of being in the hearts of people to meet the individual’s spiritual needs. It is a place where its people distanced themselves from the lawlessness and butchering taking place in former Somalia. A place where pirates are captured as criminals and put on trial, where suicidal ideologies are shunned and not adorned with grand titles and noms de guerre that are alien to the Somali psyche and culture.

This latter place is Somaliland, a country that gained its independence from Britain in 1960 and has become a full member of the United Nations before it joined the Italian colonized South in a union that brought them only destruction and misery. Almost 30 years after the union, the former British Protectorate of Somaliland walked away from the union with their towns destroyed, their infrastructure in tatters and their whole population in refugee camps. But within two decades and after several inter-clan conferences under their acacia trees, they consolidated peace and established government institutions through a unique blend of customary laws and a multi-party democratic system. Today, while world favored Italian Somalia is still in mayhem, Somaliland has an elected president, an elected parliament, a free judicial body and a vigorous free media. It also has its national flag, national currency as well as a military and a police force. A score of universities and colleges and hundreds of public and private schools sprang up in various parts of the country. Now as I write this piece, Somaliland National Election Commission is issuing voting registration cards for the upcoming second presidential elections due to take place sometime this year. This makes Somaliland one of the first countries in Africa to apply an electronic voter registration. The three political parties in the country have lined up their candidates and are on the campaign trail to sell their agenda to the people.

The people of Somaliland have achieved this without UN-sponsored conferences and with limited international assistance. But while Somaliland finds it hard to sell its success story of peace, progress and democratization to the international community, the world pours money to the bottomless vortex of lawless Somalia; money that doesn’t feed the needy and shelter the poor but lines the pockets of irredeemably corrupt diaspora carpetbaggers and terrorist groups.

It is amazing, however, how Somaliland people sustain such a strong belief that their resilience and determination would pay at the end, if not by gaining political recognition at least by getting the financial assistance they need for building their capacity in contributing to the safety of the maritime routes against piracy and for bolstering the security of the strategic Horn of African region against the threat of terrorism. Given the significant role Somaliland plays in safeguarding its coastal waters and checking the spread of Islamism with its meager resources, it is clear that Somaliland can be a vital geopolitical partner for the United States and the EU. The fact that a high profile Somaliland delegation is currently in Washington DC at the invitation of the State Department, is a good indication that the Obama administration is quickly learning that Somalis might not be the same people after all and that spending American tax payers’ money on the good people in Somaliland might put the horse before the cart in dealing with the intricate situation of that Horn of African country and might win America grateful friends who see it as beacon of hope and freedom and not as infidels worth killing.

-END-