We Have more In Common with Arabs Than Africans

[razzberry]

Any special treatment accorded to a Somali by an Arab is probably because of the Islamic connection.

Keep in mind this is only one conversation with three Arab guys so I can’t speak for all Arabs but yeah, that’s what these guys were getting at.

[Oxidant]

I agree. We do have more in common with Arabs than other Africans.

[King-of-Awdal]

I must be the Only one who doesnt feel closer to either Arab's or other African's especially the non-Muslim one's but one think i have experienced first hand is that other African's even if they are Muslim would usually associate us with Arab's, Kinda annoying actually.

[Hyperactive]

i do have more common with arabs than even somalis due my maternal connection and due my birth place and where i rased and reside. i cannot speak for my father or othersomalis though

[The_Patriot]

To me Arabs and Africans are the same.
I just treat them according to their character
Thus I am not biased.
I am not Afrocentric nor Arabcentric

[FAH1223]

I must be the Only one who doesnt feel closer to either Arab's or other African's especially the non-Muslim one's but one think i have experienced first hand is that other African's even if they are Muslim would usually associate us with Arab's, Kinda annoying actually.

You're close to the French or the Turks, cot damn Djiboutian

[Voltage]

Being Somali its natural to feel a closeness to Arab culture. I always felt foreign even towards Somali music but felt as if I was right at home when listening to Arabian traditional instruments; like a bizarrely close culture that in reality I'd never experienced.

My Conclusion: When I tell Africans I'm Somali its "whatever" but when I tell Arabs I'm Somali its like revealing a cousin to them. Some of it definitely has to do with religion but if they're from the Arabian peninsula in particular they will feel a lot closer to a Somali than even a Maghrebi.

You are right. Reminds me of my encounter with a Kuwaiti international student at my school.

True story, some Kuwaiti guy at my school was debating with me for an hour that Somali is a dialect of Arabic. I also showed him those Kuwaiti videos on youtube where they are singing to Somalia and he told me that Kuwait has an annual celebration for 8 (or some other number) of countries who have long had economic ties to the state before the oil discovery.

I think I wrote about here before how this Kuwaiti international student at my school was trying to convince me the Cushitic Somali language is a dialect of Arabic.

[FAH1223]

They just simply pointed out that just because they shared a religion with Somalis didn’t mean they shared the same culture. They pointed out how that is one of the biggest stereotypes that people have about Muslim, that they are all some how the same.

As far as looking down on Somalis, I didn’t necessarily get a sense of racism against Somalis as much as I got a sense of them just feeling superior period.

To your first point, all Muslims feel that way. You can't just lump us in together because we are different peoples. That isn't anything featuring superiority or what not, thats just being real.

Now as for them feeling superior, thats a common trait... I mean look at this forum and how racist these skinnies are to other groups of people much less than to each other. You'll see it anywhere. So I don't see how they would be "looking down" on Somalis based on your writings.

I agree. Practicing muslims will associate with other practicing muslims while the alcoholics and the sinners will associate with other alcoholics and sinners.

If it makes You feel better, I've been to HU and I think many African American girls are fine. Every race has their good looking and not so good looking, so no need to carry on Your campaign

Howard University MSA

[Voltage]

They just simply pointed out that just because they shared a religion with Somalis didn’t mean they shared the same culture. They pointed out how that is one of the biggest stereotypes that people have about Muslim, that they are all some how the same.

As far as looking down on Somalis, I didn’t necessarily get a sense of racism against Somalis as much as I got a sense of them just feeling superior period.

To your first point, all Muslims feel that way. You can't just lump us in together because we are different peoples. That isn't anything featuring superiority or what not, thats just being real.

Now as for them feeling superior, thats a common trait... I mean look at this forum and how racist these skinnies are to other groups of people much less than to each other. You'll see it anywhere. So I don't see how they would be "looking down" on Somalis based on your writings.

To understand where this particular wolf in sheep's clothing is coming from you have to understand the history of the African American people. The discourse within the group is rooted in history and many ways of expressing and rhetoric particularly when it comes to "keeping in line the Blacks" has historical precedence. What she has attempted to do in this forum (put her name in search and analyze her writing---always comes at appropriate "race related" topics) is use the terminology of "uncle tom" or "uppity negro" in keeping in line what she just wants to leave as "Black Somalis" by reminding them of what their position should be vis-a-vis "non-Black races" in this case Arabs on account of skin color!

She is color baiting as is expected of an African-American wanting to keep what she believes is her "Black bretheren" from stepping beyond their position, especially if they are, what most Blacks and herself included believe to be the recalcitrant-Arab-wannabe-Black-Somalis-suffering-an-identity-crisis! The woman is blatantly Afro-centric and rooted in its negative historical discourse. Look at how she tries to reiterate her underlying meaning 4X when once should have sufficed if it was innocent and honest!

[hanqadh]

Arabic is the language of Islam, Islam was founded in Arabia...Its easy to blend in within Arab states if your Muslim or With Arabs in general.Its called having something in common...But Arabs dont indulge in our dhaanto and dont wear our traditional clothes of Dirac or eat Malawax or Canjeero, this is something specific to us...Arabs are the main dominant bloc within Islam and there Cultural influence is visible.

Somali's are strict adherents to Islam, The Language simalarities, The trade,The proximity to Arabia and The natural Political alighnment to Muslim Arabia perhaps makes us feel closer to the Arabs.

Personally i feel confortable with my Muslim Sudanese,Eritrean,Oromo,Adari,Canfar,freinds before Arabs...but its true we can say we have more in common with the Arabs than other Africans. ex. Ghana or S.A or Even Amhara/Tigray/Kenya.

[LobsterUnit]

go and eat raw meat with ethiopian tribes, drink cows blood with masaia or take part in those initiation rites they have in many african countries and then you will see how different somali culture is to some other african cultures. Islam has a left a definite mark on many muslim societies, so a Somali Muslim would probably integrate more easily into a nigerian fulani tribe then a fellow nigerian from a pagan tribe would. Of course, this all depends on your level of adherence to your religion and culture. A liberal Bosnian Muslim or an Albanian could have more in common with christian bosniacs than a bearded, pracitising Bosnian, simple because khamrigu la cabo. I think SOmalis are a slightly different case as we tend to be more "conservative" for the most part, thus we have more in common with Arabs, who for the majority happen to be muslim. but this could also be applied to Pakistanis. Then again, we have many difference with pakistanis and arabs. Therefore, can it not be said that we have some commonalities with our arab-muslim brothers as well with fellow africans, be they christians, animist or muslim. Why does it always have to be one or the other?

[LobsterUnit]

^ Ghanaian or Ivory coaster?

I think its Islam that makes us identify more with Arabs. Africans enjoy drinking Alcohol, fornicate, and eat non halal food. so if we can't eat together, pray together, and la isla rafan karin the case is closed.

many africans are more taliban than you. I think many Somalis have this perception of defining africans by their interactions with Kenyans and Ethiopian gaalo, whereas the true africans have more muslims, even millions more in some countries than ours. A old woman that is related to me calls all black people( jamaicans-african americans) "zawaxili"

[Voltage]

A old woman that is related to me calls all black people( jamaicans-african americans) "zawaxili"

My grandma does that.

[S_lander-boy]

Im not keen on Arabs, and I got nothing in common with them other then the religion. And I get annoyed when a Arab assumes, I speak Arabic Ill break it down to them son ruunta uu sheega I don't sugar coat nothing ! but the arabs I know are cool as far as racism goes man I can't fault the arab nation for that Somalis are bit racist as well we think higly of our self as well every race does it's kinda ignorant nevertheless .

[shitguy]

I can't fault the arab nation for that Somalis are bit racist as well we think higly of our self as well every race does it's kinda ignorant nevertheless .

this is true no lie I hae met a Nigerian looking down upon Somalis and Ethiopians. "Ah those Poor ppl" is what she called us and the Ethiopians but then again calling ppl poor is different from
calling them "yaa cabd" or " yaa ximaar"