Somali Oral Poetry and the Failed She-Camel Nation State: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Deelley Poetry Debate (1979–1980)

310 Pages·2015·1.648 MB·English

by  Ali Mumin Ahad

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Somali Oral Poetry and the Failed She-Camel Nation State: A Critical li SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN AFRICA
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Discourse Analysis of the Deelley Poetry Debate (1979–1980) exam- r
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ines the most expressive medium in Somali culture and politics, that l

P
is, oral poetry, in its ideological and discursive dimension. Oral poetry has o
e
a formidable impact on Somali society and its internal dynamics. t
r
y
Somali Oral Poetryis the first critical discourse analysis of the con-

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nection between oral poetry and politics in Somalia. The book brings out n
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contradictions and conflicts between the ways of thinking of a society Somali Oral Poetry
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structured in clans and a rightful claim for nationhood and the state of
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law. In addition, it highlights the difficulty the society finds in renounc- F and the Failed
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ing clan mentality that requires loyalty to the clan rather than to the State. i
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The present volume illuminates, through the critical analysis of the d
She-Camel Nation State

Deelley poetry debate, the circumstances and issues that preceded the S
h
civil war in Somalia. Therefore, the book is of particular interest for its e
-
original explanation and understanding of the extraordinary subsequent C
a
failure of the State in Somalia. m
e
l

N
a
t
i
o
n
Ali Mumin Ahad completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Somali

S
National University. He earned his master’s degree in agribusiness at t
a
Sacred Heart University in Milan, Italy. His doctorate was awarded by La te
Trobe University in Australia. Ahad has published numerous articles and two
books focusing on Somali history, literature, and historiographical writing. A
L A Critical Discourse Analysis
I
M
U
M of the Deelley Poetry Debate
I
N

A (1979–1980)
H
A
D

24
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
N
G A l i M u m i n A h a d
www.peterlang.com
Ahad_cpi_cb_Saaka.qxd 4/4/2015 5:00 AM Page 1
S
o
m
a
Somali Oral Poetry and the Failed She-Camel Nation State: A Critical li SOCIETY AND POLITICS IN AFRICA
O
Discourse Analysis of the Deelley Poetry Debate (1979–1980) exam- r
a
ines the most expressive medium in Somali culture and politics, that l

P
is, oral poetry, in its ideological and discursive dimension. Oral poetry has o
e
a formidable impact on Somali society and its internal dynamics. t
r
y
Somali Oral Poetryis the first critical discourse analysis of the con-

a
nection between oral poetry and politics in Somalia. The book brings out n
d
contradictions and conflicts between the ways of thinking of a society Somali Oral Poetry
t
h
structured in clans and a rightful claim for nationhood and the state of
e
law. In addition, it highlights the difficulty the society finds in renounc- F and the Failed
a
ing clan mentality that requires loyalty to the clan rather than to the State. i
l
e
The present volume illuminates, through the critical analysis of the d
She-Camel Nation State

Deelley poetry debate, the circumstances and issues that preceded the S
h
civil war in Somalia. Therefore, the book is of particular interest for its e
-
original explanation and understanding of the extraordinary subsequent C
a
failure of the State in Somalia. m
e
l

N
a
t
i
o
n
Ali Mumin Ahad completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Somali

S
National University. He earned his master’s degree in agribusiness at t
a
Sacred Heart University in Milan, Italy. His doctorate was awarded by La te
Trobe University in Australia. Ahad has published numerous articles and two
books focusing on Somali history, literature, and historiographical writing. A
L A Critical Discourse Analysis
I
M
U
M of the Deelley Poetry Debate
I
N

A (1979–1980)
H
A
D

24
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
N
G A l i M u m i n A h a d
www.peterlang.com
Somali Oral Poetry
and the Failed
She-Camel Nation State
Society and Politics in Africa

Yakubu Saaka
Founding Editor

Akwasi Osei
General Editor

Vol. 24

This book is a volume in a Peter Lang monograph series.
Every volume is peer reviewed and meets
the highest quality standards for content and production.

PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Ali Mumin Ahad

Somali Oral Poetry
and the Failed
She-Camel Nation State

A Critical Discourse Analysis
of the Deelley Poetry Debate
(1979–1980)

PETER LANG
New York  Bern  Frankfurt  Berlin
Brussels  Vienna  Oxford  Warsaw
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ahad, Ali Mumin, author.
Somali oral poetry and the failed she-camel nation state: a critical discourse analysis
of the Deelley poetry debate (1979–1980) / Ali Mumin Ahad.
pages cm. — (Society and politics in Africa; vol. 24)
Includes bibliographical references.
1.Political poetry, Somali—History and criticism. 2. Failed states—Somalia.
3.Clans—Political aspects—Somalia. 4. Somalia—Politics and government.
I. Title. II. Series: Society and politics in Africa; v. 24.
PJ2533.5A37 893.5410093581—dc23 2013046478
ISBN 978-1-4331-2515-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4539-1297-3 (e-book)
ISSN 1083-3323
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data are available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.
© 2015 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
To my wife and life partner Abshira
To my children Abraham Khalil, Fatima and Marvad

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE.......................................................................................................9
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................11
Part one
CHAPTER ONE: THE HISTORICAL, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL
CONTEXT OF SOMALI ORAL POETRY............................................17
Clan and political dynamics in a historical perspective......................18
The foundation of Somali pastoralist oral poetry...............................19
The language of poetry: ideology and politics in language................23
Hegemonic nomadic pastoralist poetry and the consequences
of the politics of the language..................................................29
The contradiction between clan system culture and the discourse
of national identity....................................................................32
Tribalization and re-tribalization of the Somali politics.
A colonial imprint?...................................................................34
Clan ideology and its concept of state................................................46
Military takeover of power and the subsequent policies
of economic and social transformation.....................................50
The land question and the further marginalization of the
agriculturalists..........................................................................55
Concomitant crises which have distraught the regime in Somalia.....58
CHAPTER TWO: POETRY AND POLITICS: THE IMMEDIATE
CONTENT OF THE DEELLEY POETRY DEBATE...........................61
Re-emergence of clan rivalries in Somali politics..............................62
The call and the organization for the poetry debate............................66
The leading figures of the Deelley Poetry debate...............................69
CHAPTER THREE: THE CHOICE OF THE METHOD............................73
Descriptive overview of the analysis of the Deelley Polytext............75
Analytical strategies............................................................................79
Part two
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSES OF INDIVIDUAL POEMS.....................85
Gaarriye, “No Refuge is offered by Tribalism”..................................85
Hadraawi, “Unfulfilled”...................................................................103
Idaajaa, “The Veils of Ignorance”....................................................124
8

CHAPTER FIVE: METAPHORS..............................................................140
Damal (The Damal-Tree Metaphor).................................................140
AWR (The Male Camel Metaphor)...................................................151
Digo hoos ka nool (The Smouldering Dung Metaphor)...................159
Part three
CHAPTER SIX: MAANDEEQ: THE SHE-CAMEL
NATION-STATE..................................................................................175
CHAPTER SEVEN: TRIBALISM AND THE TRIBAL SYSTEM..........225
The debate about tribalism and the tribal system..............................232
Conclusive remarks on the debate on tribalism................................276
CHAPTER EIGHT: SUMMING UP..........................................................278
The use of poetry as a medium of representation of the society.......278
Hegemony works from the start. The conceived society and
the opacity of ideology...........................................................278
The silence over agriculture and the absence of poets from
the agriculturalist southern population...................................283
The discourse of the Deelley............................................................283
The confirmation of ‘internal colonialism’ and the
patrimonial concept of State in Somali culture......................286
Injustice as a fundamental question..................................................287
Freedom of expression and ideological censorship..........................288
Language as the locus of ideology....................................................288
Ideologies in the discourse of Deelley..............................................289
The poets’ critique against the regime..............................................295
BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................299