by Ahmed Ismail Yusuf
Ninba habarbaa
Habeen dihatayoo
Waa hubaayo
Waa halyeey tidhi
A mother (pained in labor)
Begets a man one night
Certain I am
(Oh) he is a hero, she says with relief!
In Somali society, it’s been a very profitable business to squirt tobacco spittle on anyone wearing a white shirt of integrity, so that we will see the stain on him, just to be sure that he is one of us. It’s extremely unfortunate but this has been a whole mark and haven zone for a just heap-and-hail-dirt-on-him game.
Now, another Somali (Abdi Ismail Samatar), a scholar, intellectual, teacher of humanity and a man who cares about his motherland has been swatting a whirlwind of that squirted tobacco spittle for too long. This man has been vilified simply because he neither subscribe to clan ideology nor to the dismemberment of his motherland, but only whishes and indefatigably works for a better day for Somalia and Somalis. Unfortunately, this has become a crime of gigantic proportion around the quarters of people whose vision on the future is dim!
Countless attacks throughout the internet and elsewhere have been unleashed, of which the latest is trying to peck on his proven academic achievement with a pity assault. Abdi Ismail Samatar put himself through the best universities, such as U of California, Berkeley; an Ivy League and at the time number one in the U.S.A., where he earned his PhD, teaches in one of the best, wrote countless scholarly articles, has several books out and lectures throughout world. In other words, in the eyes of the rest of world, Abdi Ismail Samatar proved his academic prowess and is a man who, in a short time, has traveled too far on the road of success from a humble beginning that anywhere else in the world would have been granted a due respect. But it’s utterly disappointing that he has been slandered and unfairly tainted since northern Somali region resurrected a colonial name (Somaliland) back to the global scene. The people who are in the first line for his attacks are nowadays seeking shelter in shouting matches as a medium. They are trying to shut down any discourse of any dissent that would steer the debate onto a deserving path. Abdi Ismail Samatar is one of the practically reasonable experts that are just saying, with sanity, let us remain in a united Somalia, but first and foremost, let us search a civilly committed system that will work for all of us! Apparently, in the eyes of juggernauts of this juvenile stand to jug us apart, this is a chief crime.
And yes, if you want to listen a minute, Abdi time and again stated that he applauded the progress of peace in the north as well acknowledged attempts of governance that had been made in comparison to south, though as of late it seems the south itself is pregnant with hope, however unpredictable. And, if you listen again, Abdi also stated that there are more efficient and effective ways to get there, but again let us debate it in a civilized manner.
Furthermore, Abdi asked time and time, not to distort the Somali history and in the process expunge invaluable volumes of contributions that the northerners made to our pride and on the positive lights of Somalia’s fight for freedom!
Contrary to the point that the latest attacker, Mohamed A. Suleiman tried to raise, Abdi has neither laughed not lunched with any a warlord whatsoever. A as a matter of fact, unlike the rest who had gathered there, Abdi paid his way to Kenya but when it dawned on him that nothing of substance was at work, he left early. Consequently, we all know that the so-called conference in Kenya lasted years, yet begot not a pine of hope for the poor motherland.
On other hand, just so you know, Abdi Ismail Samatar’s “…embarked on sinisterous [sic] mission that took him to the doorstep of the British Parliament…,” began when Abdi stood up in that meeting, trying to ask a question, where at that moment those in the audience who all the time scream the loudest about “a Somaliland democracy” shouted him down and some with violent intent. Here, dare I remind you that Mohamed Siad Barre destroyed our nation by first and foremost denying dissent. So those of you that believe northern Somalia is beaming with a promising democracy, Abdi begged to differ with you, because you failed to practice it and show us where and how it’s been utilized. Furthermore, if you believe that northern Somalia is better served by calling it “Somaliland” and tearing it away, Abdi and many others born and bred in that part of the land, disagree with you and once again, you as well failed to convince the rest of the world.
Here on hiiraan.com (“Prof. Abdi Ismail Samatar’s Crusade Against Somalialand Should Stop”), this man that wanted to tell us that Abdi espouses personal attack bravadoes, had himself dived right into a deluge of soliloquy with seal anger, disseminating dishes of vitriolic venom, and in the process of doing so repeatedly missed his target with sore words, proving no point of his contention. Thus it isn’t an irony that his attacks are riddled with contradictions of what “Somaliland’s viable democracy” is. Case in point, Mohamed A. Suleiman states that “…Somaliland is a fledgling democracy…” yet he calls the man and his government that are entrusted with the responsibility, immoral menace, “Kahin and his cohorts have no moral or legitimate right [sic] to champion the self determination campaign that Somaliland has embarked on….” Though Mohamed used the word “irony” in a paragraph above the one just quoted, he missed the point entirely that his whole argument on democracy is totally invalidated by the same sentence. He does not see that you can’t call the man that is holding the helm of the so-called democracy an immoral menace and a “Gestapo,” yet when others, like Abdi Ismail Samatar remind you that northern masses are marching into a mirage, you (and the chasers of this shadow dream) become hysterical, lashing at everybody that isn’t saying amen to the ill-conceived agenda!
By the way, I am not calling Dahir Riyaale a Gestapo nor has Abdi Ismail Samatar. You did. However, in the past I had other adjectives, such as visionless, corrupted and an Accidental “President” to describe him of which your only reasonable journalist and writer (though on the wrong side of this issues) Bashor Goth editorialized it on Awdalnews.com, where he, as the rest of you, does not let dissent opinion in or posted.
So next time around, Please try a cup of cold water to calm yourself a bit; you may strike a stroke of a coherent note!
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf
E-mail: [email protected]
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