I know why Somalis wanna be in the Arab League but why do

[MaliPrince]

....the Arabs?

The Arab League, a regional organization of countries intended to encompass the Arab world, defines an Arab as:

An Arab is a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic-speaking country, and who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic-speaking peoples.

Lets see, we don't speak Arabic, we have our own language. The only Somalis I know who know any Arabic are either religous scholars who studied the religion in an Arabic speaking country or people who have lived/worked in the Gulf states. We also have absolutely no sympathy with arab speaking people. Hell we don't even have sympathy for our own people. Also most of the Somalis I know hate Arabs above almost every other ethnicity.

Thus, I've always wondered what the Arabs get out of our poor desperate violent country being in their league? What benefit is it for them to have us and Djibouti in there? Sudan is different cause they actually speak Arabic over there and it seems as if they might actually be of partial arab heritage unlike us.

The only theory I have that can explain why they included us in the Arab League, is to cover themselves against charges of racism. We all know the Arabs are the most racist people in the world against blacks. Having us and the Sudanese in there is like a get out of jail free card. Like look we can't be racist, we have black arabs here that are part of our union. Other than that, I got no idea.

[hydrogen]

AI-Tadamun: Somalia joined the Arab League in 1974, 13 years ago. What have you offered the Arab League during this time and what has it offered you?

President Barre: We do not view the matter from the standpoint of profit and loss; we have not been seeking any gains. We are now participating with the other members in all matters concerning the league, and are doing everything to offer the league something that would serve its objectives. But I believe that the Arab League should be more effective in serving the Arab peoples and improving the Arab image internationally so as to protect Arab rights. For this reason the Arab League needs more power and wisdom.

AI-Tadamun:How do you evaluate present Arab-Somali rela­tions?

President Barre: (Smiling and correcting the question) You mean relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries? To use the term Arab-Somali relations is to exclude Somalia from the Arab homeland. Relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries are good but could be better.

AI-Tadamun: Could be better in what sense? Do you feel that Somalia could obtain more economic aid? What are the fields in which relations could improve?

President Barre: I wish I were not in a position where I needed to ask for aid. In any case we have good relations with the other Arab states. When we receive aid from any of them we are grateful, but if we do not receive aid we will not be angry or make demands.

I believe it is in the interest of the Arab world to cooperate, because no country can stand alone without cooperating with others, particularly with friendly and sisterly countries. But we do not measure our friendship with others on the basis of material interest.

AL- TADAMUN in Arabic 30 May 87 pp 8-11
Interview with President Mohamed Siyaad Barre by ‘Uthman Mirghani in Mogadishu

Very interesting. The answers we have all been looking for.

[MaliPrince]

AI-Tadamun: Somalia joined the Arab League in 1974, 13 years ago. What have you offered the Arab League during this time and what has it offered you?

President Barre: We do not view the matter from the standpoint of profit and loss; we have not been seeking any gains. We are now participating with the other members in all matters concerning the league, and are doing everything to offer the league something that would serve its objectives. But I believe that the Arab League should be more effective in serving the Arab peoples and improving the Arab image internationally so as to protect Arab rights. For this reason the Arab League needs more power and wisdom.

AI-Tadamun:How do you evaluate present Arab-Somali rela­tions?

President Barre: (Smiling and correcting the question) You mean relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries? To use the term Arab-Somali relations is to exclude Somalia from the Arab homeland. Relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries are good but could be better.

AI-Tadamun: Could be better in what sense? Do you feel that Somalia could obtain more economic aid? What are the fields in which relations could improve?

President Barre: I wish I were not in a position where I needed to ask for aid. In any case we have good relations with the other Arab states. When we receive aid from any of them we are grateful, but if we do not receive aid we will not be angry or make demands.

I believe it is in the interest of the Arab world to cooperate, because no country can stand alone without cooperating with others, particularly with friendly and sisterly countries. But we do not measure our friendship with others on the basis of material interest.

AL- TADAMUN in Arabic 30 May 87 pp 8-11
Interview with President Mohamed Siyaad Barre by ‘Uthman Mirghani in Mogadishu

Very interesting. The answers we have all been looking for.

Well that has nothing to do with my question. I know what Somalia and Somalis have to gain from it. Siad Barre at that time was trying to position Somalia as sort of a bridge between the Arab World/North Africa and "Sub-Saharan Africa". He didn't want Sudan to take that role. There are many geopolitical advantages to it and he was a brilliant politician. That is what you call a politicians answer.

I want to know what do the Arabs get out of it?

[hydrogen]

What I'm trying to say is Barre saw himself as an Arab and African so when you ask the question "What did the Arabs get from it" it is excluding Somalia from being "Arab". You need to look at this holistically to get the answer.

But anyway, Egypt and Ethiopia would have fought over the Blue Nile and Somalia was essentially Egypt's ally in the cause even though Somalia would have gotten cheaper electricity had they supported Ethiopia. So the Arab League gave aid to Somalia because of things like that.

[knowthyself]

The only thing more comical than a Somali eager to claim descent from Arabs and change his name from Guleed to Abu Gaylord is the North Sudan folks who describe themselves as actually being Arabs. These jokers think speaking Arabic makes them ethnically Middle Eastern. By that logic, speaking English makes you Anglo-Saxon.

God bless the Somali orthographers who chose Latin over Arabic script, or we might have some Uncle Toms (Uncle Tariqs?) of our own claiming to be of the same clan as the vermin who sold their ancestors into the slave markets of Mecca that flourished as late as 1962, and the war on Shabab would be described in the same hilarious manner as the war in Darfur is by journalists who insist on calling it a fight between Arabs and Africans in which the closest thing to an Arab is a Barkhad Ali lookalike. So I suppose things could be worse.

I have to run. The Israeli embassy is hosting this year's gala for the Somali-Jewish Friendship Society of which I am chairman, alhamdulilah.

[jamal9]

AI-Tadamun: Somalia joined the Arab League in 1974, 13 years ago. What have you offered the Arab League during this time and what has it offered you?

President Barre: We do not view the matter from the standpoint of profit and loss; we have not been seeking any gains. We are now participating with the other members in all matters concerning the league, and are doing everything to offer the league something that would serve its objectives. But I believe that the Arab League should be more effective in serving the Arab peoples and improving the Arab image internationally so as to protect Arab rights. For this reason the Arab League needs more power and wisdom.

AI-Tadamun:How do you evaluate present Arab-Somali rela­tions?

President Barre: (Smiling and correcting the question) You mean relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries? To use the term Arab-Somali relations is to exclude Somalia from the Arab homeland. Relations between Somalia and the other Arab countries are good but could be better.

AI-Tadamun: Could be better in what sense? Do you feel that Somalia could obtain more economic aid? What are the fields in which relations could improve?

President Barre: I wish I were not in a position where I needed to ask for aid. In any case we have good relations with the other Arab states. When we receive aid from any of them we are grateful, but if we do not receive aid we will not be angry or make demands.

I believe it is in the interest of the Arab world to cooperate, because no country can stand alone without cooperating with others, particularly with friendly and sisterly countries. But we do not measure our friendship with others on the basis of material interest.

AL- TADAMUN in Arabic 30 May 87 pp 8-11
Interview with President Mohamed Siyaad Barre by ‘Uthman Mirghani in Mogadishu

Very interesting. The answers we have all been looking for.

Woow, MSB speaks very good english. He sounds smart. Why did he become a dictator if he could talk like that?

[gurey25]

Mr bidaar may correct u. Sudanese are as arab as any .
they have the same percentage of ethnic arabs as egyptians and over 80percent are not arabs.

[Murax]

Originally because of geopolitical reasons as Somalia had something to offer as far as a real presence in the horn of africa. Now, Somalia is a liability and I'm sure they would love to get rid of them but they can't because it would send a bad image to the world.

[knowthyself]

Gurey, sheeko culus baa keenta, kooxda North Sudan waa madoow aad u foolxumo. Hal ama lamo ka mid baa timo jaleecan, laakin inta kale waa adoon suuqa carabta lagu iibin jire.

Waa sidaas.

[MaliPrince]

What I'm trying to say is Barre saw himself as an Arab and African so when you ask the question "What did the Arabs get from it" it is excluding Somalia from being "Arab". You need to look at this holistically to get the answer.

But anyway, Egypt and Ethiopia would have fought over the Blue Nile and Somalia was essentially Egypt's ally in the cause even though Somalia would have gotten cheaper electricity had they supported Ethiopia. So the Arab League gave aid to Somalia because of things like that.

LOL. no. Siad Barre was a politician. That is what is called a political answer. Remember this the same man who choose Latin script over Arabic for the Somali language. He's also the man who wanted to make Somalia a Socialist atheist state. You can't use Siad Barre's words as evidence for anything related to what he really believed. He was a politician giving political answers.

You ask Siad Barre was he is, I guarantee you he wouldn't say arab. He'd say he's a Marehan Darood Somali man. PERIOD.

[MaliPrince]

is this hygroden guy even Somali?

[Bilis]

What I'm trying to say is Barre saw himself as an Arab and African so when you ask the question "What did the Arabs get from it" it is excluding Somalia from being "Arab". You need to look at this holistically to get the answer.

Indeed.

[knowthyself]

is this hygroden guy even Somali?

He's a sexually confused Ethio.

[hydrogen]

What I'm trying to say is Barre saw himself as an Arab and African so when you ask the question "What did the Arabs get from it" it is excluding Somalia from being "Arab". You need to look at this holistically to get the answer.

Indeed.

There you go MaliPrince ^

What do you mean am I Somali? Lol you're really paranoid

It really irks me when Somalis say "We joined the Arab League for geopolitical reasons" the word geopolitical is so ambiguous and annoying.

[Chinaman]

The only thing more comical than a Somali eager to claim descent from Arabs and change his name from Guleed to Abu Gaylord is the North Sudan folks who describe themselves as actually being Arabs. These jokers think speaking Arabic makes them ethnically Middle Eastern. By that logic, speaking English makes you Anglo-Saxon.

God bless the Somali orthographers who chose Latin over Arabic script, or we might have some Uncle Toms (Uncle Tariqs?) of our own claiming to be of the same clan as the vermin who sold their ancestors into the slave markets of Mecca that flourished as late as 1962, and the war on Shabab would be described in the same hilarious manner as the war in Darfur is by journalists who insist on calling it a fight between Arabs and Africans in which the closest thing to an Arab is a Barkhad Ali lookalike. So I suppose things could be worse.

I have to run. The Israeli embassy is hosting this year's gala for the Somali-Jewish Friendship Society of which I am chairman, alhamdulilah.

What makes the Sudanese any more less Arab than say the Egyptians or Moroccans?
I don't think you realise that most Arabs are in fact not genetically Arabs at all, having adopted Arabic much later on.
From the originally Coptic/Egyptian speaking Egyptians to the Berber Magrib, to the various languages once spoken in the Levantine/Sham and Iraq.

"Arab" by the way according to the Romans and Assyrians was originally used to describe all the people of the desert. Aka A3rabi or if you understand Arabic meant Bedouin. The domination of the Arabic language came much later and the Islam civilization & conquest eventually further spread the language beyond the Arabian peninsula. Even in the Arabian peninsula itself, numerous other languages were originally spoken before Arabic become dominant. In Yemen & Oman for example, the eastern part used to originally inhabited exclusivity by South Semitic speakers. The highland people there had a different lifestyle from their Bedouin brethren to the west. Some of those languages are still spoken btw.

Also I have no idea what you are talking about, Somalis were never slaves to Arabs. Are you even Somali?