I like Ethiopia but it was amusing visiting as people assumed you were from the South and then had a wary look on their face until you corrected them
I don't get that either. Even In Djibouti, if you're somali and don't speak french everyone would assume you're Hawiye
then they ask you for your sub-clan, then your family tree and on and it goes. To be honest, I've got nothing against the qabil system per se - it was always a support system and safety net for people and a community where you could belong. I just hate when it's politicized and used as a weapon against others - I think the proof is in the pudding on that one.
I thought you may be Isaaq...but didn't really wanna ask, some ppl are sensistive about that stuff and conversations turn ugly when qabil is brought up.
I'm more familar with Issa's & Darod sub-clans than southeners anyway. In the end I hope all of us horners would unite - ethnic groups stretch out right across these fake Euro-drawn borders.
The religous conflict in Somalia is a relatively new and dangerous development, but I could sort of see this coming for a while now. Many young people would travel to Madina rather than Azhar for their 'education' to come back to their mosques with new 'improved' understanding of the religion and quietly introduced their influence on their families in terms of culture, music, dress, etc.
They took their time in entering politics but now they've managed to insert themselves quite well. What they've done is proposed a system of 'unity' under Islam as a substitute for clan-identity politics & warfare. I don't envy those that had to make the decision btw fighting a never-ending war for their clan and 'fighting for allah'. Needless to say, but I hope a peaceful, secular, unifying force comes to prominance in Somalia some day.
Somaliland needs support and I'm happy to see Ethiopia maintain full diplomatic ties and I wish more would follow - I think Israel has considered it as well.
Al-shabab I think has little prospects for the future. Most of Somalia, as with most east african muslims, are what would be considered 'Sufi' and hold quite alot of animist/ancestral traditions that are native to the area.
I'm with you on the 'somalis don't like being told what to do' bit as well
Imagine that...Shabab telling hooyo's what colour dir'ii to wear and not to wear bright colours, as well as ordering them not to participate in selling things in public marketplaces?
Somalis are resilliant but need the world to support the effort against Shabab.
I hope the recent bombing in Uganda (during WC final) doesn't deter more African states from contributing more to this effort.
Topic: So...here it goes....I'm abz from Oz...how ya goin'?