Somalis and Humiliation (good read)

[Xplosive]

Evelin G. Lindner, 2004, Effect of Humiliation on the Escalation of Conflicts
Masters who invoke humiliation and victimhood

Before travelling to Somalia for my fieldwork in 1998, I contacted various organisations in Africa and explained that I wanted to do research on humiliation. I recall a member of a humanitarian aid organisation telling me on the phone from Nairobi that “the NGOs and UN people are fed up with these arrogant and impertinent Somalis.” My interlocutor, who did not want to be named, presented much evidence, for example, he recounted, many Somali refugees in refugee camps are not happy with corn, they want rice, or the women in the camps want money for luxurious cosmetic products – in brief, Somalis apparently did not appreciate the efforts of the international community to help them out of their crisis, but seemed to define this help as their rightful “pasture.” My interlocutor said: “No NGO will support your work if you aim at depicting Somalis as victims!” He concluded that many helpers, especially those who started out as idealists, think that the Somalis “deserve what they get”!

Abdulqadir H. Ismail Jirde, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament in Hargeisa explained in an interview on 19thNovember 2000, in Hargeisa, that democracy with its majority rule violates the old nomad tradition of decision by consensus of the elders. He explicated that majority rule has the potential to deeply offend and humiliate those who lose out. He described in detail how he would prevent violent responses by approaching losers after voting, how he would express appreciation for their views and show confidence that their views would be honoured at a later stage.

Thus, we might conclude, that, although many Somalis perceive themselves as victims, some among them still have to learn humility. Somalia has never been a proper part of any empire that deserved the name, probably because Somali nomads are known to be proud, stubborn, unruly and fickle. Their pastoral democracy built on equality, as described by Lewis, 1961, did not provide a strong hierarchical ranking order that conquerors could easily instrumentalise and dominate.

In other words, Somalis are difficult to humiliate; they are too proud. Somalis are proud – for example, of the fact that they did not bow to colonisation in the same way others did in Africa (they kept their Islamic faith, for example, unlike neighbouring Kenya).

Yet, there is a dark side to that, namely that some Somalis may not always know enough about the humility that is necessary for effective cooperation. Local warlordism, for example, undermines attempts to build functioning “traffic rules” that protect every citizen.

To use the traffic metaphor, Somali warriors, who follow the proverb “a man deserves to be killed, not humiliated,” may have problems with rules such as “traffic lights”. They may interpret red lights as an attempt to humiliate them. They may vow to choose victory or death instead of bowing in humility. Every single man may want to fight his way through at every single traffic light. The weakest ones are pushed to the wall and there is no peace and calm for anybody.

Indeed, this is not an unfair description of Somalia after the demise of Dictator Siad Barre, and to a certain extent also of the equally proud Afghanistan after the Soviet retreat. Many mountainous or scarce regions, difficult to subjugate by former empires, preserve a degree of pristine pride that makes it difficult for them to integrate into a new world system where humility is important: Resisting humiliation is not everything, learning humility is equally important. Or, masters, when asked to step down, often portray themselves as victims, as victims of humiliation. However, in human rights contexts they have to learn humility instead of nurturing a victim identity. And human rights defenders might be caught in between.

http://www.humiliationstudies.org/docum ... erence.pdf

[Xplosive]

This is so true walaahi. Somalis think its their God-given right to be served. We are so full of kibir which is not necessarily a bad thing since our individualist mentality has kept us from being enslaved and conquered by others. Anyways, its a very interesting article.

[KUN-DILE]

Ive read this other related paper few years ago and it quite explained a lot of things of why dictators go kuukuu. It was a good read.

http://humiliationstudies.org/documents ... nHoods.pdf

[Unclebin]

[quote]many Somali refugees in refugee camps are not happy with corn, they want rice, or the women in the camps want money for luxurious cosmetic products – in brief[/quote]

He doesn't realize somali's can't have hilib and corn. It bariis iyo halib Adhi.

Plus a woman needs to have her latest dirac, stelleto's, and her new Gucci perfume in garacad you know


Otherwise what he's saying is pretty self evident. Most somali's would rather take death then humliation, Take the harder road rather then a simple one. But isn't that the intrigue of so many ajnabi towards us?

[michael_ital]

VERY good read. My fav part " Somali nomads are known to be proud, stubborn, unruly and fickle."

LooooL @ "arrogant and impetinent." Two of the qualities for which I admire Somalis.

[KUN-DILE]

It is really funny.

I remember back in the refugee camp around 1988. The UNHCR\'s top official visited us. He was expecting a destitute people need for help, but what he saw surprised him. He saw people eating bariis iyo baasto iyo hilibgeel with salad and liinmacaan all the luxury of a city. He couldn\'t believe it, specialy when he saw that everyone was clean and wearing the latest dresses. These people he must have thought only came out for camping. ... Walaahi I remember he was so surprised.

The refugee camps were little cities with everything. The bad thing was the mosquetos were real bad at night. Everything else I would repeat it again.

[Xplosive]

lool@the Camps That is something to be proud of walaahi. Somalis dont like the idea of anyone seeing them while their down. Image is everything to a Somali. Especially the women with their xarago. But when it gets to the point of Arrogance is when it becomes destructive.

Mike, Arrogance is very un-islamic sxb.. That is something Somalis should rid themselves of instead of embracing in my opinion.

[Af_libaax]

Exposo

That is why Where we are Today Shimbiro buulkoodi Soo gubay oo Kibir badan BUT the reality is Somalis Need to learn sometimes
the HUMBLENESS of COMMON good is NOt a bad IDEA , better than PRIDE ANARCHY

[Gacalisa]

xplosive

i think image has much more importance for men, than women. A man has so many factors in worring about image, his name, his family, his girls, the list just goes on. but for a woman it stops after marriage, because there is no one to impress after that.

[QansaGabeyle]

"He couldn\'t believe it, specialy when he saw that everyone was clean and wearing the latest dresses."

You should have seen Mirafo and Utango, somali refugees had Kenyan maids.

[Xplosive]

Af_libaax, I agree with you sxb.. Somalis can not be lead because everyone wants to lead, which then leads to anarchy. Order is something that is alien to us. Walaahi I remember on my trip back home this past summer right about when we were about to board the flight from Dubai to Djibouti (100% Somalis) we were told that those with seats from 12-29 could board first. Then some old lady jumped and said "war dee what about us? Anigu I have lambar 1, anigu inaan ugu horeeyo soo maahaa?" then we spent fockin ten minutes arguin back and forth untill the crew said fock it.. no queues no nothing.. So much buuq. Then when we were supposed to hand over our boarding passes to the crew some lady with kids would leave her kids and then hand in all the boarding passes, then she would remember the kids who would be in the back screaming "hooyo" so we would have to weight for them to walk all the way from start to finish (happened like three or four times)

Then some of these old ladies refused to take only one piece of luggage on board (some of them had like three shendado/boorsooyin in addition to what already was in the flight).. so ofcourse, the pu$$y crew had no choice but to allow it and carry on. Guess what happened because of too much weight when we were about to take off? Lets just say I thought we were about to die walaahi iyo bilaahi

And that doesnt even compare to what happened in Djibouti

You can observe this focked up behaviour everywhere..

[Xplosive]

[quote="QansaGabeyle"]"He couldn\'t believe it, specialy when he saw that everyone was clean and wearing the latest dresses."

You should have seen Mirafo and Utango, somali refugees had Kenyan maids. [/quote]

you're lying

[Gacalisa]

thats exactly why we dont have a government, you cant have every body lead, gotta have some to follow and supoort the leader, dont we?

[FaaraX-TaaJiR]

Lool@qansagabale, i have seen somali refugees with maids with my two eyes.

gacaliso

we need to put atleast 80% of somalia's population into re-education programs to make them more submissive , it might take a while but there is a good chance things might improve.

[Mureedi]

You guys are so full of sh!t. What do you have to be proud of?!!!!!! you are all parasites, blood sukking vermins, worldwide beggars, a basket case, ungrateful mothefukkars. You bite the hand that feeds you, you are simply worthless uncivilized, uncultivated savages.

You had maids in Utange? With what were you paying the maids? The national treasury you looted from Mogadishu banks? And you talk about being proud?!!!!!




Carlo
Please don't mislead these worthless scums