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     | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 04:26 pm TORONTO (Reuters) -- Somali writer Nuruddin Farah is accustomed to ruffling feathers, but in his new book, "Secrets," he throws down the gauntlet to the people he believes destroyed his country -- Somalis themselves. "When you sit with Somalis and you tell them what has happened they don't seem to be shocked by their own activities," Farah told Reuters while in Toronto for the International Festival of Authors. "You must have the courage to admit that you are criminals, accomplices in the ruin of Somalia," the 53-year-old writer, who currently lives in Nigeria, said of the average Somali who stands idly by as civil war continues to rage in his country. Set in Mogadishu in the week before Somalia's long-running civil war erupted, "Secrets" revolves around one family's herculean efforts to maintain a family secret as their country disintegrates around them. The novel, third in a trilogy, is rife with pagan imagery, magic and sexuality including sex with animals, between children, incest and rape -- aspects considered taboo in Somali culture. Farah said he chose to use sex as the leitmotif because it is a universal preoccupation and has shock value. Novel flags 'perversity' of Somali behavior "It's a way of psychologically alerting people of the immoral acts, of the perversity of the Somali behavior," he said, likening sexual deviance to murdering one's countrymen. Narrated primarily by Kalaman, the loyal son who must confront an explosive hidden truth, "Secrets" wends its way toward the final revelation with agonizing, occasionally infuriating, slowness. "I thought I might as well enjoy myself," Farah remarked with a slight smile. But the revelation pales in comparison to secrets unearthed along the way. "The point is to create a situation where it becomes something important to the people about whom the novel is being narrated but not to the people who hear it," he said, explaining that the secret is shocking only to his characters. In a society known for oral tradition, Farah is an anomaly not least because he writes in English. In February, he was named 1998 Neustadt laureate, the first African to garner the prestigious award some of whose previous winners such as Octavio Paz and Gabriel Garcia Marquez have gone on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. But Farah, a seemingly modest man, is unconcerned with the buzz surrounding his award. Arguably Somalia's most famous novelist, he has set himself the task of "keeping his country alive by writing about it." The writer, exiled in the early 1970s by the late dictator Siad Barre, traces the history of Somalia from independence in 1960 to the present chaos in his narrative. Author Salman Rushdie called him "one of the finest contemporary African novelists" -- an accolade many writers would welcome but one that further damages Farah in the eyes of Somalia's predominantly Muslim population. Rushdie is the subject of a death order from Iranian Islamic clerics for allegedly insulting Mohammed in his novel "Satanic Verses." 'Sex is the secret two people hide' Farah's new book also is guaranteed to further tarnish his image with his countrymen by embracing numerous taboos. But he is comfortable with that, insisting the sometimes shockingly explicit references are nothing more than a challenge to people who are guilty of worse crimes than his own. "A society exists only in the things it hides. Sex is the 'secret' that two people hide between them or the voyeur keeps concealed, and the things that you hide are the things that define you," he said. He compares the warlords in Somalia's eight-year civil war to the Italian Mafia -- everyone knows what they do but few are privy to its inner workings. "The reason why the strife has not ended is because it has no clan base. There are open and closed secrets even in Somali society. There is the open secret that the civil war in Somalia is about a conflict between various groups. (But) there is a hidden agenda ... power," he said. "Clan doesn't matter to them, who dies doesn't matter to them. It would be a dishonesty on my part to omit this particular phase of what happened in Somalia." In 1996, Farah returned to his homeland after more than two decades in exile. The initial welcome was less than warm. He was held hostage by gunmen for three days in what he calls "an inconvenient misunderstanding." That experience, he said ironically, inspired him to release "Secrets," which he had written in 1992. He calls the trilogy, which also includes "Maps" and "Gifts," his "body novels" because of the prominent role the human body plays throughout. Although the latest book focuses on the onset of Somalia's civil war, references to the carnage are few. Farah might be saving that for his next trilogy, the first volume of which, to be published next year, deals with the consequences of the war
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| | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 04:35 pm Yo! I thought we had problem. Damm,thats so sad. Read the book. Geah Blackrap is here to keep you informed, fools.
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| | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 06:27 pm BlackRap In My opinion i hold no grudge on Nuuradin Farah,-why? First; for artistic reason.The right to write and have freedom of speech. Second; for his talents in entreprenuership.A publicity stunt that has made me earn afew dollars.You stated yourself he said i thought sex is something that grabs shock.There you go,you dont have to search far,to know his reason to write 'Secrets'-about 'Unnatural Sex'.He writes for money not for the merits of his creed.I am sure he is as shallow as the average somali who has no clue about what it is to be a somali and what is currently going on in somalia.Including you too.I am even asserting,i am positively sure.Patriotism is not a mere elaboration of nice preppy speech of how passionately you feel about Somalia.Actions speaks louder than words.If you care about Somalia,do something practical and quit the whinning and complining about others. Got it?
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| | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 07:18 pm Could this Reutor be Nuradin Farah? I question........do you all notice some hint in his words.
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| | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 08:20 pm Somali writer Nuruddin Farah A great writer to the West, candidate to the prestigious 1998 Neustadt laureate, but in his homeland and by his people, he is regarded as nothing more than an opportunistic person, taking advantage of his people to earn money, in the name of educating his people. To me he is no different than those 18-19 year old Somali models seen on European TV's, speaking so openly on Female circumcision, in the name of awareness and education. He say's it himself, sex is shocking, of course it is, it also sells. Now would his book have sold or "ruffling feathers" if it didn't touch the G spot of the Somali people. He says: "When you sit with Somalis and you tell them what has happened they don't seem to be shocked by their own activities," First of all the exiled author is living in Nigeria, the last base of the exiled Regime, responsible for all the crimes and detoriation of the Somali morals. Those he speaks with are men with bloody hands, those that rapped the girls of the KACAAN in nightly orgies, that ordered the areal bombing of Hargeysa and shooting of innocent people in Mogadishu. Concourse there will be no reaction from such characters, for a reaction would mean remembering the crimes committed, for man thinks of his crimes only after the event. To my brother BLACKRAP thanks for the warning but we got bigger problems than dealing with such a miserable man, who didn't see his family for 20+ years, missuses his literary talent for attention and fund raising. He is beyond our grasp, beyond our hate, let our maker deal with him. Reutor: Freedom of speech?, so with no offence intended, lets assume your family had problems, major problems and you air their laundry to those that see them as Animals. In addition you spice the story with, sex, now does that count as freedom of speech. No my friend, that shows dislike for your family, because if you had any sense, you would think of your audience and their view toward your family. You would ask yourself, if your work would contribute toward respect and love or debasing and hatred of your family. SIAD ordered the killing of 2-3 millions, Nuruddin is performing character assassination of 12 million people. EID WANAAGSAN
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| | Friday, March 02, 2001 - 08:22 pm A few years ago in St. Louis at some annual convention, a party of Somalis went to cheer him (Farah) on. We were all rooting for him pridefully, as a native son made good. To the discomfiture of the Somalis in the audience--maybe to others, too--Farah, reading an extract from one of the books--Maps?--embarked on an extended graphic description of a stud of a man banging away at a cow. The reading went on ad nauseam, replete with gruntings, groanings, mooings, and mumblings--in short, all manner of man-cow love noises . . . until the fellow beside me lurched forward and whimpered in a shaky voice, "Where is the men's room? I fear I want to vomit." Obviously neither of you have read the book:. There is no character development,there is no plot, there is no sign of humans doing things to other humans to stir the reader's admiration, pity, or scorn. There is only a cloud of verbiage, and bestiality. yukh.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 06:14 am Mo-man@looool So cute....
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 06:37 am Dear fellow Somalis. Allow me to partake this most needed discussion. I have read the book in question "Secrets". I have to say it is one of the best written books I have ever read apart from "Great expectations", and trust me I have read a lot. The book is a masterpiece, but the characters and the story line nettle me great deal. All the over-rated sex scenes not to mention Mr nuune mating a cow and the rest of the ill-mannered way of him portraying Somalis in the living houses and parks of millions of none Somalis around the globe in the most sex starved people on earth. He pictures us to be rather loathsome and putrid people. If I were not Somali I would have a perception of what Somalis are based on reading that particular book. Nuradin is senseless westernised man who wants to sell his books for any rate, and not to ponder about the consequence and the impact it will have on Somalis. A lot of young Somalis like him due to his articulate and intersting way of writing and being a big in this anglo-saxon dominated world, but what we fail to comprehend is the fact that he is selling us, and the these people are using him. I am not saying he has a talent but talent alone does not get you now where "Abu Jahal was the most sophist man in Mecca but where did he end up.?" Mahir@lobbyist.com London
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 06:45 am I THINK BASRA HAS THE HOTS FOR MOMAN MOMAN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 07:14 am Mo-Man, loooooooooooooool. That was some funny shitt. If your friend took a look at his vomit he would have realized he was regarding Farah himself. Cause that muthafucker is one pig-vomit of a human being.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 08:44 am Mahir, obviously you have been reading with your eyes closed:the book was not a masterpiece it was "pig-vomit" as Xoogsade so poignantly put it. I could give a multitude of reasons why,aside from you know what, but I think I'll pass on this one. To observation: hmmm...I'll have to get back to you on that one keep it cool.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 08:53 am A round of applause for Mahir. You seem to concour with my same observation. "He pictures us to be rather loathsome and putrid people. If I were not Somali I would have a perception of what Somalis are based on reading that particular book." "but what we fail to comprehend is the fact that he is selling us, and the these people are using him." My brother thank you for seeing it all from my vintage. Eid Wanagsaan
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 08:55 am Assalamu alicum, I attended once Nuradin'd lecture. Did not really like very much. Where can I get the book? any websides? bookshops? Wasalaam
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 10:19 am Mo-Man,(regarding your first post here) why don't you come up with your own criticisms? WHY ARE YOU POSTING A QUOTE FROM PROFESSOR SAMATER AS YOUR OWN????? PATHETIC!
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 11:28 am Nuradin faarah is a male stripper.DuH?
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 11:39 am I met Farah before: he's a very smart man, but sometimes he gets a little carried away in his supposed "art". You guys are right, he misrepresented the Somali people. An Nia don be stupid, let us not critic each other, we are criticing farah's work.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 11:49 am macaanta, maxaad ugu naageeyneesa Mo-Man? My point to him is: TO COME-UP WITH HIS OWN CRITICISM AND TO NOT STEAL A QUOTE FROM PROF SAMATER AND PASS IT ON AS HIS OWN. WHAT MO-MAN WROTE IS A DIRECT QUOTE OF PROF SAMATER. AT LEAST BE ORIGINAL IN YOUR CRICITISM and in the process do not insult our collective "emotional" intelligence.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 11:52 am o.k. y'all r stupid stupid stupid stupid. if you don't like his writing, don't read it. I mean what is wrong wit ya. & yall posting garbage here. da last 3 post were junk1. blackrap, sirrus, mo man, basra, nia and everyone else, y'all dumb as hell. go get lives idiots insted of reading farah's vomit literature.
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 12:10 pm To Nia:I am just tired of people who're looking for fights while we're in an intelligent discussion. I mean, what do YOU think of farah's work? To Ghettogirl:have you gone mad woman?
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 12:21 pm Ghettogirl Do us all a collective favor and return yourself to that rat hole, you so eloquently call home. peace
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 02:04 pm hahahahahaha @GetAGirl Sirrussel you a killer Hey are you Sir Russel Crow??
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 02:21 pm Empathy, The person who posted above wasn't me...infact that was my imposter. I usually don't pay attention to people like that(ie:Imposter) but in this case I'm afraid I have to take matters into my own hands! To the Fake GhettoGirl aka the nickname knocker!Be original bitch don't come on here stunning like your on some brand new ••••! I'm out 1
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| | Saturday, March 03, 2001 - 05:06 pm It's fascinating how one can claim that Nurradin Farrah has done character assasination on the part of Somalis! In fact Somalis have taken care of that long time ago, so what remained was to put that in a literary perspective and to put pieces into a whole picture. Now, what the Author did was to crystalize the role of all participants in the unmaking of Somalia, and if that should hurt somebody, wrong..it already took its toll. Moreover, if someone should blame Nurradin on why he unearthed despicable atrocities that took place during the upheaval times and only known to Somalis, then they should have known better that most of the other cruelties in the world such as the genocide of the Indians in North America, the extermination of the Jews in Germany where all recounted by those who were closest to them. In case someone was expecting angels would scribble down something, I think they will be pretty dissapointed! Also, the misconception that everything is tailor made for the West, I think it's a bit too paranoid notion to entertain. In fact, there are those of us who only read what's going in Somalia through the western media, and would appreciate to read anything writen by a son/daughter of Somalia, and to say the least we do indeed appreciate Nurradin's literary efforts.
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 06:06 am Mo-Man, What I meant was that the way he putted his words together was examplanay!. As I said I abhor the contents of the book!. Mahir
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 12:55 pm are Somalis joules to each other? He is a talent writer and how ever I do agree like, all of us he do not have any true feeling for Somalia. Business as usually. no either Dr samatar does. the man who tell Minnesota state government that Somalis are criminals. Some nuuradiin books are very good, indeed positive for Somali culture. His last book secret, if you do not look the sex part it describes the situation in Somalia today. Do you read the headline today. shaatiguduud and caato made friend each other with Ethiopia help. where is RRA ideology? Well if Nuradin is a opportuniter, we all does same thing.
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 01:50 pm I didnt read nuradi farah` book,but whatever i read on this postnig,i believe the man got a Great talent(had it b4) and everything he said did happen in Somalia.why r you guys criticising him?? coz he is telling the truth to the rest of world??well it is about time the dirt in Somalia exposed, then may be we will get a peace and i am glad it is him not another american guy who didnt know a thing about somalia.lets all see american movie about somalia that gonna come out in this year then you will all appreciate Farah. Sagitarrius, you r right in every sense you said. Somalis always try to find faults in others esp successfull somali fellow.
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 04:43 pm * Secrets*, it is a good book, da way i see it. Nuradiin Faarah, is one of the best African Authors. On the other hand; he knows well what life like around Afgooye City- which is quite different the rest of country- for ex. Istunka ( Afgoys ritual). Afgooye`s sexuality behaviour rather like San Francisco. I have to remind you Nuradiin Farah went a Catholic School at Merka City in 50s which gives to him more familiar around that area. We, urban people are different sexual attitude those are from rural like (Geel-jire), so the *Secrets* book: is a fiction , pasta.
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 05:45 pm Madoobe, You tried saintly to defend one individual while dirtying the image of a community as a whole. What type of a reasoning is that?
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 08:59 pm hmmm let me say this, most of your responses are on the low end. Some of us get so used to the adrenaline rush of handling crises.. but there is nothing you and I can do about it so let the man sell his ideas. eight.....
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| | Sunday, March 04, 2001 - 10:18 pm I think...u guys r too harsh on the fellow....Just b/c he wrote a book, fictional book...on human sexuallity...doesn't degrade him any less than...what those poitical thugs did to our so called....Homeland...Creativity is part of writing....so what if he said....ppl were having sex with animals..so what he exemplified homosexualism....?? I don't see anything wrong with that....infact I admire his originality. U accuse him of selfishness....did u really look deep inside urself...n thought of what made u any different?...U luxuriously live in a peaceful...world...Ur daily ration is guaranteed...U have no concern what so ever of the fact of seeing tommorrow... I am no judge..so aren't u!...We Somalis are known to hammer down...any one...who gains fame & fortune....solely b/c of our GREED!!...We need to appreciate our brothers/sisters for their achievements....n feel proud...of their success...afterall....they do represent US! I rest my case.... CIID WANAAGSAN TO ALL!!
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| | Monday, March 05, 2001 - 02:15 am Hibo, we are not saying Farah is without talent;there is no doubt of his literary ablities. And as you mistakenly pointed out, we are not insulting him because he's successful-far from it. You see,in this world we call earth, when an author publishes a work, he puts it out into the public arena for potential praize or in this case criticism. We here are discussing his work, not him personally-I'm sure bestiality does not play a role in his personal life-at least I hope not. So casting all those who abhorred this particular work as "greedy" is a clear injustice to those intellectuals in this forums who hated the work. The book was disgusting,degraiding & oh yeh disgusting.
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| | Monday, March 05, 2001 - 06:03 am Observation lol
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| | Tuesday, March 06, 2001 - 07:18 am waxaad tihiin dad aan aqoon waxa layiraah`do sheeko. iyo ;curis; ama abuurin. waxaad leedihiin sheekada uu qoray maxay run u noqon wayday:waa anigaa iri samaynta dhegdheer waxay wax udhimaysaa dadka wax cuna mar`ka waa in lajoo jiyaa sheekadaas. cidkasta (gaalo iyo muslim`ba-laga reebo "marjooleey"  way ogtahay in sheekadu ay mala-abuur tahay. ayada iyo beenta waxaa udhexeeya in qofka il.baxa ah uu ogyahay in sheekadu ay sideedaba been-abuur tahay.Marka hadii aad rabtiin in aad idaacaysaan Furridiin Farax, waxaad latimaadaan dhaleecay`n uu asagu amam anigu aan iidinkaga jawaabi kara.ninku se ma`aha ingiriis ee waa soomaali sidaa daraadee waa in uu sheekooyinkiisa ku`saleeyaa dal iyo dad uu yaqaan. Buugaata uu Nuurridiin qoraa ma`aha quraankee sidii quraanka ha u aqriyina (ala mafiic nay`n in aan tusaalahaas sa`meeyo sababtoo ah maangaabku ma garqaatee wuu is guuxiyaa),taa waxaan kala danleeyahay waa hasugina in uu sii aad soomaaliya ku ogeydeen idiinkugu sheego sabtoo ah ninku maaha joornaalistee waa qoraa, ha sugina in aad jidadkaad taqaaneen iyo dadkaad taqaaneen iyo dabeecadahoodii ka dhex aragtaan ama ka heshaan buugaagta uu qoray dhex`dooda.Run ahaan`tii in aan islayaab`no ma`aha sabab`too ah waxaan nahay dad ay qoritaanku iyo qoraaguba ku yar`yahay kuna cusub yahay. hadii Nuurruddiin ahaan lahaa gabyaa oron lahaana inta uu yiri kamaanu wadahadal`neen waxaan u arkilahay`n mid uu xaquleeyahay.Mida kale dadka is leh ninku waxuu idinku dirayaa aduunka oo ceeb`teena buu banaanka keenaya waxaan idinku oron "far bugtaa ayadaa is og".Waxaan xasuustaa waray CNN soo daysay intii uumaraykanku tegin soomaaliya dhamaadkii 1992 wariyuhu waxuu tegey suuqa caanka ah ee (bakaaraha)halkaas oo uu natusay nin man baqaarleh oo bariis dajisanayey,baqaarka hortiisa waxaa miis hoostiis qoraxda ka`galay gabar 12 jirah iyo walaasheed oo 3 jirah oo si xun u liidadata labada gabdhood waxaa ka muuqda macaluul aad udaran oo muraarodilaa iyo naxdin u keeni qofkasta oo damiirleh naagtii jornalistaha ahay waxay ninkii kutiri war maad waxsiisid kuwaan hortaada ku dhimanaya hadaba soomaaliyeye, fiicanay,islayney,sixun wax u qaadatooy maxaad u maleyney siin ninkii bakhaarka lahaa inuu ugu jawaabay naagtaas ......... wuxuu kuyiri hadii aan ayaga wax siiyoo ilma adeeradoo ayay u yeeri oo aya guba ka liita ha dii aan ayagana kanaxo oo aan wax siiyo anigaa ka mid`noqon.Soomaalidu dabeecadaas bay leedadahay,marka aay been la`isusheegin nin lo`wasay bakhaarlaa kadaran,hadii aadan garaney`na adaa kasii daran. isla
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| | Tuesday, March 06, 2001 - 03:26 pm Daahir-buubaa, sida aad falanqeynta uga bixisay mooduuca socda wax badan waa kugu raacsanahay. Nuuradiin Faaraxna, ciso weyn buu akteyda ka leeyahay. Laakiin waxaa jirta, dalkasta in ey jiraan buugaag sheekooyina oo aan marna la aqbalin iyo in qorahana aan bulshadaas ixtiraam ku laheeyn. Sababtana ey tahay in ey bulshada u dareento in meel uga dhacay: dhaqankooda; diintooda ama hab-bulshadeedkeeda. * Secrets* anigase waxaan u arkaa in jecleystay ma ahane - hal-naxliya- kuma arag, waana ka helay. Qofkii rabana waa maqashiin karaa Nuuradiin oo ka hadlaaya buugaas asaga.
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| | Monday, March 12, 2001 - 12:48 am madoobe: su'aashu waxay tahay nuuridiin yuu buuga uqoray? taas waxaan ka'wadaa ninku waxuu waxkuqoraa af-qalaad oo soomaalida inteeda badani ay'san garaneynin. wuxuu kudhaqan yahay dhul-qalaad,wuxuu qabaa naag-qalaad, wuxuu isku sheegaa in uu yahay nin afrikoo dhami ay dalkiis tahay(taa si waa marka uu san buug gadeynin,markaa uu yahay nin soomaali ah),in uu damiir laawe yahay ma'aha mid la'isku haysto.La'iskumahaysto in uu la'midyahay kuwa dhuxusha iib-geeya(oo ardhigii lama-degaan kadhigay)laa kii ulajeedada dhaleeceynta nuuridiin waa in la'kala saaraa wuxuu shaqsiyan yahay iyo qiimaha curashadiisa.inteena badan ee dibada joogta (hadii la'gareebo"gar-dheerayaasha,iyo "msk" ta, jihada wareersan) waxaanu aqrisanay ama aan aqrisanaa buugaag ay qoreen rag nooga fog nuuridiin faarax.rag gaalo ah oo aanu diin iyo dhaqanba aanu wadaagnin.Ulajeedadaydu waxay ahayd in aan dadka qaarkii aan jahli-bixiyo si ay ukalasaaraan, buuga,qoraaga,iyo,qisada sedexdaas waa sadex aan marnama la'isbarbar dhigikarin.sideedaba la'isma waydiiyo inay qisadu dhicikarto iyo inkale sabatoo ah, yaa "adiga" kaa dhigay GUULWADE.Taas macnaheedu waa qoraagu waxa uu xaqa uleeyahay waxaa ka'mid ah: oo ba ugu horeeya waa in hindisahu uu caqibaad la'hayn.Tan labaadi waa in aan hindisahiisa daraadii loo-dilin ama jir-dilin.ma'aanan daafacaynin dadnimada faarax nuuridiin,laa kiin hadii aan maangaabka "yac" la'oran in ay xaqleeyihiin bay ismoodi. Waad ku mahadsantihiin doodaan aan qiimaha........
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