PrinceDaadi wrote:If somebody says m Somali or from Somalia does that imply that he/she is an ethnic Somali? Mr/ms Cushitic wax baa ka qaldan! Besides not all people from one ethnic group look alike, if they do 70% that is a high percentage.
Some other members said they r not Somali they are from the coastal regions! What the hell does that mean? Regardless of your color, ethnicity and body features all you need to be a Somali is to born in Somalia or become a naturalized citizen of that country.
I find it interesting that some are getting upset about this topic.
This is not a question of nationality but of culture and ethnicity. Somalia is not like America where it is highly diverse and populated mainly by settlers. The majority of Somalis in Somalia are ethnically Somali and culturally Somali. Those that originate from Persia or other places, although they speak Somali, usually speak dialects that include words from other cultures. They also follow cultures and customs that deviate from traditional Somali culture. One community of Persian-descended Somalis in the south that I've heard about are so culturally conservative and separate from Somalis that they don't mix with any group other than other Persians. They also have a custom where the girls are not to be seen outside in public as much as men.
So it is not odd to question whether or not their traditions (like marrying off an 11-year old child) originate from Somalia or elsewhere. We can determine this by simply observing that they do not appear to be ethnic Somalis, the girl on the left has accent that sounds more Asian, might likely be those descended from those from other nations, and thus may follow different customs.
If you find this upsetting, you can simply choose not to be part of the discussion.
