THE ISAAQ DIR CLAN OF SOMALIA: WHY ISSAQ IS DIR
This paper is a response to a paper circulated on the net called "Somaliland protests being called Northern Dir" as a Dir man and a Somalilander I would like to set the record straight and correct the author of this paper. This is the body of the E- mail I sent him.
http://www.afrol.com/articles/13854.
SHEIKH ISAAQ BIN AHMED (MOHAMMED) HINIFTIRE
Geneology of Isaaq:
Sheikh Isaaq was the eldest son of Mohammed or Ahmed which is the same name since the holy prophet of Islam Mohammed was also Ahmed (SAW). Sheikh Isaaq was the eldest son of Sheikh Mohammed Xiniftire Mahe Dir. The Isaaq clan are directly related to the Bimaal , Baajimaal, Quranyow Mohammed Xinifter ( a branch of the Garre of NFD and Ethiopia) and Dabruube clans who directly descend from Dir through the line of Mahe Dir.
Isaaq Suclans
Sheikh Isaaq married one wife and had four sons with Magaado and an had four more sons with an Absyssinian Ethiopian wife Habar Habuush
Habar Magaadle
Arap
Awal (Abdulraxman)
Garxajis ( Habar Yonis and Cidagale)
Ayuub
Habar Habuush
Muse
Toljalo
Ibran
Sanbuura
Isaaq and their relationships to Southern Dir
The Mahe Dir clans and the Isaaq when in Southern Somalia act as such and many Isaaq pay the Diya ( Mag) with the above clans and they receive direct protection as cousins. Moreover, when the SNM came into existence it found most of its non-Isaaq support first from the Southern Xinifter Mahe Dir clans like Biymaal subclan Gadsan and also the non Xiniftire clans who are Mahe or other Dir groups. As a matter of fact, the Mahe Dir clans adopted in 1991 the Isaaq founded movement's name SNM adding just Southern. The Southern Somali National Movement (SSNM) was the leading Southern Dir political movement. Later the Isaaq led SNM whose chairman was Abdirahman Tuur (Habar Yonis) and the SSNM led by Abdi Warsame Isaaq of the Bimaal Gadsan Mohammed Xinifter merged with General Aideed's SNA Somali national Allience along with Omar Jess an Ogadeen general.
Somalis Universally View Isaaq as Dir
The Somalis universally consider the Isaaq as Dir and they Isaaq identifies themselves as such when in Southern Somalia. When the Barre goverment collapsed in 1990, most Southern Dir were seen in Mogadisho diffrent areas rescuing fleeing Isaaq and those who remained were protected by Dir millitias even without the asking of the Isaaq. Western scholars of Somalia all acknowledged that the Isaaq were Dir ; however, most cited that the Isaaq following the led of the Darood adopted a fictious Arab geneology.
Citation: What Western Scholars Say about
All the major clans Somalis including the Dir, Hawiye and Rahaweyn in the past emphasized their Quraish pedigree by claiming direct descent from Aqiil Ibnu Abu Taalib whom they claim arrived with Ja'far Ibnu Abu Taalib in the first Hijra 615 A.D, the Dir claim that seven years after this contact one Aqiil Ibn Abu Talib returned to the Horn of Africa and fathered Hiil Samaale the founding father of all Somali clans.
For some odd reason baised western scholors exaggerated the Darood, Isaaq, Sheeikhal and Ajuuran clans of Somalia while ignoring the older and similar claims of the older Somali clans like the Rahanweyn and Dir-Hawiye.
I.M Lewis's books on Somalia all acknowledge the Isaaq's Dirness and he even draws the charts showing that Isaaq are direct lineal descendents of the Dir clan.
Moreover I M Lewis wrote, " All Somali pride in their purported Arab ancestory", and this include the Hawiye and Rahanweyn, even though he notes the recent increase of this claim amoung the Darood, Sheikha, and Ajuuran Hawiye clan.
I.M Lewis
I M Lewis states, "all Somalis regard the Isaaq as lineal descendents of Dir" and he notes their recent development of ,"independent agnatic descent from Arabia. (P-142, Nomadic Democracy)
I.M Lewis states, " strictly speaking the Isaaq are derived from the Dir, who together with the Hawiye are linked as "Irir" at a higher level of genelogical grouping." In his book, Understanding Somali and Somaliland Society : Culture History and Society-Ioan M Lewis P- 4
Invention Of Somalia Chart
http://books.google.com/books?id=XpdAzR ... ir&f=false
