I am a hard core Somali no matter what!

I see labeling as an invisible weapon with a massive destructive quality that could destroy not only individuals but nations as well, I believe labeling is a form of abuse and harm whether done intentionally or unintentionally and here is my experience with it…

When I first arrived at Hergisa airport, I thought “finally am in a land where everyone is Somali, where no one perceives me as a foreigner, or consider me different based on my religion, I thought here I can wear my “hijab” head cover freely with no staring eyes wondering what the hell am I wearing, here I will feel united with everyone else and share a collective identity which is being a Somali. I kept on taking pictures the whole 24 hours road trip on our way to Galkacyo my hometown. And since then I have experienced many new things about being a Somali.

Well for those who don’t know me, I am a hard core Somali who loves the blue flag with the white star in the middle to death, i am a hard core Somali who still sees that blue flag as a symbol of glory, I am a hard core Somali though I don’t memorize the full version of “soomaaliyeeytoosootoosooiskutiirsadayee" our beautiful national anthem, I am a hard core Somali though am a Canadian by citizenship, I am a hard core Somali despite the fact that I have been incredibly lucky to have lived in different countries ever since I was born, I am a hard core Somali and I can feel the Somali blue blood rushing through my veins pumping a pure Somali fresh blood into my heart and filling me with patriotic love fueled with altruism I have for my beloved country, I am a hard core Somali in spite of all the misconceptions the world has formed about my hallowed country, I am a hard core Somali even if my first time to step a foot in a Somali territory was just before six months, and dammit I am a hard core Somali even if I don’t enjoy the palatable taste of “canoogeel”milk camel.

Recently, I come to discover that we “me and my sisters” were being name called behind our backs, names like “the cadaan” white trash, “daqancelis” kids who are relearning the culture and “qurbojoogto” diaspora people. It saddens me so much because I now feel am still perceived as DIFFERENT in my own country ,where I was wishing for a collective identity, it saddens me because everything am doing is being judged under the label of “qurbojoogto”, it saddens me because now all my behaviors are being perceived as different and deviant because I wasn’t raised here in Somalia, they will even excuse my short comings because of that same reason and treat me as a child when I am already working in local University! And it saddens me the most when the labeling come from your so called friends and relatives. By that labeling they are unconsciously distancing me from the very hard core Somali I believe exist inside me, they are making me feel UNSOMALI “if there is a such word”!.

Somalis are big fans of labeling, they will always find you a common denominator with someone else or some other groups of people in order to label you and tag you all together, whether that labeling is based on something obvious like gender and occasionally being called ”naag” which means a woman and undermining your abilities or something which they come to accustomed and cultured with because of the very nature of their traditions and being labeled by your “qabil” tribe and being expected to fit in the persona of their collective character as a tribe.

When the labeling is merely based on your obvious features that’s called  “judging a book by its cover”, which we were taught to avoid by our parents. But wait I was a diaspora Somali kid who grew up in a different culture different environment, Somali kids who grew up in Somalia, sadly, were taught to label the book by its cover.

What is so wrong about this kind of mentality or tradition “if i may call it that based on my mere observationis that individuality is being undermined and over looked at, the uniqueness of human soul and how could they differ based on their own subjective experience, based on their own special ways of thinking, their different back grounds of education and the sum up of their individual choices, these are important factors that shape our personality they very person who we are. These important factors are being dismissed in this kind of labeling when judging a person is merely based on the obvious common denominator he/she share with their fellow Somalis.

Culture have always existed all through history and every nation has their own, culture was mold by different forces and needs that arose at a certain moment of time, and since culture is a way of living and is part of a bigger picture “the survival of the species “or the survival of the nation in this context . But  most importantly culture evolves and changes over time, culture update its own practices and leave out the outdated ones that are no longer relevant and consistent with the bigger picture  of the ”survival of the nations”,  therefore culture is changeable.

I see labeling practice as the main factor why Somalis are divided into tribes, clans and into different states, I see labeling as a factor for bullying and undermining people’s individuality, I think labeling causes unpleasant feelings of unbelonginess, i see labeling the reason why Somalia had declined from one of the strongest entities in Africa into a paralyzed dependent country which depends on the helps of UN, I see labeling as an outdated practice that separate us Somalis from each other. Don’t you see with me that this practice is outdated and destructive to the Somali nation?

Despite all the labeling of “qurbojoogto” that I am, I would say that living and being raised abroad have made me that hard core Somali I am today, I fell in love with my own country though I was distant and far away, though I used to see negative news about it on the TV everyday so how far could they push me away from my own blue flag?! I say you can’t and I am still a hard core Somali to the tiniest bone in my body. I am a hard core Somali no matter what!

I still hope that good change will knock our door soon one day and we will all open up for it and welcome it warm hearty. Ghandi once said “be the change you want to see in the world” so let’s start with ourselves. I am against labeling and I will not practice it nor tolerate it.

Asia abbas