Meet Hawo Tako the most badass sub Saharan African female anti colonial figure

[Magan Joseph]

History says quite the opposite caghdeereView attachment 321088

The heavily armed badass loyal isaaq horsemen of the British troops indeed attacked two small Ogaden sub sub clans but never achieved their goals. “White man please give us weapons so we can defend ourselves from this dominant Ogaden clan please white man”

 

[Three Moons]

Pro italian camp didn't have bows or arrows

They most definitely did, there was no standing ‘Italian Army’ or an ‘Italian Colonial Force’ during the 1948 riots. Remember when Italy was a member of the Axis and lost World War II? The pro-Italian camp consisted of remnants of the defeated admin in Mogadishu and those that were previously employed by them like the Dubats, who definitely did carry arrows and swords after their forced disarmament of rifles.

There is also the case of Hassan Barre Tohow, one of the pro-Italians, who throughout the 1950s, 60s, 70s and all the way to his death was considered the ‘killer’ of Xaawo Taako. The suspicion was so bad that even when the political blocs of the South and the North started to merge and blend together as one, he could not advance politically on the democratic ballot or within the communist system because he was seen as radio-active for killing a national heroine.

Now, if the great Xaawo Taako was actually working for the Italians, as you and that amateur Italian blog claim, why then would successive Somali governments and leaders, even before the Kacaan, ostracise Hassan if he indeed killed a pro-Italian?

One thing I do find interesting about the Xaawo Taako discussion is the whereabouts of her family. Where is her father Osman Taako? Was he a humble herder in the Miyi? Did Xaawo go against her parents’ wishes when she joined a super-popular movement like the SYL in the 1940s and was as a result ostracised like other female members of the SYL such as Halima Godane, Barni Warsame and Timiro Ukash?

We are 75 years away from the year Xaawo Taako martyred in Mogadishu but the women groups and institutions that honoured her in the 1950s, 60s and 70s were as close, if not closer, to that event as we are to 9/11. The assumption that she and her heroic story was created from the figment of a dictator’s imagination is laughable. A Nobel nominated author like Nuruddin Farah, who grew up in the era right after her death wouldn’t be pushing the Hassan Barre Tohow theory in his novels if that wasn’t the prevailing theory, nor would the latter’s political career have been dead in the water for someone that wasn’t already considered a heroine long before MSB illegitimately took power, meanwhile Tohow’s generational peers like Aden Adde, Egal, Sharmarke, Ciise all solidified their political legacies.

I get your stand point though, she is a major nationalist symbol of Somalia, and you are against the latter entity, hence you feel its your duty to discredit her. I have seen the same happen with multiple other symbols of Somalia, but it is futile, it really doesn’t matter. These characters, symbols and events have already been cemented in the national psyche through poems, namesake institutions and statues, this cannot be reversed.

This would be like three quarters of Europe’s population lamenting Napoleon’s deity-like status in France, or the Congolese (justifiably so) complaining about Leopold I’s national hero status in Belgium, but like I said it doesn’t matter, jump high or jump low, for the next couple centuries and beyond they would still be immortalised by future generations. The symbol of Xaawo Taako is doing exactly what its supposed do;

 

[Haragwaafi]

They most definitely did, there was no standing ‘Italian Army’ or an ‘Italian Colonial Force’ during the 1948 riots. Remember when Italy was a member of the Axis and lost World War II? The pro-Italian camp consisted of remnants of the defeated admin in Mogadishu and those that were previously employed by them like the Dubats, who definitely did carry arrows and swords after their forced disarmament of rifles.

There is also the case of Hassan Barre Tohow, one of the pro-Italians, who throughout the 1950s, 60s, 70s and all the way to his death was considered the ‘killer’ of Xaawo Taako. The suspicion was so bad that even when the political blocs of the South and the North started to merge and blend together as one, he could not advance politically on the democratic ballot or within the communist system because he was seen as radio-active for killing a national heroine.

Now, if the great Xaawo Taako was actually working for the Italians, as you and that amateur Italian blog claim, why then would successive Somali governments and leaders, even before the Kacaan, ostracise Hassan if he indeed killed a pro-Italian?

One thing I do find interesting about the Xaawo Taako discussion is the whereabouts of her family. Where is her father Osman Taako? Was he a humble herder in the Miyi? Did Xaawo go against her parents’ wishes when she joined a super-popular movement like the SYL in the 1940s and was as a result ostracised like other female members of the SYL such as Halima Godane, Barni Warsame and Timiro Ukash?

We are 75 years away from the year Xaawo Taako martyred in Mogadishu but the women groups and institutions that honoured her in the 1950s, 60s and 70s were as close, if not closer, to that event as we are to 9/11. The assumption that she and her heroic story was created from the figment of a dictator’s imagination is laughable. A Nobel nominated author like Nuruddin Farah, who grew up in the era right after her death wouldn’t be pushing the Hassan Barre Tohow theory in his novels if that wasn’t the prevailing theory, nor would the latter’s political career have been dead in the water for someone that wasn’t already considered a heroine long before MSB illegitimately took power, meanwhile Tohow’s generational peers like Aden Adde, Egal, Sharmarke, Ciise all solidified their political legacies.

I get your stand point though, she is a major nationalist symbol of Somalia, and you are against the latter entity, hence you feel its your duty to discredit her. I have seen the same happen with multiple other symbols of Somalia, but it is futile, it really doesn’t matter. These characters, symbols and events have already been cemented in the national psyche through poems, namesake institutions and statues, this cannot be reversed.

This would be like three quarters of Europe’s population lamenting Napoleon’s deity-like status in France, or the Congolese (justifiably so) complaining about Leopold I’s national hero status in Belgium, but like I said it doesn’t matter, jump high or jump low, for the next couple centuries and beyond they would still be immortalised by future generations. The symbol of Xaawo Taako is doing exactly what its supposed do;

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You still didn't answer the question I asked in here which was why would an Italian praise a "heroin" that was part of anti italian rioters ??

Frankly I don't know who "Hassan Tohow' is or was so why type all this unneeded paragraph with random woman picture

 

[Three Moons]

You still didn't answer the question I asked in here which was why would an Italian praise a "heroin" that was part of anti italian rioters ??

Frankly I don't know who "Hassan Tohow' is or was so why type all this unneeded paragraph with random woman picture

Why would Italians praise Hannibal Barca, the guy that jumped their ancestors with Elephants in Italy? Why would Italians praise Boudica’s resistance against Julius Caesar? Why would Italians praise the short-lived empire of Queen Zenobia? You put too much stock in a random amateur Italian blog making wild claims with zero evidence.

And if you’re not interested in paragraphs and historical figures or their role in historic events, why would you even enter a discussion?

Xaawo Taako is still inspiring modern Somali women, which is why I included those images. An amateur blog is not going to change that fact.

 

[Zak12]

Why would Italians praise Hannibal Barca, the guy that jumped their ancestors with Elephants in Italy? Why would Italians praise Boudica’s resistance against Julius Caesar? Why would Italians praise the short-lived empire of Queen Zenobia? You put too much stock in a random amateur Italian blog making wild claims with zero evidence.

And if you’re not interested in paragraphs and historical figures or their role in historic events, why would you even enter a discussion?

Xaawo Taako is still inspiring modern Somali women, which is why I included those images. An amateur blog is not going to change that fact.

Its not just the Italians. Admiring an enemy who displays bravery or other traits seen as respectable in a culture is common. For example, Saladin, a Muslim nemesis to Europe was praised by Christians for displaying what they deemed to be chivalric values. Likewise Saladin held deep respect to Richard the Lion.

Hell, Somalis were praised plenty of times by colonists even though we were directly fighting them!

There are so many examples

Real Life / Worthy Opponent - TV Tropes

Medieval knights could well be the Trope Codifier, at least in their own minds and their interminable epics and ballads. It helped that ransoms for captured high-class foes were often a valuable source of income, so treating a downed wealthy foe …

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