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 wedding or temple you will notice the bride and bridegroom wearing these huge garlands around their necks. The temples too have the idols decorated with garlands to signify the spiritual importance of the event.

 

Even though many cultures in different countries use garlands as a decorative traditions, it has a  strong spiritual connotation in Indian culture.  Since the main religion is Hinduism, weddings, ceremonies, and all traditions stem from religious and cultural backgrounds.  In Hindu weddings, the bride wears a sari (a wrap style dress).  The couples exchange wedding garlands instead of rings, such many cultures; particularly the west exchange rings.   In India, people who support specific politicians also put garland around the politician’s neck.

The question is, how the garland and the sari made it to Somali culture.  Today if you see any Somali politician who is welcomed to an event or visiting some important place, people rush to them by putting a garland around his/her neck.  The garland is not the only cultural phenomenon taking place in Somalia. Somali women are starting to wear the sari at their weddings.  Indian, Arabic and Turkish movies are dubbed into the Somali language.

This cultural change is astonishing and many Somalis who live in the Diaspora are embarrassed to see what happening to their culture back home.  The irony is, when many young Somalis go back home from the Diaspora, the locals call them “Dhaqan Celis” meaning those who returned to their culture.   The question is; who lost his/her culture, locals? Or the Diaspora?   Unfortunately, it is clear that the local people who are supposed to be the guardians of the Somali culture and traditions are the ones who made every effort to destroy it.

 

In a recent discussion I had with a Somali woman from Hargeisa, she just casually mentioned one of the Somaliland politicians who was  nicknamed  Mohannad.  I asked her why people call him Mohannad, and she told me that “he looks like a Turkish actor called Mohannad.”  I was so flabbergasted to hear that even Turkish movies are dubbed into the Somali language and very popular in Somaliland.

 

Growing up in Somalia, I remember Somalis who were proud of their culture and themselves.  We were taught that our (Somali) culture was next to none and we were proud Somalis. Today, is the opposite, many Somalis (back home) lost their self-esteem and self confidence.  They see distant cultures as superior and worth imitating.

 

In general, I’m not against borrowing from other cultures; or taking good parts of other cultures, but I am completely astonished to see the Indianization of Somali culture. How a father with a garland around his neck can tell his kids they have admirable culture or a mother putting a Sari around her newlywed daughter.

 

Farah Mohamed

Washington DC