By Ali H Abdulla
Dhaaxaan murug iyo haraad mudanee
Maantay curatoo maataanaysee
Aan maalno hasheena maandeeqee – Qarshe
Today is the 1st of July, the day that united two former colonies inhabited by the same family of people, the Somali. A day that was celebrated with jubilation and hope. A day that many thought would unite all Somali speaking people in the horn. A day that a Somali bard, Qarshe, compared to a She camel that delivered twins which the above Somali lyrics refer to. Sadly, 53 years later, Somalis are far from united and the country is at the mercy of foreign troops assembled from counties whose interests depend on a fragmented Somalia that is unable to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The word Blugley, the Blue Flag, means a lot for most Somalis except for those who have chosen to shun Blugley in favor of banners motivated by hate, anger, fear and denial. Denial of the true meaning of Blugley: being a Somali. The misguided Shabab use a black cloth that symbolizes death and darkness, while a number of Somali territories use multicolored flags that symbolize division, balkanization and disintegration, seemingly ignoring the words of the famous Somali poet Timadde, “Kanna Siib, Kanna Saar”, which roughly translated means “Lower this Colonial Flag, and Hoist Ours in its place”. That was 26 June 1960, a day that cannot be forgotten easily. Whenever I listen to the words of the great Timadde who had a distinctive voice like that of Armstrong, I get goose bumps.
Flags are not mere pieces of decorated cloth. They symbolize nations and thousands die in the defense of such symbols except for the Somali people who are hardly moved by what has become of the state symbolized by Blugley. Most of the elite fled to safe havens in the West leaving behind the weak, the vulnerable and the destitute. Thugs like the Al Shabab, the Warlords and corrupt politicians killed, looted, blundered and wreaked havoc on the fallen State. They soiled Blugley and let it bite the dust. Some allowed criminal organizations to dump toxic waste on our shores; others leased large swaths of fishing grounds to the highest bidder resulting in the depletion of fish stocks; others encouraged the torching of whole forests to satiate the hunger for charcoal in rich gulf countries; still others wiped out the game that roamed freely in many parts of the country. The herds of gazelle, deer, oryx and zebra that used to roam the Northern plains are no more. On a recent visit to these areas, I could hardly locate any of the game that I used to witness when I roamed with our camel herds in the school holidays.
A country the size of the state of Texas has disintegrated into a number of autonomous mini states, some the size of Monaco. Every year witnesses the birth of a new regional administration based on clan affiliations. The motivation behind most of these administrations is the potential aid distributed by corrupt UN organizations run by corrupt men and women who have come to regard Somalia as a gold laying goose. The UN offices in Nairobi had become the most sought after postings for UN officials responsible for Somalia. Let us hope that their relocation to the capital Mogadishu will change things.
After the recent clashes in Kismayo, the seemingly endless human bombs unleashed by the Shabab to kill and destroy, and the insistence of some Somalis on separation, it seems that there is nothing much to celebrate but there is always hope and God told us in the Qoran not to give up on his mercy. So let us at least celebrate that day in 1960 when we hoisted Blugley and let us hope for its rise again from the dust in all its glory. I am lucky to live in a country where Somalis from all regions came together to celebrate the occasion. They realized that 26 June and 1 July are etched in the memory of all Somalis and are worth celebrating despite their divided loyalties. Most of the organizers came from Somaliland which has given me hope that Somalis will eventually forget their differences and come together again to fulfill the dreams of their forefathers and relive the days of Qarshe and Timadde. The predictions of Dr. Omar Osman Rabeh still ring in my ears: that Somalis will wake up from their nightmare, unite and start loving each other again,
If your community fails to celebrate these unforgettable occasions, you can always listen to Qarshe’s She Camel or Magool’s beautiful song, today is a great day in which she refers to the day we all came together to form the Somali State.
More Blugley Songs
Ali H Abdulla
Email:aliegeh@gmail.com
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