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Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:42 pm
by Monk-of-Mogadishu
Why is there a popular notion that Reer Xamar or "Benadiri" people come from Yemen? It makes absolutely no sense beyond geographic proximity. Its about as stupid as the Somali idea that every light skinned hairy person on earth is "Arab." Somalis will refer to Pakis, Indians, Afghans, Turks, Mexicans and Jews as "Yemeni."
Its beyond all doubt that Reer Xamar come from Persia.
You may ask where I'm getting this idea - just look at the contributions they've made to Somali culture. Niiko, Xalwo, tobacco - a bunch of innovations that are totally foreign to Yemenis. Reer Xamar softened the harsh Somali lifestyle, and Yemenis are not soft people. The queer culture of Somali Benadiris is completely out of touch with Yemen's hard tribal worldview, period.
After centuries of inter-marrying, Benadiris still maintain a certain look. Yemenis just look like white Somalis, if a Somali mixes with a Yemeni you'll have something that looks similar to a Somali, case in point Hyperactive. But strong Persian genes are harder to erase and thus you still have a strong appearance in that community.
There is an understanding that the Benadiris are the descendants of merchants. We all know Yemenis are inferior merchants and seafarers.
Names are a clue too - Mogadishu comes from the Persian "Maqq ad di Shah" which means "Seat of the Shah." Also look at the names of Reer Xamar like Geylani, which is a well known Persian name. There is also an Italian Geylani but its absurd to think they took Italian names.
A well known Yemeni community in the Horn of Africa are the Rashaida of Eritrea and Sudan - they have strong tribal communities and a distinct nomadic heritage. Its clear that Somali Benadiris are urban, educated people, which definitely means they are not Yemeni.
My research is complete.

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:44 pm
by qoraxeey
lol
reer xamar
are mix of Portugese / Spainish people iyo Arabs

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:49 pm
by Hyperactive
lol your recearch is not complete yet.
i dont think they're from one origin, recentlly i met one of these in yemen and he said he is some thing like : rer faqi and he said he is from bani faqeeh from yemen.
he hardlly spoke arabic though.
ps; my mom's brother name jailani and a cousin of mine too .lol
yemanis love that name tho
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:52 pm
by Monk-of-Mogadishu
hyperactive wrote:lol your recearch is not complete yet.
i dont think they're from one origin, recentlly i met one of these in yemen and he said he is some think : faqi and he said he is from bani faqeeh fromm yemen.
he hardlly spoke arabic though.
ps; my mom's brother name jailani and a cousin of mine too .lol
yemanis love that name tho
Damn, you destroyed all my research in one post.
Jeylani as a first name I guess is meaningless, but if its a common last name then its okay to assume they're probably Iranian-origin.
But you are right, I didn't think about multiple origins. If you look at other Yemeni diaspora in Africa like the Rashaida group, they still have a tribal lifestyle and ride their camels. Somali Benadiris are not like that.
There is such a strong Persian heritage in Somalia, we have to wonder where all of their descendants went.
qoraxeey wrote:lol
reer xamar
are mix of Portugese / Spainish people iyo Arabs
Portuguese are related to Barawani not Xamaris.
And what brings Spaniards to the Somali coast?

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:54 pm
by LivingToSucceed
qoraxeey wrote:lol
reer xamar
are mix of Portugese / Spainish people iyo Arabs

.
wa bentis. reer xamar are orginally come from Yeman.

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:56 pm
by Monk-of-Mogadishu
Qubbato wrote:Are banadiri related to abgaal?
No, Benadiris are White, Abgaal are Black.

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:57 pm
by James Dahl
Reer Xamar is a complicated case, there's not one origin for Reer Xamar, but dozens.
The history of Mogadishu is one that needs to be explored in more detail, it is a woefully neglected subject for a city with a history that goes back thousands of years.
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:02 pm
by Enlightened~Sista
Monk, I have something interesting for you.Barawaanis are from OMAN.Nothing portuguese about them.Even to this day there is qabeela called Al Barawaani in Sultanate of Oman.Their look, their dress, everything about them screams OMANI.Plus they speak a form of swahili.Many Omanis speak Zanjibari ( Swahili ) many of them still call many parts of East Africa home.
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:04 pm
by Enlightened~Sista
put Al barawaani on facebook see what comes up> OMANI people

Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:04 pm
by Executive
Enlightened~Sista wrote:Monk, I have something interesting for you.Barawaanis are from OMAN.Nothing portuguese about them.Even to this day there is qabeela called Al Barawaani in Sultanate of Oman.Their look, their dress, everything about them screams OMANI.Plus they speak a form of swahili.Many Omanis speak Zanjibari ( Swahili ) many of them still call many parts of East Africa home.
I meet a lot of them in Zanzibar, Swahili speaking Omanis. Not sure about the name of their qabil though.
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:05 pm
by Monk-of-Mogadishu
Enlightened~Sista wrote:Monk, I have something interesting for you.Barawaanis are from OMAN.Nothing portuguese about them.Even to this day there is qabeela called Al Barawaani in Sultanate of Oman.Their look, their dress, everything about them screams OMANI.Plus they speak a form of swahili.Many Omanis speak Zanjibari ( Swahili ) many of them still call many parts of East Africa home.
That's understandable, I never understood the idea that they mixed with Italians or Portuguese. The Omani Kingdom of Zanzibar was influential in Shabelle Hoose, the home region of the Barawani.
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:08 pm
by DisplacedDiraac
E-Sista - I always thought Barawani's were mixed Omani and Bantu (they sure do look it!). I've been to Oman (my fav country in the Middle East) and the people looked Barawani to me
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:12 pm
by Enlightened~Sista
Executive wrote:Enlightened~Sista wrote:Monk, I have something interesting for you.Barawaanis are from OMAN.Nothing portuguese about them.Even to this day there is qabeela called Al Barawaani in Sultanate of Oman.Their look, their dress, everything about them screams OMANI.Plus they speak a form of swahili.Many Omanis speak Zanjibari ( Swahili ) many of them still call many parts of East Africa home.
I meet a lot of them in Zanzibar, Swahili speaking Omanis. Not sure about the name of their qabil though.
You went to Zanzibar? Woww! They could be from other tribes.
You will see them in Oman as well, imagine Arab Omanis talking and conversing in Swahili with their kids lol
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:18 pm
by eyes-only
Never heard of the Persian connection. They're more likely to be Omani than Persians since the Omanis ruled that part of the world....Horta, you have to realise that reer xamar are mainly two...the cad-cad and the non cad-cad. The first ones are mainly a mixture of bantu slaves and arabs (mainly Omanis and Yemenis) with some non-mixed pure arabs who are mostly later settlers...some still have connections with wherever country they originated from mostly Yemen. The non-cadcads are mainly Somalis who settled there and became urbanised....including many Ajuraan.. And then you've also got the descendants of slaves from Zanzibar and also asians who settled there who are also reer Xamar and also some other Somalis who settled there who are also reer Xamar....So I don't really think reer Xamar as a group have one ethnic origin. You can say reer hebal hebal are originally from Persia but not all reer Xamar.
Re: Reer Xamar people come from Persia, not Yemen
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:23 pm
by Executive
Enlightened~Sista wrote:Executive wrote:
I meet a lot of them in Zanzibar, Swahili speaking Omanis. Not sure about the name of their qabil though.
You went to Zanzibar? Woww! They could be from other tribes.
You will see them in Oman as well, imagine Arab Omanis talking and conversing in Swahili with their kids lol
I go there everytime I go to Tanzania. The only thing nice about it is the beaches and the hotels.
I didn't feel confortable walking around the streets though
