Somalia

Introduction to Somalia

Somalia is located in eastern Africa, in an area known as the Horn of Africa (because of its resemblance to a rhinoceros' horn). The official languages are Somali and Arabic.

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Who Are Somalis?

Somalis are the dominant ethnic group in Somalia. They make up 85% of the population, and share a uniform language, religion, and culture. In addition to the dominant ethnic Somali population, there are several minority groups in Somalia. These minority groups include Arabs, Southeast Asians, and the Bantu.

The Somali Bantu are an ethnic group distinct from ethnic Somalis. For the most part, the Somali Bantu are descendants of slaves brought to Somalia from East Africa in the 19th century, but there are other groups of Bantu who are indigenous to Somalia. Historically, the majority of Somali Bantu were concentrated geographically in the south of the country, along the Jubba and Shabelle rivers, but pockets of groups existed in other parts of the country. Since the 1970s, Bantu have been migrating in increasing numbers to urban areas of Somalia, and during the war in the 1990s, many escaped to Kenya and spent a decade or more in refugee camps before being accepted for resettlement to the United States.

Somali Culture

Please bear in mind the following is general information on Somali culture, and may not apply to all families or individuals who come from a Somali cultural background.

Family

For most Somalis, the family is the ultimate source of personal security and identity.

The importance of family is reflected in the common Somali question, Tol maa tahay? (What is your lineage?). Historian Charles Geshekter notes, “When Somalis meet each other they don't ask: Where are you from? Rather, they ask: Whom are you from? Genealogy is to Somalis what an address is to Americans.”

Gender Roles

Somali culture is male centered, at least in public. Preferred gender roles are for men to work outside the home and women to care for children. However, because of the civil war, famine, and male migration, many women are now heads of household.

Names

Naming convention among Somalis does not include the use of surnames. Instead, Somalis typically use three names: first name, followed by father’s first name, and finally grandfather’s first name. Women do not change their names when they marry. Traditionally, parents chose their children's names in consultation with religious leaders, astrologers, and older wise family members. In recent years, however, it is more common to simply name children after a relative or a family friend. Two exceptions to this tendency are first children, commonly named Faduma or Mohammed, and male twins, commonly named Hassan and Hussein.

Religion

Most Somalis are Sunni Muslims. Islam is vitally important to the Somali sense of national identity. Almost all social norms, attitudes, customs, and gender roles among Somalis derive from Islamic tradition (Lewis, 1996). The five pillars of Islamic faith are:

• Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet Muhammad

• Prayer five times a day

• Giving 2.5% of one’s income to charity

• Making a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, at least once in one’s lifetime

• Fasting from dawn until dusk every day during the period of Ramadan.

Values

Many Somali values are similar to American values. For instance,Somalis believe strongly in independence, democracy, egalitarianism, and individualism. Like Americans, Somalis value generosity. Unlike Americans, however, Somalis express their appreciation verbally.

Food

As Muslims, Somalis are forbidden to eat pork or lard or to drink alcohol. Somalis in urban areas may drink alcohol, but most still do not eat pork. All meat must be slaughtered in a special way so that it is clean and pure. In the United States, kosher foods meet Muslim dietary requirements.

Dress

Most Somali men in the US wear Western style clothing. Somali women often wear full-length dresses. Women may wear the hijab, a scarf that covers the head but not the face.

Pets

In Islamic tradition, Muslims are prohibited to touch the saliva of dogs. Once a person's hand touches the saliva of a dog, he or she should wash her/his hand seven times before they pray. Although one can touch the body of dog, Somalis do not even like to be close to dogs as custom. They avoid dogs as much as possible.

Views on Illness, Health, and Healing

• One traditional health belief among Somalis is that illness can be caused by angry spirits or the “evil eye,” which can stem from excessive praise of someone (i.e., flattery about a person’s beauty can curse the person receiving the compliment).

• To treat illnesses, Somalis may use extensive herbal medicine traditions or other rituals such as prayer and fire burning, which entail applying to the skin a heated stick from a particular tree. This procedure is practiced by traditional doctors, or dhaawayaal, usually older men in the community who learned their skill from family members

• Most Somalis, especially those from urban areas, have been exposed to Western medicine. When Somalis utilize Western health care systems, they commonly expect to receive medication for every illness. For this reason, Somali patients may be disappointed when nothing is prescribed.

• Somalis often prefer that health care professionals of the same sex treat them; this is due in part to Islamic social norms. The concept of preventive medicine may be unfamiliar to Somalis; thus, adherence to preventive measures may be low.

• Before their tenth birthday, an estimated 98% of girls in Somalia undergo some form of circumcision, known as female genital mutilation (FGM) or female genital cutting. Circumcision is a common cultural practice that is considered an important rite of passage, a source of pride, and necessary for marriage, as the uncircumcised can be considered unclean. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes that FGM is practiced in 28 African countries, including Somalia. The practice also occurs in other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. The precise prevalence of FGM in the United States is unknown (Center for Reproductive Rights, 2004).