I can’t believe how quickly 8 days went by since I’ve been in Garowe,Somalia. Today, I emailed my manager at my job in Minnesota and gave her my termination notice. It was quite a hard decision for me, but after two years of working there I think my skills can be more utilized in Somalia. I really loved my job and what I did really helped me develop myself, but Somalia needs more educated people. Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate a year of my life here helping with the development of my country, insha’Allah (God willing).
Most African countries have been cursed with what is called “brain drain”, which means educated people, and people who are more likely to cause change leaving their countries to go to the western developed nations. We need more of the educated Somalis all over the world to come back to Somalia, particularly Puntland which is far more peaceful than the southern regions of Somalia. May Allah bring peace to Mogadhishu and bring mercy into the hearts of those killing innocent people. Ameen.
Being in Somalia, particularly Puntland I have noticed so many advancements since I was last here in February (ironically) 2006. There are more roads, more businesses, more people, more people going to school, the literacy rate of the region is very high currently, and bigger houses. There is more openness in Garowe than last time I was here. I remember when I first came here, I wore a black abaya (the arab female dress) with the matching scarf. Kids threw rocks at me because they considered me not dressed properly or “islamically”. The Somali women here wear a long hijab, and alot of them don’t consider other styles to be proper Islamic dress. Alot of these ideas are due to lack of education of the religion of Islam. However, today, people don’t even notice me with my colorful scarfs and skirts, and I dress the same way as muslim women in America in Garowe. It has also helped me that I don’t walk by myself, and I’m usually in a car accompanied by family members. Nevertheless, it has improved tremendously. There are still many cultural aspects of Somali society that needs to improve.
Today, I went to a workshop that was discussing corporal punishment in schools in Puntland and how to stop it. The workshop had about 30 people consisting of teachers from Quranic schools and secular schools, as well as one woman who was a parent. I was astonished to learn about how young children are beaten in schools and most of the time the parents condone it. I was so happy about this workshop because many of the participants were against it. We saw pictures of two boys in schools with their ankles chained like they were Guantanamo Bay prisoners. It was so tragic. One man talked about how a Quran school teacher took a child who misbehaved and hanged him upside down from a tree and just left him there. The boy died. We must stop this. It has become so normal in the culture in Somalia to beat children in order to discipline them. The most beatings children receive come from schools where they learn the Quran. Most of the people in the workshop discussed how they justify beating children when they fail to learn their Quran lessons from the hadith that says to teach young children and guide them to pray at the age of 10. The prophet Muhammad(pbuh) never beat a child for failing to recite a verse from the Quran. They also talked about how when the angel Jabril came to the prophet, he told him “iqra”, and when the prophet said he couldn’t read, he grabbed him by the throat and said “iqra” or read. We discussed how that had nothing to do with beating children, defenseless kids in Quranic schools. The religion is supposed to be one of mercy, not one that instills fear into the hearts of young children. Somali Quranic schools also should teach children the meaning of the Quran, not just to teach them to memorize it mindlessly. This is not something that is common just in Somalia, but for Somalis all over the world. We learn the Quran, but about 80% don’t learn the tafsir or meaning of the Quran. We must change this.
In order for Somalia to progress, the people must push for change. Change must start from each household. The parenting styles of Somali parents should change. I know change takes time, but just like alot of ignorance has infiltrated our Somali culture, we can definately reverse this, insha’Allah (God willing).
Drinking Tea in Mogadhishu 