Challenge to all Somalispot contributors

[Saahid Qamaan]

I want to post a challenge to all the contributors on here. We Somalis are of clans, sub-clans etc. Everyone of us has a Abtirsi a long paternal chronological line of forefathers. Many of us know this off heart and are proud.

Of course knowing your clan can be beneficial when it is used to help and networking to make positive change. It can also be used to galvinise or broaden conflicts when people side with their own kin for the wrong reason and to start conflict.

I thought to myself what happened to the maternal line? If we had a maternal abtirsi with the paternal one would it increase the already existing lines of conflict, competition between clans or help water it down?

The challenge is how far can you count or how many of your maternal line do you know?

Unless you are from a illustrious family can you name your grandfathers grandmother name? How far can you go and how many grandmothers do you really know? Can we even name or recall one grandmother who lived 70 years ago a great great great grandmother? There are famous grandmothers on subclan level as some subclans are named after their mothers. Other clans know the local woman or her clan their clan patriarch married to and trace their 'somalinimo' from that.

 

[Bohol]

I can name my great grandmother but after that it gets blurry.

 

[merka]

I completely agree.

Notice how the peaceful areas of Somalia consist of clans named after a habar

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

True indeed I find this blurriness disheartining we don't know anything. I know on my fathers side my grandfathers grandmothers clan but I do not have a name. I also know the clan of my mothers fathers mother clan and my mothers maternal sides grandfathers mother name and clan but after that its mute and faded. Maybe a new social engineering and duversion to the maternal side can make Somalis get rid of some of the negative aspects of the paternal abtirsi?

 

[Somali Legend]

Alphonso Abdi I
Alphonso Abdi II
Alphonso Abdi III

And then i'm:

Alphonso Abdi IV

 

[Duchess]

I know their clans, but not their names.

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

If we had a maternal line maybe there would be less conflicts and rivalry hetween communities and clans that share territory like Togdheer and Mudug. I am also calling on a researcher or historian who can highlight how arabs and jews over came theur rivalries. I am aware that majority of jews are of khazar origin meaning they were converted rather belonging to the clans of Israel. But how did the jewish shiftbto the maternal line diffuse interclan rivalry? I know Somalis are not related in the sense if sharing common ancestory but I found on the maternal level connection is what keeps the spirit of 'somalinimo' alive.

 

[anonymous34]

Ha! I know my maternal side equally

Hawiye Hanoolaaato

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

Duchese that is a sad state of affairs how do we not remember their names? I believe a shift and new trend of introduction of recording of a maternal line could help Somalis alieviate some of the rivalries between clans but are Somalis brave and forward looking enough?

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

Anonymous is not the maternal side only we don't know the namenof the women on the paternal side. I for example don't know my grandfathers grandfather wifes name I know what clan she was though bit scarce don't you think so?

 

[Duchess]

Duchese that is a sad state of affairs how do we not remember their names? I believe a shift and new trend of introduction of recording of a maternal line could help Somalis alieviate some of the rivalries between clans but are Somalis brave and forward looking enough?

But what difference would just knowing their names make? It's like knowing your great-grandfathers name was Abdi but not having further information such as his place of birth and clan. I know where my great-grandmothers were born and their clans. That's good enough for me.

 

[Leo]

Sorry mate we are patriarch society, I would be lying if I said I knew my great grandmothers passed my immediate grandparents.

 

[Gambar]

I completely agree.

Notice how the peaceful areas of Somalia consist of clans named after a habar

Allah been badaana.

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

Well the difference that you could attribute and find common ground the same with the paternal line. Women unlike men have the gift of bringing two clans and families together. Most Somalis lived in clan bonds and can be traced in their settlements recent migration. There tombs, historical places and narration of stories like the abtirsi itself. I know the tree where my 6th grandfather was murdered because my clan lived their for most of their time as story goes their arrival point and the place now where they live isn't that afar distance wise.

My thought is if jews and arabs can through social construct can change focus to their maternal lines or find common ground there would be less rivalry and conflict. Right now Somalis do not trust one another and unless there is a change or shift from the paternal line there will be no common ground only competition and fighting.

 

[Saahid Qamaan]

Leo, we as Somalis will not have a middle ground. We already share language, colour and religion but the elephant in room will be not addressed. We will not forge an identity as our rivalries and score settling will not have a abrupt in the near future.

 

[Foreman]

Allah been badaana.

Puntland falls under Habar Majertiin sphere of influence.:siilaanyolaugh:
Habar Gider being the black sheep staining our good name.

 

[Gambar]

Puntland falls under Habar Majertiin sphere of influence.:siilaanyolaugh:
Habar Gider being the black sheep staining our good name.

That's not how it works!

 

[Soulei]

My maternal line (on my mom's side) would trace back to Madagascar so... But I do know what my grandfather's mother's name was (on my mom's side) and her clan. Don't really know too much about my great-grandmothers on my dad's side. It would be nice to know who our female ancestors were though.

 

[Striker]

I've forgotten my moms abtirisi but I use to know it before. Both my parents are dhulbahante

 

[Foreman]

That's not how it works!

Why else would Warsangali join PL. They share the same mother.