Somali identity

[Niya]

^ What about xeer - the unwritten rules used for conflict resolution, settling scores, managing resources (water/grazing land) arranging marriage etc, etc, etc?

[Adali]

Camels + proverbs and poetry rooted in language. All else is minimal.

include culture, tradition, history and religion than yes you have pretty much covered the core elements of our identity.

^ What about xeer - the unwritten rules used for conflict resolution, settling scores, managing resources (water/grazing land) arranging marriage etc, etc, etc?

this is part of our culture, the xeer(law), i read a written piece about the importance of the tongue in a illiterate oral society, the power of the different forms of poetry used to communicate important message during gatherings, courts etc.

[Lamagoodle]

Alpha,
Here is something for you to read;
http://www.racearchive.org.uk/documents ... ooklet.pdf


Adali,
You seem to be putting an equal sign between culture and identity; between culture and religion and between religion and identity. Get your concepts right first.

Salafism is not a part of somali identity or culture.

Islam has certainly influenced our culture but religion is not a major issue when identifying a group of people.

[Adali]

lamgoodle

identity can consist of many things but the topic is about specifically the "Somali identity" and so the discussion is not concerned with gender and what have you. religion and culture are strong factors in the "Somali identity" how is this even debatable, are you sure your Somali ?



Somali people have a strong affinity towards the Diin more so than any other people on earth, 100% nation, yet you claim religion has nothing to do with our identity ? your full of shit !!

[Niya]

Adali,
What you term Somali affinity for the religion is more symbolic. Somalis focus on what symbolize one as Muslim hence the exclusive attention to such things as what women wear, how they wear it, facial hair on men, separation of genders etc. At the same time , when it comes to the practice of what is right and wrong, what is ethical and moral or how issue of justice are interpreted, Somalis are far from identifying with what is Islamic. Forget about the 20 years of war and what is being done in the name of Islam by the likes of Al-Shabab, and look at the Somalis in the diaspora with their clanism and fraudelent activtives of many. So, when it comes to relgion Somalis have a strong affinity for the visible Islam, what shows that one is a "good" muslim, who is part of the ummah. The garb, attending mosques, rote memoration of the Quran and passively listening to religious lectures by any random man that claims to be a sheikh, the laudable practice seems to be disconnected from how people actually live and conduct other daily affairs.

The authentic Somali culture is the one practiced in the rural areas and the Somali identity is shaped by being a member of a clan, abiding by its unwritten rules while practing group think. The identity factor is also influenced by indvidual experiences and the environment the person grows up in.