THE FOOTSTEPS OF DEATH
The following verse is a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. THE FOOTSTEPS OF DEATH Tiny fingers, nimble minds Tender flowers of the nation Kids, kids, kids Kids learning Kids playing Kids asking Kids wondering Kids not knowing But also knowing […]
President Silanyo meets with President Hassan.
By Omar Ibrahim Hussein (PhD). As agreed the two Presidents will hopefully be engaged in the talks that have started at the beginning of this year. The question is will the nomination of Fozia Haji Yusuf help or hurt the forth coming talks between Somalia and Somaliland The two leaders should sit face to face […]
The Somali President Has Spoken, Can Anyone Hear His Agony
Bashir Goth In a speech that I consider to be one of the most powerful and most compassionate speeches that any Somali leader has delivered for a long time, Somalia’s new President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud has spoken candidly and explicitly about some of the most serious challenges that his government faces and called for the […]
MATATU EXPLOSION IN NAIROBI’S EASTLEIGH
Reporting by Hassan Malik Mohamed Garissa, Kenya The normal peace and buzzing of activities at Nairobi’s Eastleigh, a predominantly Somali residential and a giant commercial hub, was suddenly, yesterday punctuated after a passenger minibus which ply the eastleign route ripped of; as a result of a grenade detonation. Immediately after the incident, the kenya security […]
WHY SOMALIS HATE THEMSELVES: Somali’s Obsession with Garlanding and Indian Sari
According to the Wikipedia definition, ‘garland’ is a decorative wreath or cord, used at festive occasions, which can be hung round a person’s neck, or on inanimate objects like Christmas trees. There is no place in the world, other than Indian Subcontinent with practiced garland traditions. If you have been to an Indian […]
Somalia’s Taboo Breaker First Woman Foreign Minister
By Bashir Goth No matter what one thinks, or in what color one tries to see the appointment of Fawzia Yusuf Haji Adam as the first woman Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Somalia and indeed in the Horn of Africa and the Arab World, it is the historical significance of a woman […]
GAARRIYE HADDUU TEGAY, MA GOBLAMAY AFKEENII
With the death of Mohammed Hashi Damac (Gaarriye), the Somali people have lost a great poet and a literary custodian. Apart from the many masterpieces and deeply intellectual poetry that he left behind, Gaarriye will be remembered in particular by his monumental efforts in founding and teaching the metrical structure of Somali poetry. He is […]
A dialogue with a cat Kulmiye’s Rule; an assessment
By Dr. Omar Ibrahim Hussein I had a good conversation with a cat before the national elections. It was an exciting period where the fever of change was sweeping Hargeisa. A period of euphoria with high expectations, “Even if you rape me; I am Kulmiye” was the buzz word then. The deserving Mujahid at […]
Dialogue between Silanyo and Rayale:
By Omar Ibrahim Hussein President Silanyo; the current President and Ex-president Mr. Rayale were avid political enemies but some sort of rapprochement between them has taken place. When Mr. Silanyo was an opposition leader he opposed the government chapter and verse. Now that the shoe is in the other foot, Silanyo sees opposition to his […]
Hitting fire with a stone.
“Dab iyo Dhagax Lays-kuma dhuftee Kala dhowraay: Kala dheer Labaduye Kala dhowraay.” Education and Politics: A classmate of mine asked me a difficult question in my intermediate school. “Am I not the best in our class? The most intelligent (farid in Somali) and if anybody is asked who is the best in our class, […]
THE DEATH OF THE LAST HOPE: How President Silanyo Failed Somaliland.
After a long fought election campaign starting in 2008, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud (Silanyo) was finally sworn as the new president of the Somaliland Republic in July 27, 2010. The defeated president, Mr. Dahir Riyale Kahin graciously handed over the presidency to Mr. Silanyo and wished him the best of luck. Mr. Kahin also promised that […]
IN MEMORY OF DR. ABDI SHAKUR JOWHAR – FRANTZ FANON OF THE SOMALI PEOPLE *
By Bashir Goth “He lit up a room. If you can imagine the sun, his face was like the sun, that smile, the arm around your shoulder. He was just like a gentle giant, a very lovely man. He was like nobody I ever met.” Shannon Shaw, a ward clerk on psychiatry – Owen […]
Queen Araweelo: A Short Story of a Somali Hero, Queen Ebla Awad (Araweelo)
Historical Distortions: The story of Queen Ebla Awad (Araweelo) is one of the most controversial in Somali society. Since almost all Somali stories are oral and not written, it is impossible to prove their authenticity. When these stories were first told, most Somalis were nomads who did not know how to write and read. Many […]
New Down in Africa and the Middle East
New Dawn in Africa and the Middle East They called us “the sleeping giant, but Is this the time of our awakening? Fifty plus years passed when colonial flags came down And colorful new Freedom flags were raised. How did we get so far behind? Did those who fought for Freedom, die in vain? Is […]