Somali Culture Overview

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Somali Culture Overview

• By
• Mohamud Noor

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Somalia

• Area 246,000 square miles
• Population 9 million
• Nationality Somali (s)
• Capital City Mogadishu
• Currency Shilling
• Languages Somali, Arabic (official), English
• Products livestock,fruits, hide and skin,
  textile
• Religion Islam
• Climate Tropical and warm

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Part I History of Somalia

• Puntland and Early contacts with Pharaohs of
  Egypt and trade in frankincense and myrrh
• Early contact with Islam
• Migration of Prophet Muhammads companions to
  Ethiopia in the 7th Century and they pass through
  the region
• Spread through peaceful means throughout Somalia
  in the 10th Century. A number of Islamic states
  formed
• Ibn Batuta visits and describes the region in
  1331

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Colonial Times

• The scramble for Africa in the 1800s
• Partitioning of Somali inhabited lands into five
  parts in the 1880s
• Sayid Muhammad Abdille Hassans Resistance
  Movement, 1900-1921
• Somali Youth League formed in 1943 to work for
  Independence

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SOMALIA WOULD BE OVERVIEW MAP
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Independence

• British and Italian Somaliland unite to form the
  Somali Republic in 1960
• Civilian government, 1960-1969
• Military coup led by Mohamed Siyad Barre, 1969
• War with Ethiopia, 1963-1964 and 1977
• Somali language written using the Roman Script,
  1972
• Peace accord with Ethiopia, 1988

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Anarchy

• Mohamed Siyad Barres regime falls in 1991
• Former  British Somaliland  declared itself
  independent, 1991
• Massive displacement of refugees to neighboring
  countries
• United Nations Operation In Somalia (UNOSOM),
  1991-94
• UN forces withdrew, 1994
• Immigration to the United States begins, 1993

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Iman Six Major Beliefs

• God (Allah)
• Angels
• Prophets
• Holy Books
• The Day of Judgment
• Divine Fate or Predestination

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Five Pillars of Islam

• Declaration of faith (Shahada)
• Prayer (Salat)
• Charity (Zakat)
• Fasting (Sawm)
• Pilgrimage (Hajj)

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Islamic Calendar

• Islamic Holidays Eid Al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking
  the Fast, Oct. 23, 2006) and Eid Al-Adha (Feast
  of Sacrifice during Hajj, Dec. 31, 2006)
• Prayers 5 specified times a day. Also, Friday is
  the day for the congregational prayer
• Prayer Times for Today Morning (Subah or Fajr),
  545 AM to sunrise (615 AM) Mid-afternoon
  (Dhuhr), 100 PM, Late Afternoon (Asr), 415 PM
  Sunset (Maghrib), 655 PM Night (Ishaa), 815
  PM
• Fasting in Ramadan No food or drink from dawn to
  sunset for 29-30 days. Expected to last Sept. 23
  - Oct . 22, 2006

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General Attitudes of Somalis

• Good-natured, friendly, and hospitable
• Value friendship based on mutual respect
• Place great worth on family and tradition
• Cherish self-reliance and independence
• Greatly admire wisdom and bravery
• Good neighborliness

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Interacting with Somalis

• Many Somalis avoid handshake with the opposite
  gender
• Somalis especially women may not feel comfortable
  with direct eye contact
• The Hijab (veil) Mandated in Quran and worn for
  modesty. Long, loose-fitting, and non-revealing
• Dietary guidelines No pork or its byproducts
• No alcohol or drugs
• Birthday not celebrated and why is 01-01 so
  common?

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Names

• Somalis officially use three names a given name,
  father's name and grandfather's name 
• There is no family surname
• Somali women do not use their husband's surname
  after marriage
• The origin of Somali names is often Cushitic or
  Arabic, with the latter more common
• The names could be spelled in many differently
  ways for an example Abdullahi spelled as
  Abdullah, Abdillahi, Cabdillahi or Abdi-llahi.
  The fist part Abd means servant and the second
  part may be one of the ninety nine names or
  attributes of God

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Greetings

• Common verbal greetings include
• Iska Waran (How are you)
• Subah wanaagsan (Good morning)
• Galab wanaagsan (Good afternoon)
• Habeen wanaagsan (Good night)
• Somalis also often use the Arabic-based greeting,
  Assalam Alaikum meaning Peace be upon you

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Gestures

• It is impolite to use the index finger to call
  somebody
• It is impolite to point the sole of one's foot or
  shoe at another
• American 'thumbs up' could be considered by older
  people as obscene
• Moving a finger across your neck indicates 'I
  will cut your neck'
• A swift twist of the open hand and wrist means
  "nothing" or "no
• A thumb under the chin indicates fullness
• Snapping fingers may mean long ago and so on
• Winking at the opposite sex is vulgar

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Role of interpreter

• Introduces self and explains role
• Positions self to facilitate communication
• Accurately and completely relays the message
• Uses the interpretation mode that best enhances
  comprehension
• Reflects the style and vocabulary of the speaker
• Ensures that the interpreter understands the
  message to be transmitted
• Remains neutral
• Identifies and separates personal belief from
  those of the other parties
• Identifies and corrects own mistakes
• Addresses culturally based miscommunication, when
  necessary

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Interpreter Code of Ethics

• Maintains confidentiality
• Interprets accurately and completely
• Maintains impartiality
• Maintains professional distance
• Knows own limits
• Demonstrates professionalism

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Somalis in Minnesota

• Why Minnesota
• Employment opportunities
• Accommodating educational system
• Affordable housing
• Community network
• Early arrivals in 1993
• Current estimate 35,000
• Areas of Concentration Twin Cities, Rochester,
  Faribault, Owatonna, Marshall, St. Cloud, Mankato
• Immigrants consist of all sectors of Somali
  society

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Issues of Concern

• Immigration and greater scrutiny of Muslims
• Intergenerational communication gap
• Financial stability
• Preservation of family unit and values
• Housing
• Employment

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Community Achievements

• Many small businesses
• Over 15 community service organizations
• Media Outlets 5 Television shows, 3 radio
  broadcasts, 3 Newspapers, 2 magazine
• 4 Somali Malls
• Beginning to participate in the political process

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Resources

• Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota
  [phone]
• Dar Al-Hijrah Cultural Center [phone]
• Village Mall, 912 S 24th Street, Minneapolis
• www.IslamicFinder.org
• http//www.rso.cornell.edu/csis/index.html
• http//www.cce.umn.edu/pdfs/DCP/PTI/language_gap.p
  df