Friday,
August 29, 2008 -
Majority of Somali people believe that
Somali people have in common every thing, but I would like to
stress here that yes that there are things Somali have in common
but also there are things that they are different. Somalis are not
in common in tribal affiliation and geographical locations which
are the most difficult issues to deal. However, Somalis have in
common three main things namely religion, Islam, the Somali name
and the language. Somali share these three things because every
Somalis is a Muslim which is the most important of all and every
Somali is a Somali and all Somalis speak Somali language. The
problem of the Somali people is not what they have in common but
how they are different.
Every Somali tribe has a well
known geographical location area even though; some tribes may
share a common geographical location. In addition, every tribe has
two or three boundaries with other tribes and knows where it
boundaries are and respect other tribal boundaries. Similarly each
clan of a tribe has also its geographical boundaries with its
tribe members and there is no mixed up of these geographical
issues.
Furthermore, in every tribe or
clan, there are leaders and religious authorities who reach
decision and their decisions are final and must be respected.
These rules are mixed up of religion and culture and tradition and
they had governed and also settled their grievances. There is no
misunderstanding about these rules and every group must abide by
these rules. These rules were based on trust and understanding,
compromise and forgiveness. For example if two different tribes
fought each other and cause either death or property damages, the
elder used to sit and resolve problems according to existed
treaties and if there are no treats before they establish new
treaties. This was really a true system whereby a hierarchy exists
inside the tribe as well as inside the clan. This system tribal
system has worked for a long time and even the colonial powers
used to respect the tribal elders and religious authorities
decisions.
Successive Somali government
authorities have weakened and replaced the old tribal system with
a government system which has no good foundation and did not
possess the minimum standard of solving problems of internal
tribal conflicts because it is based on outside system copied from
colonial system. Therefore, this outside system allowed certain
tribes to benefit on the name of government and move new locations
and displaced the endogenous people (people who lived in
surrounding area who brought to big cities milk, grass for
animals, charcoal, animals etc). This so called government system
was based on robbery, corruption and cheating. In the name of the
governments some tribes commence expropriated the land of the
endogenous and property without their constant and give to someone
from their own tribes. Or sometimes the endogenous land is
allocated for government purpose without compensation to the land
owners.
Another problem of contentious
issue is nominating local governments key positions to outsiders
without considering the views and consulting with the native
people. Government official do not look first before they
appointment someone to a position whether there are qualified
people from the local people who can do the job. The government
officials simply nominate their tribes men or close relative key
position of the local government without looking at
qualifications, ability or whether the locals agree or not.
So, today, the Somali society is
ungovernable because they abandoned that rich tradition and they
destroyed the hierarchy of the tribal system and down graded the
role of its elders and as well as the religious authorities and
replaced them with thugs, criminals and warlords. In addition,
this new government system took advice from people who are not
associated with either knowledge and wisdom or religion.
In order to solve the Somali
problems there should be division of power. Local government
officials must come from the native people and their land must not
be decided by outsiders. Local authority must be elected by only
the local people and they have final say of their change. All land
belongs to the native people must be asked first before it is
taken by the government. Even if the land is needed for public
use, it must be compensated first to the owner of the land before
it is taken.
Luqmaan Suleiman
Sluqmaan@yahoo.com
Xafiiska Wararka ee Toronto, Canada
Qaranimo Online
info@Qaranimo.com
