how do they know which qabii you r from?

[Yusufaddie]

how does the militia men know who is who because to me all somali's look alike? how do they know especially that they even divide into subclans?

[Coloow]

Yusufcade, a good question. Most of us blindly follow a myth called "qabiil". We have been told we belong to reer qansax, qurac, or garas. But the reality is that the somali notion of tribalism is the same as ST Clause. Even kids know that it has no validity!

 

Some few years ago, I read a book entitled "reinventing somalia" by several somali scholars. The book confirmed my thesis that somali tribalism is based on false notions, hatred, resource dependency etc.

[Rokko]

That’s good question and I’m sure many Nomadz or perhapz non-somalis would want to know. I don’t think the Malatia or anyone can tell which tribe/clan you belong to by looking at you. Anyone who knows all the clan names as far as the subclans can lie and live in anywhere as long as it’s not a small town, where everyone knows everyone. And to answer you question Yussuf, they can’t.

[AYOUB]

Yusuf malitias usually attack to gain control of places and facilities from the other, side be it a village or an airport. So when they make their move, they don't care if they get it slightly wrong. As for how I tell who am dealing with, accent, choice of words and dress sense are major clues. Some say 'tomate' other say 'tomande', 'botate', 'Barade' etc ect. How about Daasad, Qasac and Kombo, are you still with me? .

[Blessed]

Entrepreneur

 

I agree with ya. Do you know the writer of that book?

[Coloow]

Ameenah, I don't recall the name of the editor. It was a book containing several articles by somali scholars. I remember the names of a few contributes; Kuusow, Jimcale, Mohamed haji mukhtar.

[OG_Girl]

I am wondering same ? how they know which Qabeel is which?

seems they go with accent ..even thought i am safe ...lol

[Valenteenah.]

Somalis are a relatively small society. There's always someone who knows someone who knows someone else whom u know. I'm guessing the militias use that sort of system.

[Rahima]

I’ve never actually thought of it, but I must say I don’t know how reliable accent is. I mean there are so many different tribes who hail from the same areas and therefore speak in the same manner.

 

Of course there are always exceptions to everything like my father who has your typical reer waqooyi accent (as he was born and raised in Boorama with his reer abti) yet if we speak clan wise we are not from that area.

[Yusufaddie]

Entrepenuer how can i get that book? and to me it is not logical that accents can be used to distinguish tribes, it seems that the militia's has no choice because they have no other choice but to fight and get resources to survive, do you all agree?

[Haashim]

Bro. Yusuf it's very difficult to explain our situation, first part of your question as Bee say, there's always someone who knows someone who knows someone else whom u know. The militia's part of you question, militia themselves don't know what they want they will follow the orders of their leader, today they may fight against one warlord and tomorow they may become an ally of this warlord and after tommorow they may split themselves and kill eac other and so on.

 

Since 1991 there are many examples of coalitions formed and others broken, everything is depend upon the desire of the warlord for example recent coalition between Abdiqasim and Muse S. Yalahow no one expected, before that the coalition between Abdullahi Yusuf and Husein Aideed no one anticipated, before that A/qasim and Barre Hiiraale was one of the miracles in Somalia and so on, and imagine as soon as the two warlords formed a coalition not only militi's (who were fighting yesterday) becoming friends but also their fellowers in the caffes and Kat places

 

So, we're really in big trouble and unfortunately we're not on the right way to get out this trouble, we're on other road :confused:

 

I think that's enough ....

[Coloow]

salaama,

 

you could buy the book "The invention of somalia" on amazon.com

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0932415989/avsearch-bkasin-20/002-6600654-5700020

 

 

p.s it is not the reinvention- but invention of somalia.

[A.J. Timacadeh]

good question yusuf,

 

i think that what ayoub said is probably true. most somali's recoqnise the gabiil of the person they are talking to by his accent. i mean even subclans of a small clan can recoqnise which gabeele other belongs to by the way he speaks and by the way he acts.

 

i dont think that there is anything wrong with that as long as it remains just that. but no it will never remain at that. somali's will try to humiliate other clans cultures and even accent.

 

how silly will our race go?