1957; in honor of our students, I give SHIRE JAMA OP ED 1st to oppose Arabic/Latin as official langs & argue 4 SOMALI

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In honor of our students's success with many of them from a school named on his behalf, I give you this historical OP ED from the FATHER OF THE SOMALI SCRIPT, the great cultural and literary icon all Somali speaking people everywhere are forever indebt; SHIRE JAMA AHMED 'JUGE' firmly opposing the first attempt DURING the trusteeship when plans were drafted to name Italian and Arabic as the official languages of Somalia.

Shire Jama Ahmed, already forming a name for himself as an academic literary icon from such a young age, contested the right to DISSENT and had his DISSENT published by the Italian colonial news paper Correiere

Ladies and Gentlemen, Shire Jama Ahmed, in 1957, opposing any language BUT our Somali language as the official language of the Somali nation

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What a beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL piece of articulated expression. The thoughts penned are themselves ART to me.

God hath given Shire Jama Ahmed to the Somali nation and the Somali nation is forever thankful and grateful. Millions of people around the world utilize this man's gift to us every single day when they write or read Somali using the script he developed and the legacy he left us.

But even before then, look at how this wonderful human being internalized to his very soul the cultural and linguistic unity, heritage, and continuity of the Somali-speaking people.

[NGM]

This is a hall of fame thread great find and very good timing, AUN Shire Jaamac a true pioneer

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Among Shire's achievements was publishing, writing, researching, and editing the 1st Somali Language Magazine "'Iftiinka Aqoonta' or 'Light of Knowledge.'

It was immediately a success and turned Mogadishu into a giant literary book club upon every edition. The coffee and tea houses loved it and became Shire's biggest sponsors and advertisers.

I have embedded below excerpts from an edition from 1967.

It is really a delightfully engaging and intellectually stimulating Somali historical literature critique and discovery.

He uses poetry, sayings, folk lore, oral history, and even visual art to teach, introduce, clarify, expand, and to entertain.

Enjoy