Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Last Somali Lion!

Originality in cultural wisdom is a living fossil of any society’s greatness. To the extent a society continues a successful trajectory depends (1) on it firmly standing on its traditional foundations and (2) adaptability to new circumstances. This was indeed the case with the Somalis before their present devaluation. Today, with endless dark political and social clouds ceiling the Somalis, it may not be so noticeable they have had rich history.
Lately, the trouble with the Somalis is they forgot who they are by their traditions. Nowhere is this clearer than in all Somali leaders of the last 18 years. Precisely, the led is as leader does! These days, to my shame and yours, leaders throughout Somalia are agents of foreign interests. Worse yet, Somalis’ ancestral enemy, Ethiopia, and the tormentor of their people (inside Ethiopia and now in Somalia), as I write this, has become the boss of them. Whatever happened to the Somali people?
Consider the following: The soldiers of this unrepentant, all-time enemy of the Somalis, Ethiopia, were brought to Mogadishu, of all places, to gun down fellow Somalis. In Puntland, Ethiopian security personnel are regularly invited to witness torture of Somalis (by Somalis) on their behalf. The master key to the Somali port of Berbera is in the hands of, you guessed it, Ethiopia. Via Berbera, Ethiopia imports weapons, among other, which then it uses to kill Somalis within Ethiopia and Somalia! This is what became of Somalis by their own hands.
In another new and troubling development in Somali history, Somalis have produced the devil’s disciples, who cloak themselves as religious. This bunch is impudent with an air about them, as if, they have revealed the religion of God to the Somalis for the first time! Give me a break. What they brought, which they shove it in the throats of Somalis by force, is to the crooked-way away from Allah.
On their part, all vestiges of long-held, Somali cultural and Islamic traditions are systematically erased. The leaders of these groups, like Dahir Aways, Godane, Turki and Yacquub, are agents (besides for Eritrea) of the worst possible foreign interest: Global terrorism.
Then there is the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). For Sheikh Sharif, a mild-mannered decent fellow, I had high hopes for country and people. Regrettably, it clearly shows the Sharif has not much of the stuff of a leader in him. He does not even have the time to engage in a serious, religious debate against his opposition; too busy hobnobbing with leaders in foreign lands. Notice the weekly or monthly touring of TFG leaders around the world with briefcases. So much money given to them; yet their handful brave soldiers at frontlines with the extremists go without pay! This outfit, the TFG, earns for Somalis the “most corrupt country” in the world title (at zero ground of a country)! Even if the good Sharif is not personally corrupt, which I am inclined to believe, responsibility of this problem is squarely on his shoulders.
The Somali institutional past clearly condemns the character of all Somali leaders of today (both secular and religious). The nation, whose societal organization produced valiant leaders, at moments of great need, is perhaps gone barren on delivering one more.
No matter. As pessimistic as I should be, with good reason, I choose to hold out on a glimmer of hope (until I hear I am the last Somali) that Somali established ways will, sooner or later, reassert themselves. Out of which, amid the chaos, one halyeey or more providence will commission!
Speaking of Somali halyeey and geesi, no accident these days the premature and persnickety subjective misjudgments and incriminations, of all went wrong in Somalia, on Mohammed Siyad Barre had died down. The ferocious haters of this man and his administration, given what has been transpiring in Somalia for these almost last two decades, had fittingly gone silent.
Correctly so, Mohammed Siyad Barre’s standing in Somali history has to wait for an honest and objective judgment by Somali future generations with a restored sense of due process. True justice demands judgment on any leader, anywhere, has to come from jurors of his peers (his people) and its ruling based on their traditions. Honourable Somali President Mohamed, therefore, will NOT be tried in the court of Somali public opinion by Western or, for that matter, any others values. ..more..http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/Dec/03_last_somali_abdulaziz.html

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