SOMALI MINORITIES: WHO DO THEY SUPPORT?
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:18 pm
I think one hallmark of a good government is how much it receives from its ethnic, religious, or social minority groups. Provided of course that these minority groups are not in power themselves which sometimes happens in dictatorships( The Alawis in Syria today or the Kakwas in Uganda during Idi Amin are good examples)
In Somalia by minorities I mean those outside the three big `trouble-makers: Hawiye, Isaq and Darrod. I do hope that Rahans do not feel insulted because although they are not a `minority' numerically or socially they were nonetheless not part of the `shaking and moving' of the place.
The most significant minority group by a long shot are the Reer xamars and I mean this in the broadest sense: Bravanese, Mercans, Arabsomalis, gibilcads, ashrafs, tunnis, Bajuns etc. These are the people who built the great cities of Somalia and their civilisations. Mogadishu was not built by Hawiye and Daarood, it was destroyed by them. That fact is beyond any historical argument.
The contribution the Southern Somali minorities made to Somaliness is beyond architecture and trade and crafts and social sophistication. It is in politics and the arts too. Benadiri Music is the only real rival to Northern music in terms of volume and depth and quality. Some of the best painters and other artists(people know Amin Camir today but he comes from a long heritage) were either Benadiris or Mercans like Caamir.
And of course they built and made everything of true cultural value craft from fashions and shoes and accesseries to Mogadishu's ancient Jewellery-making and trading markets.
No need in saying how much they contributed to the national cuisine: All Daaroods and Isaqs and Hawiyes ate was slightly boiled camel meat washed down with urine tainted camel milk before they came to towns as late as 19th Century.
So who the minorities support matters a great deal because it is a litmus test of `lack' of clannism.
And dont bore me with individulaism I know you can have the odd crazed Wahhabist Reer Xamar who likes Aweys and wants Abdullahi Yusuf dead and not of liver failure. But I mean the minority masses. Who do you think they support?
In Somalia by minorities I mean those outside the three big `trouble-makers: Hawiye, Isaq and Darrod. I do hope that Rahans do not feel insulted because although they are not a `minority' numerically or socially they were nonetheless not part of the `shaking and moving' of the place.
The most significant minority group by a long shot are the Reer xamars and I mean this in the broadest sense: Bravanese, Mercans, Arabsomalis, gibilcads, ashrafs, tunnis, Bajuns etc. These are the people who built the great cities of Somalia and their civilisations. Mogadishu was not built by Hawiye and Daarood, it was destroyed by them. That fact is beyond any historical argument.
The contribution the Southern Somali minorities made to Somaliness is beyond architecture and trade and crafts and social sophistication. It is in politics and the arts too. Benadiri Music is the only real rival to Northern music in terms of volume and depth and quality. Some of the best painters and other artists(people know Amin Camir today but he comes from a long heritage) were either Benadiris or Mercans like Caamir.
And of course they built and made everything of true cultural value craft from fashions and shoes and accesseries to Mogadishu's ancient Jewellery-making and trading markets.
No need in saying how much they contributed to the national cuisine: All Daaroods and Isaqs and Hawiyes ate was slightly boiled camel meat washed down with urine tainted camel milk before they came to towns as late as 19th Century.
So who the minorities support matters a great deal because it is a litmus test of `lack' of clannism.
And dont bore me with individulaism I know you can have the odd crazed Wahhabist Reer Xamar who likes Aweys and wants Abdullahi Yusuf dead and not of liver failure. But I mean the minority masses. Who do you think they support?
