Tag: Records of Somalia

SOMALIA’s Maryan Ali Mohamed – violin novice to TV orchestra triumph in four years

Born at the start of Somalia’s civil war, Maryan Ali Mohamed dreamt of one day performing live on stage.

She spent hours impersonating musicians on TV and always hoped to master an instrument.

In 2019, she picked up her first violin. Now, the 33-year-old is one of 40 musicians forming a Somali orchestra.

The East African country does not have an official national orchestra, but for the first time, an ensemble of musicians were brought together for a series of televised performances.

Men and women dressed in suits and satin were recorded harmoniously playing trumpets, drums and ouds – a traditional string instrument.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Fadumo Hussien, a 70-year-old grandmother watching from her living room on the outskirts of the capital, Mogadishu.

“I remember bands playing growing up, but nothing like this,” she told the BBC.

The performances, organised by Mogadishu-based production company Astaan TV, aim to revive Somali music.

“We brought this orchestra together and gave them a space to rehearse,” said Mohamed Abdiwali, one of the event organisers.

“Now they can play classical Somali music,” he said.

The carefully crafted shows are then aired online and across local TV.

“The younger generation needs to start hearing our history,” he explained.

“Historically, we’ve had bands in Somalia, with a limited number of instruments,” explained Jama Musse Jama, director of the Hargeisa Cultural Centre.

Orchestras, with their larger size and classical focus, often have a greater emphasis on collaboration and synchronicity.

“You work together in harmony and build music in harmony,” said Dr Jama, noting the sounds of the Egyptian and Sudanese orchestras.

“It’s all about coming together,” he added.

Musicians were handpicked from across the country for this project, including both seasoned instrumentalists and emerging talents, like Ms Mohamed.

“I usually play on my own, or with just a few other people, but nothing on this scale,” she told the BBC.

The mother-of-two began violin lessons just a few years ago as part of a community programme in Mogadishu. She now practises using YouTube videos.

“I am so grateful to be here,” she said smiling.

Since the outbreak of civil war in 1991, Somalia has grappled with political instability and conflict. That’s had a knock-on effect on cultural institutions.

“Somali music hasn’t had a home for years,” said Dr Jama.

The National Theatre in Mogadishu, which opened its doors in 1967, was once a cultural melting pot for the city.

Spectators would gather inside the grand hall located in central Mogadishu to watch plays, musical performances and film festivals.

It quickly became the beating heart of the creative community.

“Beyond a physical building, musicians and artists must be encouraged to come together, share ideas and produce something tangible,” explained Dr Jama.

During the civil war it was fought over by rival militias and its roof even collapsed after being hit by mortars.

Across Somalia, cultural institutions and exports are now being revived, marked by the return of cinemas, art exhibitions and Somali TV shows.

The National Theatre reopened again in 2020 and now hosts a variety of events, including this year’s Mogadishu Book Fair.

In Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa, live music nights featuring traditional Somali music and food are on the rise, which Dr Jama says is vital for sharing the country’s rich culture through the generations.

“Somali music is not well archived,” he told the BBC.

“We don’t have musical notations, we perform and it dies there and remains only in the memory of the singer,” he said.

“That’s why a televised orchestra performance is so special,” he added.

“By documenting this, we’re creating something tangible that the next generation can see, understand and appreciate.

“It’s a victory for Somali music.”

source/content: bbc.com / (Soraya Ali) – (headline edited)

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SOMALIA

The SOMALI man Ahmed Ibrahim Awale who has a scorpion named after him

If you were going to have a creature named after you then a scorpion may not be your first choice, but Ahmed Ibrahim Awale believes the Pandinurus awalei will serve as an inspiration to budding Somali scientists.

The 66-year-old scientist from Somaliland has been honoured by the three researchers who discovered the new scorpion species in the region in recognition of his decades of work in conservation and environmental protection.

“Most of the species identified in Somalia and Somaliland are named after a place, a characteristic that a plant or animal may have or somebody from Europe or America,” he told the BBC in his lively voice on the line from his office in Hargeisa.

“But for many young people here, it will encourage them to know that this species is named after Awale – after all Awale is a Somali.” His pride in having this honour clearly shines through.

‘Large but not that lethal’

Since the 19th Century, researchers, mostly from Europe, have been exploring the rich ecology of the Somali region, but Mr Awale wants to add to the growing number of Somalis taking up zoology and botany.

The 15cm large-clawed scorpion that now carries his name was found in an arid landscape near Agabara village about 50km (30 miles) north of Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland.

It is not as venomous as some of its smaller cousins as there is often an inverse relationship between the size of a scorpion’s claws and the power of its sting, Mr Awale explains.

But Pandinurus awalei is just one of 50 scorpion species that live in Somaliland, some of which are only found in the Somali region.

This fact gives a hint at its rich biodiversity. As well as a host of animal species, there are at least 3,000 species of plants that have been identified and more than 700 of them are endemic to the region – and that number is growing.

“Every year new discoveries are coming,” says Mr Awale, who himself found a new species of aloe in 2014.

“This articulates the message that all that is coming from Somaliland and the region is not that bleak. We always hear negative news and this marks a shift in the narrative that is different from the mainstream perception of piracy, extremism, famine and instability.”

True to his name – Awale means “the lucky one” in Somali – he made his own discovery by chance.

He was driving off-road “in the middle of nowhere” on one of his many field trips when he spotted huge clumps of more than 1,000 aloe plants.

“It was something I had never seen in my life,” he says and he went to investigate.

The plant was also a different colour to other aloes and though the local people knew it as dacar-cas (red aloe), they did not know how unusual it was.

After taking a sample and going through a lengthy research and verification process – which included searching the archive at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens and the East African Herbarium in Nairobi – it was proved last year that this was a new species. Mr Awale and his team of researchers named it Aloe sanguinalis (red aloe).

The discovery was the culmination of a lifetime’s passion that he partly puts down to where he grew up.

Born in 1954 in Adadlay, a village 95km east of Hargeisa, he lived near the Gaan Libah mountain, “which is one of the most beautiful places in Somaliland in terms of biodiversity”.

He came from a family of pastoralists, but his father, who ran a small shop in the village, paid for his education and in the end he studied agriculture and environmental science at the Somali National University in Mogadishu.

‘Extinction threat’

Mr Awale’s upbeat message about the biodiversity of Somaliland is tempered by a concern for its future.

Like everywhere else, species are under threat and some are dying out.

A combination of changes of land use for urban development, the clearing of forests for charcoal, the proliferation of invasive species and climate change are “pushing a number of species into extinction”.

For Mr Awale, this is not about prioritising the needs of the natural world over human need.

“Biodiversity is the web of life,” he says.

“We draw on that natural resource for our sustenance, for our medicine, our shelter. The richer the biodiversity, the richer our quality of life will be too.

“A declining biodiversity means that we are becoming poorer and that makes our survival problematic.

To push this message in Somaliland, in 1995 he helped set up Candlelight, an organisation aimed at creating a society that is aware of environmental concerns.

He has also written books and articles, and appears on the radio and TV to increase awareness about the issue.

Mr Awale says he has noticed some changes in government policy, but most importantly he has a growing number of young people engaged in the work.

Despite being recognised by having a scorpion named after him, the environmentalist knows that this is not his struggle alone.

“The Somalis have a proverb: ‘A single finger cannot wash a face.’

“In other words: It’s no use myself being prominent and well known, if I don’t have people supporting me.”

As for the lesson that the discovery of Pandinurus awalei teaches, he is convinced “that there are more species to be discovered… if the time and space allows there will be a lot of discoveries”

source/content: bbc.com/news (headline edited)

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Ahmed Ibrahim Awale / Somaliland environmentalist

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SOMALIA / SOMALILAND

SOMALI Refugee Abdi Nor Iftin: ‘I Am Here To Make America Great’

What does it take to become an American? In 2015, This American Life told the story of a Somali refugee who was finally issued a visa to come and live in the United States. “This big smile was on my face. I’ve never had such a big smile,” Abdi Nor Iftin said at the time.

Iftin’s long road to the US began when he was only a child in Mogadishu, watching American movies and teaching himself English, while brutality and war raged around him. In his new memoir, Call Me American, he tells his story from the beginning: with his nomadic parents and their now-unimaginably peaceful, pastoral life.

“She had no idea that the country she was living in was called Somalia,” Iftin says of his mother. “She had always told me, ‘You know, Abdi, there’s only two days: The day that you’re born and the day that you die. Everything else is just grazing and hanging out with the animals.'” Life was so easy, he says, before drought and famine wiped everything out.

Interview Highlights

On his first memories of Somalia’s long-running civil war

I was six years old when the civil war started, militias started pouring into the city, and death and killings and torture, and I just cried. The smell of Mogadishu, it was just the smell of gunpowder. And that had been sticking with me forever … I think this is the most touching memory that I can remember, to have our youngest sister die, and we said, “Good. That is so easy for her,” and then I was jealous. I was jealous because that was the time when our feet were swollen, our bellies were empty. It was a feeling that you could die any time … and I looked at my other sister, and she was just eating sand. And I think that’s the stories that people don’t hear about.

On his encounters with Marines in Mogadishu

I still say they stole my heart, because it was the very first time that I saw people with guns, and the guns were pointed up in the air, not in my face. Then they were coming and giving us sweets — I wanted these people to stick around, I wanted these people to be part of my life.

On being targeted by Islamists because of his nickname, “Abdi the American”

Unfortunately, I still believe that Islamists were born out of the American involvement somewhere in the Middle East, and the phrases that they had used to attract young men of my age was just “America.” They said, “They are the enemies of Islam” … surprisingly, I was out on the streets, defending President Bush, I don’t even know why I did that. But I was defending him, and blaming Osama bin Laden for all the problems. But I thought, to me it was just expressing myself, but then it got me into trouble, and I received a phone call saying, “You got to stop and drop that nickname, or we’re going to kill you.”

On whether Americans know how hard it is to get a visa to come here

I don’t think they do! You know, Americans take so many things for granted. For example, I came to the U.S. through the diversity immigrant visa lottery, which [President Trump] would like to cancel. But if it was not the diversity lottery, I would have never come to America, never. I had been an American since I saw those Marines, and my nickname is going to be my nationality, very soon … When I wake up in the morning, I say, oh, I’m so lucky — I have arrived here before America had turned its back against the rest of the world. If this had happened when I was hiding myself from Islamic terrorists, just trying to come to America and become an American and all that, it would be a disappointment, it would be a betrayal by the United States. Because the way I understand is that America is open to the rest of the world. And I am here to make America great. I did not come here to take anything. I came here to contribute, and to offer and to give.

source/content: npr.org (headline edited)

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Call Me American/ A Memoir /By Abdi Nor Iftin

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AMERICAN / SOMALI

SOMALIA: 21-year old engineer Mohamad Adawe creates home-made respirator to ease country’s COVID-19 crisis

Somalia receives a boost in fight against COVID-19 in the form of home-made mechanised respirators, created by 21-year-old Mogadishu-based mechanical engineer A 21-year-old mechanical engineer came up with the device in response to a national shortage.

A 21-year-old Somali mechanical engineer has invented a homemade respirator to try to help his country during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The east African nation is suffering from a severe lack of respiratory equipment, which concerned Mogadishu–based Mohamad Adawe.

Previously, medical staff in Somalia have mainly had to assist patients’ breathing by manually pumping the equipment. This has also brought them into close contact with the infected people, heightening the risk of contagion.

“We don’t have economic might or a strong government in Somalia. To respond to this bad disease, I produced this device at a time when our people are suffering from a shortage of oxygen equipment.

 Mohamed Adawe 

Mogadishu-based mechanical engineer

Adawe says there was a real need for his invention:

“This device is used for patients in emergency situations, especially those who are having difficulty breathing. It is immediately useable for saving lives.

“We don’t have economic might or a strong government in Somalia. To respond to this bad disease, I produced this device at a time when our people are suffering from a shortage of oxygen equipment.

“So, my automated device can be attached to the patient’s face and moved away from them, as a social distancing measure.”

“With my device, we can fight against COVID-19 while our country is facing a shortage of oxygen devices – and while other countries of the world hold ventilators and other devices in their warehouses.”

Dr. Hussein Abdi-Aziz Abdulkadir, Director of the Somali Syrian Hospital in Mogadishu, hailed the significance of Adawe’s invention:

“In the past, you always had to use your hands to squeeze the airbag of the device, to clear the airway of the patient.

“But now Mohamed Adawe has automated the device to help patients clear their airway and help with breathing at a time when there is an urgent need for this.”

It’s hoped Mohamad Adawe’s innovation will help save lives: not just because it aids the patient in breathing, but also because it allows doctors to keep a safer distance from them, reducing the risk of contagion.

source/content: euronew.com (headline edited)

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pix: AFP

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SOMALIA

SOMALIA’s Akram Afif and Yusuf Abdirisaq propelled Qatar to Asian Cup success

Somali-origin players Afif and Abdirisaq play pivotal roles in leading Qatar to victory in the AFC Asian Cup.

On Saturday, February 11, 2024, the football world turned its eyes towards a historic clash that would etch the names of Akram Hassan Afif and Yusuf Abdirisaq into the records of the AFC Asian Cup lore.

In a match that was anything but ordinary, Qatar’s national team, buoyed by the exceptional talent of its Somali-origin stars clinched their second successive victory in the tournament by overcoming Jordan with a decisive 3-1 win.

Qatar’s triumph was heralded by the remarkable performances of Akram Afif and Yusuf Abdirisaq, whose origins trace back to Somalia, showcasing the diverse and rich talent pool contributing to Qatar’s footballing success.

Akram Hassan Afif emerged as the tournament’s top scorer, remarkably netting three penalty goals in the final match. 

His prowess on the field and his unique celebration, holding up a letter ‘S’ in honor of his Kuwaiti wife watching from the stands, captured the hearts of fans and ignited discussions across social media platforms. 

Afif’s journey from the streets of Doha to becoming a footballing icon is a narrative of determination, skill, and the love for the game.

Yusuf Abdirisaq, on the other hand, fortified Qatar’s defense with his agility and keen sense of play. 

Born in Hargeisa, Yusuf’s path to footballing stardom is a tale of resilience and adaptation. Representing Qatar on the international stage, Yusuf’s performance in the Asian Cup final was a clear demonstration of his defensive prowess and his significant role in the team’s success.

The match itself was a rollercoaster of emotions as three penalties were awarded, leading Qatar to victory. 

Despite the debates, the focus remained on the skillful play and strategic acumen displayed by the Qatari team, particularly its Somali stars.

The Arab media and international press were lavish in their praise for Qatar’s achievement, with special emphasis on Afif’s scoring feat and Abdirisaq’s defensive mastery. 

Their stories of personal and professional triumph resonated well beyond the football pitch, inspiring many young athletes around the world.

Off the field, both players have faced their share of challenges and controversies, such as Abdirisaq’s alleged racial abuse incident, which he and the Qatar Football Association strongly refuted. 

Akram Afif, the son of a former Somali national team player, has football in his blood. His journey from Qatar’s youth leagues to becoming a key player for Al Sadd, and on loan from Villarreal, is a beacon of hope and inspiration for many aspiring footballers in the Arab world and beyond.

Yusuf Abdirisaq’s story is equally compelling, showcasing the potential for football to change lives and transcend borders. From his early days at Al Sadd SC to his loan at Al-Arabi SC and back, Yusuf’s career trajectory highlights the opportunities and challenges faced by players of diverse backgrounds in the world of professional football.

As Qatar celebrates its second consecutive AFC Asian Cup victory, the contributions of Akram Afif and Yusuf Abdirisaq will be remembered as pivotal to this historic achievement. 

Their talent, perseverance, and dedication have not only led their team to glory but have also served as a powerful reminder of the unifying power of sport.

source/content: pulsesports.co.ke (headline edited)

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SOMALIA

SOMALIA: Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, one of Somalia’s greatest Poets

Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, one of Somalia’s greatest poets, dies aged 79.

Somali social media has been flooded with tributes to the man better known as ‘Hadraawi’.

Messages of condolences continue to pour in from around the world following the death of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame, regarded as one of Somalia’s greatest poets.

Warsame, known as “Hadraawi”, died in Hargeisa, in Somaliland, on Thursday at the age of 79.

Social media has been flooded with tributes and praise for his contribution to Somali language and culture.

“I’m heartbroken to inform you our giant Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame Hadraawi has passed away. Might Allah bless him and grant him Jannah,” Ayan Mahamoud, founder of Kayd Somali Arts and Culture , said on Twitter.

“We will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind,” added Said Salah Ahmed, a poet and playwright who teaches the Somali language at the University of Minnesota in the US.

Hadraawi, which means the “master, or father, of speech”, was regarded as a pillar of modern Somali literature and a strong advocate of peace and democracy.

In 1973, he was imprisoned for five years by the president, Siad Barre, who ruled Somalia until 1991, for speaking against the revolution. His work was banned but he continued to compose poetry upon his release, which were was passed on through word of mouth.

The songs and verses he wrote are full of imagery and metaphor, open to interpretation, which made it hard for the military regime to control. A verse from his poem The Killing of the She-Camel resulted in his imprisonment without trial.

The snake sneaks in the castle:

although it’s carpeted with thorns

still the coward casts off his curses

so the courageous must stretch out his neck;

the cob stallion sells his values

in order to cut a fine figure.

When such cockiness struts forth

and even laughter becomes a crime

our country has unfinished business.

In the early 1990s he called for an end to the civil war, which caused thousands of people to flee Somalia. In 2004, he travelled throughout the country on a “peace march” urging warring parties to stop the violence. His message of reconciliation resonated with Somalis at home and abroad.

He retired a few years ago.

“Poet Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame (Hadraawi) was a symbol of unity and peace,” said the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in a statement. “He was one of key pillars of Somalia’s art and literature who took a leading role in preserving the Somali culture and promoting the Somali language. His death is felt in every Somali household.”

The EU, Norway, the UK and other friends of Somalia sent condolences and tributes.

“Sending my heartfelt condolences to the people of Somaliland and to all Somalis for the loss of Mohamed Ibrahim Warsame “Hadraawi”, an iconic poet and one of the most eminent and beloved Somali poets of all time,” tweeted Lizzie Walker, head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Hargeisa.

Hadraawi had been called the “Somali Shakespeare”, but Somali singer and songwriter Aar Maanta said: “Hadraawi wasn’t the ‘Somali Shakespeare’ he was the Somali Hadraawi. He was more than a poet; he was a philosopher and a freedom fighter who spent many years in jail for his stance against injustice and dictatorship.

“He wrote some of the most beautiful love songs and poems that Somalis in the Horn of Africa and beyond use as a benchmark.”

Ahmed, who knew Hadraawi since late 1960s, added: “Hadraawi was one of the kindest people I have ever met. His poetry speaks for the voiceless and calls out oppression against the people …. he will be missed so dearly but we will treasure his legacy and the rich scholarly work he left behind.”

Known as a “nation of poets”, poetry is woven into the fabric of Somali society with centuries of oral history, as the Somali language was only written in 1972.

Contemporary Somali poetry, including the works of Hadraawi, has been preserved in books and translated into English.

source/content: theguardian.com (headline edited)

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SOMALIA

SOMALIA-BRITISH Child Genius Yasha Asley dubbed ‘the human calculator’ becomes University of Leicester’s Youngest Employee Teaching Adults Maths at just FOURTEEN

He may be younger than their children but one of Britain’s brainiest children, a Muslim, has been hired by a University to help adults with their sums as reported by Daily Mail .

Yasha Asley, 14, is employed by the University of Leicester – where he is also a degree student – to run tutorials.

He became the youngest ever student at the University and is now the youngest ever employee.

Yasha was interviewed and offered the paid job when he was just 13–years old – beating adult applicants. Admin staff had to apply to Leicester city council for special permission to employ him because he was so young. The weekly tutorials Yasha runs are for adult students who need help and support solving problems following lectures. Proud Yasha said:’I am having the best years of my life. I love going to university and I love my new job helping other students.

No more school uniform for me thank you very much.’

Yasha, who has been dubbed a ‘human calculator’, is now in his final year and plans to start a Phd when he finishes his course.

The child genius attended a state primary school before winning his place to study degree level maths at just 12 years old in 2014.He was the first child in the world to achieve an A grade in maths A Level scoring 100 per cent and 99 per cent in two of the six papers when he was just 8 years old.

He passed more A levels in maths and statistics aged 9 and 10.

After finishing year 6 at primary he went straight to University. Of his achievements, Yasha said:’I love maths because it is an exact science. It is the only science where you can prove what you say is correct. It is so easy and an enjoyable subject to study.’

Proud father Moussa Asley, 53, who raised him single-handedly at their home in Leicester, said his son had been made welcome by staff and students alike.

Mr Asley, who drives his son to lectures every day, said:

‘I am just so proud watching him flourish and grow doing something he loves.

He is so good at understanding problems and explaining them in a clear way he is perfect for the job.’

by Sophie Inge for MailOnline

source/content: menafn.com (headline edited)

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BRITISH / SOMALI

SOMALI-born Abdullahi Mire, Champion of Refugee Education Wins Top Prestigious UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award

A former child refugee born in Somalia, who dedicated himself to changing lives through education, has been namedas this year’s winner of the prestigious UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.

Abdullahi Mire grew up in the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya with its population today of more than 240,000 registered refugees, mostly from Somalia.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) coordinates operations there together with partners, relying also on the support of the Kenyan Government and host communities.

The majority of the population, around 56 per cent according to 2020 figures, are children.

At that point there were over 60,000 students enrolled up to secondary school level, but despite that, the demand for teachers, supplies and classroom space, has long outstripped supply, leading to poor educational outcomes.

Educational pioneer

Of those managing to complete secondary school only a small number have been able to carry on into tertiary education.

Mr. Mire spent 23 years living in the Dadaab complex himself, from the early 1990s, and eventually went on to graduate with a diploma in journalism and public relations in 2013 from Kenya’s Kenyatta University.

After working for the UN migration agency IOM , in Somalia, specialising in the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants, he realised that without being literate, many were being brainwashed and radicalized.

Life-changer

His experience led him to start the Refugee Youth Education Hub (RYEH) in 2018, focusing on refugee education and youth development.

“I want to change the lives of refugee children and youth living in Daadab”, he told the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in 2020.

“The only way to do that is through education. If you give quality education for these children or youths, their lives will be improved for good,” he added. “For societies to progress, especially the ones recovering from decades of conflict, education must be a priority. I think it’s the midwife of peace and stability, if not more.”

Personifying change

Speaking ahead of the award announcement, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: “Abdullahi Mire is living proof that transformative ideas can spring from within displaced communities.

“He has shown great resourcefulness and tenacity in strengthening the quality of refugee education.”

UNHCR noted that after growing up in the Dadaab camps, Mr. Mire had resettled to Norway, “but a yearning to serve his community drew him back”.

His education hub has opened three libraries in the camps – stocked with donated books – and expanded learning opportunities for tens of thousands of displaced children and youth.

“The win is not for me alone,” said Mr. Mire, 36. “It is for all the volunteers I work with… It is for the children in the schools.”

Regional winners

UNHCR also announced the regional winners to be honoured this year:

•   Elizabeth Moreno Barco (Americas): a human rights defender who advocates for communities affected by armed internal conflict in Colombia

•   Asia Al-Mashreqi (Middle East & North Africa): founder and chairperson of the Sustainable Development Foundation, which has assisted nearly two million individuals in Yemen affected by conflict

•   Abdullah Habib, Sahat Zia Hero, Salim Khan and Shahida Win (Asia-Pacific): four Rohingya storytellers documenting the experiences of stateless Rohingya refugees

•   Lena Grochowska and Władysław Grochowski (Europe): a Polish couple whose hotel chain and foundation provide shelter and training to refugees

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Geneva on 13 December at the Global Refugee Forum 2023.

Hosted by the prominent US television journalist Ann Curry, the event will showcase the winners’ work and feature performances by Lous and the Yakuza, MIYAVI and Ricky Kej. It will also be livestreamed.

The awards are made possible through support from the Governments of Norway and Switzerland, IKEA Foundation, and the City and Canton of Geneva.

They are named after the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen.

source/content: news.un.org (headline edited)

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UNSOM / Abdullahi Mire (far right) is supporting education initiatives in Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya.

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SOMALIA
 

QURAN CONTEST in SAUDI ARABIA : Islamic Affairs Ministry Announces Winners of the ’43rd King Abdulaziz International Competition of Holy Quran 2023′. First Prize Winners in 4 Categories from Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Senegal

The Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh has approved the results and names of the winners in the 43rd edition of King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorization, Recitation and Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an.


The competition, held at the Grand Mosque, witnessed the participation of 166 contestants representing 117 countries, competing in all five categories of the competition, with the total prize amount for this edition reaching SAR4,000,000.


In the first category, Ayoub bin Abdulaziz Al-Wahibi from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia secured first place and received a prize of SAR500,000. Saad bin Saadi Sleim from Algeria came in second place, earning SAR450,000, while Abu Al-Hasan Hassan Najm from Chad achieved the third position, receiving a prize of SAR400,000.


In the second category, Ammar bin Salem Al-Shahri from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia claimed the first position and was awarded a prize of SAR300,000. Mohammed bin Adnan Al-Omari from Bahrain secured second place, receiving a prize of SAR275,000. The third position went to Abdulaziz bin Malik Atli from Syria, who received a prize of SAR250,000.


In the third category, the winners include Mohammed bin Ibrahim Mohammed from Somalia, who clinched first place and received a prize of SAR200,000. Second place went to Shuaib bin Mohammed Hassan from Sweden, who was awarded SAR190,000 while Faisal Ahmed from Bangladesh secured the third position, earning SAR180,000 Saudi Riyals, and Mohammed Mufid Al-Azza from Indonesia claimed the fourth spot and received SAR170,000. Siraj Al-Din Muammar Kandi from Libya rounded off the top five, receiving a prize of SAR160,000.


Regarding the fourth category, the winners are as follows: Mohammed Ghai from Senegal secured the top position, earning a prize of SAR150,000. Hatem Abdulhamid Falah from Libya claimed the second spot, receiving an award of SAR140,000 and Yassin Abdulrahman from Uganda achieved the third position, with a prize of SAR130,000. Mashfiqur Rahman from Bangladesh attained the fourth position and was granted SAR120,000 while rounding off the top five, Abdulkader Yousef Mohammed from Somalia received a prize of SAR110,000.


As for the fifth category, Elias Abdou from the country of Larionion secured the first position, earning a prize of SAR65,000 while the second place went to Ibrahim Shahbandari from India who was awarded SAR60,000. Marwan bin Shalal from the Netherlands achieved the third position, receiving SAR55,000 and Mustafa Sinnanovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina attained the fourth position and received SAR50,000. Lastly, Hassib Amrullah from North Macedonia took fifth place, earning a prize of SAR45,000.

–SPA

source/content: spa.gov.sa (headline edited)

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pix: ehajportal.com

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ALGERIA / BAHRAIN / CHAD / LIBYA / SAUDI ARABIA / SOMALIA / SYRIA

SOMALI-CANADIAN: Ahmed Hussen: From Somali Refugee to Canada’s Parliament

Ahmed Hussen came to Canada from Somalia as a refugee. Now he’s the new minister of immigration.

Along with thousands of compatriots, Ahmed Hussen fled war-ravaged Somalia for a better life in Canada.

Hussen’s journey took him from Mogadishu to Toronto and then on to Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, where the former Somali refugee was named this week as the country’s newest minister of immigration in a reshuffle of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet.

It was a fast political rise for the rookie politician, and will put Hussen, who arrived in Canada in 1993 as a 16-year-old, in charge of the complex portfolio that oversees who is welcomed into the country.

Friends say the lawyer and social activist will be able to draw from personal experience in his new role.

Mahamad Accord, who has known Hussen for years through his work with the Canadian Somali Congress, says his friend has not forgotten his modest roots despite walking Canada’s corridors of power.

“He didn’t change,” he says. “The people around him changed.”

Accord recalls Hussen offering him help a few years back. The Somali community in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta were struggling to tackle the deaths of dozens of young Somali men due to drug and gun violence.

He says Hussen did not shy away from speaking openly about the problems plaguing the Somali community in Canada, from high rates of poverty and unemployment to gang involvement.

But Hussen was also aware of how the community could be stigmatised, and was always careful in how he spoke and presented himself. Accord says his friend would tell him “we need to change people’s perception of us”.

“He expects high standards,” he says.

Accord admits he was sometimes jealous of the lawyer and social activist’s ability to get across a difficult message diplomatically.

It was that ability that struck former Ontario politician George Smitherman when he first met Hussen in 1999. Hussen was then fighting for the interest of Regent Park, a multi-ethnic neighbourhood in downtown Toronto where he had settled with one of his brothers upon his arrival in Canada.

In 2015, he told the Toronto Star that a backlog in refugee applications for permanent residency at the time meant he could not qualify for a student loan. Living in the public housing allowed him to save enough to go to university.

Hussen lobbied to help secure funds to revitalise the crime-ridden housing project, co-founding the Regent Park Community Council.

Some long-time residents had to move out of their homes during the redevelopment and were fearful they would not be able to return; Hussen worked to ensure their interests were protected.

“There was an extraordinary tension because there was distrust and concerns among tenants,” recalls Smitherman. “Ahmed had to very carefully but forcefully represent their interests.”

Smitherman, who calls the 40-year-old Mr Hussen an “old soul”, later helped him land a job working with former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty.

“He was someone who spoke with a calmness and an informed knowledge and a maturity that defied his circumstances, both as someone who was young and someone who had taken this awesomely courageous step of leaving Africa for Canada.”

Mr Hussen swept his Toronto riding in November 2015, though he drew criticism for not living in the disadvantaged riding he was elected to represent.

Speaking last April in the House of Commons, he raised concerns about the recent drowning death of hundreds of migrants from Somalia and the Horn of Africa, saying: “Asylum seekers are not criminals. They are human beings in need of protection and assistance and deserving of our respect”.

Smitherman sees Hussen’s background as both an asset and a possible disadvantage in the challenging portfolio.

“It sets up for tensions also as expectations are increased,” he says.

Following his swearing-in, Mr Hussen, the father of three boys, told media he was “extremely proud of our country’s history as a place of asylum, a place that opens its doors and hearts to new immigrants and refugees”.

Hussen has always referred to himself as a Canadian first and Somali second, says Accord. In 2015 Mr Hussen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that he does not want to be labelled a “Somali MP”.

“I’m a Canadian. Somali is my heritage and I’m proud of my heritage but I have a lot to contribute to Canada. And I’m a mainstream guy. I’m not limited by my community,” he said.

Hussen replaces John McCallum, a veteran politician who is going to become Canada’s envoy to China after managing Trudeau government efforts to bring in over 39,000 Syrian refugees in the last 13 months.

“The real message of the new appointment is that the government wishes to profile refuges as a more salient part of our immigration program,’ says Jeffrey Reitz, a University of Toronto sociology professor.

“But it does raise the question of the mainstream immigration programme,” he says.

The rookie minister will face challenges in the key, and rarely uncontroversial, portfolio.

McCallum recently introduced contentious changes to Canada’s popular family reunification programme, replacing a first-come, first-serve process with a lottery system to randomly choose 10,000 people who filled out initial applications to express interest. Critics say that reuniting families should not depend on luck of the draw.

Another recent decision to scrap a rule limiting how long foreign workers can stay in Canada is being targeted by the opposition as potentially harmful to the country’s work force in the long run. Immigrant rights groups have been critical of the programme, arguing the workers under the program are vulnerable to abuse by employers.

He will also have to defend a recent Liberal decision to significantly reduce the number of private sponsorship applications for Syrian and Iraqi refugees because of a current backlog.

Canada plans to bring in 300,000 immigrants in 2017, the majority of them economic immigrants.

source/content: bbc.com (headline edited)

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Ahmed Hussen is Canada’s new minister of immigration in Justin Trudeau’s government / pix: AP

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CANADA / SOMALIA