Why is Arabic one of our official languages?

[jusbrowsin]

we ain't a-rab, we only share islam. Sure it can be taught in schools or what ever but to have it as an official language is ridiculous. Ain't nobody speak that. help me understand why arabic is one of the official languages. Remember the muslim ummah thing is fake (right now, could change inshallah) and everyone is out for themselves. Wallahi we should have nothing to do with them apart from economic ties.

 

[SWorld]

Because Somalia has no leaders with spine but corrupt and weak men.
In Somalia we need to remove Arabic and only promote Somali but unofficially also use English as it is the world's' means of communication.
No one esp the young speak Arabic. Everyone is learning English as their second language.

 

[El Nino]

Tired conversation, anaga muslim aan nahay, afka arabiga wee noo fiicantahay inaan ogoonno. Iswiidiya sawab aanan rabin inuu official ahaato.

 

[El Nino]

Because Somalia has no leaders with spine but corrupt and weak men.
In Somalia we need to remove Arabic and only promote Somali but unofficially also use English as it is the world's' means of communication.
No one esp the young speak Arabic. Everyone is learning English as their second language.

Afka gaalka waala ubaahanyahay laakin afka Quraanka inaan barno mala ubaaxno. Doqomahaan fiiriya.

 

[Shimbiris]

It was used for centuries as the written language of Somalis. Sometimes, like with Far Wadaad, people wrote Somali or a mix of Somali and Arabic using the Arabic script but a lot of the time Arabic was straight up the language of commerce, record keeping and communication. Most historical manuscripts, elite written letters of correspondence and so on we have from the last 300-400 years are in Arabic but written by Somalis. Most of the politicians of the Somali Youth League could speak Arabic and write in Arabic and frequently read Arab newspapers. It was sort of the medieval Latin in Western Europe of our culture. Very much a second language if you were a merchant, judge, ruler or any sort of traveled and learned man. Somalis are also a deeply religious and proudly so lot and given Arabic's inseparable connection to Islam that only helped seal why our founders would want to enshrine the language.

 

[Killamenace78]

we ain't a-rab, we only share islam. Sure it can be taught in schools or what ever but to have it as an official language is ridiculous. Ain't nobody speak that. help me understand why arabic is one of the official languages. Remember the muslim ummah thing is fake (right now, could change inshallah) and everyone is out for themselves. Wallahi we should have nothing to do with them apart from economic ties.

We need to remove Arabic and add English as an official language

 

[jusbrowsin]

Tired conversation, anaga muslim aan nahay, afka arabiga wee noo fiicantahay inaan ogoonno. Iswiidiya sawab aanan rabin inuu official ahaato.

Who is against knowing arabic? I'm against it being the official for the following reasons:

The langauge we speak the majority of the time is Somali
The official language should reflect the ethnicity of the country where it can be done (north to south we speak somali, we're not like nigeria with thousands of different tribes and languages thus having to adopt English)
Too much association with A-rabs. (They are not our allies)

As I said, I don't mind Arabic being taught in schools and so fourth but having a language the majority of the people don't speak as one of the official languages is just plain stupid.

 

[jusbrowsin]

We need to remove Arabic and add English as an official language

even more stupid, only somali should be there

 

[jusbrowsin]

Afka gaalka waala ubaahanyahay laakin afka Quraanka inaan barno mala ubaaxno. Doqomahaan fiiriya.

Why are you making assumptions where did he indicate that learning arabic is not wanted and English is? Do you struggle with reading comprehension?

I have no issues with arabic being in the syllabus and being taught in Somalia, my issue is it being an official language.

 

[Sigmundd]

Arabic is a blessed language. The Quran is the eternal words of Allah which is in Arabic. I hold the language in very high respect. Its a shame majority of Somalis back home can't speak or understand Arabic. It should be mandatory to teach Arabic all throughout school years. Don't buy into Arabic being an official language when no one can actually speak it.

 

[Garsoore]

We need to remove Arabic and add English as an official language

I'm suprised English isn't one. Why remove Arabic anyway? Like what do you gain? The religious establishment will be furious and in their minds see it as an attempt to secularize the state. Islamic studies is part of every school's curriculum and to learn it you need to know Arabic. The two subjects go hand in hand. Arabic is here to stay

 

[Riftvalley]

Since the two neighbouring countries have a defensive war pact against Somalia, it was a no brainier for Somalia to join the Arab league (which requires having Arabic as a main language). Countries like were Egypt were important allies of Somali nationalist movements. A more stable Somalia would definitely benefit from membership of the Arab league.


As I have previously written on here, African wadaads were actually pioneers of preserving their native tongues even though they were writing in Arabic or Ajami African Arabic. The reason for this is because Tafsir in language such as Somali requires translating/interpreting word for word in Somali so that native people can understand every Quranic sentence. Sayid Muhammad Abdullah Hassan wrote his letters in Arabic and yet at the same time he was a master of poetry in the Somali language.




This cultural tension whereby having Arabic as a main official language somehow diminishes Somali culture or language is hard to fathom. There are no empirical evidences to support such a claim.

 

[Riftvalley]

It was used for centuries as the written language of Somalis. Sometimes, like with Far Wadaad, people wrote Somali or a mix of Somali and Arabic using the Arabic script but a lot of the time Arabic was straight up the language of commerce, record keeping and communication. Most historical manuscripts, elite written letters of correspondence and so on we have from the last 300-400 years are in Arabic but written by Somalis. Most of the politicians of the Somali Youth League could speak Arabic and write in Arabic and frequently read Arab newspapers. It was sort of the medieval Latin in Western Europe of our culture. Very much a second language if you were a merchant, judge, ruler or any sort of traveled and learned man. Somalis are also a deeply religious and proudly so lot and given Arabic's inseparable connection to Islam that only helped seal why our founders would want to enshrine the language.

The heavyweight Somali politicians of the past spoke excellent Somali, Arabic and English. Now days you see Somali politicians talking like this: “arinta debate laga keenay waxa principleska motionka marka ”

 

[Shimbiris]

The heavyweight Somali politicians of the past spoke excellent Somali, Arabic and English. Now days you see Somali politicians talking like this: “arinta debate laga keenay waxa principleska motionka marka ”

Even Siyaad Barre, military brute that he was, was surprisingly eloquent, despite the accent, when he spoke during interviews:



We've devolved as a culture.

I'm suprised English isn't one. Why remove Arabic anyway? Like what do you gain? The religious establishment will be furious and in their minds see it as an attempt to secularize the state. Islamic studies is part of every school's curriculum and to learn it you need to know Arabic. The two subjects go hand in hand. Arabic is here to stay

These youngins don't think straight. Even if you are a gaalized individual with a secular slant if you care about the stability and future of Somalia and Somali inhabited regions antagonizing the deen is simply idiotic. As you say, you will anger the religious establishment and a great segment of the shacab who take their deen seriously and just stoke rebellion and instability of some kind. Just focus on infrastructure, education, economic growth and prosperity and let people decide what they want to believe and do with their lives. I am not a fan of tyranny on either side of the spectrum and find pompous irreligious types who want to force secularism insufferable.

 

[محمود فارح]

The heavyweight Somali politicians of the past spoke excellent Somali, Arabic and English. Now days you see Somali politicians talking like this: “arinta debate laga keenay waxa principleska motionka marka ”

You ask a lot of truck and taxi drivers.
شتان مابين الثرى والثريا

 

[Riftvalley]

Even Siyaad Barre, military brute that he was, was surprisingly eloquent, despite the accent, when he spoke during interviews:



We've devolved as a culture.

Many old Somali polticians spent some time in the baadiya. They were naturally acquainted with Somali phrases and poetry. When you add a western education/language to this as well Arabic to this as well, they appear as as sophisticated folks.

There is also probably an element of psychology to it as well. Old school Somali politicians were more fierce and outspoken. When I watch some clips of current Somali politicians speak to white media and organisations I cant help but detect a level of shame and servitude in their demeanour, a product of a failed state/society.

 

[Almis]

so you're fine with English but want to remove Arabic? whats with inferiority complex yall suffering from? our forefathers used af wadaad for centuries and were more somali than you ever going to be. Orod so baro afsoomaaliga hadi somalinimo dhab ka tahay.

 

[wonyluvr]

We are in the Arab league that’s it

 

[Shimbiris]

Segment of Sultan Farah Guled of the Isaaqs letter to Sultan Saqr of the Qassimis of the UAE in the 1820s:

Segment of a Majeerteen Sultan's treaty letter to a ruler in Yemen from the 1870s:

Segment of manuscripts by a Leelkase Qadi from either 1694 or 1727:

Segment of a letter by Sayyid Mohammad Abdullah Hassan from 1905:

An account of Xamar's 1331 "Barbara" (Somali) Sultan:

The sultan of Mogadishu was Abu Bakr ibn Shaikh Umar. He was Barbara and spoke the local language of Mogadishu, but he also knew Arabic. Battuta was introduced to the Sultan by the “qadi” Ibn al-Burhãn, an Egyptian. After sending a message via a student to the Sultan, the student returned with a plate containing betel leaves and areca nuts, and a sprinkler that contained Damascas rose water.

Can't find the quote now but Battuta also noted him at one point sending letters that were ostensibly in Arabic.

An example of Far Wadaad in use in 1933:



Arabic is part of our heritage, walaal.

 

[Doctorabdi]

Segment of Sultan Farah Guled of the Isaaqs letter to Sultan Saqr of the Qassimis of the UAE in the 1820s:

Segment of a Majeerteen Sultan's treaty letter to a ruler in Yemen from the 1870s:

Segment of manuscripts by a Leelkase Qadi from either 1694 or 1727:

Segment of a letter by Sayyid Mohammad Abdullah Hassan from 1905:

An account of Xamar's 1331 "Barbara" (Somali) Sultan:



Can't find the quote now but Battuta also noted him at one point sending letters that were ostensibly in Arabic.

An example of Far Wadaad in use in 1933:



Arabic is part of our heritage, walaal.

Historically, this is the same with muslim western africa such as timbuktu which used arabic manuscripts. Argubly it isn't a specific thing to somalis, but it also applies to a lot of muslim countries.