As years progress, the nature of bureaucracy and the workforce that surround them either undergo transformation or may remain stagnated depending on the effectiveness of the leadership empowered to implement strategic planning initiatives. Popular leaders of the past viewed American government bureaucracy from a different perspective.
In the era of Wilson, there was constant competition among groups competing for scarce resources. On the other hand, there were the political spoilers who took advantage of the patronage politics that was rampant in the infant American democracy. Wilson complained bitterly about the massive influx of European immigrants flooding the country.
Currently, according to Governing (2018), when postal services workers are excluded, approximately 2 million serve as full-time federal government employees. This is a large force that needs to be handled with prudence. To overcome tensions in the nation’s superfluous bureaucracy and keep a lid over future racial altercations, the best method would be to create a harmonious balanced bureaucracy drawn from people of walks of life. To be surrounded by ‘gentlemen’ as was during the reign of Washington can be a recipe for disaster in modern American politics. Washington believed in the use politics to select the best candidates to run the affairs of his government.
To ensure citizen safety and protection, agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) among others, should be run by the best of the best. Selecting personnel should be based on merit and not on political inclination and favoritism. One factor that seems to be the cause of the problems associated with public personnel administration is related to shifting policies and alliances. Diminishing political participation result from the lack of national political coherence and meddling by greedy bureaucrats, lobbyists, and industrial magnates driven by the urge to either climb the ladder of success or cause political disunity and entanglement.
Rosenbloom (2009) feels the term “merit” to be a misnomer. The examination factor used to generate the best public service personnel demonstrated that it was a means to marginalizing select communities like Latinos and African-Americans whose representation in the workforce was limited. In essence, the merit factor was a handicap to equal employment. To ensure American public service personnel stay up to the task, the laws and regulations that call for equal pay for all citizens regardless of age, creed, color, national origin, political and religious affiliation, sex and gender should be enforced.
Rosenbloom, D.R., Kravchuk, R.S., & Clerkin, R, M. (2008). Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector. New York: McGraw-Hill
Friday, December 14, 2018
At the invitation of Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi between May and June of 1990, Sultan Deghow Sambulmet with several African opposition figures. Among them was Charles Taylor of Liberia. The Sultan lived in the same residence with Charles Taylor in Tripoli. According to the Sultan, Nelson Mandela had earlier departed Libya after being hosted by Qaddafi. Also, the Sultan met a delegation from Gibraltar known to the Arabs as Jabal Tariq before jetting off for London to met with a world renown African literary doyen who is a novelist, and as well a professor.
Authoritarian Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, the man who wanted to crown himself the Shahanshah of the African Continent, had African opposition guests from almost every African nation engulfed in political upheavals. The amalgamation of opposition warlords hosted by Qaddafi–a man who wielded tremendous power over the Black Race in the African Continent, was at peace with himself and his oil-rich nation. Qaddafi had monetary clout, black gold, and material and moral support for any African struggling to overcome oppression by dictators back home.
Qaddafi embraced the ancient political ideas and military tactics of Hannibal–the ancient Carthaginian General who waged war against the Roman Republic in the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) using a strong dedicated army and a herd or parade of domesticated elephants. However, after fifteen years of dominating the Roman territories excepting Rome, Qaddafi's Mentor and General Hannibal was decisively defeated by the Romans through the application of the Fabian Strategy–a psychological military strategy and warfare where forces avoid frontal assaults (direct or face-to-face contact) and pitched battles (disengagement over fighting location and time). Hannibal has been quoted to have said regarding his scuffles with the Romans:
“I am not carrying on a war of extermination against the Romans. I am contending for honor and empire. My Ancestors yielded to Roman valour. I am endeavouring that others, in their turn, will be obliged to yield to my good fortune, and my valour.”
Hannibal is historically regarded to have been in par with Scipio Africanus, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great and his father Philip of Macedon in terms of military prowess, even though Hannibal and Scipio shared virtus–a composition of courage, manliness, and excellence of character and courage. As if following the footsteps of his much-adored Ancient Carthaginian Hannibal, Qaddafi named his fifth son Hannibal Muammar Qaddafi. Young Hannibal Qaddafi joined the Libyan Navy, majored in Marine Navigation in his baccalaureate degree and eventually rose to the rank of Chief Officer and Master Mariner. A child of Hannibal Qaddafi whose name was Carthage (b. 2 August 2008) died 30 April 2013 after a raid on their family-owned compound.
NB: This is an excerpt from my upcoming book.
Hello Brothers and Sisters and Friends,
When any of my Facebook contacts is affected by a problem, I do get sad and turn to my Lord to ease that problem. Your ideology, religion, philosophy, color, race, creed, gender and sex, national origin, and religious and political affiliation does not matter to me. When you make progress of any kind, it places a smile on my face.
When Faisal Roble was awarded a Medal of Honor by the City of Los Angeles, I was ecstatically happy. When Stig Jarle Hansen reported that he was now a full Professor, I got thrilled though I felt grief-stricken when his dad passed on. The professor har kjærlighet til somalier and that's why I admire his research papers. When Hassan Abukar, Hamse Warfa, Mohamoud Gaildon, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, and others authored books, I was overjoyed. The latest injection was Mohamed Gaas publication of his new book that rocketed me to cloud nine. I learned Professor Stig Jarle Hansen through Mohamed Gaas, PhD.
When Ali Sheikh, though younger than me in age but according to cultural norms is my grandfather, reverberates in international radios analyzing Horn Africa politics, I'm taken aback to the days of Herodotus and Thucydides, two Greco-Romans who set the stage for the oral history we cherish to this day. Another down-to-earth moderno fashionista and broadcaster is Jamal Ahmed Osman of the Voice of America - VOA Somali Service whose voice appeals to millions of audiences around the world. Hopefully, I'll approach him one day for a few "who died", 'Huudheey' or simply 'used clothes' to get rid of my tatterdemalion regalia.
I like Abddelkarim Hassan when he releases unexpected up to date news and analysis and how Minister Ahmed Hassan continuously shares with us poetic selections by tough and eloquent Somalis of the past and present. Diamond Bande is a great writer and a crowd puller whose writings are devoured by hundreds.
I hate to read or see my Facebook friends hurl expletives at each other because such exchanges hurt my inner soul.
Anyway, let me end up angry since half of what I was writing disappeared into thin air after I forgot to save it. Facebook must introduce automatic saving to help contributors to social media stay on course.
Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry
Sometimes called Emojis or Emoticons, the characters above are all electronic facial expressions and at times are referred to as Smileys. While 'Like' towers above the rest, followed by 'Love', 'Angry' remains at the lowest ebb because it is an act of foaming at the mouth, being pissed off, on the warpath or exasperated, antagonistic, and aggravated.
Since Love is an affair related to the heart, many friends avoid clicking it since it is a show of intimacy, passion, and amour. Though rarely used, the study of Love is called erotology. Since friendship between two contacts could grow into a love affair, only those with confidence have the tendency to give it a click.
Haha is simply laughter or jubilation ,or exclamation of a statement. Wow could mean astonishment or consternation while being Sad implies being sorrowful and disconsolate. You would feel sad at the death of a friend or relative, poor academic performance, or anything below your expectations.
Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry
Sometimes called Emojis or Emoticons, the characters above are all electronic facial expressions and at times are referred to as Smileys. While 'Like' towers above the rest, followed by 'Love', 'Angry' remains at the lowest ebb because it is an act of foaming at the mouth, being pissed off, on the warpath or exasperated, antagonistic, and aggravated.
Since Love is an affair related to the heart, many friends avoid clicking it since it is a show of intimacy, passion, and amour. Though rarely used, the study of Love is called erotology. Since friendship between two contacts could grow into a love affair, only those with confidence have the tendency to give it a click.
Haha is simply laughter or jubilation ,or exclamation of a statement. Wow could mean astonishment or consternation while being Sad implies being sorrowful and disconsolate. You would feel sad at the death of a friend or relative, poor academic performance, or anything below your expectations.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the current ruling Emir of Qatar who took over after the abdication of his father Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 2013 and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920–75) who was the founder and President of Bangladesh and later Prime Minister until his assassination in 1975, are the only two male Muslim leaders to hold the religious title of Sheikh.
However, the current 71-year-old leader of Bangladesh whose name is Sheikh Hasina is a female. Daughter of the late President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a look at her family tree chart reveals the title Sheikh is common among females in her family.
In Arabic, the term Sheikh or Shaikh means elder, chief, or old man as in Sural Al-Qasas (28:23): وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِي حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ - 28:23 SAHIH INTERNATIONAL And when he came to the well of Madyan, he found there a crowd of people watering [their flocks], and he found aside from them two women driving back [their flocks]. He said, "What is your circumstance?" They said, "We do not water until the shepherds dispatch [their flocks]; and our father is an old man."
Kiswahili 23. Alipo yafikia maji ya Madyana wanapo nyweshea maji alikuta karibu na kisima kundi la watu wengi mbali mbali wanawanywesha wanyama wao wa mifugo. Na pahali pa chini kuliko hapo pao akawakuta wanawake wawili wanawazuia kunywa maji kondoo na mbuzi wao. Musa akawaambia: Mbona mko mbali na maji? Wakajibu: Hatuwezi kusukumana, na wala hatunyweshi sisi mpaka hawa wachunga wamalize wao kunywesha. Na baba yetu ni mkongwe, hawezi kuchunga wala kunywesha wanyama.
Af-Soomaali Markuu Gaadhay Biyaha Madyanna wuxuu ku Helay Ummad Dad ahoo Waraabinaysa wuxuuna ka helay Sokodooda Labo Haweena oo Reebi (Adhigooda) wuxuuna yidhi muxuu Xaalkiinu yahay, waxayna Dheheen Ma Waraabinno intay ka Fulaan Xoola jirku, Aabbahanana waa Oday Wayn.
Malfado: renowned afaan Boran Musicologist
The best entertainer of the Borana and Oromo ethnic groups in the olden days was the famous dramaturgist, vocalist, and guitarist Malfado who spoke both Borana and Somali tongues.
Malfado was a social man who made many friends regardless of his comrades' ethnicity. With his slim features, smart character, and refined behavioral mannerisms, Malfado was the only recognizable musician among Somalis and Boranas in Kenya in his heydays.
In 1983 in Maqdi Shah, Malfado and his wife were our honorable guests at our residence in the famous Hawlwadaag Suburb.
May Allaah admit him to Jannatul Firdows. He passed away after retiring from music and other entertainments altogether.
Was Malfado a Borana or Ajuran? Yes, he was Ajuran.
MY AMHARIC AND ERITREAN FRIENDS
I had two friends. One was Amhara whose name was Jonathan and the other an Eritrean, and his name was Girma. They spoke the same language, had identical features, and shared the same cultural traits. Girma, the Eritrean, hated Jonathan so much that given the chance, he would have killed him. But I was always there between them as a peacemaker, a trusted friend, and practicing Muslim who stood by the Islamic values of peace and submission to Allaah, The Only Creator.
By then, I was young man with a Herculean-built body physique, energetic and consistently on guard in case the antagonists broke into fist fights. I treated them as equals. Besides the two, was a Nigerian friend. His name was Harvey. He was enrolled in university majoring in computer sciences. While Girma and Harvey shared a room, Jonathan and I lived with Amharic friends. Since most Ethiopians were Orthodox Christians, Sunday was a day of rejoicing and feasting, with Ethiopian Injera served to the fullest. They would later on listen to sermons by their Oromo priest.
The thirty years of brutal war between Ethiopia and the Eritreans was the cause of the enmity and hate between my two Christian friends. The animosity between my friends demands historical reflection. It started with the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-1936 that prepared the way for World War II and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations to intervene. A border dispute between Ethiopia and Italian-Somaliland was the precursor for this altercation. Under the command of Generals Pietro Badoglio and Radolfo Graziani, the poorly-equipped Ethiopians were pushed without resistance from the heavily-armed forces of Fascist Benito Mussolini.
While my friends harbored internal grudges of the past, there was one thing they did not know: Past and present Ethiopian kingdoms and regimes brutally mistreated fellow Somalis in Ethiopia. The succession of kingdoms and dictatorial regimes that held sway over the Horn of Africa in the Medieval Ages to the present day, inflicted harm of the greatest magnitude to Somalis beyond human comprehension.
Going by the old adage, "never argue with a fool, people may not notice the difference", I kept aloof from raising issues that could enrage them and instead turn on me. Had that happened, I would have gone ballistic and pulverized their limbs and without an iota of doubt reducing them to diga iyo dambas. In the end, I would have frogmarched them to the nearest police station so they could be arraigned in court, convicted and sent to the Alembeka of the host nation.
Eritrea, though claiming independence from Ethiopia in 1991, viewed Ethiopia with much suspicion. As a keen follower of global events, the skirmishes at Badme and Zalambessa and the concerted aerial bombing by the mighty Ethiopian jet fighters rung in my ears years later. By the time my friends were squabbling, Somalia was a bleeding mess resulting from a scandalous, well-orchestrated scheme engineered by the two cousins that headed their nations: Deceased Meles Zenawi and Issaias Afewerki-two dreaded criminals who were hosts of Somalia's fallen government for many years before taking the helm.
I had learned a lot about the history of Ethiopia before meeting these two friends. Formerly Abyssinia, or the 'Land of the Habasha', Ethiopia meant a lot to me because I'm not the kind that hate people because of their race, religion, creed, color, sex, gender, national origin or political affiliation. Under the command of the Najashi or Negus, Muslims fleeing persecution from the Meccan idol worshiping Qureishites at the time of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and the Blessings of Allaah Be Upon Him) were given protection.
Neither Girma nor Jonathan were representative of Meles Zenawi and Issaias Afewerki. They were simply men with differing ideological foundations. Perhaps, my absence would have yielded a calamity. I believe my presence was necessary.
In 1983, I was an employee of the Jalalaqsi Reforestation Project (JRP) as a Social Science Field Assistant working under an American Social Scientist, Ralph Ted Field, who is now an accomplished scholar in a highly regarded university. It was at that time, that I made a list of the trees that grew along the banks of the Shebelli River and the plant species we planted to overcome deforestation.
Before the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Somali region of Ethiopia, after the Ogaden War of 1977/78, Jalalaqsi and its surroundings enjoyed lush green vegetation and various fauna and flora that created a beautiful scenery.The newly-arrived refugees denuded the soil of its vital nutrients by cutting down trees for construction, for fodder, and for firewood.
Around Jalalaqsi, a creeping sand dune was wrecking havoc and causing blinding sandstorms especially during the windy seasons. The organization that was contracted to do the work was Africare Incorporated. Its headquarter is Washington, D.C. It was a contract agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Wasaaradda Dhirta iyo Daaqa (Somali Ministry of Forestry and Rangelands).
1.What role does the individual play
in the fight against poverty?
Poverty has been a
problem to human lives for so many years. Some factors of poverty are
human-made while others are not. There aretwo
kinds of poverty: deserved poverty and non-deserved poverty (Hartford, 2013).
Hartford, the writer of “Roots of Poverty” says, “The deserving poor include
orphans, accident victims, those with a debilitating illness, etc. for whom we
should provide some ameliorative charity.”
The least thing you can
do to curb poverty is not you to be a burden to society. Instead, you haveto strive towork harder.Just depending on someone else, due to
laziness, alcoholism and drug abuse can cause you to be a poor person. In that
circumstance, the person falls into the category of the undeserving poverty. In
other words, if the person works hard, he/she can become a self-sufficient
person.
2.How do different social variables (e.g.,
race, class, and gender) impact poverty rates?
Discrimination and
oppression against some races, religion or gender play a pivotal role in
creating poverty in the society.
According to T.J. Sullivan(2016),
"after the abolition of slavery, for example, African Americans
experienced decades of severe oppression during which it was difficult for
black families to advance from poverty." This, however, shows that some formof poverty in society is human-made and can be
overcome with struggle and support from the whole community, regardless of
race, gender, and ethnicity.
This letter is to raise the issue of drug and
alcohol abuse among our society which has been a social problem for a long
time. In modern societies, drug and alcohol abuse have become very common, such
that it has become an epidemic that affects the community as a whole. It all
starts when the person uses overdose drugs or consumes a lot of alcohol every
day. If measures are not put in place, it could cause a lot of health problems.
There are many factors that influence people in the drug and
alcohol abuse. These factors include the biological make-up of the person
(genetics), conditions at home, school or neighborhood influences and a
person's developmental stage (CDC, 2017).Also, the environment can be a major factor in influencing drug and
alcohol abuse. For example, if the child grows up in an environment where elderly
people have no limits in using drugs and alcohol, then the child can see this
as a normal thing and start using it. Many people believe that stress,
depression, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, accidents, natural disasters,
and terrorism are also major factors that contribute to alcohol and drug abuse.
These events can leave marks in their mind, and in time, people who are exposed
to issues like this might be tempted to soothe their distress by leaning to
addictive drugs (Futures).
Many of these problems can be handled and eliminated if the
adequate procedures are followed. These problems can lead to the person to
suffer severe conditions including serious illnesses like HIV/AIDS and
sometimes, deaths. Drinking alcohol, particularly binge drinking, and using
drugs like methamphetamine or cocaine can alter the abuser’s judgment, lower inhibitions,
and impair decisions about sex or other drug use (HIV.gov, 2017). This social
problem is also preventable.
There have been a lot of unsuccessful attempts to curb these
social problems. In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism
an illness that can, and should, be treated within the medical profession, and
in 1989, it declared addiction involving other drugs, including nicotine, to be
a disease (Kean, 2013). According to Kean, the root of the problem is twofold.
First, most medical professionals who are being sought out to provide treatment
are not sufficiently trained or experienced to diagnose or treat addiction. That
was the leading cause of the failure of this attempt.
To curb this problem, the
medical professionals should have been given the resources they wanted and
should have been well equipped. Embarking on such actions could have made their
medical attempts successful. Meanwhile, there are other successful attempts that
can reduce drug and alcohol abuse. Criminal justice can have a significant
impact in reducing illicit drug and alcohol abuse. Law enforcement initiatives
addressing substance abuse and related crime are now working more intimately
with communities to solve local problems (DOJ, 2000). In other words, the law
enforcement can play significant role in combating the drug and alcohol abuse
.
In some cultures and religions, drugs and alcohol are prohibited,
and if people are found using them, they can be disconnected from the rest of
society. That can lead the person to be isolated and commit other bad things,
including crimes. In some traditions, some people assume drinking alcohol is
also addiction, while the fact is different. People with such mindset do not
know more about the ramifications of alcohol abuse. To them, whoever drinks
liquor or other types of alcoholic beverages, could end up an addict. It is a
typical stereotype of a distinct society.
This is an epidemic and is costing us financially and
physically. My personal assumption is that people who use any overdose of drug
and alcohol lag behind other people in many social aspects. When someone gets
addicted to drugs/alcohol, he/she will end up being ineffective. The end result
will be negative contribution to society.
To deal with this stereotype, I’d suggest people should be
educated and get the awareness they deserve. They also should know this is a
social problem. For example, if people are educated about this social problem,
that can reduce the rate of the drug and alcohol abusers.
To prevent this epidemic, I would suggest that there must be
a full drug and alcohol abuse awareness to the public. This can be advertised
on TVs, and the other media outlets since many of us use the social media which
can be used to give awareness to the public. Since prevention is better than
cure, strategies must be implemented to overcome the menace of drug and alcohol
abuse. To those already addicted to drug and alcohol abuse, they can be given
proper rehabilitation. This can be lessons about the bad behaviors, its causes,
and the way out. These people must also be shown there is another right path
that they can rebuild their lives. To do ensure that procedure materializes,
there must be financial assistance involved. Therefore, my organization is requesting
if there are any available financial resources to curtail this overwhelming
epidemic.
For a long time,
America has been describe by the media and researchers as a “Consumer
Republic” mainly due to society’s massive consumption that catapulted after
World War II. To overcome the horrors of
the Great Depression in the 1930s and rejuvenate the economy, the US Government
embarked on tremendous efforts to encourage society to consume more by boosting
industrial production (Cohen, 2004). According to Cohen, beginning 1965, the
government initiated a program that gave preference to Veteran soldiers low
mortgage rates. Male Veterans benefited more than their fellow women veterans,
whites were given preferential treatment over blacks, while those in the
middle-class status enjoyed better purchasing opportunities than the
working-class. This unparalleled inequitable distribution of housing created
social division by elevating one group of law abiding citizens over others.
While it is
worth privatizing the housing industry, the absence of government involvement
could set-off protracted inefficiency and inequity (Rosen, 1985). Efficiency
implies better infrastructure that meets the required habitable standards while
equity is relevant to fairness of land allocation among the diverse races that
create communities in urban and suburban areas. Excluding the government in the
housing market could be a harbinger for uncontrolled mortgage rates, racial
divide, marginalization of the disadvantaged, and higher rental rates imposed
by landowners or the banking industry that is the major financier of the
American housing industry.
Since the United
States is a nation of immigrants and one committed to alleviating poverty, the
Subsidized Housing or the Section 8 Voucher Program that was initiated by the Housing and Community Development Act of
1974 (US Senate 1974) has benefited millions of families especially the
low-income and newly-arriving refugees from war-torn countries. Philanthropic
and religious organizations took the mantle to prepare low-income housing for
the millions of refugees and their families streaming into the country on a
given time frame.
The Subsidized
Housing and Section 8 Program substantially benefited many private housing
developers. However, not every Section 8 Voucher holder got the type of
dwelling befitting their preferences since whites became Suburbanites while the
low-income fell under the Urban category. This systematic development ushered
in racial subjugation and the lack of human integration. The concept of
equality and equitable distribution of housing turned out unattainable.
Government laxity to control privatization of housing could be blamed on such
disparities among the heterogeneous communities that make greater America.
Without
government regulatory constraints or involvement in the development of the
private housing sector, private housing enterprises could set forth a recipe
for busts and booms in a business that could eventually collapse due to
inceasingly unnecessary supplies in the construction industry as happened in
the 2001 bubble in IT bubble (Huang & Tang, 2012). While privatization of
the housing market is vital as placing a cap on it would be tantamount to
authoritarianism, underdevelopment, and a prescription for market failure, on
the other hand, without government regulations, there could be unanticipated
disasters such as overcrowding, landgrabbing, inhabitable infrastructure,
discrimination, and other factors beyond human control.
References
Cohen, L. (2004). A consumers' republic: The
politics of mass consumption in postwar America. Journal of Consumer
Research, 31(1), 236-239.
Huang, H., & Tang, Y. (2012). Residential
land use regulation and the US housing price cycle between 2000 and 2009. Journal
of Urban Economics, 71(1), 93-99.
Rosen, H. S. (1985). Housing subsidies: Effects
on housing decisions, efficiency, and equity. In Handbook of public
economics (Vol. 1, pp. 375-420). Elsevier.
The Rendille, as noted by William A. Chanler, who later on became a Member of the U.S. House of Representative from New York’s 14th District after completing a three-year stint in East Africa, described their physical characteristics as tall, slender, and soft-haired with reddish-brown complexion and narrow facial features. Physically peculiar in context, the man who would later on turn to become a novelist and anti-Semite, noticed that the Rendille had blue eyes. Such peculiarities were later on noted by Augustus Henry Keane in 1900, John Scott Keltie in 1904 and John Henry Patterson (1909). https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=w8dLGLalrLI&u=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7vWRBAyM9AE%26feature%3Dshare
Between 1915 and 1918, according to the East African Protectorate (EAP) colonial administrators’ perspectives , the Aulihan had been waging sacrilegious wars against the British and the Samburu. Under the command of Abdulrahman Mursal of the Wafate subclan–a man who vowed to turn a blind eye to any form of British sovereignty in his area of jurisdiction–finally, in 1916, succeeded in killing the Colonial District Commissioner (DC), Lieutenant Francis Elliot, at Serenli–a small settlement known to Somalis as Sarinley that is close to the current Somali border town of Bardere–named either after the towering Hyphaena compresaa or Commelina sp. trees that are common in that area. According to Sultan Deghow, almost all of Abdirahman Mursal’s fighters were from his clan and that there were no other Somali clans involved in his battles with the locals and the colonial administration. To many Somalis, Abdirahman Mursal was neither a criminal nor a cattle rustler, but a valiant fighter who was against any form of foreign influence especially Britain’s overwhelmingly unprecedented subjugation of his people. His hatred for foreign domination remains in record when he proclaimed as an oath of defiance, “By Allah, I will not be a slave to the Government.”
He was a man of unique character and among the best in terms of dress and fashion. A resident of Garissa, Adan had three brothers namely Sigat Bulhan, Dagane Bulhan, and Hakar Bulhan. Distinct from his fellow pastoral nomadic tribesmen, Adan symbolized a sophisticated imperturbable civilized character. He was a young broad minded and determined youth who was dedicated to accomplish his desired goals especially the pursuance of religious education in far distant lands.
Young Adan's historic departure coincided with an era when Somalia was placed under trusteeship that lasted from 1948 to 1958. That colonial legacy happened after the landing of the Four Powers Commission in 1948. The delegation of the powers came from Britain, Russia, France, and the United States respectively. To strangulate Somali fight for self-determination and ensure the powers of the Somali Youth League remained suppressed indefinitely, the trusteeship became a binding factor.
Around 1952, as was common with many Somalis in the former NFD craving for religious knowledge, young Sheikh Adan had no other option but to travel to Somalia or, if it would have been possible, to the Ogaden Region in current day Ethiopia where the best scholars could be found. Other places popular with religious propagation included Baidoa, Buur Hakaba, and Dinsor that were populated by the Rahanweyn Somalis--a clan known for unparalleled human generosity and for hosting seekers of Islamic education. The name Dinsor (Diinsoor) implies 'host of faith'.
Adan's religious pursuit coincided with a period of religious revivalism and the self pursuit of divine excellence. By then, there was stiff competition between the adherents of Ahmediya (founded by Sheikh Ahmed Idris al Fasi) and the Qadiriya (founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani). Regardless of the doctrinal thoughts of the two tariqas, Somalis romanticized both orders.
Unlike the few Somalis who traversed thousands of kilometers to Kismayu and surrounding forests to study the art of occultism or necromancy and hagiology from well versed sorcerers and sortilegers, young Adan set foot in Mogadishu, his preferred destination. It was the Mogadishu that served as "the Seat of the Shah", the city that hosted Ibn Battuta, and the maritime interconnector known to the Greeks and Romans as Sarapion as noted in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
With approach of the demise of the trusteeship, young Adan got a free scholarship to study Arabic, Qur'anic exegesis and jurisprudence from the oldest university in the world--al- Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. It was an illuminating gesture Adan would never turn down.
By 1954, he sent a letter of introduction from Cairo to a new friend in Garissa. Imagine there was mail delivery system those days, administered by the British Colonial Administration in British East Africa!
Young Adan returned to Somalia after hoisting of the flag of independence. With multiple degrees in hand, he was now Sheikh Adan Bulhan. Sheikh Adan was the first Somali from northern Kenya to be conferred on with a degree from a prestigious foreign institution of higher learning. Some of the destinations many cadres of the new Somali administration got educated included Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia among others.
Sultan Deghow had forty siblings of which fifteen females and males are currently living. With such a large and extended family, the Sultan has never been fortunate enough to see each and everyone for some passed away while he was in exile. His first wife was Maryan Mohamed Yusuf, an astute woman who conceived his first child and son Mohamed Deghow, an over six-foot tall and formerly a staunch soccer player. Before the collapse of the central government in Mogadishu in 1991, Mohamed Deghow was a Captain in the Somali Police Force–a rank equal to a police inspector. Sultan Deghow’s second wife, Halima Hassan Maaddey was the daughter of the Sultan of the Maqabul–a subclan of the Ogaden Confederation. Halima gave the Sultan four sons who all reside in the United States and a daughter who is married to a prominent Kenyan politician.
Maryan, his first wife, is the half-sister of Honorable Yusuf Hassan–a long time employee of the United Nations and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He is the current Member of Parliament for the sprawling, metropolitan Somali-populated Kamukunji Constituency in Nairobi and was first elected into office in 2011. Son of Hassan Abdi (Indho Gamuun or the sharp-eyed), Hon. Yusuf has brought much of the needed development to his electorates who are widely dispersed in the famous Eastleigh suburb of Nairobi that is second only to the Central Business District (CBD) in terms of business acumen and income generation in Eastern and Central Africa. Elected to office two terms by his electorates, Yusuf has been a victim of a well-orchestrated terrorist attack in December of 2012. He suffered a fractured leg and has so far recovered from the injuries. A soft-spoken man, Yusuf was named “Person of the Year” in 2012 by the Somali website Hiiraan.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
IN PRAISE OF A LIVING LEGEND: DR. ABDISAMAD NUR
By Abdiwahid Isse
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”
This was supposedly a short post and a hastily written one, triggered by these photos of Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.
Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.
The esteemed Philosopher is a man who has been through many trials and tribulations. He’s been through the worst times/crises of his life by not only losing his beloved father but also a mentor who was a protector, a provider, a confidant and a very close friend. Looking closely at the board in the room (second photo) , there appears a picture of his friends at FIAT–a unique central meeting place that is an acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino”, which, in English translates to “Italian Car Manufacturer of Torino.” Contrary to Ray Charles’ Georgia on My Mind song, instead, Dr. Abdisamad would have his friends on his mind.
Maybe, as an avid reader at a very young age, he must have read and taken it to his heart and maybe indoctrinated–if at all such things existed–and internalized it into his inner self, that childhood fable of The Bear and the Two Friends.
Here he vows in a whisper–a memo directed , if you will– to his own subconscious, and an indelible one that he will never abandon his friends and will always treat them with respect, dignity and love. Maybe that explains why from at an early age on and up to now with accomplished academic credentials and a steady job at Fortune 500, his touching sagacity continues to affect the lives of many of his friends.
A loving husband and father of three beautiful adorable kids, he seeks out and reconnects with friends, calls, talks, pays visit in faraway places, supports, gives advice, values their friendship, laughs carelessly, reminisces with them about the good old days in Mogadishu–a Mogadishu that was so vibrant and metropolitan in context. So cosmopolitan that it was dubbed the “Pearl of Africa.” Mogadishu, meaning the “Seat of the Shah” in Persian, was undoubtedly, a diverse, peaceful and beautiful city!
He indulges in having fun, good times and jokes with them, brings them together, such as when he arrives in Toronto; he brings together friends who live in the same city who otherwise would not have seen each other for years on end. He has an aura of charisma that surrounds him and which forever attracts others towards him, always extending his arm to shake and introduce himself, looking people in the eye, calling them by their first names once they get acquainted, listening to them attentively, giving his complete attention, thus perfecting that ancient clichés or wisdom of having two ears and one mouth is to listen more and speak less.
Dr. Abdisamad appears to be studying while at the same time grading papers/exams of other students in America 1992.
He is constantly making friends on the fly–new friends who will become his bosom friends for life. Simply put, he always inherently sees the good in people. His friends come in all shapes and forms and from social statuses that range from young shoe-shiners to adults detailing cars at FIAT. Add to that the nomads he met on his travels or those he meets in board rooms while transcending the contemptible and petty ‘isms that we tend to divide ourselves. They hail from every nook and cranny, every little hamlet and every region of Somalia.
Early Childhood
In the sprawling Hodan suburb at Jidka Soddonka, a new development is afoot, big open spaces, half-finished construction of rows of houses, and electrical transmission lines; some houses had electrical power, very few had telephone lines, no running water while most houses had “Fuusto”–a barrel/drum or water tank mounted at the top of the house for water use. Here, Abdisamad made a lot of friends. Rambunctious little kids ran here and there, played hide and seek in the open spaces, Katimeey katim and also “Bistoolo Bistooleey” which were similar to The Indian and Cowboygames; they played soccer barefooted, with Gocondho (Tribulus terrestris), Booc Booc (Calotropis procera) Qodax (thorns) common with Acacia species in abundance, friendship cemented for life.
He would gather them in his Family’s house and let them play board games with him, share his stuff…A prelude to what will happen in the future in their house in Shibis suburb.
A water tank truck brings fresh water to that neighborhood once every three or so days, especially to his family’s house, but one day he found out that some of his friends didn’t have water at all, there begun a quest to quench the thirst of his friends and their families. He would fill up a bucket of water, carry it and deliver it to his friends’ houses, one house at time. Skinny and lanky he was, he would fall down carrying the bucket at times by the sheer load of the water; trying ever so hard not to spill the water, he would get up and never relent until he delivered the life-saving precious little water container.
After the good Doctor had done this long ago…a bucket for a friend in need, there sprung up all kind of charities in Africa now, using the bucket to deliver water to those without BIYO (water).
Moving to Shibis
Adept at making new friends, Dr. Abdisamad saw more diverse and interesting neighborhoods, explored Bilaajo (from Italian vilaggio for village in English) Hoos Market, Bilaajo Kor, Khamiir Restaurants in Manaboolyo (monopoly), Caano San and then ventured into Cabdiasiis and Liido Beach. At times he went further afield to Shingaani and city center while making friends along the way.
In Shibis Hoose, he would bring in more friends with him at break time, but friends would come to his house without him as well, in a beehive like activity trekking in and out of the house during school hours; most would help themselves to cold water or homemade ice cream “Jalaato” (Italian gelato), from the fridge or would eat snacks and feel at home. This jovial and genuine affection for friends and others continued up to high School in Sakhawaddin and beyond.
Smart, studious, and disciplined, he excelled and shined at school. Well-mannered, extremely polite, and considerate in nature, he hardly created trouble at home. He had Adeer (uncle) Nur’s ear, so to speak. Adeer Nur Bidaar AUN loved his kids immensely and respected and welcomed their friends. As a gesture of goodwill, Uncle Nuur Bidaar facilitated visas, passports, and scholarships and even paid air travel tickets and other travel expenses to his children’s friends from his own meagre resources.
The trend of inviting his friends over continued, and their house was the perfect “Rendezvous Place” for eating capacious, succulent, finger-licking and delicious foods, or Casariye to die for which was served every day. It consisted of Sambosas, Bur, Daango or Salool and other goodies and Spiced Shaah with Milk or Qaxwa Xaraar and of course, the main attraction which was, watching videos of Soccer Tournaments, or NBA gamers mainly between the Lakers vs. Celtics, or my favorite…the selection of Pele’s wonderful goals and skills. Thanks in part to Abdisamad begging, pressuring and convincing his father to approach business people he was friends with and some in Somali Airlines to bring VHS videos from Italy right after the games were played in Europe.
I remember very vividly watching the entire World Cup of 1982 held in Spain at their house. The noise, the clapping or shrill shouts had at times reached at a gradually ascending pitch crescendo. I would imagine it must have been unbearable for his family. Most of us that year rooted for Brazil, but was beaten by Italy in the quarterfinals 3-2. Paolo Rossi screwed us up by scoring all the 3 Italian goals. Also in 1988, we watched the entire European Champions won by The Netherlands, Ruud Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaqrd and Koeman as we dubbed him Tima cadde or as some would say “tima cadde najis najis dhalay.” When a team visited the capital from other countries, we would run to him for a guest pass at Lujino, Conis or Mogadishu Stadium, or we would implore him to get some tickets for us.
“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”
This was supposedly a short post and a hastily written one, triggered by these photos of Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.
Dr. Abdisamad with his older brother and his friends in Xaraf, Xamar 1988.
The esteemed Philosopher is a man who has been through many trials and tribulations. He’s been through the worst times/crises of his life by not only losing his beloved father but also a mentor who was a protector, a provider, a confidant and a very close friend. Looking closely at the board in the room (second photo) , there appears a picture of his friends at FIAT–a unique central meeting place that is an acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino”, which, in English translates to “Italian Car Manufacturer of Torino.” Contrary to Ray Charles’ Georgia on My Mind song, instead, Dr. Abdisamad would have his friends on his mind.
Maybe, as an avid reader at a very young age, he must have read and taken it to his heart and maybe indoctrinated–if at all such things existed–and internalized it into his inner self, that childhood fable of The Bear and the Two Friends.
Here he vows in a whisper–a memo directed , if you will– to his own subconscious, and an indelible one that he will never abandon his friends and will always treat them with respect, dignity and love. Maybe that explains why from at an early age on and up to now with accomplished academic credentials and a steady job at Fortune 500, his touching sagacity continues to affect the lives of many of his friends.
A loving husband and father of three beautiful adorable kids, he seeks out and reconnects with friends, calls, talks, pays visit in faraway places, supports, gives advice, values their friendship, laughs carelessly, reminisces with them about the good old days in Mogadishu–a Mogadishu that was so vibrant and metropolitan in context. So cosmopolitan that it was dubbed the “Pearl of Africa.” Mogadishu, meaning the “Seat of the Shah” in Persian, was undoubtedly, a diverse, peaceful and beautiful city!
He indulges in having fun, good times and jokes with them, brings them together, such as when he arrives in Toronto; he brings together friends who live in the same city who otherwise would not have seen each other for years on end. He has an aura of charisma that surrounds him and which forever attracts others towards him, always extending his arm to shake and introduce himself, looking people in the eye, calling them by their first names once they get acquainted, listening to them attentively, giving his complete attention, thus perfecting that ancient clichés or wisdom of having two ears and one mouth is to listen more and speak less.
Dr. Abdisamad appears to be studying while at the same time grading papers/exams of other students in America 1992.
He is constantly making friends on the fly–new friends who will become his bosom friends for life. Simply put, he always inherently sees the good in people. His friends come in all shapes and forms and from social statuses that range from young shoe-shiners to adults detailing cars at FIAT. Add to that the nomads he met on his travels or those he meets in board rooms while transcending the contemptible and petty ‘isms that we tend to divide ourselves. They hail from every nook and cranny, every little hamlet and every region of Somalia.
Early Childhood
In the sprawling Hodan suburb at Jidka Soddonka, a new development is afoot, big open spaces, half-finished construction of rows of houses, and electrical transmission lines; some houses had electrical power, very few had telephone lines, no running water while most houses had “Fuusto”–a barrel/drum or water tank mounted at the top of the house for water use. Here, Abdisamad made a lot of friends. Rambunctious little kids ran here and there, played hide and seek in the open spaces, Katimeey katim and also “Bistoolo Bistooleey” which were similar to The Indian and Cowboygames; they played soccer barefooted, with Gocondho (Tribulus terrestris), Booc Booc (Calotropis procera) Qodax (thorns) common with Acacia species in abundance, friendship cemented for life.
He would gather them in his Family’s house and let them play board games with him, share his stuff…A prelude to what will happen in the future in their house in Shibis suburb.
A water tank truck brings fresh water to that neighborhood once every three or so days, especially to his family’s house, but one day he found out that some of his friends didn’t have water at all, there begun a quest to quench the thirst of his friends and their families. He would fill up a bucket of water, carry it and deliver it to his friends’ houses, one house at time. Skinny and lanky he was, he would fall down carrying the bucket at times by the sheer load of the water; trying ever so hard not to spill the water, he would get up and never relent until he delivered the life-saving precious little water container.
After the good Doctor had done this long ago…a bucket for a friend in need, there sprung up all kind of charities in Africa now, using the bucket to deliver water to those without BIYO (water).
Moving to Shibis
Adept at making new friends, Dr. Abdisamad saw more diverse and interesting neighborhoods, explored Bilaajo (from Italian vilaggio for village in English) Hoos Market, Bilaajo Kor, Khamiir Restaurants in Manaboolyo (monopoly), Caano San and then ventured into Cabdiasiis and Liido Beach. At times he went further afield to Shingaani and city center while making friends along the way.
In Shibis Hoose, he would bring in more friends with him at break time, but friends would come to his house without him as well, in a beehive like activity trekking in and out of the house during school hours; most would help themselves to cold water or homemade ice cream “Jalaato” (Italian gelato), from the fridge or would eat snacks and feel at home. This jovial and genuine affection for friends and others continued up to high School in Sakhawaddin and beyond.
Smart, studious, and disciplined, he excelled and shined at school. Well-mannered, extremely polite, and considerate in nature, he hardly created trouble at home. He had Adeer (uncle) Nur’s ear, so to speak. Adeer Nur Bidaar AUN loved his kids immensely and respected and welcomed their friends. As a gesture of goodwill, Uncle Nuur Bidaar facilitated visas, passports, and scholarships and even paid air travel tickets and other travel expenses to his children’s friends from his own meagre resources.
The trend of inviting his friends over continued, and their house was the perfect “Rendezvous Place” for eating capacious, succulent, finger-licking and delicious foods, or Casariye to die for which was served every day. It consisted of Sambosas, Bur, Daango or Salool and other goodies and Spiced Shaah with Milk or Qaxwa Xaraar and of course, the main attraction which was, watching videos of Soccer Tournaments, or NBA gamers mainly between the Lakers vs. Celtics, or my favorite…the selection of Pele’s wonderful goals and skills. Thanks in part to Abdisamad begging, pressuring and convincing his father to approach business people he was friends with and some in Somali Airlines to bring VHS videos from Italy right after the games were played in Europe.
I remember very vividly watching the entire World Cup of 1982 held in Spain at their house. The noise, the clapping or shrill shouts had at times reached at a gradually ascending pitch crescendo. I would imagine it must have been unbearable for his family. Most of us that year rooted for Brazil, but was beaten by Italy in the quarterfinals 3-2. Paolo Rossi screwed us up by scoring all the 3 Italian goals. Also in 1988, we watched the entire European Champions won by The Netherlands, Ruud Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaqrd and Koeman as we dubbed him Tima cadde or as some would say “tima cadde najis najis dhalay.” When a team visited the capital from other countries, we would run to him for a guest pass at Lujino, Conis or Mogadishu Stadium, or we would implore him to get some tickets for us.
