FAISAL ROBLE: CLIMBING THE LADDER OF SUCCESS

 September 6, 2020

By Adan Makina

Faisal Roble has been a friend and a brother for a long time, and since then our common interests and feelings of confidence continued to blossom non-stop. Our passion for writing made us strong philosophical and ideological brothers, and to this day no conceivable obstacles prevent us from discharging our literary responsibilities to the cause of humanity. Having followed his writings for all those years, the targeted gross weights of criticisms and praises by people of divergent ideologies remain uncountable. Taking note from my years of observing his behavioral mannerisms, the internationally acclaimed prolific and influential writer is not the type that harbors grudges.

Faisal Roble

Undoubtedly, Faisal is a reputable humanitarian and civil rights activist, a political analyst with a wide array of advanced psychobiography of global phenomenal confirmations affecting our world and a man with a good grasp of modern leadership qualities as well as debilitated leadership ineptitudes that undermine human growth and progress. ” My formative years were shaped by a good dose of early exposure to radical political ideas and the unending fight against injustice no matter who is at the helm of the commission of it.” Faisal told WardheerNews for their recognition of 2016 person of the year.

In fact, his character could be equated to the most misunderstood Somali ‘Hangool’ whose real definition is ambition (Han) and gool (lioness). Like the ambitious lioness that is protective of its cubs more than the ‘aar’ (male lion), Faisal does not shy away from telling the truth when tempted to hit the nail on the head. 

Hangool

A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (City of Angels in Spanish), Faisal has been the Principal City Planner in the City of Los Angeles for the last five years, and has been a recipient of top medals, international awards, letters and certificates of appreciations.

Started as a Planning Assistant right after he graduated from UCLA prestigious Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning (GSAUP), prior to that a B.A. in Geography from the one institution that is close to his heart – Lafole College – Faisal reached the highest position in the City’s civil service ranks. In 2015, he became the first Black to earn the position of Principal City Planner. Beyond this rank, General and Deputy General managers are only by appointments. Now that he is appointed to the Chief Equity Officer his story is worth retelling to our young professionals.

Established over hundred years ago, the City Planning Department of Los Angeles with its still growing 450 employees is the largest Planning Department in the United States.

It is worth noting that the City of Los Angeles, with a metropolitan population of over 14 million according to the last census conducted this year, is also the largest city in California and the second in the United States after New York City. Unlike in corruption-ridden Africa and many other countries in Asia and South America, for one to be entrusted with such a great responsibility, requires hard work, dedication, and visible accomplishments. Faisal has carefully navigated a highly political and racial environment to achieve his professional goals.

As from the 22nd of June of this year, profoundly determined Faisal Roble, after tough deliberations by his higher authorities, unanimously agreed to entrust him with the positions of Chief Equity Officer (CEO) to responsible for Equity, Racial Justice, Economic Development and Reconstructive Planning. He will be responsible for coming up with a Reconstructive Plan to be used as a five-year budget plan for 2020-2025. The position requires one to be an exemplary figure having the will and strength to deliver genuinely acceptable and the necessary budget without any inconsistencies. As this piece goes to publication, Faisal has successfully submitted his first draft of Action Plan to the Mayor Office.

The Office of Racial Justice, Equity, and Restorative Planning is the main foundation office to oversee upper mobility, curtail racial discrimination and promote diversity as wells social and economic equanimity. Moreover, this office will reorient the hundred years racialized planning paradigm and practices from one that contributed to disparity of the city’s 35 community plans area to a new approach of promoting equity and social justice from the perspective of urban design, housing, mobility, and economic opportunities for people of color.

With California being the largest economy in the United States and the fifth in the world, Faisal will have to surround himself with remarkable and reliable working partners. The office of Racial Justice, Equity, and Reconstructive Planning will be responsible for correcting what went wrong with the city since 1920. And that is not a small feat. In other words, a new planning approach to urban development that reimagines how our cities equitably grow will be the focus for Faisal’s new responsibility. 

Economic Development and Reconstructive Planning both deal with the factors that diminish human growth and development. To attain economic equilibrium, these two branches of planning will have to work with the major sustainers of employment opportunities in the region, such as the Los Angeles Airport (LAX), industries, LA ports, and other business enterprises and partners. It was during the turbulent era that followed the civil war when President Andrew Johnson fought vigorously to envisage the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that propelled the newly enfranchised blacks to have a voice in government even though the rise of the Ku Klux Klan regained supremacy in the south. 

Faisal’s elevation, if effectively managed, could catapult marginalized communities such as African Americans and Latinos and others to greater heights. An Americanized immigrant from impoverished, war-ravaged and beleaguered Somalia in the Horn of Africa, Faisal’s vision, talent and his relentless aspiration to change things for the better in the planning of the City of Los Angeles kicked-off the first day he got hired. Despite the prevailing economic, social, and educational disparities among the assortments of communities from around the world, the newly appointed CEO for Racial Justice and Equity prides to have knowledge beyond the scope of many struggling immigrants.

In addition to thirty years of professional planning experience, he has graduate degrees in Regional and Urban Planning as well as in Afro-American Studies with emphasis on Urban Political Economy. Inclusivity for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and the observance of commitment to equity, diversity, and structured composition of all people without regard to disabilities, abilities, and health care needs will require his utmost attention. Borrowing a leaf from the adage, “where there is a will there is a way”, as long as Faisal remains on the helm in this new position, with the support and encouragement of his workmates, the City of Los Angeles will hopefully experience tremendous equitable growth in the near future. Congratulations Faisal and may Allaah help you in your future endeavors.

On the material day of Faisal’s presentation to a select City Council panel, he gave a brief biography of himself and an introduction of the prevailing political conditions in the United States especially the killing of the innocent 46 years old African American George Floyd who was intentionally suffocated by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.

Faisal said, “I am PROFOUNDLY HONORED to serve the City in this capacity. As mentioned, I arrived at the City Planning Department about thirty Years ago. I was here in 1992 when the civil unrest, also known as the Rodney King unrest, took place. I am here now when the nation is gripped by the gory murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The phenomena of killing Black men and women by police forces who were supposed to protect them is as American as apple pie.” 

“Thanks to the millions of citizens in this country and elsewhere, we have been awakened to a systemic and structural racism that permeates in all our civic life. Some of us not only knew about such a systemic racism in our society that thrives under the rug, but we have experienced and lived through it both inside and outside our workplace.”

Faisal went on to tell the select Council Committee that “It is within this context that I accept this appointment and look forward to critically assessing past practices, and whether the City departments have provided safe, enriching, and nurturing workplace to Blacks and to People of Color. As the Chief Equity Officer, I will be responsible to ENSURE RACIAL JUSTICE, CREATE SAFE WORKPLACE for BLACKS and for COMMUNITIES OF COLOR (COC).”

In addition to the national and regional interviews he has given thus far, Faisal will be a guest speaker at the prestigious  University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication to talk about his vision for Los Angeles. Faisal, you have been through all those specifications and you still have a lot of obstacles ahead of you. Keep up the good work and let us know how your new responsibility works out as you go forward navigating your modern world. One last request: can you Faisal please publish your powerful presentation to the Council so that our young generation may get a healthy dose of encouragement? 

Adan Makina
WardheerNews
Email: adan.makina@gmail.com

ARAGTIDAYDA “QAAMUUSKA CASRIGA AH EE MAAHMAAHDA SOOMAALIYEED” EE UU QORAY GEORGI KAPCHITS

October 18, 2020

Aadan Makina

Waxaan maqli jiray ilaa yaraanteydii, maahmaahda ah “ma anaa waalan mise Cadan baa laga heesayaa.” “Dhegaheyga kuma maqal dhaayahayga kuma arag”, in aqoonyahan u dhashay dalka Ruushka in maanta oo Axad ah (Oktoobar 11, 2020) uu ila soo xidhiidho asagoo ila socodsiinaya in Qaamuuska Casriga Ah ee Maahmaahda Soomaaliyeed oo uu ku hawlanaa gu’yaal badan la daabacay. Buugga kuma qorna afkiisa hooyo ee Ruuska balse waa mid ku qoran afkeena hodanka ah ee Soomaaliga. Qaamuuska wuxuu aqoonyahanku ku ururiyay ilaa 5,000 oo maahmaahyo soomaaliyeed ah. In kastoo horey loo yidhi “Soomaali been kuma maahmaado”, qoraaga oo ah Dr. Georgi Kapchits wuxuu mudan yahay in ciddaan aqoon hadda loo bandhigo taariikh nololeedkiisa si mowlac aan loo kala hadhin loogu casumo goortay noqotaba, laguna shubo caano dhaay ah, taas oo muujineysa qaddarinta iyo qiimaha ay u hayso ummadda Soomaaliyeed.

Intaanan u gudaggelin dulucda Qaamuuska Casriga Ah ee Maahmaahda Soomaaliyeed, waxaan jecleystay bal inaan idinla wadaago taariikha Qoraa Dr Georgi Kapchits oo in dhoweyd maqaal aan qoray, welina aan la soo saarin ku taagtaagsaday qaybta ama doorka lixaadka leh ee uu ka cayaaray horumarinta af Soomaaliga. Magac dhawgii Georgi maqaalkaygii hore waa mid iila eg xusuus kedis ah (coincidence). Taasi waxay muujineysaa, anoo qalbiga ku hayo ayuu si kedis ah iila soo xidhiidhay. Georgi oo iigu yeedha “Gacaliye Aadan” ama “Walaalkayga iga yar” goortaan isweydaarsaneyno qoraallada xidhiidhka elektirooniga ah, waa mid igu weyn dhanka aqoon isweydaarsiga. Muddo ka badan 10 sano ayaanu is naqaanay, waxaan ka faa’ideyna lama soo koobi karo. Waxaa jidha odhaah afka qalaad ee ah “lean on the shoulders of giants” oo la micne ah ‘ku tiirso garbaha maadaanleyaasha/maadiinleyaasha.’ Waxaan u soo qabsaday odhaahdaa in Georgi yahay garab Soomaali oo dhammi ay ku tiirsan kadho.

Taariikh kooban Georgi Kapchits

Georgi waa Aqoonyahan ku talaxtegey afafka Amxaariga iyo ka Soomaaliga, wuxuuna ku dhashay dhulkii baaxadda weynaa ee la odhan jiray Midowga Sofyeeti sannadkii 1939, waana xilli ku aadan billowgii Dagaalkii Labaad ee Adduunka. Sannadkii 1967 ayuu ka qalin-jebiyey Jaamacadda Lomonosov oo ku taalley magaalada Moosko. “Walaalkeyga iga weyn” waa sida aan ugu jawaabo e, Dr Georgi, sida aan ka dhuuxay taariikhdiisa, wuxuu sannadkii 1967 ku biiray Raadiyaha Moosko, asagoo noqday wartebiye iyo tarjubaan, wuxuuna hawshaas waday ilaa 1994. Sannadihii 1994 illaa 2014 ayuu “Idaacadda Codka Ruushka” daadihinayey Qaybta faaqidaadda iyo faallada. “Waa yaab, yaabkiis iyo ammakaage”, “walaalkeyga iga weyn” “wuu ku dhalan gaadhay” waxyaabaha la halmaala idaacadaha iyo wartebinta, waana sida ay Soomaalida tidhaahdo goortuu qof meel ku raago.

Cilmi raadis da’ ma celisee, sannadkii 2000 ayuu gacanta ku dhigay shahaadada PhD, taas oo ku saabsaneyd naxwaha af Soomaaliga. Waxaa intaas u sii dheer in uu af Soomaaliga ka dhigi jiray jaamacado ku kala yaal magaalooyinka Moosko iyo Baarliin. Halkaas yeynan kaga tagine, ugu dar toban buug oo af Soomaali ah oo uu qoray, kuwaas oo yaalla maktabado iyo degellada ganacsiga caalamiga. Sidoo kale, wuxuu qoray maqaallo aan tiro lahayn oo dhammaantood ku saabsan suugaanta Soomaaliyeed. Intaa aynu ku dhafno milicsiga kooban ee taariikhda Dr Georgi aynuna u leexanno dhanka falanqeynta buuggiisa dahabiga ah.

U-kuurgalka Buugga Cusub ee Diiwaanka Maahmaahda Soomaaliyeed

In shakhsi uu isku xilsaaro dhigaal socday sanooyin badan waa arrin culeyskeeda leh. Dr Georgi in uu qoro qaamuus xambaarsan 5,000 oo maahmaahood waa dhaxal ay isla wadaagi doonaan Soomaali weyn iyo inta qaddarisa af Soomaaliga ku sugan baylahda weyn. Kala-guurkii billowgii 1991 markii dawladdii dhexe ay burburtay ayaa sababtay in ay meesha ka baxdo muhimaddii af Soomaaliga lahaakaalintiisiina ay baddeleen afaf qalaad siiba Carabiga iyo Ingiriisiga inkastoo dad tiro yar dadaal u galeen in ay badbaadiyaan. Isweydiin ma leh in ay jiraan luuqado sii baaba’aya sannad walba. Matalan, bishii labaad sannadkii 2010, jasiiradaha Andaman (Andaman Islands) oo hoos yimaadda dalka Hindiya waxaa ku geeriyootay haweeney la odhan jiray Bo Sr oo da’deedu ahayd 80 jir, taas oo ahayd qoftii ugu dambeysay ee ku hadasha af qaddiimi ahaa ummaddii ku hadli jidhayna cudurro is daba joog ah cidhibtireen. In luuqad baa’ado kuma saleysna baaba’a dadka ku hadla keliya. Waxaa sababi kara afafkii gumeystayaashii ay ku khasbeen ummadihii ay dhulkooda qabsadeen sida Ingiriiska, Faransiiska, Isbaanishka, Boortuqiiska iyo kuwo kale. Loolankii kala-qaybsiga Afrika ee afka qalaad loo yaqaan The Scramble for Africa ama The Partition of Africa ee kulankiisa lagu qabtay magaalada Baarliin sannadihii 1884 – 1885 ee ay hor boodaayeen madaxdii Beljiyam iyo Jarmalka, wuxuu sababay dhaawac weyn oo gaadhay luuqado badan oo looga hadlo qaaradda Afrika.

Wax kasta oo ku saabsan dhigaal ama qoraal wuxuu u baahan yahay maareyn wakhti (time management) illeyn wakhti lumay dib looma soo celin karo e. Waxaad u baahan tahay waxyaabo badan sida cunto, cabbitaan, ama dhaqaale kugu filan inta aad ku hawlan tahay dhigaalka. Waxaa kuu sii dheer cilmibaadhid, saaxiibbo kaa caawiya waxaad garan weydo ama kula qabta hawlo kala geddisan. Dalbashada buuggaagta kuu sahlaysa geeddisocodka dhigaalka, waxaad ka raadin maktabadaha iibiya buuggaagta taxan degellada, kuwa jaamacadaha oo mararka qaar u baahan inaad sugto muddo iyo kuwa dukaammada caadiga ah ee buuggaagta lagu gado. 

 Isbeddelka cimilada sida xilliga qaboobaha ayaad ku turunturoon kadhaa oo kaa reebaya socdaal kastood damacdo. Gurmad iyo tacsi qaraabo iyo ehel ama deris aad booqato waa waxaan laga tegi karin haddaad leedahay damqasho aadminnimo. Sideedaba, qof waliba wuxuu gabbadaa (libiqsadaa) 15 illaa 20 jeer daqiiqaddii ama 900 ilaa 1,200 saacad walba. Wadar ahaan waa 20,000 maalinkii, ilaa 130,000 toddobaadkii, iyo 5 ilaa 7 malyuun sannadkii. In aad dul fadhido aalad iftiin bixinaya saacado badan, waxay dhaawici kadhaa nuurka indhahaaga, in kastoo gabbashadu ay caawiso aragga indhaha. In la daryeelo indhaha waa waajib, waayo, waa xubinta keliya jirka aadmiga aan la beddeli karin (transplantation).   

Waa maxay maahmaah?

Maahmaah waa hadal gaaban oo si dadban loo yidhi, kuna fadhiya micne dadban. Maahmaahyada af Soomaaliga waa kuwo hore iyo kuwo hor leh. Maahmaahda “rag waa raggii hore, hadalna waa intuu yidhi” waa hadal qadiimi ah, laakiin “rag waa shaah, dumarna waa sheeko” waa odhaah cusub, waayo shaah wuxuu na soo gaadhay ‘sannadkii biyo fuud’ oo ku beegan 1920 markii imberedooriyaddii Ingiriiska ee fadhiday Kiiniya billowday beerashada qasabka iyo caleenta shaaha. Sannadka loogu magac daray “biyo fuud” ujeedduu leeyahay. Maadaama dadka aysan haysan fiijaamo, koobab ama bakeeriyaal, waxaa la isticmaali jiray ‘xeero’ oo marna loo yaqaan ‘kur’ iyo ‘fandhaal’ oo isna magaciisa kale yahay ‘mooqa’. Labadaasi weel ayaa lagu fuudi ama cabbi jidhay shaaha waagaa.

Haddaad maqasho odhaahda ah “horaa loo yidhi”, waa in aad ogaataa in waxa soo socda yahay maahmaah. “Af daboolan, waa dahab” waxaa lagu micneyn karaa oo kale “hadal badan haan ma buuxsho.” Hadal badnaan awgeed yaan lagu dhaleeceynine, adoo iska aammusa ayaa kuu dhaanta, weeye ujeeddadu. “Abuur iyo waano, abuur baa horreeyay” waa hadal ku saleysan in waanadu aanay qofka dabeecaddiisa waxba ka beddeli karin. “Aan wada hadalno, waa aan heshiinno” waa xaalka aynu ka wada xaajoono si aan heshiis uga gaadhno.

“Af jooga looma adeego” ama “nimaan hadlin habartiisna wax ma siiso” way isa shabbahaan. Uma baahnid in laguu hadlo, adoo awoodo in aad baahidaada u soo bandhigto qofka aad wax ka dooneysid. Carruurta yaryar way ooyaan goortay gaajoodaan ama xanuunsadaan, hooyaduna way dareentaa, deetana tallaabo qaaddaa.

Soomaalaay, haddaad horey u maqasheen “kab iyo xaarkeedba waa laysla tuuraa”, kolley ma habboona in cagta kugu jidho kab xaar ku larnaato, waayo, urka xaarka ka hor waa cayb in rag kula mid ah aad la xaajootid, adoo cagtaada seyreysa ur aan loo adkeysan karin. Hadalkaa waxaan uga golleeyahay, waa in aad iska tuurtaan heeryada guumeysiga ee aad sida biyaha u qudhqudhineysaan, waana afafka shisheeye ee hooyadii caloosha 9-bilood kugu sidday aysan kula fahmeyn. Sow wax laga yaqyaqsooda ma aha in boqol wiil oo Soomaali ah oo laga soo kala ururiyay dhowr waddan oo ka tirsan Yurub in la geeyo geyi Soomaali si ay ugu tartamaan kubbadda cagta, deetana loo kala tarjumo maadaama ay ku kala hadlayeen afaf shisheeye?

Gunti iyo gebagebadii, “waayeel wedkiisa wuu yaqaannaa.” Inta goori goor tahay, dhaxalka “walaalkeyga iga weyn” yaanan loo deymo la’aan. Buug qaamuus ah oo ka kooban 347 bog ma aha wax la dhayalsan karo. Dr Georgi Kapchits waxa uu inoo qabtay hawl weyn oo aan Soomaali ahaan innagu baylihinay. Aad bay u mahadsanyihiin aqoonyahan Dr Geoergi iyo madbacadda Laashin oo iyadu daabacday suurtana gelisay soosaarista buuggan qiimaha weyn ugu fadhiya ummadda Soomaaliyeed.

W.Q. Aadan Makiina

Email:adan.makina@gmail.com

WardheerNews

SOMALI HISTORY FROM ANCIENT TIMES

September 27, 2020

By Adan Makina

Editor’s Note: With much of the historical content in this article taken from the attached video “This is Somalia: A Rich Heritage and a Bright Future”, the writer captured at his best to deliver an article whose historical contents deserves worth revisiting by researchers having the desire to learn more about the Somali people and the Horn of Africa at large. As one Somali oral historian put it, “Western writers gave little attention to the mighty history of Somalis and the rest of the African Continent because they were engrossed in the study of the Arabs who were closer to them in terms of color and the succession of the former Axum kingdoms they admired for their inclination to Orthodox Christianity.” As the studies of anthropology, archeology, and paleontology proliferate now and in the future, every new unearthed discovery will have a lot to be desired.
————

Somalia is a country on the East Coast of Africa and has a horn-like appearance. To Ancient Egyptians, it was known as the Land of the Gods; the ancient Persians called it the Land of the Tall Men; the ancient Greeks called it the Land of Cinnamon; the Romans called it the Land of Fragrance, while the ancient Chinese called it the Land of the Unicorn.  It is the world’s largest producer of spices, and to this day, the Catholic Church gets spices from Somalia.

The first place camels, especially the single humped species were raised was in the Somali region that corresponds to  2,500 years before Jesus, Peace Be Upon Him, even though some historians add 1,000 years to get to a total of 3,500 (CE).  Before being exported to previous ancient regions such as Egypt and some Arab territories, it is evident that the Somalis were the first to raise camels, and today, half of the world’s camels live on Somali soil. While the dromedary camel is 99% in terms of population, the remaining 1% is reserved for the two-humped Bactrian camels that is predominantly native to a few Central Asian countries especially those that straddled the ancient Silk Trade that diminished after the Age of Discovery (1453-1660 CE). 

The number of poems that have been recited by famous Somali poets in praise of their horses are many.  Like the most cherished camels, during droughts or scarcity of water, Somali horse breeders fed those select ones with camel milk to overcome dehydration and weight loss. A recent study found that caves were discovered in Somalia using Carbon Dating, estimated to be 5,000 years old for various anthropomorphs in Laas Geel Caves between Hargeisa and the coastal town of Berbera. Successions of rulers in Somalia during the Medieval Age (500-1,500) such as Harlaa, Ifat, Adal, Warsangali, Ajuuraan and the Dervishes era exclusively used these horses that are now wild in the Nugaal Valley. 

The Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama was assassinated by the sultan of Adal. Somalis also pioneered the use of canon rifles that were brought to Africa by the Ottoman Empire to strangle the powerful Ethiopian Christian kingdoms that held sway over the Horn of Africa. The coins used by the Somali rulers of medieval times have been found in Iraq, Dubai and Turkey.  In the 13th century, a Somali explorer traveled to Arab countries, India and China.  In the 14th century, the Maldives Island was ruled by the Somali Sultan Abdiaziz.

Despite originating in Ethiopia, it was Somali traders who spread Arabica coffee around the world. The Somalis’ use of the Beden or Badhan ship, which was never known in other countries as it was hand-stitched like mats, made it easier for them to prevail over anyone who opposed their commitments. The seventh leading producer in the world and the top in the African Continent, Ethiopian coffee is reputedly the best in the world.

The Ajuuraan dynasty, one of the greatest empires in Africa, founded in the 13th century, finally collapsed in the 17th century. It was succeeded by the smaller Hiraab and Geledi Imamates. The Sultanate of Ajuran, as it is sometimes called, specialized in modern methods of hydrology, extracting and using water to appease hostile nomadic Somali tribes.

Britain was not the first to navigate East and South Africa.  During the reign of the vast Monomotapa or Mwenemutapa kingdom that was headed by the Shona tribe of Zimbabwe, it controlled the whole of South Africa.  However, Somalis were the first to use the Sofala Port and transport gold from the area.  The name Sofala in Somali means “go dig gold.”  Qubilaay Qaan (Kublai Khan), the leader of the Tatars or Mongols, twice sent spies to Somalia and was unsuccessful as his men were captured and imprisoned in Mogadishu.

Somalis are reputedly the oldest nation to embrace Islam. The Muslim emigrants who migrated from Makkah fleeing from the ignorant Quraysh, and the first to settle in the Horn of Africa landed on the shores of the Aksum Kingdom. The geographer, philosopher and Greek historian Strabo acknowledges that Somalis were the first to distribute spices to the rest of the world using the Monsoon Winds.

The double Qibla Mosque in Zeila in present day Somaliland, was built 1,400 years ago, making Somalis the first people in Africa to convert to Islam. In 1580, the Ajuuraan Sultans in collaboration with the Ottoman Empire liberated the Swahili people from the brutal, domineering Portuguese rule. In the same century, the Ajuuraan rulers invaded Zanzibar, killing the Omani sultan and freeing thousands of blacks from slavery.

 To exaggerate the history of Europe and to believe it without reference to the real history, is unfortunate and outright ignorance.  The first maritime movement was made by Portugal in all of Europe, finally finding its way to India.  Spain crossed over to the Americas in North and South America or all over the vast masses of the Western Hemisphere.  The Netherlands moved to Southeast Asia and had more than 4,000 ships.  The late British had 2,000 ships and a small number of others.  The European movement began at a time called the Age of Discovery (1418-1957).

 Before the 15th century, all Europeans were obsessed with sea travel, ocean mercantilism and slavery.  The Warsangali dynasty was established in 1298, and collapsed in 1886. The Adal Sultanate was founded in 1415, and collapsed in 1577. The previous Ifat Sultanate was established at the end of the 13th century (1285–1415) and lasted for 130 years.  It was preceded by the Makhsumi Kingdom based in the city of Harla (896–1286).  As far as we know, Harla are people of Somali origin who currently live in the Somali region of Ethiopia. In Somali they are known as Xarla and the use of references like proto-Somali by modern researchers doesn’t make any sense at all to the Somalis who know their complete past and present history.

 The kingdom of Harla was founded in Eastern Ethiopia and originated in the year 501, and its collapse is unknown, but according to ancient oral Somali historians, they were a blessed people who disbelieved in God. That is what caused them to be punished and buried underground. Before converting to Islam, the Harla people were polytheists, however, the remnants of Harla converted to Islam in the 7th century. Archaeologists have unearthed fossils in 2017.[i] It is believed that Harla collapsed 500 years after its emergence.

Figure 1. The ruins of a 12-century mosque in Harlaa, eastern Ethiopia. Credit: Timothy Insoll, University of Exeter

The experts who made the Harla excavations, presented the Harla artifacts from Madagascar, the Maldives, China and Yemen, Egypt and India.  A mosque similar to the one found in Tanzania dating back to the 12th century has also been excavated in Harla.  If the living Harla of today speak a language other than Somali, it may be due to their small numbers that forced them to merge with larger populations.  Today, Harla, near Harar, has 82 mosques and 102 visited cemeteries, according to UNESCO.

The city of Harlaa was nicknamed by the locals the “City of the Giants” because the stones they used to build the houses or walls they left behind, were so big and heavy that people of today cannot lift them. However, excavations and research are still underway and what is to come from the new discoveries, could be heart wrenching.  The Harlaa people specialized in the art of gold, such as beads for girls, etc.  The Coptic school of thought, which originated in Egypt arrived in the Kingdom of Axum in 333. Islam came to be 367 years later.

In the 15th century, Somali sailors discovered a port in Yemen that became more valuable later.  The first Sri Lankan settlement, known as Beruwala, was started by a Somali explorer.  Ethiopian coffee was exported through the port of Berbera, and was led by Somali businessmen.  So, let the world know that the best coffee sipped in the Western Hemisphere was first delivered by Somalis to the world.

 The closest language to Somali is that of the Rendille, a tribe known to Somalis as “ReerDiid”, meaning those who rejected them and took a different path during the great migration from Egypt after an encompassing political crisis around 2,600 BC forced uncountable majority of the human race to navigate the Nile River southwards to the Horn of Africa and other destinations. While Somalis say Qorrax to refer to the sun, to the ReerDiid, it is ‘Qoor Raac’. Because the ancient Egyptians as well as the ancient Greeks found it difficult to pronounce the consonant ‘C’ or ‘Cayn’ as in Somali and Arabic, the sun they worshiped was known as Amon Ra in Hieroglyphics which is, in fact, a Somali name. Thus, it would have been a portmanteau of ‘Hamuun’ and ‘Raac’ that translates to ‘the one who is observant of us’. The word Gowrac, in the ReerDiid or Rendille language, is ‘Goy Raac’ which means ‘we slaughter for the one who follows the neck with us’. The place where the disbelieving Rendille buried or burned their dead was Korondile, which in fact, is Qur’an Dile (Qur’an killer). Unknown to a few Somalis, the Rendille have two religious holidays, pray five times a day in a Mosque, and still believe they are part and parcel of Somalis. 

The stick called Hangool, is Han (ambition) and Gool (lioness) and it is finely Somali as well. The ancient Pharaohs used to carry Hangool as they had Han or ambition like the lioness that was protective of its cubs. A male lion in the language of Hieroglyphics was known as ‘Aar’, just like in the Somali language. On the same length, like in ancient Egyptians Hieroglyphics, ‘hees’ means a song while male organs is ‘Qoora’. The historic maritime navigation of Queen Hatshepsut to the ‘Land of Punt’ or the ‘Land of Gods’ has a deeper meaning. It is not Punt; it could have been ‘Buun’, meaning the sea shell Somalis use as a trumpet during celebrations or to create awareness in the cases of dangers or something else. If it would have been a single syllabic Bun instead of Buun, it would imply coffee which had not been discovered during that era. The goatee beards worn by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs could have been copied from the Land of Gods.[ii] The logic behind the goatee is that the male goat is responsible for leading the rest of the herd and that he is the Commander-in-Chief. Those who deny that Somalis preceded European civilization deserve to dig into the true history of Somalis.

Adan Makina
Email:adan.makina@gmail.com
WardheerNews

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Reference
[i] Sci-News, Staff (2019). Archaeologists Unearth Ancient, Forgotten City in Eastern Ethiopia. Retrieved from
[ii] Montet, P. (19640. Eternal Egypt, P. 23.

In Honor of Kenya's Living Grammarian, Literary Doyen Philip Ochieng

Adan Makina

WardheerNews

October 1, 2020

The name Philip is derived from Greek and it means “fond of horses” or “horse-loving.” In other languages, Philip is equivalent to Filippo or Filip. There was the historical Saint Philip who is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels especially in the Gospel of John (1:43–51). Our own Philip Ochieng is a former editor of the Daily Nation and still, keeps on watching over the use of grammar in his “Mark My Word” column. A prominent linguist and a true Kenyan, African and a distinguished journalist of literary repute, Philip Ochieng, like his namesake Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great and Phillip III who ruled the Kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC and was the mastermind of what we know militarily as Phalanx, has been accused by his opponents as a bigot who defended the government of the day. The boy who experienced rural life finally got the chance to attend Alliance High School–the only of its type those days. However, his move to the United States to pursue a BA degree at Roosevelt University failed to materialize, since, out of 1,000 students, Ochieng was the only one who never graduated.[i] Since you don’t need ‘As’ and assortments of degrees to climb the ladder of success in life, I wish to honor him in this essay while he is a living legend contrary to the human traditional concept of showering praises after the departure of the souls of their key prominent figures.

Going by the Prophet Muhammad's saying, “He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi), is a testament to Islam's respect for every human being regardless of religious beliefs. The saying is not limited to only Muslims but to everyone and that's why I have taken to the keyboard to thank the greatest grammarian and editor in Kenya Yetu (our Kenya). For over thirty years, though I did not follow up with his literary contributions frequently, Philip Ochieng has been in my heart mainly because of four favors he provided me back in the early nineties. It was an era when few Kenya Somalis contributed to the media. However, we had our own Mohammad Warsama who was a towering, prolific writer. He was honored in the early eighties for being the best correspondent in Kenya by the newspaper he served with dignity and respect to the satisfaction of his superiors. 

Philip Ochieng deserves showers of praise for being impartial in his selection of essays or articles and “letters to the editor section” respectively. After publishing my first short letter to the editor in the early nineties with the title “We Need Water” that I wrote with the help of my childhood friend Abdisatiir Warsame in the middle of the night when the taps ran dry even though the meandering Tana River was a walking distance from Garissa, I felt relieved with the feeling that the concerned authorities would take action to overturn the rampant water shortages. As noted in my letter that “we have no technical or hydrological reasons not to have water”, unfortunately, due to the poor leadership and administrative styles that were common those days, my grievances fell on deaf ears.

Unbeknown to the water department, by then, I and my buddy, were fully-trained Water Resources Engineers. Under the auspices of the West German Gesselschaft Fur Technische Zussammenarbeit (GTZ) popularly known as the German Technical Cooperation, the intensive training that we benefited in the early eighties could have made remarkable contribution to the hydrologically ineffective and retarded water department of that time.

Though I can't recall the chronological order of my letters, one was related to the burning of Soko Mjinga aka Suuq Mugdi (dark market). Since it was the eighth time the decrepit market got engulfed in flames intentionally or unintentionally, those who knew before it was turned into a makeshift market will attest to the fact that the place was a graveyard for local saints who passed away at unknown varying dates. Even though you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to extinguish fire, still, you'll need to have knowledge of the different types of fires and the right way to suffocate flammable and inflammable materials and their levels of combustibility.

Fifteen years earlier, I had mastered the ABCD classes of fire extinguishers where 'A' stood for extinguishers for putting out combustibles such as wood and paper, 'B' for gasoline, grease and oil that are flammable liquids, 'C' that is exclusive to electrical fires and the major extinguisher being foam, and 'D' for metallic elements that are flammable. On the other hand, I was also taught a different type of ABCD that stood for Atomic Biological Chemical Defense together with NBCD for Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, and Defense.

My third letter was on the resettlement of the newly arriving refugees from Somalia at the sparsely populated village of Ifo. My greatest fear was the unexpected deforestation that was to follow after the refugees got resettled in a new landscape that was lush green and teaming with wildlife. My previous experience with Africare Incorporated in Somalia allowed me to put together a strongly worded letter that attracted little attention from the authorities in Kenya. The knowledge I gained from our former American Foresters and the only sole sociologist I was assigned to work with as a Social Science Field Assistant who is currently a Professor Emeritus allowed me to refocus on the imminent repercussions of deforestation and the social absurdities that were to follow afterwards.

Philip Ochieng did not discard any of my contributions to the daily newspaper at any time, for he was, to my belief and conviction, an editor whose editorial focus on subject matters appeared succinctly defined and entirely peremptory. Thus, in an era when modern Information Technology (IT) had not infiltrated Kenya, on my part, the only means of communication with Philip was through handwriting and letter mail delivery. Even though "I had no penny to my name" due to the encompassing unemployment in North Eastern Province (NEP) followed by years of deliberate brutality and massacres that were orchestrated by heinous successive dictatorial civilian regimes, the concept of “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”–a phrase taken from America's 33rd President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his inauguration day in 1933 when the current mighty but declining  America was in deep depression and the identical Qur'an (Al-Maida 5: 44) and Biblical exhortations “Fear God, and not man” (Matthew, 10: 26-28) were entombed in my mind and heart.

“Miraa Should Be Classified Illicit” was my fourth letter Philip posted on Kenya's most prestigious newspaper. The article started with the decrying message: "the major factor hindering development in Garissa District is the high consumption of Miraa. “Miraa is considered to be a nutritious stimulating herb that is capable of easing frustrations and uncontrollable obstacles facing a consumer." The article, despite attracting the wide attention of readers, did little to reduce its consumption to this day despite the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Consumed since the era of ancient Egypt when pharaoh's reigned supreme for elevating the consumer to a god-like stage known as Apotheosis, Miraa whose botanical name is Catha edulis, remains endemic to Yemen, Ethiopia and Kenya respectively.

Little do many Kenyan’s know about Ochieng’s biography, The 5th Columnist: A Legendary Journalist (Longhorn, 2015) by Liz Gitonga-Wanjohi. The former editor-in-Chief also authored: I accuse the press: an insider's view of the media and politics in Africa (Nairobi: Initiatives Publishers: ACTS Press, 1992). Though I have never read any of those books before, in the meantime, what matters most to me is to pull up my socks, wrap up my hands as a pugilist to strangle the sudden hand strains and stiffening tendons when punching the keyboard, and tell the truth about Philip Ochieng.

 

 To wrap up my prolonged article, allow me to seek the helpful hands of Kenyans and international readers to support me in honoring our living grammarian and literary doyen, our Fidus Achates Philip Ochieng whose name has been in circulation for several decades because of his awesome literary apabhramsa.

This article appeared on www.wardheernews.com on October 10, 2020.

 

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[i] Tom Odhiambo (July 17, 2015).Unravelling the life of Philip Ochieng, the grand old Kenyan media maverick. Retrieved from https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/weekend/unravelling-the-life-of-philip-ochieng-the-grand-old-kenyan-media-maverick-1112130