Grigori Rasputin
Former Somali Minister of Mismanagement & Misinfo.
Staff Member
Wariyaha SomaliSpot
Ever happened to the young people he befriended back in 1962 and who were so nice and welcoming.
Me ( uncle menace ) things that a whole lot of them are dead by now since they'd be in their 70s. If they're not dead then they are in these Western countries.
Have I told you guys that I reconnected Grant with his village friends in Jilib when he was in the Peace Corps (cadaan old head from Somnet) ? What a small world we're living in. Grant posted picks of his time in Somalia in 1966 and he named the town he was at. Me being Menace I knew this old head in my town from that village and so I approached him with the pics that Grant posted on Somnet. The old head Somali guy went ecstatic telling me about all the people in the pics. About half of them were dead and some have gone crazy. Grant was much interested in his one friend and so I asked the old head where this Abdulle guy was? Old head was like " I speak to him often and he lives in VA". So I passed the guts number to Grant and Grant later thanked me. Then few months later I grilled Grant if he was a pedo when he was in Somalia since Cadaans got a sick mind. I think I had to ask him since he told me that there's waa this one gorgeous young girl (maybe he meant young as "young woman) but I trolled him on being a Pedo and he got mad and left this Sspot. He now roams around Somnet..
In any rate here's the story of this other American.
.............................................
Yes, I have been to 40 out of 56
“The first visit was to Somalia. It was in 1962 and I was 24 years old living in New York. I had finished college and planned to go to graduate school. I was in touch with Dr. James Robinson, a black Minister who was organizing whites and blacks to go to Africa through Operation Crossroads Africa. They were to build schools and training programs. He informed me that Sydney Hall, an African American Head coach at Howard University is looking for athletes to go to Somalia to help them organize their first Olympic team.”
“Wow, interesting, their first Olympic team! Where did that idea come from?”
“Somalia was governed by three European countries; Italy, England and France prior to their independence. They did not want the Somalis to be educated therefore prohibited them in many ways. Somalis couldn’t swim even though they lived by the Indian Ocean to give you an example. Somalia achieved independence on July, 1st 1960. The first President wanted to get Somalia on the international map and the best way was through sports. If they could send a small team to the Olympics, people would learn about them.”
“What a smart plan. How were you selected?”
“Sid Hall wanted runners and basketball players with coaching experience who would be sensitive and respectful going to an African country. I met all the criteria, met Sid in New York and I was ready to get out of the American egocentric way of life and learn about the world. I never dreamed of going to Somalia.”
“Was this Sid’s project or did government have a role in it?”
“Oh this was a continent to continent project. We had a huge gathering at the White House’s Rose Garden, hosted by President Kennedy. I think over two thousands guests were present. President Kennedy was a big supporter and gave us a grand send off. We were eight athletes going to Somalia.”
“Share your experience on arrival in Somalia.”
“By the end of May 1962, we landed in Mogadishu airport.The President’s Limo, the only one in the country, took us to the President’s Palace. At the time, Somalia had only sixty miles of paved roads. The rest were dirt roads. Next, we were taken to the Police Headquarters. The police force was the only strong and organized force in Somalia. All strong and athletic men were recruited for the police force as privates. We were placed in a newly built quarters, had our own room and common bathroom at the end of the hall. We were placed in the Somali Police force with the rank of second lieutenant. They gave us complete authority over the privates. We could order them to jail if they did not comply with the rules.”
“What did the Somali government want your team to do?”
“They wanted us to form an athletic team and prepare them for the 1964 Olympics in Japan. They wanted a nutritional plan for them to build strength and to teach them Western sports.”
“What kind of teams?”
“The Somalis were tall, thin and great runners and jumpers. They ran barefoot and it was a challenge to invite them to wear running shoes. We needed to learn their culture and customs. I had never been around Muslims in an African country. The good news was that they did not drink alcohol or smoke. They were motivated, appreciated that we had come a long way to help them form a team. They were respectful and eager to learn.” He appeared to be back in time, remembering.
“What kind of sports?”
“They were natural runners especially when it came to long distances. I was amazed by their stamina to run in that heat and humidity. They were great for basketball. The government wanted us to teach them baseball. The problem was that soccer was their only sport and they were used to using their feet and head, no hands. They had been conditioned NOT to use their hands for years. Now, when we would throw them a baseball, they naturally kicked it with their feet. Yet they became good basketball players over time.”
“When did you start training?”
“The next day after arrival, we had practice at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.; do you know why?”
“The heat?”
“Yes, Somalia is on the equator with high humidity. We focused on long distance running, marathons, high jumping and long jumping.”
“Any issues with discipline?”
“No, not really.” He smiled and said, “One time a young man came at 6:20am, 20 minutes late. He apologized and said according to the Koran, when a man has four wives, he must treat them equally.
“I got it. If he was intimate with one wife, he was to be intimate with all his wives. That was the reason he was late. Interesting, he could then run a marathon?”
“How did the training go?” I asked.
“Well, we were doing well yet the President seemed to be impatient. After six weeks, he wanted to have an exhibition game. He wanted to invite Egyptian athletes and have a big ceremony with all the dignitaries. Now, nobody wanted to tell the President that our athletes were not ready for such a match. If they were defeated badly, the might lose stamina and enthusiasm altogether. We were meeting with the President weekly to give him the progress report. So, we said to the President that it was a great idea and suggested how about if the match would be with the U.S. team – ourselves. This way we could monitor the game and keep it interesting and keep the score close.
“How did the exhibition game go?”
“Oh there were representatives from all the embassies in Mogadishu; the President and his wife and all the important people in the Capital City. It was the very first time that such a game was organized. We kept the game close and won by only six points.”
“What did you learn from Somalis?”
“Oh so much! The first thing that comes to my mind is that, in the U.S. we used to eat fast in a few minutes, always rushing. In Somalia, the food was fascinating and people appreciated so much having food to eat. They had camel and goat meat; the camel meat was tough to chew. We were chewing it for a long time to take the juice and threw out the meat. I learned to appreciate having food, an awareness I am grateful for. I became aware of the issue of hunger around the world. Every meal took about two hours and the conversations were meaningful.
I also went to villages for tribal ceremonies: drum Circles, dances and fire.
You know the Europeans drew arbitrary lines in the African continent and divided the land between them and called them countries. There were tribes that lived together peacefully yet their families were separated by these lines.
Around the fire, the villagers sit and talk. I loved to see the children at the feet of the elderly with such respect. The elders shared stories by oral traditions, something that has been fading in the U.S.”
“Yes, I was raised in homophobic society in which men only shook hands. When I met Somali men and they held my hand to greet me, I felt uncomfortable immediately and quickly looked around to see if others are going to view my holding hands with a man! I realized no one was looking and the Somali men were simply greeting me. When they asked, “how are you?” they meant it and wanted to know how I was doing; a conversation could last ten to twenty minutes. It was authentic. I began living a new way of life and could make comparisons to my previous life in New York that now looked hectic, brutal and dehumanizing to me.”
“What about the Somali way of thinking, viewing life and events in life?”
“You know if we are in nature, see a tree collapse, we think of a logical cause, like bugs have caused the tree to die. For them it was that the tree was possessed by “demons”. My understanding is that what they call “demon” comes from mistreatment of nature, when humans hurt nature. They developed a magical black power, “juju”, to walk out the demon.”
“What about treating physical and mental issues? Any unusual experiences?”
“Oh yes, one time I was at a general hospital. I saw an Egyptian surgeon operating on a naked man. The door to the operating room was open. He had his left middle finger in the patient’s rectum and a scalpel in his right hand. He looked at me, called to me and said “Hey young man, would you like to see an operation?”
“I was shocked, not sure if he was referring to me. I asked are you speaking to me?”
“Yes, you, come on in.”
“I am not a doctor.”
“Do you have a degree?”
“Yes a B.A. in Psychology.”
“That would do.”
I went in and saw that he was cutting part of a man’s intestine. There were flies all over the place.
“Tell me about the flies.”
“When I first arrived, at meal time, I was eating with one hand and waving my other hand all the time like a wind shield wiper to keep the flies away. Gradually, I did it with slower speed. Finally I got used to it. There were flies every where. The president had an interesting instrument. There was a wooden man carved out of wood and it connected to the tail of a zebra. It was the symbol of authority and was used to keep the flies away.
“Any traditions that impacted you?”
“Yes, I went to a village dance ceremony. It was to bring rain. There was drought, starvation resulting in the death of thousands. In 1962, there was a festival organized with rituals asking for rain. There were twenty five young men lined up with thick sticks. Another tribe was also lined up in front of this group. When they blew the whistle, the young men started beating each other with the sticks. I was shocked. There were bloody heads and hands. What are they doing? I asked myself. They continued for about fifteen minutes. When they stopped, the women came in took the injured and nursed them.
“Abdul, what was the fight all about?” I asked my friend.
“It was a not a fight. They are “warriors”. With this ritual, God will smile, we will have rain; fruitful crops and women will bear children.” Abdul said with a smile.
“Did you meet any women?” Were you able to communicate with anyone? I know Moslem women are not to speak to any men outside the family.”
Shining Eagle hesitated for a moment. “Yes, once I met a prostitute at a bar. Moslems don’t drink. This bar was for Europeans. We had gone for a drink; a beer never tasted so great to me. I still remember the taste. I met this beautiful eighteen year old Somali woman.”
“Would you share your life story with me?” Shining Eagle asked her.
“Yes, I was forced to marry a man at age fifteen. He was drinking, cheating on me and beating me. One time I decided to defend myself and fought back. He said “I divorce you” and that was the first warning. He was rough with me. I was afraid of him yet I knew if I did not defend myself, the beating would get worse. The second warning happened. The third time, he was drunk and climbed on me demanding sex. I pushed him away. It was rape. He said “I divorce you”, went to the Court House paid $1.70 and divorced me. I had no one. My parents had passed away. I had a married sister but her husband did not let me live with them. I was with my husband for three years. By this time, I was eighteen years old. Somali men marry virgins. I had no option and had to become a prostitute. I may be able to work for five to ten years. Then after, will be considered too old. God knows what the future will be for me?”
“She spoke to me for over an hour. I felt her pain in my heart. I never saw her again.”
We both had a moment of silence honoring the life of all the women on the planet in the similar path, our divine sisters.
“My questions are endless. I feel you are like Shahrzad, the story teller of 1001 nights. It is difficult to stop. The last questions; how long were you there? Any unique memory and how were you different as a human being, when you left?”
“We were there for three months. The unique experience was witnessing Somalia’s independence parade. They had only one boat. They put the boat on wheels and brought it to the parade with such joy and pride. I left with a full heart. This experience prepared me for work in Selma, Alabama. I felt the struggle of the African people within me. It got me ready for the civil rights movements in the United States. I found myself. I was awakened.”
” Somalia today is a very different country, still poor with a shaky government and a civil war brewing. I can only hope and pray that Somalia will eventually find the peace and joy that I found there so many years ago.”
Me ( uncle menace ) things that a whole lot of them are dead by now since they'd be in their 70s. If they're not dead then they are in these Western countries.
Have I told you guys that I reconnected Grant with his village friends in Jilib when he was in the Peace Corps (cadaan old head from Somnet) ? What a small world we're living in. Grant posted picks of his time in Somalia in 1966 and he named the town he was at. Me being Menace I knew this old head in my town from that village and so I approached him with the pics that Grant posted on Somnet. The old head Somali guy went ecstatic telling me about all the people in the pics. About half of them were dead and some have gone crazy. Grant was much interested in his one friend and so I asked the old head where this Abdulle guy was? Old head was like " I speak to him often and he lives in VA". So I passed the guts number to Grant and Grant later thanked me. Then few months later I grilled Grant if he was a pedo when he was in Somalia since Cadaans got a sick mind. I think I had to ask him since he told me that there's waa this one gorgeous young girl (maybe he meant young as "young woman) but I trolled him on being a Pedo and he got mad and left this Sspot. He now roams around Somnet..
In any rate here's the story of this other American.
.............................................
Yes, I have been to 40 out of 56
“The first visit was to Somalia. It was in 1962 and I was 24 years old living in New York. I had finished college and planned to go to graduate school. I was in touch with Dr. James Robinson, a black Minister who was organizing whites and blacks to go to Africa through Operation Crossroads Africa. They were to build schools and training programs. He informed me that Sydney Hall, an African American Head coach at Howard University is looking for athletes to go to Somalia to help them organize their first Olympic team.”
“Wow, interesting, their first Olympic team! Where did that idea come from?”
“Somalia was governed by three European countries; Italy, England and France prior to their independence. They did not want the Somalis to be educated therefore prohibited them in many ways. Somalis couldn’t swim even though they lived by the Indian Ocean to give you an example. Somalia achieved independence on July, 1st 1960. The first President wanted to get Somalia on the international map and the best way was through sports. If they could send a small team to the Olympics, people would learn about them.”
“What a smart plan. How were you selected?”
“Sid Hall wanted runners and basketball players with coaching experience who would be sensitive and respectful going to an African country. I met all the criteria, met Sid in New York and I was ready to get out of the American egocentric way of life and learn about the world. I never dreamed of going to Somalia.”
“Was this Sid’s project or did government have a role in it?”
“Oh this was a continent to continent project. We had a huge gathering at the White House’s Rose Garden, hosted by President Kennedy. I think over two thousands guests were present. President Kennedy was a big supporter and gave us a grand send off. We were eight athletes going to Somalia.”
“Share your experience on arrival in Somalia.”
“By the end of May 1962, we landed in Mogadishu airport.The President’s Limo, the only one in the country, took us to the President’s Palace. At the time, Somalia had only sixty miles of paved roads. The rest were dirt roads. Next, we were taken to the Police Headquarters. The police force was the only strong and organized force in Somalia. All strong and athletic men were recruited for the police force as privates. We were placed in a newly built quarters, had our own room and common bathroom at the end of the hall. We were placed in the Somali Police force with the rank of second lieutenant. They gave us complete authority over the privates. We could order them to jail if they did not comply with the rules.”“What did the Somali government want your team to do?”
“They wanted us to form an athletic team and prepare them for the 1964 Olympics in Japan. They wanted a nutritional plan for them to build strength and to teach them Western sports.”
“What kind of teams?”
“The Somalis were tall, thin and great runners and jumpers. They ran barefoot and it was a challenge to invite them to wear running shoes. We needed to learn their culture and customs. I had never been around Muslims in an African country. The good news was that they did not drink alcohol or smoke. They were motivated, appreciated that we had come a long way to help them form a team. They were respectful and eager to learn.” He appeared to be back in time, remembering.
“What kind of sports?”
“They were natural runners especially when it came to long distances. I was amazed by their stamina to run in that heat and humidity. They were great for basketball. The government wanted us to teach them baseball. The problem was that soccer was their only sport and they were used to using their feet and head, no hands. They had been conditioned NOT to use their hands for years. Now, when we would throw them a baseball, they naturally kicked it with their feet. Yet they became good basketball players over time.”
“When did you start training?”
“The next day after arrival, we had practice at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.; do you know why?”
“The heat?”
“Yes, Somalia is on the equator with high humidity. We focused on long distance running, marathons, high jumping and long jumping.”
“Any issues with discipline?”
“No, not really.” He smiled and said, “One time a young man came at 6:20am, 20 minutes late. He apologized and said according to the Koran, when a man has four wives, he must treat them equally.
“I got it. If he was intimate with one wife, he was to be intimate with all his wives. That was the reason he was late. Interesting, he could then run a marathon?”
“How did the training go?” I asked.
“Well, we were doing well yet the President seemed to be impatient. After six weeks, he wanted to have an exhibition game. He wanted to invite Egyptian athletes and have a big ceremony with all the dignitaries. Now, nobody wanted to tell the President that our athletes were not ready for such a match. If they were defeated badly, the might lose stamina and enthusiasm altogether. We were meeting with the President weekly to give him the progress report. So, we said to the President that it was a great idea and suggested how about if the match would be with the U.S. team – ourselves. This way we could monitor the game and keep it interesting and keep the score close.
“How did the exhibition game go?”“Oh there were representatives from all the embassies in Mogadishu; the President and his wife and all the important people in the Capital City. It was the very first time that such a game was organized. We kept the game close and won by only six points.”
“What did you learn from Somalis?”
“Oh so much! The first thing that comes to my mind is that, in the U.S. we used to eat fast in a few minutes, always rushing. In Somalia, the food was fascinating and people appreciated so much having food to eat. They had camel and goat meat; the camel meat was tough to chew. We were chewing it for a long time to take the juice and threw out the meat. I learned to appreciate having food, an awareness I am grateful for. I became aware of the issue of hunger around the world. Every meal took about two hours and the conversations were meaningful.
I also went to villages for tribal ceremonies: drum Circles, dances and fire.
You know the Europeans drew arbitrary lines in the African continent and divided the land between them and called them countries. There were tribes that lived together peacefully yet their families were separated by these lines.
Around the fire, the villagers sit and talk. I loved to see the children at the feet of the elderly with such respect. The elders shared stories by oral traditions, something that has been fading in the U.S.”
“Yes, I was raised in homophobic society in which men only shook hands. When I met Somali men and they held my hand to greet me, I felt uncomfortable immediately and quickly looked around to see if others are going to view my holding hands with a man! I realized no one was looking and the Somali men were simply greeting me. When they asked, “how are you?” they meant it and wanted to know how I was doing; a conversation could last ten to twenty minutes. It was authentic. I began living a new way of life and could make comparisons to my previous life in New York that now looked hectic, brutal and dehumanizing to me.”
“What about the Somali way of thinking, viewing life and events in life?”
“You know if we are in nature, see a tree collapse, we think of a logical cause, like bugs have caused the tree to die. For them it was that the tree was possessed by “demons”. My understanding is that what they call “demon” comes from mistreatment of nature, when humans hurt nature. They developed a magical black power, “juju”, to walk out the demon.”
“What about treating physical and mental issues? Any unusual experiences?”
“Oh yes, one time I was at a general hospital. I saw an Egyptian surgeon operating on a naked man. The door to the operating room was open. He had his left middle finger in the patient’s rectum and a scalpel in his right hand. He looked at me, called to me and said “Hey young man, would you like to see an operation?”
“I was shocked, not sure if he was referring to me. I asked are you speaking to me?”
“Yes, you, come on in.”
“I am not a doctor.”
“Do you have a degree?”
“Yes a B.A. in Psychology.”
“That would do.”
I went in and saw that he was cutting part of a man’s intestine. There were flies all over the place.
“Tell me about the flies.”
“When I first arrived, at meal time, I was eating with one hand and waving my other hand all the time like a wind shield wiper to keep the flies away. Gradually, I did it with slower speed. Finally I got used to it. There were flies every where. The president had an interesting instrument. There was a wooden man carved out of wood and it connected to the tail of a zebra. It was the symbol of authority and was used to keep the flies away.
“Any traditions that impacted you?”“Yes, I went to a village dance ceremony. It was to bring rain. There was drought, starvation resulting in the death of thousands. In 1962, there was a festival organized with rituals asking for rain. There were twenty five young men lined up with thick sticks. Another tribe was also lined up in front of this group. When they blew the whistle, the young men started beating each other with the sticks. I was shocked. There were bloody heads and hands. What are they doing? I asked myself. They continued for about fifteen minutes. When they stopped, the women came in took the injured and nursed them.
“Abdul, what was the fight all about?” I asked my friend.
“It was a not a fight. They are “warriors”. With this ritual, God will smile, we will have rain; fruitful crops and women will bear children.” Abdul said with a smile.
“Did you meet any women?” Were you able to communicate with anyone? I know Moslem women are not to speak to any men outside the family.”
Shining Eagle hesitated for a moment. “Yes, once I met a prostitute at a bar. Moslems don’t drink. This bar was for Europeans. We had gone for a drink; a beer never tasted so great to me. I still remember the taste. I met this beautiful eighteen year old Somali woman.”
“Would you share your life story with me?” Shining Eagle asked her.
“Yes, I was forced to marry a man at age fifteen. He was drinking, cheating on me and beating me. One time I decided to defend myself and fought back. He said “I divorce you” and that was the first warning. He was rough with me. I was afraid of him yet I knew if I did not defend myself, the beating would get worse. The second warning happened. The third time, he was drunk and climbed on me demanding sex. I pushed him away. It was rape. He said “I divorce you”, went to the Court House paid $1.70 and divorced me. I had no one. My parents had passed away. I had a married sister but her husband did not let me live with them. I was with my husband for three years. By this time, I was eighteen years old. Somali men marry virgins. I had no option and had to become a prostitute. I may be able to work for five to ten years. Then after, will be considered too old. God knows what the future will be for me?”
“She spoke to me for over an hour. I felt her pain in my heart. I never saw her again.”
We both had a moment of silence honoring the life of all the women on the planet in the similar path, our divine sisters.
“My questions are endless. I feel you are like Shahrzad, the story teller of 1001 nights. It is difficult to stop. The last questions; how long were you there? Any unique memory and how were you different as a human being, when you left?”
“We were there for three months. The unique experience was witnessing Somalia’s independence parade. They had only one boat. They put the boat on wheels and brought it to the parade with such joy and pride. I left with a full heart. This experience prepared me for work in Selma, Alabama. I felt the struggle of the African people within me. It got me ready for the civil rights movements in the United States. I found myself. I was awakened.”
” Somalia today is a very different country, still poor with a shaky government and a civil war brewing. I can only hope and pray that Somalia will eventually find the peace and joy that I found there so many years ago.”
.
