Opinion: Somalilanders are going to form an identity different than our Somali identity

[Som]

Hear me out. After the infamous song in Somaliland in which they say they feel closer to Amxaaro Ethiopians than to the rest of Somalis I'm seeing a dangerous tendency that will eventually lead Somalilanders (mostly Isaaq) to refuse to identify as somalis and form a new different etjnic identity. This happened in history before . A very key example would be Macedonians and Bulgarians. Macedonians are culturally and linguistically pretty much Bulgarians and they were considered as such by others , but during the 1800s some Macedonian intellectual developed a Separate Macedonian based on the ancient Macedonian kingdom. I see that Somalilanders will go on to do something similar to try to detach from the rest of somalis. The clues are there , the song about Amxaaro being closer , Edna Aden trying to suggest they are the ''good somalis'' and even talk shows and interviews in SL that I watched recently were people say openly they want nothing to do with Somalis and feel closer to Ethiopians. Of course not all Somalilanders believe this and I still think those who do are a minority but just for the moment. This idea of not being Somali will grow among SL people especially among the young. Mark my words 20-30 years from now landers will consider themselves as a different people, they will start claiming their accent is actually a different language than Somali and they will change the name of their fake country to something esle

 

[Som]

Another example of ethnicities who don't consider themselves to be one for various reasons.
Tigray speakers consider themselves to be different than Tigray speakers in Ethiopia. They are the same exact people but Eritrean tigrayans would swear they are different and will claim tigrayan Ethiopians stole their history. One key similarity with Somaliland is that the Eritrean Tigray speakers have huge political grievances against Tigray Ethiopians which lead to this different identity. Tigray Ethiopians and Tigrinya speakers in Eritrea speak the same language, have similar culture and the same religion just like Landers and Somalis

 

[Abu Hesi]

20-30 years? that's laughable akhi

 

[Som]

20-30 years? that's laughable akhi

Akhi maybe I'm exaggerating but it's happening as we speak.

 

[Som]

20-30 years? that's laughable akhi

Think about it. The SNM movement started as a Somali national movement that's literally the name their main objective was topple Siad and then wait for the south to join up in a new Somalia, within a couple of years they all converted to separatism

 

[ditto]

In 20-30 years will Somaliland even exist?

 

[Som]

In 20-30 years will Somaliland even exist?

Most likely it would be the same as to day : not recognized but de facto separate

 

[BlackCrow]

Hear me out. After the infamous song in Somaliland in which they say they feel closer to Amxaaro Ethiopians than to the rest of Somalis I'm seeing a dangerous tendency that will eventually lead Somalilanders (mostly Isaaq) to refuse to identify as somalis and form a new different etjnic identity. This happened in history before . A very key example would be Macedonians and Bulgarians. Macedonians are culturally and linguistically pretty much Bulgarians and they were considered as such by others , but during the 1800s some Macedonian intellectual developed a Separate Macedonian based on the ancient Macedonian kingdom. I see that Somalilanders will go on to do something similar to try to detach from the rest of somalis. The clues are there , the song about Amxaaro being closer , Edna Aden trying to suggest they are the ''good somalis'' and even talk shows and interviews in SL that I watched recently were people say openly they want nothing to do with Somalis and feel closer to Ethiopians. Of course not all Somalilanders believe this and I still think those who do are a minority but just for the moment. This idea of not being Somali will grow among SL people especially among the young. Mark my words 20-30 years from now landers will consider themselves as a different people, they will start claiming their accent is actually a different language than Somali and they will change the name of their fake country to something esle

Are Macedonians and Bulgarians as close genetically as Isaaq and other Somalis are?

 

[Zak12]

Not happening whatsoever. Eritrean Tigrinya speakers had hundreds of years of developing their own unique identity. Unlike Somaliland, Eritrea isn't a colony entity but was a distinct region in Ethiopia for the longest time, sometimes being apart of the Solomonids and other times being an independent kingdom.

Similar examples exist with Austria and Moldova, both German and Romanian speaking entities but had thousands of years to forge their own identities and cultures seperate from that of Germany and Romania. Somaliland simply doesn't have that historical baggage nor will it ever last long enough to do so.

 

[NidarNidar]

Think about it. The SNM movement started as a Somali national movement that's literally the name their main objective was topple Siad and then wait for the south to join up in a new Somalia, within a couple of years they all converted to separatism

It was created by the diaspora with the help of Ethiopia after the failed invasion in 1977, at the time Somalia was also arming groups in Ethiopia in the late 70s, after peace talks in the late 80's Ethiopia kicked the SNM.

 

[wheel]

Hear me out. After the infamous song in Somaliland in which they say they feel closer to Amxaaro Ethiopians than to the rest of Somalis I'm seeing a dangerous tendency that will eventually lead Somalilanders (mostly Isaaq) to refuse to identify as somalis and form a new different etjnic identity. This happened in history before . A very key example would be Macedonians and Bulgarians. Macedonians are culturally and linguistically pretty much Bulgarians and they were considered as such by others , but during the 1800s some Macedonian intellectual developed a Separate Macedonian based on the ancient Macedonian kingdom.

This is a poor example, macedonians are bulgarian slavs, they have nothing to do with greeks. The actual macedonian greeks (whom had somewhat a seperate identity) are part of greece and historiclaly considered themselves to be part of the greek nation.

I see that Somalilanders will go on to do something similar to try to detach from the rest of somalis. The clues are there , the song about Amxaaro being closer , Edna Aden trying to suggest they are the ''good somalis'' and even talk shows and interviews in SL that I watched recently were people say openly they want nothing to do with Somalis and feel closer to Ethiopians. Of course not all Somalilanders believe this and I still think those who do are a minority but just for the moment. This idea of not being Somali will grow among SL people especially among the young. Mark my words 20-30 years from now landers will consider themselves as a different people, they will start claiming their accent is actually a different language than Somali and they will change the name of their fake country to something esle

Honestly i think this thing takes hundreds of years to happen, like the ethiopian and eritrean tigrays, or moldovans and romanians, in the latter case having an independent state and cultural changes that arise from it such as being tied to another nation is key. It can also happen if there's demographic and significant cultural differences between the two which doesnt apply atm. I dont see it happening within any of our lifetime, i personally wouldnt mind it but its not a realistic thought.

 

[Khaemwaset]

Hear me out. After the infamous song in Somaliland in which they say they feel closer to Amxaaro Ethiopians than to the rest of Somalis I'm seeing a dangerous tendency that will eventually lead Somalilanders (mostly Isaaq) to refuse to identify as somalis and form a new different etjnic identity. This happened in history before . A very key example would be Macedonians and Bulgarians. Macedonians are culturally and linguistically pretty much Bulgarians and they were considered as such by others , but during the 1800s some Macedonian intellectual developed a Separate Macedonian based on the ancient Macedonian kingdom. I see that Somalilanders will go on to do something similar to try to detach from the rest of somalis. The clues are there , the song about Amxaaro being closer , Edna Aden trying to suggest they are the ''good somalis'' and even talk shows and interviews in SL that I watched recently were people say openly they want nothing to do with Somalis and feel closer to Ethiopians. Of course not all Somalilanders believe this and I still think those who do are a minority but just for the moment. This idea of not being Somali will grow among SL people especially among the young. Mark my words 20-30 years from now landers will consider themselves as a different people, they will start claiming their accent is actually a different language than Somali and they will change the name of their fake country to something esle

Come to Awdal and say we aren't Somalis or go to those Dhulos in east.

Stop including us in Isaaq shenanigans

 

[Zak12]

Hell, even the Macedonian language while very similar and mutually intellligble with Bulgarian has some differences from Bulgarian as its a dialect. Isaaqs have no variant of Somali they speak. They along with the majority of qabils sound identical to each other.

Rahanweyn unironically have more justification on being their own country since they actually speak a unique dialect of Somali

 

[Khaemwaset]

This is a poor example, macedonians are bulgarian slavs, they have nothing to do with greeks. The actual macedonian greeks (whom had somewhat a seperate identity) are part of greece and historiclaly considered themselves to be part of the greek nation.


Honestly i think this thing takes hundreds of years to happen, like the ethiopian and eritrean tigrays, or moldovans and romanians, in the latter case having an independent state and cultural changes that arise from it such as being tied to another nation is key. It can also happen if there's demographic and significant cultural differences between the two which doesnt apply atm. I dont see it happening within any of our lifetime, i personally wouldnt mind it but its not a realistic thought.

Yeah Macedonians are a bunch of Slavic tribes who got let into the Balkans by the Greek Byzantine empire now they claim ancient Macedoniania and Alexander. Imagine a whole country larping another countries history.
Greece forced them to change their official name to North Macedonia.

That's like Bantu Kenyans larping as Ajuuran empire you don't understand how silly this is lmao

 

[aarkamudug]

There already is no such thing as a shared somali identity back home anyways, people identify with their clans/subclans

 

[El Nino]

Just say Isaaqs man. Qabyaalad is strong among us, so people identifying with their clan is given.

Somali unity has fluctuated and will fluctuate until we govern ourselves like Allah SWT intended and act like proper muslims.

 

[NidarNidar]

There already is no such thing as a shared somali identity back home anyways, people identify with their clans/subclans

You mean our sub sub sub clans

 

[Som]

There already is no such thing as a shared somali identity back home anyways, people identify with their clans/subclans

Not really

This is a poor example, macedonians are bulgarian slavs, they have nothing to do with greeks. The actual macedonian greeks (whom had somewhat a seperate identity) are part of greece and historiclaly considered themselves to be part of the greek nation.


Honestly i think this thing takes hundreds of years to happen, like the ethiopian and eritrean tigrays, or moldovans and romanians, in the latter case having an independent state and cultural changes that arise from it such as being tied to another nation is key. It can also happen if there's demographic and significant cultural differences between the two which doesnt apply atm. I dont see it happening within any of our lifetime, i personally wouldnt mind it but its not a realistic thought.

True . I admit I probably exaggerating but the problem is still there. Things are moving fast, the mere fact you have landers who hate Somalia to the point that they feel close to Amhara is crazy and even if they are a minority they are a significant part of SL population. Djibouti was never part of Somalia and yet you'll never catch a Djiboutian claiming they aren't somali , they are very proud of their country and most probably don't want to unite with Somalia under any circumstance but yet they are proud ethnic Somalis. The issue here isn't just political separatism but the anti Somali attitude within SL

 

[Adam Weishaupt]

You mean IsaaqLand not SomaliLand, its Clan state who cleansed and force migrated other clans who did not submit, also they do not control the whole north.

 

[Som]

There already is no such thing as a shared somali identity back home anyways, people identify with their clans/subclans

Nah. There is. Of course somalis feel more attached to Qabil but they all know they are somalis and share a common identity with the rest of somalis . The only one Qabil larping as a separate people is Isaaq , even minorities like benadiris and J weyne will identify as Somali despite having actual foreign ancestry