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Who cares about a piece of Fabric!! Some somalis are f-king living in a eurocentric Reality. You wear pants dress shirts, yet you don't fret about it, Somehow European dresscode is so normalized its not even called cultural or tradtitional. But today somali youth think that culture is who has the most jewlery around their head.

Some think Somali culture is to wear a piece of fabric then dance around like clowns on stage for the amusment of ajanabi tourists. Is it us or someone else —who defines the total expression of Somali culture; or is it a Myth we continue to internalize.

Somali culture is far more than a dance, dish or a dress. It does not exist for the pleasure of Western tourist, like a theme show at a Walt Disney exhibit. Somali culture is much more than the tangibles although culture is not static, ethos of culture is pretty much static.

From Ancient Somalia til now respect for elders has remained an unbroken cornerstone in Somali cultural systems. Marriage rites, burial rites, ancestors rites, still honor their original foundation.

Somali culture is much more than aestitics symbols, rituals and language. its our virtues/ethos in otherwords our cultural laws.

TheMightyNomad wrote:Who cares about a piece of Fabric!! Some somalis are f-king living in a eurocentric Reality. You wear pants dress shirts, yet you don't fret about it, Somehow European dresscode is so normalized its not even called cultural or tradtitional. But today somali youth think that culture is who has the most jewlery around their head.

Some think Somali culture is to wear a piece of fabric then dance around like clowns on stage for the amusment of ajanabi tourists. Is it us or someone else —who defines the total expression of Somali culture; or is it a Myth we continue to internalize.

Somali culture is far more than a dance, dish or a dress. It does not exist for the pleasure of Western tourist, like a theme show at a Walt Disney exhibit. Somali culture is much more than the tangibles although culture is not static, ethos of culture is pretty much static.

From Ancient Somalia til now respect for elders has remained an unbroken cornerstone in Somali cultural systems. Marriage rites, burial rites, ancestors rites, still honor their original foundation.

Somali culture is much more than aestitics symbols, rituals and language. its our virtues/ethos in otherwords our cultural laws.

walahi aad iyo aad baan uga xumahay sidee hablaha somaliyeed dhulka isku dhigeen, ilahay amuurahood ha sahlo, ciil badana !!

Copy paste

TheMightyNomad wrote:Who cares about a piece of Fabric!! Some somalis are f-king living in a eurocentric Reality. You wear pants dress shirts, yet you don't fret about it, Somehow European dresscode is so normalized its not even called cultural or tradtitional. But today somali youth think that culture is who has the most jewlery around their head.

Some think Somali culture is to wear a piece of fabric then dance around like clowns on stage for the amusment of ajanabi tourists. Is it us or someone else —who defines the total expression of Somali culture; or is it a Myth we continue to internalize.

Somali culture is far more than a dance, dish or a dress. It does not exist for the pleasure of Western tourist, like a theme show at a Walt Disney exhibit. Somali culture is much more than the tangibles although culture is not static, ethos of culture is pretty much static.

From Ancient Somalia til now respect for elders has remained an unbroken cornerstone in Somali cultural systems. Marriage rites, burial rites, ancestors rites, still honor their original foundation.

Somali culture is much more than aestitics symbols, rituals and language. its our virtues/ethos in otherwords our cultural laws.

afkaa caano lagu qabay

I would say thobe/khamis are normalized ''religious'' clothes too.
Respect for elders definitely stems from the Islamic background of Somalis.

To answer the OPs topic

The reoccuring trend of Xalimos marrying out is inspired and promoted by Salafi Sheikhs and Imams.
Apperantly its in the Salafi Manual to Marry of Somali women to Ajanabis for an apple.

Their argument is that by marrying out they are putting deen before culture. which makes absoulutely no sense. Since somalis are muslims

Thats why these bitches run around yelling ''Deen before culture'' and practice that Ajanabi Thirst Abu Salafi thaught them at the mosque.

The Sect Called Salafism is the problem not islam. They are the same people Sheikh Rageh who insults somali women and then encourages them to marry reverts.

MARRIAGE BANDITS – A FATHERS VIEW
http://salafimediauk.com/2014/03/12/mad ... hers-view/

Their trick in the case of these sisters is, “Your father is a jahil racist, his reasons for rejection are unislamic and his wilayah is invalid. We can get married without him.” *Bombards the sister with fatawa to justify it*

These sisters are often very naïve innocent zealous in “following Qur’an and Sunnah”, and lack life experience whilst these scoundrels are older not just in age but also life experience, they are manipulative, con artists, rotten to the core.

Somalis boycotted Salafi mosques in some areas and all the tuufaax marriages went down.

The rationale for wearing western clothing: It is no longer 'cultural' in the sense that it belongs to a specific people. It is now ubiquitous to the point of being universal. This is a result of the cultural hegemony of the West post-colonialism. For example, In a high level business meeting taking place in Tokyo between British and Japanese executives all of the men, both Jap and British, would wear designer suits. The fact that the Japs are wearing suits wouldn't strike the Brits as odd in anyway, nor would anyone think that the Japs are betraying their culture by not coming to the meeting in samurai clothing lol. The argument is even stronger for someone who actually lives in the west, because socially and professionally it would be impractical to wear anything else.

The rationale for wearing Somali clothes: This one is self-evident and one should try to wear our traditional clothes whenever they can, especially when they live back home.

The rationale for specifically Arab gulf attire: Proponents say it's Islamic. But there is no such thing as Islamic clothing. The only Islamic requirement is that people dress modestly, everything else is cultural. Also, Arab Christians and atheists all wear khamiis and cimaamads and have kunyahs (Abu this and Umm that). Also, Arab clothing is not ubiquitous or universal in any sense. It's still very much a marker for Arab identity. Lets use that same example again. A business meeting taking place in Malaysia between Malay and Saudi Business executives. Is anyone here telling me that that Saudis wouldn't find it extremely odd if the Malays wore a crisp white gulf khamiis, with the red checkered cimaamad and the black ciqaal as the crowning piece? The Saudis would find it strange, confusing and even feel embarrassed on behalf of the Malays for copying their traditional dress.

If Western clothes have become universal and also practical for professional reasons, and Somali clothes are our dhaqan, what rationale is there for Arab clothing if it cannot be deemed Islamic?

Also, for those of you who are saying what's the big deal, it's just a khamiis. Well, clothes are an important marker of identity, and like language, is one of the first things that are susceptible to change when confronted with a more dominant culture. Cultures aren't static things that change only when people decide they do. Cultures are in a constant state of flux and competition and most people are swept under the current of cultural change due to foreign influence without even being conscious that they're a casualty of the war being waged on their way of life.

zumaale wrote:

But I do admit that the khamiis has been worn by Somalis for a long time and is not really foreign to us. I have seen pictures from 1800's where the Somali wadaads are wearing khamiis but in a uniquely Somali way. Even they way they wrapped their turbanss was uniquely Somali and very aristocratic. Rooble already made a similar point above. I don't mind if current Somalis did it that way, but the problem is many don't. They'd rather imitate Arab cultural norms and throw in a akhi and ukhti in every other sentence and introduce themselves as abu hebel and um hebel.

My long post above was just to explicate a little more the logic being used by liquihydrogen and xplaya, which I think is sound but missed by many of you. I also wanted to bring home the point that clothing is an important marker of cultural and ethnic identity, which many of u also missed.

Qui veut noyer son chien l'accuse de la rage

well plain for he who has eyes to see

Jugjugwacwac