Appropriation of Somali Culture- Official thread

wonyluvr

prima hablood 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚
VIP
Just because a cultural item is ‘new’ doesn’t mean it’s not ours.

For example baati’s (and particularly how we wear them with gorgoraad and shawl) are an invention of the 70’s.

Somali women traders in SEA would buy fabrics and sell the extras as pyjamas. The people started styling them in our own unque Somali fashion. The sales of baati’s with matching sets grew etc.

There is a reason why we call ourselves maryoleey and why all our clothing etc has a similar style etc. just like how Nigerians have their fitted dresses, Somalis like long materials with an underdress that is made with bright materials.
Baatis were a thing before the 70s it was just worn different
 

wonyluvr

prima hablood 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚
VIP
I think people get way too obsessed over other people wearing dirac. But it actually is contrary to pouplar belief from somalia.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aden Heritage Centre detailing what Somalis already know, namely that Somali women created Diracs, it further states how Somalis brought it to Aden.<br><br>The real question is why do diaspora Oromos have this strange envy over a culture that is not their own. You never see the inverse <a href="https://t.co/9v7EDP1myF">https://t.co/9v7EDP1myF</a> <a href="https://t.co/VdyzKunhWH">pic.twitter.com/VdyzKunhWH</a></p>&mdash; unknown (@thetipofthehorn) <a href="">November 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That Oromo girl is so annoying 😹😹
 

Aseer

A man without a 🐫 won't be praised in afterlife
VIP
Somali Woman in Alindi:
1730401237386.jpeg


Ajnabi Woman in Alindi:
1730401458720.jpeg
 

Aseer

A man without a 🐫 won't be praised in afterlife
VIP
They copy whatever ethnic groups they neighbor
I dont blame them, they are cawaans with no culture, history or contributions in this world literally just naked savage tribes that used stone age weapons and technology while everyone else in the horn was progressing with gunpowder and near up to date technology.
 
Oh I can't read arabic. But yeah I've never had problems with culutral appropriation. Since that's how culutre works. It'd more that when I started looking into what a lot of somalis assume is influence from yemenis. Since they see we both share . That I realized these shared culutres are something that is more based around south yemen and specifically Aden. Then I realized it's more likely that culutural stuff that is shared by all Somalis and only the souther part of yemen is likely to be of somali origin. There's even this video of that one famous Arab youtuber who goes to diffrent countiees I think his name is Joe something. But anyway he went to a town in yemen and they had a small warrior festival. The shields and spear while a diffrnwt color had the same shape and size as the somali ones. And I thought to myself that's 100% a somali influence and they have no idea.
Because of white supremacy, a lot of things are associated with Arabs that are actually of African origin.

Lets al
You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.
 

The issue is not with people wearing random outfits, it's the fact that they claim it as THEIR CULTURE. The audacity is what's annoying and disrespectful.
Sis a lot of the food we eat now is definitely influenced by Arabs and Indians, that’s a fact. Even our Bisbaas we call ‘Shidni’ is a play with the word ‘Chutney’. Samboosa is eaten by us, Arabs and Asians and if an Asian said that that’s their culture I’d laugh at them. Culture isn’t static and since people have been exchanging ideas since time memorial, you’ll simply drive your self mad policing people.

The way I see it. As long as Somalis are the face of Diraac, I couldn’t care less about them saying they wear it too, the same way Shidni, Samboosa and Sabayad which is literally a Paratha will always be Somali food.

We can’t throw stones whilst living in a glass house.
 

Aseer

A man without a 🐫 won't be praised in afterlife
VIP
Dirac came to Somalis post 1950s. The majority of our grandmothers didn’t wear it in their youth.

I understand feeling like this about Guuntiino but deffo not about Dirac. We can’t be like this about something we only stayed wearing half a century ago.

Also, bordering nations always wore something that’s similar to each other.

Maybe, I’m wrong and need to be more wadani but if you look at every group, you’ll see that their neighbors wear similar clothing and lucky Somalis being plentiful and a famous ethnic group, Dirac and the rest will always be associated more with us.
Wrong. Dirac was invented in somalia by somalis it never "came to us" cloth weaving has been documented way back as far as 1330s and probably even more way back.
 

wonyluvr

prima hablood 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚
VIP
Sis a lot of the food we eat now is definitely influenced by Arabs and Indians, that’s a fact. Even our Bisbaas we call ‘Shidni’ is a play with the word ‘Chutney’. Samboosa is eaten by us, Arabs and Asians and if an Asian said that that’s their culture I’d laugh at them. Culture isn’t static and since people have been exchanging ideas since time memorial, you’ll simply drive your self mad policing people.
Obviously we have a history with trade and that’s great.Shidni and bisbaas is different though shidni has raqay and bisbaas is green 🤔
 
Sis a lot of the food we eat now is definitely influenced by Arabs and Indians, that’s a fact. Even our Bisbaas we call ‘Shidni’ is a play with the word ‘Chutney’. Samboosa is eaten by us, Arabs and Asians and if an Asian said that that’s their culture I’d laugh at them. Culture isn’t static and since people have been exchanging ideas since time memorial, you’ll simply drive your self mad policing people.

The way I see it. As long as Somalis are the face of Diraac, I couldn’t care less about them saying they wear it too, the same way Shidni, Samboosa and Sabayad which is literally a Paratha will always be Somali food.

We can’t throw stones whilst living in a glass house.

Most Somalis don’t eat Shidni, but sambus is of gulf origin and eaten by the entire Islamic world. Most ajanabis associate it with Indians.

I’ve never heard nor seen Somalis claim that we were not influenced by the thousands of years of trade with the majority of the world. In fact it’s very Overemphasized!

No offence sis but I noticed you only mentioned things that are of eastern origin? Like you never mentioned how our food is also influenced by other Africans as well. You would never have a go at Turkish people being proud of their coffee and tell them well actually it’s Ethiopian. It’s only Africans who have to ‘admit’ influence from elsewhere.
 
Most Somalis don’t eat Shidni, but sambus is of gulf origin and eaten by the entire Islamic world. Most ajanabis associate it with Indians.
Samboosa is definitely a type of Somali food. We’ve been eating that for near enough a century and is a staple for us during Ramadan.

A good % of Somalis eat Shidni and is a staple at most of our weddings and top restaurants. We borrowed it, improved it and made it our own and it’s what we’d see as Somali along with other food we eat. Even foods like Suqaar is eaten in the Gulf and who invented it is none of my business. We made it taste better.
I’ve never heard nor seen Somalis claim that we were not influenced by the thousands of years of trade with the majority of the world. In fact it’s very Overemphasized!
Somalis will make Shidni, Samboosa, and Sabayad and say it’s Somali food and no I don’t need to give a disclaimer and talk about its Indian origins. I’ll say it’s Somali.
No offence sis but I noticed you only mentioned things that are of eastern origin? Like you never mentioned how our food is also influenced by other Africans as well.
I might be ignorant on the matter but it’s minuscule compared to the latter? Our food is very different to Bantus? Apart of soor which I’ve never eaten what other foods would say is influenced by Africans? Our foods are very different to be honest. If you could give me examples that would be nice.
You would never have a go at Turkish people being proud of their coffee and tell them well actually it’s Ethiopian. It’s only Africans who have to ‘admit’ influence from elsewhere.
The Turkish comment is brilliant and that’s what I’m saying. I wouldn’t because I’d laugh in the face of an Indian who said to me that Sabayad and Shidni is actually ‘Indian’ and that I need to acknowledge that. Nope, we borrowed and adapted and made it ours. That’s precisely the point I’m making that’s going over your head!

I bought that up to say that cultural appropriation is nonsense and lowkey whiney. If those Oromos said it’s only their clothes, or if they were the face of Diraac then I’d understand, but Alhamdulliah everyone associates the clothes with Somalis. That’s all that matters.

I bought up food to show the double standards. We all see Sabayad, Shidney, Bariis isku Dhah Karis and Samboosa as Somali and rightfully so, and I couldn’t care less what any Asiatic person says.

People need to understand that cultures aren’t static, we’ve always borrowed and adapted and vice versa people have borrowed from us.
 
Last edited:
Who says samboosa is Somali food 😭😭
It is, we’ve been eating it for at least a century and all eat it. If you want to go down that route: Shidni isn’t Somali food, Sabayad isn’t Somali food, Suqaar isnt Somali food let’s continue lol.

If people want to go down the route of cultural puritanical beliefs then the jokes will be on us ultimately.
 
Last edited:
Abaayo that’s not their own clothes or cultural practice either. This is a Somali suufi tradition of bun in saliid. It’s a spiritual practice, my family don’t practice this so I can’t give you all the details but it’s definitely 100% Somali.

Cambuulo iyo bun is had after quransaars and other gatherings. Are oromos claiming this too?
 
Top