Shirib: ISTUNKA AFGOYE

[AbdiWahab252]

Saxiib,

I wanted to get some more information about istunka Afgoye. I faintly remember being in Afgoye when it happened back in the 1980s.

What is it about ? Is it a remnant of the Old Shia culture which dominated Konfur before the Arab Sunni ?

Btw, I find it fascinating that Konfur has some colorful cultural events like Istunka and Bad Galka.

[Shirib]

Istunka Afgooye is an old tradition among the Geledi, Wacdaan and Murunsade in the area. It was a part of the old Somali solar new year.

Anyways we could talk about this for days but i'll give you a short jist of it and you can ask questions.

It is a 3 day long festival. The first day all they do is shirib. They march from Afgooyes city center to the Suldaans house in Siigaale (the one in Afgooye not Xamar). The suldan comes out and shirib continues.

The second day is the actual day of the fight. They shirib some more but no march this time as it is a diss session before the fight begins.

The traditions of where it came from are not 100% known. Some believe it is a display of the Geledi's defeat of Silcis.

It was also used as training in the time when war was conducted with swords, spears bow and arrows.

The third day is a lot of eatin and more shirib.

A lot of goats are slaughtered for the festival.

The fighters are seperated in to Tolweyn and Yibdhaal. Its complicated cause its not by qabiil but by location.

Tolweyn are the upstream villages which are Geledi and some Murunsade.

Yibdhaal are the downstream villages which are all the Wacdaan with some of the Geledi.

Well its kind of clan related since clans live in different locations.

The two sides where different colored clothing and their shirib and dances are different. The shirib is new every year. It either disses the other side or praises their own. The Istun in 1989 I'm praised hella as I was my families first born son.

It is entirely in sport no one is trying to kill the other or bring a lot pain to the other.

Tolweyn wins every year.

Feel free to ask anymore questions.

[AbdiWahab252]

Shirib,

Very fascinating stuff.

I was deeply upset when the UIC banned that festival. Its wrong to stop ancient cultural activities.

Geladi, are they part of the Ajuran ?

[Voltage]

[quote="AbdiWahab252"]I was deeply upset when the UIC banned that festival. Its wrong to stop ancient cultural activities.[/quote]

Obviously it is a pre-Islamic ritual. Do you see Jahiliyah rituals practiced today in Saudi Arabia. Caqli xumaa kani

[Shirib]

No the Geledi actually defeated the Ajuuraan, and Silcis to take over the area now known as Shabelle hoose. Well not take over exactly as they already lived their but to rule it.

They are a sub clan of Digil as in Digil y Mirifle/Rahanwein.

Mirifle = Rahanwein.

Digil is not Rahanwein.

I don't know why but people who aren't actually in the festival and don't know nothing about it put some sort of voodoo shyt in it.

The most they do is read some Quran before they kill the ari and I don't think thats voodoo.

[Shirib]

Voltage whats jahil about it?

[AbdiWahab252]

Voltage,

Since when was the Istunka something to be a banned. It is a Somali cultural event and we have always tolerated other cultural events.

To ban it and the Bad Galka, was wrong.

P.S. Fock the Saudis and their fanatical ways.

Shirib,

But wasn't the last ruler of Xamar before the Italians, an Ajuran ? Did the Geladi manage to move into Banadir ?

[Voltage]

[quote="Shirib"]Voltage whats jahil about it?[/quote]


Istun, "dabshid", and many of those rituals are pre-Islamics so that brands them as jahiliya. I thought this was common knowledge?

[Voltage]

[quote="AbdiWahab252"]Voltage,

Since when was the Istunka something to be a banned. It is a Somali cultural event and we have always tolerated other cultural events.

To ban it and the Bad Galka, was wrong.

P.S. Fock the Saudis and their fanatical ways.
[/quote]

That's because you were always a murtad in hiding Abdiwahab. How long ago did I say you were a gaal? I expect such things from you.

[Shirib]

Abdiwahab

Geledi were actually ruling Xamar when the Italians took over. Ajuuraan, and Silcis were defeated a couple of centuries earlier by the Geledi.

Italy purchased the city from the Sultun of Zanzibar (who was actually Omani) but the Geledi were ruling it.


The Omani empire was a network of ports held together more by shared commercial interests than by a state structure. (Cooper, 1977: 32) Guillain described Sa'id's (Sultun of Zanzibar) authority over Banadir as 'seasonal'; it came and went with monsoons when his ships were able to anchor (Guillan, 1856: III, 185). As far as Muqdisho was concerned, everybody knew that the real power lay with Yuusuf of the Geledi. Those merchants from Europe, Asia and America congregated in Zanzibar who directed their attention to the Banaadir coast were told about the mysterious Sultan who controlled inland trade routes.


I can get you more but look it up Geledi were running the show then and Italians kicked our ass.

The Sultan controlled Banadir and Shabelle hoose directly and had tramendous influence up to Baardhere and Luuq were he pretty much controlled the ivory trade.

Do some research its a wll kept secret.


[quote="Voltage"]Istun, "dabshid", and many of those rituals are pre-Islamics so that brands them as jahiliya. I thought this was common knowledge?[/quote]

Is it doing anything substantially un Islamic now that it should be banned.

[Voltage]

Istun is part of Dabshidka, an old pre-Islamic practice people thought that by doing would make their harvests better that year.

This is a shirk and all Somali religious leaders have spoken out about it. Shirib do you still defend it?

[Shirib]

Along time ago they believed it did that. Does a single person on earth still believe that? NO THEY DON'T. Its just a fun Somali cultural festival now.

Really do you think people believe that the Istun is gonna make the harvest better?

The reason that your stating made it shirk isn't even in the equation anymore.

[Voltage]

But shirib this is exactly why it is xaram. Ina mal acmaalu biniyaati, if this is how it was started (the intention) this is how it will always be judged by alle...islamic jurisprudence is very clear on this and for that reason every somali religious scholor has spoken out about it and the icu banned it

Adiga ciyaar bay kula tahay, like dhaanto or something but it is a real serious offense in the eyes of alle

[Shirib]

You no I've never ever heard a Geledi or Wacdaan person say that the origins from the Istun is the harvest thing, and they are the ones who do it.

Just outsiders and I don't know how they arrived to that conclusion.

[Somaliweyn]

''Digil is not Rahanwein.''

Shirib,

Isn't this whole name of Digil iyo Mirifle meant to assimilate Digil clans into Raxanweyne?

For example, the Raxanweyne live mostly in Bay, Bakool, Luuq/Baardheere. The Digil clans live in lower shabelle mostly.

This whole name of Digil iyo Mirifle is meant to expand the influence of Raxanweyn eastwards to the coast.

The Raxanweyn group is the only Somali group that can assimilate other groups ....and this is the danger that Digil groups face. Today its Digil iyo Mirifle...with most Somalis seeing Geledi as Raxanweyn.....tommorow it is a well-accepted FACT.


BTW.....are Mirifle groups DIR? or just Mirifle?.....if they are Dir they should come under than name...but if they are Sab they should just call themselves Mirifle and go into alliances with their neigbours...for example Geledi with Wacdaan/Murusade.....and other Mirifle groups southwards with Biyamaal.