Somalia Culture (So/An 128)

Somalia is a country situated in the ÒhornÓ of East Africa.  It is bordered by the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean on the east and southeast, Kenya in the southwest, Ethiopia in the west, and Djibouti in the northwest. Somalia is about four times the size of the State of Minnesota, or slightly smaller than Texas. The capital is Mogadishu.

Somalia's population is mostly rural. Nearly 80% of the people are pastoralists, agriculturalists, or agropastoralists. Except for a small number of Somalis who rely on fishing, the rest of the population are urban dwellers. Somalia's chief cities and towns are Mogadishu (the capital), Hargeisa, Burao, Berbera, Bossaso, Marka, Brava, Baidoa, and Kismaayo. In the past few years, civil war and famine have changed urban demographics as hundreds of thousands of displaced Somalis have poured into the cities seeking sanctuary and relief.

  Ethnically and culturally, Somalia is one of the most homogeneous countries in Africa. Somalia has its minorities: there are people of Bantu descent living in farming villages in the south, and Arab enclaves in the coastal cities. A small number of Europeans, mostly Italians, live on farms in the south. But the great majority of the people are ethnic Somalis who speak dialects of the same language, Somali, and who practice the same religion, Islam. In a land of sparse rainfall, more than half the population consists of pastoralists or agropastoralists who raise camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. There are farmers, mostly in the south and northwest, and in recent years a new urban group of government workers, shopkeepers, and traders has emerged, but it is the nomadic way of life, with its love of freedom and open spaces, that is celebrated in Somali poetry and folklore.

Almost all Somalis are Sunni Muslims.  For those who practice Islam, religion has a comprehensive role in life.  It is a belief system, a culture, a structure of government, and a way of life.  Thus, in Somalia, attitudes, social customs, and gender roles are primarily based on Islamic tradition. Important Muslim holidays include Ramadan, Id al-Fitr, Id al-Adha, and Moulid.  Ramadan is in the ninth month of the lunar calendar.  During the 30 days of the holiday, people pray, and they refrain from eating and drinking during the day.  Children (usually defined as under 14 years old) are exempted from the fast.  Some religious observance of Ramadan extends the fast for an additional 7 days. Immediately following Ramadan is the holiday of Id al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fast.  This celebration involves big family gatherings and gifts for children.  Id al-Adha is the most important holiday of the calendar year, commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. This is the time for making pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. Moulid (or Mouloud, or Mawlid an Nabi) is another important holiday, commemorating the birth and death of the prophet Mohammed. Many religious holidays in Somalia would involve the ritual killing of a lamb or goat.  On a side note, Somalis celebrate their Independence from colonial power and unification of the Northern and Southern colonies on July first. Islam requires followers to adhere to its five pillars: 1) Belief in Allah, one God; 2) Regular prayer (five times a day, facing Mecca); 3) Fasting from food and water from dawn to dusk every day during the holy month of Ramadan; 4)   Giving to charity; 5)   Spiritual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi Arabia) at least once in a lifetime, if physically and financially able.

Somalis believe strongly in independence, democracy, egalitarianism, and individualism. Somalis value generosity. They do not generally express their appreciation verbally. Somalis respect strength and often challenge others to test their limits. Somali justice is based on the notion of "an eye for an eye." Saving face is important, so indirectness and humor are often used in conversation. Somalis are known for their ability to adjust to new situations.

Clans constitute the heart of Somali society, and the central challenge facing modern Somalia is how to unify a country whose people often give greater allegiance to lineage than to nation. It is important to note, however, that while Somalis have traditionally fought among themselves, their greater identity as Somalis takes hold in front of strangers. Somalis deeply value the family. The strength of family ties provides a safety net in times of need, and the protection of family honor is important. Loyalty is an important value and can extend beyond family and clan. Somalis value their friendships; once a Somali becomes a friend, he is usually one for life. For all Somalis, the family is the ultimate source of personal security and identity. The importance of family is reflected in the common Somali question, Ò tol maa tahay?Ó (What is your lineage?)  When Somalis meet each other they don't ask: Where are you from? Rather, they ask: Whom are you from? Genealogy is to Somalis what an address is to Americans. Somalis typically live in nuclear families, although older parents may move in with one of their children. Households are usually monogamous; in polygamous households (one fifth of all families), wives usually have their own residences and are responsible for different economic activities.

  Dating in the Western sense is prohibited, although it's common for young women and men to participate in traditional dances at social events.  After puberty, contact between unrelated men and women are limited.  Physical touch (even a handshake) is considered inappropriate.  Traditionally, marriages were arranged, since marriage was seen as a way to cement alliances. Increasingly, however, parents are willing to consider love interests if they think the match is suitable . Women are still expected to keep the family's honor by remaining virgins until marriage. Female circumcision or infibulation, performed on up to 98% of Somali girls between the ages of 8 and 10, involves the removal of the clitoris and the labia. The vagina is then sewn up, leaving only a tiny opening, which is enlarged for marriage and enlarged once again for childbirth. It is said that female circumcision represents an effort to control women's sexuality, since the practice is not required by Islam. Many women suffer all of their lives from a great variety of medical problems stemming from this practice. 

Somali culture is male centered, at least in public, although women play important economic roles in both farming and herding families and in business in the cities. Female labor is valued for productive tasks as well as for household chores, as long as the male is still seen as being in charge. In recent years, war, drought, and male migration have dramatically increased the number of female-headed households.  

As the result of efforts by the socialist regime to improve opportunities for women, Somali women have more freedom to become educated, to work, and to travel than do most other Muslim women. Before the 1969 revolution, 20% of primary school students were girls; in 1979, the figure approached 40%.

In Somalia, location and livelihood influence diet, but on the whole, the Somali diet is low in caloric intake and high in protein consumption. Milk, ghee (liquid butter), and meat, supplemented by wild berries and fruits, provide nomadic pastoralists with about half of their traditional diet. Other foods such as sorghum, corn, rice, tea, sugar, dates, condiments, and occasional vegetables are purchased or traded for livestock and livestock products. Farmers enjoy slightly more variety in their diet, consuming more cereals (often soor , a sorghum porridge, or canjeero , a flat unrisen bread), grain legumes, and vegetables than do the nomads. Farmers in the riverine areas consume more fruit, especially bananas and citrus, and vegetables. The coastal cities and towns, influenced by the Arabian Peninsula, offer a greater variety of dishes. The Italian influence is also seen in the large amount of spaghetti, known as baasto, consumed by Somalis.

  As Muslims, Somalis are forbidden to eat pork or lard or to drink alcohol. Somalis in urban areas may drink alcohol, but most still do not touch pork. All meat must be slaughtered in a special way so that it is clean and pure. In the United States, kosher foods meet Muslim dietary requirements.

  When more than the immediate family is eating, men and women usually eat separately.  For the family meal, men are usually served first and the women and children eat later.  Diners wash their hands in a bowl of water before and after the meal.  On festive occasions, hands are also perfumed after the meal.  When eating, people gather around a large common platter set on a table or on a mat on the ground.  Diners eat with the right hand from the portion directly in front of them.  Guests are usually given larger portions.  Young children are fed from the hand of their mother or relative.  The left does not have direct contact with food, as it is reserved for personal hygiene and prayer purification.  If you are invited to have a meal with a Somali family, you donÕt need to finish all the food on your plate. It is not impolite to leave a little food on your plate at the end of the meal.

Shaped by the country's location as an international trade route, Somali attire is quite diverse. Men wear western pants or a flowing plaid ma'awis (kilt} western shirts, and shawls. On their heads they may wrap a colorful turban or wear a koofiyad (embroidered cap). Women's dress is even more diverse.  Somali women usually wear full-length dresses. The traditional Somali guntiino is similar to an Indian sari but made of simple white or red cotton. Married women wear hijab or headscarves, but usually do not veil, with the exception of more fundamentalist women and women from old conservative Arab families. Traditionally, married and unmarried women could be told apart, not only because of the scarves, but also because single girls braided their hair and did not wear makeup or perfumes or use incense in their hair. Urbanization, however, is eroding this distinction. Minor regional variations in women's clothing are also disappearing. Among women, hand and foot painting, using henna and khidaab dyes, is popular. The artist is generally a woman who uses the plant-based dyes to apply elaborately stylized paintings that cover the foot up to the ankle or the hand up to the wrist. Its application often signifies happy occasions, such as a marriage or the birth of a baby.

Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political divisions. The northern area has declared its independence..

During 1992-1993, Somalia experienced a great famine. This famine was the result of a drought coupled with the disastrous effect that infighting among rival clan militias had on the land and the livestock in Somalia. Somalis have always relied on their land and livestock to support themselves, and so this famine was devastating to them. Consequently, over 900,000 Somalis fled to neighboring countries. Approximately 400,000 of these refugees fled to Kenya. Since that time, some of the refugees have returned to Somalia, yet the situation there is still so tenuous that many have chosen to remain in the refugee camps.