After the reading, one of the first questions from the audience was succinct and suited the occasion well.  A Somali woman in the audience stated that she had heard that Nuruddin is a feminist, “ is it true?” she inquired and went on to ask whether the prominent writer has any Somalis heroes and if so “Who are they?” 

Nuruddin who is universally known to be acutely aware and sensitive to the plight of women in general but specifically to Somali women was animated, thus lunged on to a litany of how the world around Somali women are moiling, yet task oriented where men, on the other hand, are foaming from the mouth in coffee shops or in dungeons, dosing themselves with detritus from qaat or simply using someone else’s son to carry a gun for them, killing at will when their own (warlords’ and the likes of them that is) are out of harms way, tucked in cozy comfort somewhere safe and far from the man fermented mayhem in the motherland.  Nuruddin valorized Somali women but then at the end of that spirited comment, flung a whiff of a deserving criticism at their side that was more like moaning of what he (and a lot of us) has lost than anything else: that Somali women divorced themselves from their cultural clothes.  The fact that Somalis are not wearing what has been known to Somalis and rest of the world as traditional Somali women dresses irked him.  “Can we be God fearing Somalis without this Afgani business?” he lamented. 

With an absolute certainly, there was neither any intent to slight his faith (Islam) in the statement, nor was he subscribing to any undesirability onward of being an Afgani.  The sentence, the manner in which it was conveyed, the delivery and the context of which it was stated were all clear as day and night.  Thus his message was simply about a cultural identity lost, nothing more nothing less!

So I was surprised to learn later that a talented, young Somali journalist and an upcoming star slipped a little with his burdensome responsibility and in the process to regain his balance spilled a morsel of masticated meat for the vultures of faith. Thus Abdirahman Aynte, the young Somali journalist, unfortunately in this article on Hiiraan.com used words that have not and will never fit Farahian philosophy of feminism by stating that “He [Nuruddin Farah] disparaged Somali women for veiling.”

Consequently, the vultures of faith, who, as though they are closer to God than the rest of us, are sanctimoniously feeding on their favorite feast: chewing a Somali that chose not to mire himself in the diminished personality of clannish connivery nor the countless, conspiratorially calculated politics, but simply uttered a word about a Somali traditional value that has been fading way within a clouded Arab invasion!  Again, no point intended to slight the Arabs.  Just an urge to remind us who we are and recover what we have lost from the dust and the debris!  

Nuruddin Farah has been a man on a mission since the day in 1986, when dictator Said Barre, most ruthless and powerful Somali, tried to silence him to exile.  But Nuruddin swore to turn the volume up on him and did just that, never letting up.  Nuruddin’s mission has been to keep that lighted torch onto his motherland by writing about it and carrying all that is Somali about him with him.  This son of Somalia is the only man that many nations would love to claim as theirs, even if he himself is Somalia!  Just to make it clear, Nuruddin doesn’t need Somalia but Somalia needs him; he does not need Somalis but Somalis need him; yet Nuruddin is willing to be a Somali and always has been when most of us are reluctant.  We are only Somalis when it suits us (that is when it’s convenient).  For example, we, particularly in diaspora, chose to sell our nationality out long ago, myself included.  He does not!

I am going to say it and save it, too, that Nuruddin Farah is for sure going to win the Nobel Prize for literature in English, a language that is not his native tongue but he adopted!  Thanks to all of us, this is not a prize that his countrymen will confer on him, but the rest of a wise caring world that deemed him worthy of literary wealth by already nominating him several times in the past years.  When he is on the top of that mountain, however, he will elevate our national pride (or whatever is left of it) a bit higher, regardless of your absence, for he has been toiling to lift it from the ruins of rust, where the ruthless lions of rape laid it down and left it!  The headlines will read, “Isn’t it an irony that a man from Somalia whose countrymen are not even aware of his personal stature and where the written words have no value wins the Nobel Prize for Literature?”  One more time, Somalia will shock the world but with a positive stroke of a genius pen by a “miracle called Nuruddin Farah” Mohamud Togane.  I hope to God that it will neither be the last of the precocious pen nor the peal of a passionate, precious music of hope and healing!  So please be prepared to be proud and put down you your petty, self generated, sanctimonious, soulless sword!   

For the Locals in Minneapolis

Louise Erdrich & Nuruddin Farah in Conversation

Please beware that Nuruddin Farah will pair up with another deservingly known writer, Minnesota’s Louise Erdrich and a Native American.  It’s said that they met at a conference and found that they have “a lot to talk about” with which they chose to share.

University of Minnesota

 Cowles Auditorium H. H. Humphrey Center

 Sunday Match 4, 3:30-5:30 pm    

 No tickets necessary

http://english.cla.umn.edu

612-625-3363

Ahmed Ismail Yusuf
E-mail: yusuf006@umn.edu

kaahiye @ 3/1/2007 4:06 PM EST  Brothers and sisters: There's a major difference in comparing professional criticism and that of personal attacks. Comparing Nuruddin Farah with Salman Rushdie is quite wrong. Nuruddin Farah to my knowledge had commented on Hijab vaguely, never did he suggest or hinder anything to the prospects of religion(Diinteena), but rather said culturally, Somali's don't have the tradition on wearing it since recently. I have lived in Somalia till 1991 and never seen Gabadh xiran Xijaab. Some of our girls "younger" generation, in fact think it's our culture, but it is not. It is a matter of personal prefernces. Once again, before commenting or insulting our nobel writter, the only known Somali with the potentials of earning the Nobel Prize.....let's examine exactly what's said. He is Muslim. Don't judge, Only Allah judges. Wasalaammu calaykum waraxmatullah.

rasputny @ 2/27/2007 5:57 PM EST  Assumptions, over assumptions. If you havent personally heard him make any comments and you are deducting from his two sentence remark all these 'anti-islam', anti-somali sentiments than i suggest you all find something more useful to do with your time.

@ 2/27/2007 3:44 PM EST  xasbuna alaah!! recent days every one is saying something about islam and our dress why not the wastren dress and their relegion it was last year when danish paper printed the photo of out prophit (scws) and it was in this year when somali women (ayan xersi magan) said something about islam i can say what she said was ironicaly stated against islam i mean all this is to remind my muslim brothers and sisters that alah can over turn the part of the land they are standing but alah left them and let them do so and so becouse onece they are cought they will not be released and  alah is protecting his relegion but what we are supoused to do is to stick our relegion and islamic culture.

RocketLaunch @ 2/27/2007 2:22 PM EST  Mr. Farah's writings are filled with nonesense trash, redundant in his attack against our faith.

shukuman cade @ 2/27/2007 10:14 AM EST  When are we going to accept diversity in our lives and respect each other’s views?  His works is fiction, and therefore none of it can be construed to be a fact.  Some of you need to read his books and then you are entitled to criticize this brilliant man.

reddeer @ 2/27/2007 4:55 AM EST  comments here lack deferment . civility has been thrown out of the window.Instead of looking at the arab people as onyl muslim in the world why we should ,nt look at malaysia which left arab world in the dust, by concentrating science ,as result advanced their country. Nuraddin farah has integrity which he is admired for. It is futile some of you to become disrespectful.

mubka @ 2/27/2007 1:33 AM EST  I would rather prefer to write our Somali native language since we are all Somalis. Walaalyaal waan aragnay qoraalkii caynte iyo kii A.yusuf.  Waxaa wanaagsanaa lahaa in sida uu akhriste hore soo qoray ( @ ) in la gaadhay xilligii u Nuraddiin ka hadli lahaa hadalkii uu ka yiri arrintaas uuna raali gelin ka bixin lahaa haddii hadalkiisii si qaldan loo qaatay, iyo waxa uu arrintaas ka aamisan yahay. I think it’s the time Nuradin should clarify his position of his comments and about Hijab, and apologize if his comments were misunderstood

@ 2/26/2007 8:59 PM EST  Alhamdulilah, it looks like the voices of virtuos are being heard here.i think we as somalis, give too much slack to people.and we should not just sweep these comments under the carpet ,because it is distasteful and Mr Farah should apologise to the somali people and should clarify his comments if he was misunderstood.Imagine the up-roar his comment would of caused , if he said something about western women's dress.but he is comments are excepted ,since islam-bashing has become the number sport in the world. the statement walaal somali-1 made i found to be very true "Gabadhu waxaay qurxoon tahay Markey asturan tahay." , when you see a somali women ,wearing their xijaab.they are very distinct and beautiful may i add and they have been recognised and admired by many other muslims and scholars , because it fulfils the criteria of hijaab.Now Allah(swt) and his prophet ,have not said there is a particular style of dress that is hijaab, and any kind of style is excepted ,as long as it meets the 6 criteria of xijaab. Juma , can you please explain to us how Guntiino and Garba saar fulfils all the 6 criteria of hijaab???.

Motoke @ 2/26/2007 8:58 PM EST  Certainly, Mr. Nuraddin lost wisdom when asked about being very “personal matter” how and what to dress particularly if it involves religion. I agree with Yusra “Why Hijaab”? how about Somali women dressing levis jeans or apple bottom, why Afgani/Arab dress is uttered to ruin our culture and not to mention those dangerous western attire.

Motoke @ 2/26/2007 8:55 PM EST  Mr. Aynte might agree with this author that Nuraddin’s message is “about a cultural identity lost,” but Aynte as a reporter and more specific, he points that Nuraddin blames “Somali women for veiling,” by considering it as an Afgani culture.

Motoke @ 2/26/2007 8:49 PM EST  I some times come across problems to post comments, message doesn't appear, it says thanks for posting! any help?

Motoke @ 2/26/2007 8:45 PM EST  test

STATSMAN @ 2/26/2007 6:44 PM EST  Let me put my 2 cents on the table on the issue being discussed namely Nurradin farah’s comments about the Hijaab. First of all am not here to dictate the Islamic doctrine to Farah and his likes, nether do I undermine the mans achievements   as novelist or his command and control of the literature of the English language some thing I still struggle with (because I refuse to fully engage my self in it and embrace the cultural, value and ideological package that comes with it!).one thing I can say  it is that Mr farah  is not a pro-Islam  and when I say this  it is in consideration of his writing , where he uses his cognitive ability imagination and energy to come up with ideas of men making love to animals,   I don’t know what Islam would say about the conception of such ideas. But if I am not mistaken I once heard a sheikh  say that if some one makes love to an animal he should  be prosecuted by throwing him from  top of a mountain and  then bombard him with huge rocks, that is to say  the person should face a severe death for making love to an animal. I am not saying that he propagated the idea of war maxay galadu odhan jiren xoola fuulka Ileen iyaga belada yaqaane  haa  (beastiality).,  he erans is bread by writing about  such topics, in great detail . And as  for the the Somali identity and the concept of hijaab  my take on this is < we should so what Allah tells us to do if  as I understand Allah   asks women to cover them selves and ware the  hijaab they should. I also condem those u argue that the Somali culture specially the traditional dress code of Grays, guntiino,  dacle, all those are absolutely un Islamic and if our identity is that then it is a choice between Islamic practices and retention of old un Islamic cultural norms. Mr. Farah identifies more with secularist, western and the other African cultures in his writing and deeds then the Somali culture. I don’t know how he can advocate for Somali identity that too Somali identity    minus Islam

ilyas365 @ 2/26/2007 1:36 PM EST  I like to clarify on something that I said in my comments: a person is a "jaahil" as long as he or she lacks the teachings of Al-islam. NO matter how many PHDs, you collect over the period of your life time spectrum!!

Kibogoyo @ 2/26/2007 1:27 PM EST  Juma: I wonder if you are just unloading your frustration or you mean it. No history book ever reported Arabs colonizing Somalis. Arabs don't need Somalis its Somalis who need the world arabs included. Its Somalis who are sporadically changing their so called cultures and and adapting thier hosts way of life when they have options to take or not to. FYI: Wahabi is neither a culture nor a sect its rather someones family name. Please educate yourself before you press the key board. Better trust the source (books) rather than the media you might have been watching recently.

ilyas365 @ 2/26/2007 1:24 PM EST  The guy is a poor "jaahil" and I pray for him. I Said he is ignorant because he denies validity of hijaab on our muslim sisters. Hijaab does not belong to neither Saudi Arabia nor to Afghanistan, but it is a quranic verse which allah has obligated on us, particulary on muslim sisters. Besides the fact that Mr. Farah is taking Salman Rushdie as a friend, tells me that there is something hidden in this man. All in all, Nuruddin Farah needs to repent for his God, and thus; stop denying that particular verse in Suratul Al-axzaab! by then, everybody should be happy, insha allah.

Kibogoyo @ 2/26/2007 1:12 PM EST  First: Mr. Nurdin's success is his hardwork and all we need to do is just congrat him and expect nothing more. Second: Excelling in literature doesn't make you a heroe just because itsn't your mother tongue; Fields of sciences and space invention is to no ones birth advantages and more challenging yet people have made it. Third: Don't assume a victim position, as if you are a disabled person competing among the able ones, it doesn't make you more heroe. Keep it up Mr. Nurdin

juma @ 2/26/2007 11:47 AM EST  Guntiino and garba saar is enough hijaab. The gar dheer who designed the gambis, is the worst designser on planet earth. Nurrudin farah has a point. No more wahabism in somalia!Wahabi Arabs hv culturally colonised us since th '80s. Free yourself then Ethiopia will respect you.

zio-tom @ 2/26/2007 10:40 AM EST  Thank you Brother Ahmed Yusuf for shedding some positive light the our beloved Somali writer Nuradin Farah. He was misrepresented by self proclaimed of religiuos crusaders.

Yousef2 @ 2/26/2007 9:33 AM EST  Xijaab is good (the one that shows the face). Burqi is no good (the one that covers all the face except the eyes). This one has very big loopholes for criminals. Some people use the cover-all-except-eyes one for their criminal activities. As far as I understand, nobody is against the normal xijaab; it's even very beautiful. But let's be reasonable; there are places like airports, and many other places that cannot afford to accept the Burqi in the honest to God fulfilment of their own duties. This has nothing to do with religion; it's just a matter of common sense; I need to see your face if you want to deal with me. Period. Let's not complicate things unnecessarily. In conclusion, I must admit two deficiencies in my position: 1) I haven't seen what Nuruddin said; 2) I am not the best person to consult on Islamic Sharia; I am just a common traditional,God-fearing Somali Moslem.

odogleh @ 2/26/2007 9:01 AM EST  well done keep writing the fact in any subject you deem it necessary. being brother or not the fact is fact and it is the right of any citizen to know the fact.No more No less. Muslim advocates should stay in the vicinity of their Immahs for they only deteriorate and exasperate any thing even the teachings of Islam. Keep the bombs for your selves as Iraqs.

Yosra @ 2/26/2007 8:30 AM EST  Brother Ahmed Yusuf: You reiterate the fact that Nuradin Farah is a virtouso in writing. No one disputes that, and we are all proud of that. But you, conspicously, cement his provocative comments about Hijab by criticizing Afghans and Arabs. Mind you, they are our brothers. I wasn't at Nuraddin's event, but I was offended by his remarks, widely reported. For those of you, secular-wanna-be's, why don't you criticize Western way of dressing, which amounts to disrespecting women by unclothing them? Why Hijab? The fear is that Mr. Farah (and his supporters on this issue) are fastracking on an avenue long take by Salman Rushdie, Ayan Hirsi and a cadre of Muslim bashers.

Soomaali_1 @ 2/26/2007 8:14 AM EST  I personally admire how Xaawo_Taako phrased it right...don't poke your nose into anything written on stone period that is against your faith. We wish him the best for his endeavours in the near future. Gabadhu waxaay qurxoon tahay Markey asturan tahay.

basar20 @ 2/26/2007 7:46 AM EST  A successfull person? Yes.  Brilliant writer? Yes.  No one can take that away from him. Are we proud of him? For what?. What are his contributions to our culture, development, governance, religion, education...etc?  Our sister Xaawo-Taako has already flagged him about his observation regarding Hijab. I can see how his western fans are more proud of him in saying what he said about Hijab.

Kenyan Somali @ 2/26/2007 6:13 AM EST  plis lets be feel proud of Nurdin, he is ours. He is not foreign.  If Islam will unite us, why will Somalism not. Can someone write a cord of Somalism. Which everyone even non somalis will want to apply. I hope Nurdin Farah can write that one day.

xawo-taako @ 2/26/2007 5:44 AM EST  no-one is taking credit from what mr farah's does,but he should just refrain from making comments about things he has no knowledge about ,which is our deen. when he made the comment about somali women choosing to wear the jilbab/ the afghan business he calls it, he did not only make a observation about it not being our tradition. he also encourage ,countless women to unveil and return to our so-called tradition.which was near-nakedness,alhamdulilah our women have saw the beauty and the reason ,allah has ordered the hijab. if this farah issue was only about traditions , would he prefer to see somali women wearing the jilbab in the hidiya-daqan material.i dont think so ,because  he wants how thinks was , nakedness. Ilahaya baan kamagan galnay. He should just stick to doing what he does best , writing fiction and not interpreting the quran. Allah know best.

xawo-taako @ 2/26/2007 5:43 AM EST  no-one is taking credit from what mr farah's does,but he should just refrain from making comments about things he has no knowledge about ,which is our deen. when he made the comment about somali women choosing to wear the jilbab/ the afghan business he calls it, he did not only make a observation about it not being our tradition. he also encourage ,countless women to unveil and return to our so-called tradition.which was near-nakedness,alhamdulilah our women have saw the beauty and the reason ,allah has ordered the hijab. if this farah issue was only about traditions , would he prefer to see somali women wearing the jilbab in the hidiya-daqan material.i dont think so ,because  he wants how thinks was , nakedness. Ilahaya baan kamagan galnay. He should just stick to doing what he does best , writing fiction and not interpreting the quran. Allah know best.

xawo-taako @ 2/26/2007 5:37 AM EST  no-one is taking credit from what mr farah's does,but he should just refrain from making comments about things he has no knowledge about ,which is our deen. one he made the comment about somali women choosing to wear the jilbab/ the afghan business he calls it, he did not only make a observation about it not being our tradition. he also made encourage ,countless women to unveil and return to our so-called tradition.which was near-nakedness,alhamdulilah our women have saw the beauty and the reason ,allah has ordered the hijab. if this farah issue was only about traditions , would he prefer to see somali women wearing the jilbab in the hidiya-daqan material.i dont think so ,because  he wants how thinks was , nakedness. Allah has shown us better.

Terminator @ 2/26/2007 4:57 AM EST   This is a man that we all should be proud of and make no mistake Mr. Nuruddin Farah will conquer the Nobel price for literature in the near future. We all wish you the best!

Yousef2 @ 2/26/2007 4:12 AM EST  I do remember the very first short-story of Nuruddin Farah, which was called "Why Died So Soon"; it was published on a small newspaper called Somali News, if I am not mistaken. Congratulations Nuruddin; at least you excelled in your field. We shouldn't expect one man to excel in everything.

shukuman cade @ 2/26/2007 12:29 AM EST  Brilliant writer! I wish him the best, and may he write many books.