When I met Biixi! ( a fiction) - Riyo aan ku riyooday.

As I sat in a Hargeisa cafe, sipping Shaax, munching on a Sambuusa and humming to the background tunes of the 5 pm Somali BBC, moments before the broadcaster uttered "Halkani waa BBC Soomaali, oo aad ka dhagaystaan hirarka......" . The cafe was just outside the Hargeisa main hospital where I was volunteering for the month. I just finished my shift and was waiting for a friend who invited me to a Friday evening abundant with Khat and Qaaci.

suddenly an armoured Toyota Landcruiser with dark tinted windows and government number plates, pulled right across the road. Two men armed with worn and withered Kalashnikovs jumped out; you would mistake them for Mooryaans if not for the new-ish Military uniform "tuutaha". They appeared as skinny as a TB-stricken patient and they barely had any white left on their teeth, the tragic consequence of the wretched amphetamine-laden green leaves "Khat". However,  most striking was the bloodshot eyes and the cheeks stuck right to the bone with no fat or muscle in between. My mind wandered thinking about how malnourished they are. I was medicalising their appearance for personal amusement and started humming to Tubeec's song;

Qof waliba, wixii dhibay;

Dhafoorkay, ku taala!

The irritable young men made it to the cafe and walked in with the gusto of a crack junkie in withdrawal. They loudly declared while waving their not-safe-for-use AK-47s "Dr kadliye aaway" .

To say I was shocked will be an understatement, for a moment I was certain a lifetime of fadhi-ku-dirir on various Somali online platforms had caught up with me, finally. I am to become another Coldoon, ALAS!  but rather less known and more likely to rot in prison. even worse, they may be here to finish me off!!.

I whispered the Shahaada "Ashhadu an laa Ilaaha ila laaha...." My life flashed in front of me. I surrendered to my fate, Ironically my brain switched to playing a Somali song from the 80s;

 

Malyuumaadka Mootanee

Qabriyada mar hore glaybaa

Magacayga lagu darayee!

 

Then one of them added, "Daktoorka madaxtooyada ayaa looga baahanyahay ee away?" and the other said "si dagdag ah waliba" . My curiosity suddenly peaked, as I kept my finger at the shahaada position, I murmured; "waanigan".

They wasted no time, they ushered me to the Landcruiser and I was driven to the presidential palace which is less than a mile away from the hospital!.

My mind was racing with questions but I came to one conclusion, it's likely the president is unwell and they simply want a medical opinion, was he struck with COVID?, is he simply having chest pain? Maybe it's someone dear to the president, his wife, children etc. God Forbid.

as we arrived, I was received by a presidential aide, reassuringly a former middle school mate of mine. after exchanging pleasantries, He explained that I am here for a medical opinion. He profusely apologized for the way I was brought in. "you will be taken to the president in a short time" he added. I was firmly reminded of the secrecy of this assignment.

as promised, within a few minutes he took me down the corridors, directly into the president's own bedroom. "Things must be bad!" I thought to myself. There laid the president in his bed, dishevelled, shaking in the fetal position, muttering incomprehensible words. "he has been like this since the morning" The aide explained, "The president was experiencing nightmares since coming back from the Djibouti meeting, we are worried he might have been poisoned" He added.

I asked to approach the president and speak with him, here is what transpired.

 

Me; Mudane Madaxwayne, Dear president, Then I introduced myself.

 

Him; iga qabo, iga qabo, madad yaa jaylaani , madad (hold them back, hold them back! as he calls upon Sheekh Jaylaani! for assistance to ward off evil)

 

Me; Maxaan kaa qabtaa? (what do you want me to hold back)

 

Him; Markaan indhaha isa saaraba , Calankii buluuga ahaa baa la i tusaa ,  Indhaha iskuma qaban karo, hurdadii hadalkeedaba daa. Anigoo Maamule faderaal ah baa la i tusayaa oo waan sasayaa . Madadaw madad, Najinaa yaa Jaylaani!!

 

I interviewed him about signs of depression/psychosis/mania. He had no features of any mental health disorder, Just genuinely preoccupied with his worries and nightmares!!. There were no physical ailments either. He was too healthy for his age, physically, Mashalah!.

"one's nightmares are another's wet dreams," I thought to myself!!!

"This is no illness, this is sleep deprivation and stress from a severe case of political failure, following a bankrupt meeting in Djibouti," I concluded. However, I kept this to myself as any sane man would.

 

I gave him a strong cocktail of sleeping and pain tablets and reassured his team that he should be better in a few days. I told them that he probably have a viral illness. I politicised the truth myself!.

 

A week later, I got a phone call from the aide thanking me for the service and asking me to see his own mother at the clinic too!. that evening the president appeared on national TV, looking rejuvenated. He reminded  Somaliland citizens that recognition have never been closer ;

 

"ictirifaafkii maanta maalin uu ka dhawyahay ma jirto"

 

I grinned as I said to myself "I helped him get better, maybe a bit too much" then went on and listened to Khadra Daahir's;

 

Cudurka kaa gala fardaha

Hadii laga gubo dameeraha

Dawada lama gaadhayoo!!

 

Disclaimer; This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This is also a dream for which the author had no control. I hereby renew my allegiance to Qadiyada Barakaysan ee Soomaaliland.

 

Can we extinguish Qabyaalad! 🔥

 The Simple answer is Yes! 

Qabyaalad could be extinguished through progress, development and ample economic opportunities. Not the easy answer you expected is it?. 

In fact, The question is not how we should get rid of tribalism? It should be, what is fueling the bloody thing?

When was the last time you met someone bent on being tribalist for the sake of being Tribalist? You will rarely meet such a breed, what you are more likely to meet are worried, scared and concerned citizens using qabiil as means to an end. They employ Qabyaalad as their Security blanket, Insurance policy or unfair advantage to climb the social mobility ladder. 

Tribalism like many other form of prejudice is driven by a lack of economic opportunities, stagnating social mobility, non-existent social security net, low levels of education, etc. Politicians and tribal chieftains feed on these social problems to fuel hate and generate more Qabyaalad. 

Those hellbound leaders invoke the most dangerous human feeling in people, FEAR!. Fear of another qabiil taking over their livelihoods. 

spreading rumours ( and sometimes news) about another qabiil devouring public resources or taking hold of jobs and educational opportunities makes people Afraid and worrisome.  

On the local scale, subclan X will take over our watering holes, Clan Y will steal your grazing lands, clan X mayor will fire our clans civil servants in the local government etc. The fear invoked is a struggle for survival (quutal daruuri).

It's the same old drum that we heard many times, however, for the desperate hopeless and hapless person it's music to their ears. They find another to blame for their miserable lives,  and no wonder one hears that the mareexaans are responsible for Farmaajo's shortcomings, Habar-Awal are responsible for Biixi's Junta looting the country , etc.

How often do you see the well-off educated middle-class person in Hargeisa or Muqdisho giving two damns about Qabiil issues, Or the hardworking builder with family to feed in Boosaaso or Kismaayo indulging qabyaalad in their free time. They are busy with their lives, but with occasional reminders that any misfortune is the fault of Clan X or Y. 

One shouldn't confuse them with those in the diaspora that mostly are "badaw doolar helay". Who themselves are impoverished in their host countries and qabyaalad is their outlet to feel important. They use it to relieve the stress of a midlife crisis brought in by their emasculation in distant lands!. 

However, it's a Catch-22 paradox. If you want to progress, you need to get rid of Qabyaalad, and if you want Qabyaalad to end you need progress.

My only advice is, to avoid fighting Qabyaalad head-on. one should create the right environment for it to gradually wither away.

NB; Qabyaalad is different from Qabiil which is an inherent part of the Somali culture and identity.

Sheekooyin Qadhiidh ah! Q-2aad

Isaga oo mirqaan daruuraha maraya ayaa taleefan u soo dhacay, lambarka ayuu jaleecay misa waa Islaantii uu qaadka ka soo amaahday, Kamuu qaban wuu ku damiyay. markii uu madax kor u qaaday, waaba iyadii oo hor taagan. Naxdin Waynaa!..

second of September 2015

 Cunugyahaw ayaamahan
curadkayga noqonee
aan sugaayay dhawr cisho


Cawa badan nasiibiyo
caafimaad laxaad liyo
cimri dherer wanaag liyo
caqli buuxa oo ladan
caadilkii ku uumaan
kaaga baryay caawee
cunugyahaw ogsoonaw

cibro qaado oo dhugo
cibaadada ha moogan
Rabbigaa ha caasiyin
caqiidada ogsoonaw.

Hooyadaadan ceeshkiyo
aad ka idlaysii calafkii
iyadana ha caaqinin.
Bilo bay ciqaabnayd
hurdadii ka caagnayd.

aduun kuu cayuubnayd.
Waligaa ciseeyoo

cindigaaga maqashii. 

People with two Gods! The cognitive dissonance

one day as I sat in the masjid, surrounded by pious souls, the imam preached; "Allah knows the Sinners among us". Earlier in the week, a  bombing in Mogadishu took the lives of hundreds of innocent bystanders. lives lived but extinguished in an instant. All "allegedly" by the name of God!. but which god? 

I wondered - cynically- "How many killers are among us in this blessed congregation?" 

A nation (Soomaalida oo dhan) riddled by decades of war, Hundreds of thousands killed by their kinsmen either directly Qori caaradii or indirectly by the mayhem that ensued, via lack of access to food, water, healthcare and or sheer starvation. How many were publicly stood trial for their transgressions? obviously none!. 

Many older Somalis are consumed by guilt, by screams from their past, nightmares of innocent people they shot point-blank and graves they lined with bodies. they work with us, go to the mosque and pray, they put up a visage to the rest of us, yet they remain tortured in their minds. 

Dhagar qabe dhulkaa u dhaqdhaqaaqa is a somali proverb. 

some others are astronomically worse, they capitalized on everything they have done, they rationalized hate and murder!. they are the fighters that brought "us" freedom, the defenders of "our" freedom or simply "some call themselves Mujaahid , Siyaasi, Halgamaa, Janaraal and similar pompous names are uttered for such damned souls.   

Both are a reflection of what has become of our nation, a whole nation living in collective denial. we mourn for the victims and celebrate the perpetrator. what is even worse is that the victims revere their assailants!. after all, memories are a tricky thing, yesternight's killer can become today's Hero. 

Dumarkuba Xublada foosha way xanaf wareeraane,
Balse inay xis daranyihiin , Xaylka kale mooge. 

when I was at school in Borama sometime between 1999-2000, there was an altercation between two local clans over a wretched piece of land, this has led to few deaths on both sides. one of my school teachers lectured us that day about how Somalis have two Gods, a small God they worship when then head off to the mosque or attend a funeral and another rather more influential God that helps them decide everything else in their lives. by the latter he implied Qabiil/Tribe!. 

curiously, as a young lad, I knew the Qabiil of everyone in that class including all our teachers, it was the norm, a testatement to the times.  but to this day I have no idea about that particular Teacher's Qabiil. All what I recall is his utter disdain with everything Qabiil related and to this day that analogy of his stuck with me....

A crisis of Qofnimo!

Runtu ma fantaa, Through the course of my life which have been tarnished by the ongoing somali civil

war forcing me to change countries and encounter different cultures, I have always been self-conscious about my identity. Truthfully being Somali is not fancy nor does it give moral or intellectual satisfaction of belonging, for the challenging mind its constant discourse and search of virtues in the light of abundant vices...Although I was drowning in a false sense of PRIDE (Geel-Jire mentality) implanted into me not by our abominable culture but my father's constant favorable and optimistic insight into the Somalis, somewhere deep down, I harboured an innate feeling that we were simply WRONG. That feeling grew with every time I became more worldly, it was not self-hate as I loved being Somali and more importantly -UNFORTUNATELY, ashamed to admit- inaan ahay ina-aabihii oo reer hebel ah. (OLD habits die hard)

I once heard this pun.. ""The Nations of the globe decided to devise and invest in the making of a Super-Computer , capable of computing minute data and performing complex calculations in super-sonic speed. After a panel of scientists, years of high-tech work and Billions of dollars, the Super-computer was finished, it was unveiled in the most neutral place possible, The UNITED NATIONS! and First question to be asked publicly was rather bold, Which country will rule planet EARTH after 500 years?! with slight certainty, the computer uttered, SOMALIA, silence ensued, ask again few dignitaries suggested to repeat the question,Alas! the answer was the same SOMALIA..........the chief scientist then asked , O' wise computer, Why would somalia rule planet earth after 500 years?...in a rather ominous monotony the computer replied; According to the data provided every country in the world has a positive progressive development going for them and due to the inevitable climate change which would render life on earth difficult to bare, Nations will devise cosmic posts outside earth for their people to reside, on the other hand Somalis will be left alone  to scrounge the lonely derelict  planet and thus will be Earth rulers by default; Said the wise (Wordly Incorportated & simulated Electronic)Computer""

 I slightly smiled, not because of the tasteless joke but because of the far-fetched reality, then I grinned meh! I am pretty sure there are others doing far worse than us.

I like Somali poetry (most of my cyber contributions are about Somali literature) and I admire the simple ways our ancestors survived the harsh environment they called home!! (Although not harsh as Arabian Sahara or Siberia)..My heart swells by the generosity of Fellow Somalis,their cordial demeanor and hospitality... Our culture was right once, but incompatible one in the contemporary world.Many are scrambling to shape the Somali peninsula to their own liking and agendas whether it is the illiterate tribal chieftains, the contracted narrow-viewed religious cultists, the rusting stomach-minded politicians or the recently emerging foreign-culture-saturated diaspora and at last and probably least the poor terribly aging fellows deep in the somali countryside keen to revive nomadic Somalia.

Other than the widely shared human trait of innate admiration of one's homeland and the nostalgic connections we have for what it embodies, our home peninsula! did not provide enough to qualify as the land that owes us a sense of nationalistic rhetoric or loyalty for that matter.A home should be place where you feel protected, wanted, fed and nurtured, for many the Somali peninsula was everything but a home, more like a lion's den, where the cubs leave as fast as they can fetch an antelope for themselves. Leave or die. Against all odds, I still consider myself one of the lucky lot that believe the Somali peninsula has invested in. That duty might keep me shackled to contribute and go back one day.  I say that but who knows!. Ilaahay baa og.  

غزه العزه....

 لا ابكي على شهداء و اطلال غزة العزه, بل ابكي على حالنا عندما يسئلنا رب العباد "ماذا فعلتم لعبادي">>>ابادات جماعيه في بورما و افريقيا الوسطى الى منع للصوم في الصين... و فتن اودت بالملايين في ارض المسلمين والشيخ يدعو و يقول "اللهم اقتلهم بددا" و طبعا كالمتوقع الدعاء لا يستجاب....اضعفها القلب...فهل يحزن قلبك كما يحزن لخسارة فريقك او فقدان حبيب...يقولون اللهم انصر الاسلام و يمضون الى اذى المسلمين باسماء سموها كالبلدان و العشائر و المذاهب.... ولا تؤمنوا حتى تحابوا .....

The Youtube Caliphate! or the EU Caliphate! 😕

Imagine this, you wake up one morning to the sound of a Caliphate announced by ISIL, then you watch the declaration video through youtube, and familiarize yourself with the so-called your caliphs again through youtube (the enemy's media! allegedly). imagine you A caliphate marketed by different brands of executions, mass shootings and amateur militia courts. On the other hand 28 different nations with different religious doctrines, languages and peoples, not long ago were all involved in bloody wars. Yet they decided to gradually intertwine into an amalgam of economic unity yielding the largest free market in the world, virtually freedom of movement, enacting legislation in justice and home affairs and maintaining common policies on agriculture, manufacturing and security. This Amalgam is known as the EU.

 

The EU Caliphate! is what you get when carefully planned visions and missions are executed. Not the whims of a youtube caliphate with no understanding of the real geopolitical situation.
Ironically a caliphate determined to spread by the spoils of war "Ghaniima war machinery" from the west fighting another war machinery also from the West. American Humvee against American Humvee.
A youtube caliphate with no understanding of what a Caliphate is, a Caliphate with surreal sentiments that we observe in patients during rounds in psychiatric hospitals claiming to be the awaited "Al-Mahdi", that patient is not to be blamed as everyone knows and sympathizes with the mental health challenges they are going through, stuck in another dimension in their minds, detached from our reality.
For the youtube caliphate, Chants of support and oaths of allegiance appear in my facebook feed every now and then, not from the ton of Arab acquaintances I have but from my kin and blood the Somalis... Most of whom feverishly take every opportunity to debase Al-shabaab.
 Are they missing the point that if Al-shabab are bad, ISIL are worst not worse, If Al-shabab are cancer (waa sida ay yidhaahdeene!) ISIL are metastatic cancer that spread all over the body.....

 

Things will be better for Islam. that statement will be true when we are united, when we understand that through knowledge we can overcome, not through the AK-47 that we don't even make, Through a truthful understanding of Islam and finally by having no underlying agendas such as sectarian, tribal, geographical or ethnic inclinations adulterating our noble cause in making this planet or universe a better place for EVERYBODY (لا إكراه في الدين), a place where the Almighty is worshipped,,, thus the concept of عمارة الأرض ورعاية الكون.....

 

A good example to look at will be our own history, to glance at our own Islamic Caliphate that spanned a millennium. the peak of enlightenment for the whole wide world.... when the Islamic world became infested with Arab nationalism the Ottomans leaned towards ethnic dominance, and Muslims started having separate identities. crumbling to its knees by the changing hearts, away from the unity of Islam to myopic ethnic and sectarian agendas. 
 Islam crumbled from its soul and it can rise when it's back. 

 

May Allah Guide our brothers ISIL to the right path...May Allah guide us All to the right path...

 

Ramadan Karim

Seasoning!...A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor

Well its  the dawn of 2014 and I am in unexpected, mind-boggling and faraway place from its belated sister 2013. The tides of life have thrown me ashore, to a completely new life, my titles (prefix and suffix) are completely changed. Last year this time I was Mr. Adnan the single Medical student who lives in Jordan and now I am Dr. Adnan the Married (to extraordinarily good Nala) doctor who lives in England. None of these changes were certain nor in my wildest expectations, yet life has mysterious ways and as I always reiterate "Aadamaw waxaad maagantahay adiyo maankaagu iyo meel ilaahay ku marin kala mid weeyaane".
2013 was a year of sweet-sweet-bitter taste. Marked by the joining of new dear person, parting of another, finishing a university degree known to me as "Mashruucii Faanoole that finished" and leaving a place to a new place and many others unforgettable events.

This is Chapter 3 of my life I Call it "Seasoning"!. First chapter was "Growing" which compromised physical growth and a little but significant per ration amount of mental,spiritual and emotional growth.The complete credit of this stage goes to my wonderful parents whom without their constant caring, love, guidance and role modelling I would have taken a different path in life.
 Second chapter was called  "Experiencing" not to be confused with experience!, this stage was marked by leaving the nest and flying as a new fledgling experiencing what is out there alone, without guidance from the people who care most about you, but with our own uninterrupted decisions. It starts from silly things like deciding to stay late at night outside or even spend the whole night outside (without consequences) to life altering decisions like choosing whom do you marry. Its in this stage life starts to unfold, with it drops of wisdom starts to fall on us but on the expense of a thunderous multitude of dear life experiences.

The Seasoning stage as I foresee would be my first encounter with real life, real challenges, a test of my responsibility bearing capabilities, a test of my caring, a test of my man-steel! .. 2014 will be my starting point but also there are many other years to come. May the Omnipotent be my side and guide me to the righteous path.
A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor, seasoned sailors should live through the horrors of the ocean, the dark  nights, the unrelenting fear of sinking into the abyss of the ocean, the storms that hit swiftly and most painfully the emotional void and worry about the loved ones back at land.True, I might be scared I have no other option but to ride the tides to the other side of the ocean and traverse all the challenges pleasant or not.patience ,perseverance, enthusiasm and optimism will be my sahay (cannot recall English counterpart) ...as naive they might sound but they really are.

Me Oh My, How the Time Does fly.........

و الشمس و ضحاها

Muuqaalka kan oo ah mid qof kasta oo ku noolaa degalka Soomaaliyeed aqoonsanayo, ayaa waxa uu tusaale u yahay in waxbarasho la'aanta marmarsiyo looga dhigi karin buug la'aan , xaashi la'aan iyo qalin la'aan. Buugta aadame ayaa qoray, isna waa joogaa, "Hadii hanku jiro jid loo maro lama waayo"

Maankaygu waa gobanimo-doon!

Aniga oo hor yuurara Computer-kayga oo qalaamo rogaya bogaga shabakada internetka, ayaa waxa iga soo hor baxay qoraal aan aad u dhibsaday, waxa ay naftaydu igu boorisay inaan war-celin ka bixiyo oo qofka waxaasi ku hadaaqay fikirkayga lidka ku ah u muujiyo. Faraha markii aan saaray Keyboard-ka een ereygii ugu horeeyay qorayba, dib baan u tirtiray. Waxa aan ka cabsaday dadka akhrin doonaa inay iga qaatan aragti aanan rabin, ha u badnaadeen asxaabta iyo ehelkee.



Dhacdadan ayaa maankayga ku dhalisay waydiimo gun dheer, ma u madax-banaanahay aragtidayda? maankaygu ma yahay mid gobanimadii qaatay oo xor ah? ma waxa i dabraya oo i seetaynaya dadku waxa ay iga qaadanayaan? iyo waydiimo badan oo la hal-maala.

Isla markiiba waxa aan ku  garwaaqsaday in maankaygu la-hayste u yahay bulshada aan ku dhex noolahay,  oo aan si dhaadasho la'aan ah ugu hogaansahanay. Waan rog-rogray oo hadana waxa aan gartay in meesha sartu ka qudhuntay ayna ahayna fikirkayga ee ay tahay soo bandhigista iyo wadaagista fikirkayga. Bulshada majaraha uma qaban karto waxa ka dhex guuxaya maankayga, maba oga, way mooganyihiin, Aniga iyo Ilaahay ayuuna naga dhexeeya, Laakiin bulshadu waxay dhangado la taagantahay ardaaga aan ku soo bandhigi lahaa waxa iga dhex guuxayay.

Ereyga Eebe caza wa jalla waxii aan ahayn inaan ka fiirsado, ogolaado ama diido waxa ay ka mid tahay xuquuqdayda qofnimo, waana sababta Ilaahay noogu mannaystay maskaxda. Duurjoogta iyo Dabjoogta waxa kala duway midi waxa uu u hogaansamay aadamaha kan kalana wuu diiday, waa abuuristooda, oo Ilaahay baa ku alkumay.

Waydiin kastaa waxa ay leedahay war-celin, taydu waxay noqotay inaan u kaco hayaan dheer oo gobanimo doon oo aan madaxbanaani iyo geesinimo ugu helayo maankayga kana xoroobayo xadhkaha bulshada.!!