Sunday, September 17, 2006

Delusions of Grandeur...

“Somalis are very proud people” is a term you’d find in the early journals of travellers who made it to Somalia. Very true indeed, we are very proud people – proud of our Religion, proud of our culture, proud of our heritage. But there is a very fine line between pride and conceit – The former is acceptable within some varying degrees whereas the later makes one an object of contempt.

A frail old Jaamac struts into the hut with his Hangool on the grand occasion of his daughters wedding ceremony. The recipient of the daughters hand in marriage had travelled many kilometres and by the time he got to the tiny dwelling of his soon-to-be bride, the excitement got him talking a mile a minute. Before long he revealed his tribal lineages and ancestry on which the proud Jaamac blustered “War Ma anoo nin reer Hebel ah baan gabadhayda inan-gumeedkan siiyaa!” Haku daalin jeedaal. And what would have been a magnificent wedding is annulled before it even commenced!

Even the ordinary Xalimo struts around like a peacock with the gracefulness of a colt, looks at you up an down (huruuf) and walks away stuffing her dirac in her Googarad.

Pe proud of who you are, but pride too has its limits, like everything else! don't you think?

5 comments:

Inspired said...

asalamu alaikum

very well put. my sentiments exactly.

Anonymous said...

who rejected you, poor guy? :D

Yasmin said...

Your story reminded me of this book called The Yibir of Las Burgabo written by Mahmood Gaildon.

here is the review of the book.
http://www.wardheernews.com/articles/may/8_lasburgabo_review.htm
"Mohamood Gaildon's book on the Yibir of Las Burgabo hits hard where it matters most. For a nation that still hangs on its most primitive and primordial social system of clan and genealogy, as though this type of associational system is harmless, Gaildon's novel is definitely a strong and a timely reminder of the negative impacts that building a tribal society has..."

this other website if selling it if you are interest in such stories.
http://www.afgarad.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=52


ciao

NATIVE said...

Pride has it's limits indeed.

I hope we can know and understand our limits sooner rather than later....so that we may begin to biuld our nation once again and concentrate more on our similarities instead of our differences.

InshaAllah kheyr

Shafi Said said...

Nomad, I hear the Yibir of LasBurago is quite a book - i am planning to get my hands on it soon insha-Allah. Thanks for the links.

Native Female, I hope so too Insha-Allah for the sake of our descendants - we owe it to them!