From: dfo@tko.vtt.fi (Foxvog Douglas)
Newsgroups: alt.current-events.somalia
Subject: Re: Somalia an Arab country??? no! [was: It's Blood for Oill, again.]
Date: 21 Dec 92 09:46:42 GMT
Organization: VTT

In article <BzF1My.4o2@apollo.hp.com> goykhman_a@apollo.hp.com (Alex Goykhman) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.091537.12030@ousrvr.oulu.fi> dfo@tko.vtt.fi (Foxvog Douglas) writes:
>...
>>In article <Bz4AL4.G81@apollo.hp.com> goykhman_a@apollo.hp.com (Alex Goykhman) writes:
>>
>>>    According to the Boston Globe (Dec. 6, 1992), Somali is the national
>>>    language, Arabic is an official language, English and Italian are also 
>>>    spoken.

>>This is correct.  Arabic is an official language for religious reasons
>>as it is the language of the Koran and therefore of Allah (according to
>>the religion).  The vast majority of the people speak Somali, although 
>>of the minority who can read, many of them have likely learned to read
>>Arabic *also* in order to read the Koran in Arabic.

>>>    Finally, Somalia is a member of the Arab League.

>>True, they did so to join with their fellow religionists in an
>>organization that reached the borders of their country.

>    Do you really believe Somalis are a people without any national 
>    self-identity and that they tend to blindly join their fellow 
>    religionists with whom they happen to have a common border?

Who's putting words into my mouth?  Somalis have a strong national
identity.  I never claimed that they blindly join or follow anyone.
They joined the Arab League in '74 well over a decade after it was founded
in the 60's.  I would guess that they hoped that joining the League
might benefit them in some way (perhaps financially?).

>    Baloney!  

So you also disagree with your straw man. What a surprise.

>The reasons Somalia is in the Arab league because
>    Somalis believe they all descended from an Arab by the name
>    Samaale.  

A book, _Somalia_ by Deardre Godbeer, states in its chapter on "The
Muslim Factor -- Religion, Law and Customs": "...Somalia has joined the
Arab League (...) to show its conformity to Muslim ideals.  This is both
a religious union and a political one."

>Ditto for Arabic being an official language in Somalia.

Are you trying to claim that Samaale spoke Arabic?  Most Somalis don't.
>    Here is an excerpt from an article that speaks to the issue:

>--->   Cross-posted without permission.

>--->   Article: 9722 of misc.activism.progressive
>--->   Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
>--->   From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
>--->   Subject: FCNL: Crisis in Somalia
>--->   Followup-To: alt.activism.d
>--->   Organization: PACH
>--->   Distribution: na

Waah!  No wonder i didn't get it.  Why restrict distribution like this?

>--->   Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1992 09:29:24 GMT

>--->   /** fcnl.updates: 17.0 **/
>--->   ** Topic: SOMALIA **
>--->   ** Written  2:59 pm  Dec  4, 1992 by fcnl in cdp:fcnl.updates **

>--->   CRISIS IN SOMALIA

>--->   HISTORY

>--->   The Somali people share many characteristics that would
>--->   tend to unify them.  They have similar physical
>--->   features, a common religion, the same language, and a
                                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i.e. Somali, not Arabic.

>--->   history of seminomadic pastoral and agricultural
>--->   traditions.  According to legend, all Somalis are
>--->   descended from a common ancestor from Arabia. [Samaale a.g.].
>--->   ...

This states the existence of the legend.  It makes neither of the claims
that you made.  Do you figure out those claims by yourself or do you
have a reference which claims that Somalia joined the Arab league
because a legendary figure was Arabic or that Somalia selected Arabic as
one of its official languages for that reason?

-- 
doug foxvog     
dfo@tko.vtt.fi   
Xref: sparky alt.current-events.somalia:761 talk.politics.mideast:24432