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English Orientalist Richard Burton and English Colonialism denounced by Patriotic Somalis

[ Posted On: 2008-08-23 ]

As I promised, following the publication of R. Burton’s itinerary to Harar, I intend to answer many questions that I have received from readers, and publish several comments. I believe that 19th and 20th century colonial literature is one of the many instruments that can help Somalis find out that there are much more elements to unite than to separate them.

In a society organized in tribes, and with historical pride running high for every tribe’s members, there has to be an Islamic Empire to forge a real unity around a faith and a culture, a civilization and a science, a philosophy and an art that have by now gone. It would be great for the Somalis to focus and analyze why there were no fratricide antagonisms at the times of the Awdal Empire. The exploration of the subject and the conclusions drawn would be able to forge a new unity – again. The truth is that when one focuses on the positive aspect of things, one always wins; and whenever the accent is placed on the negative elements, disaster comes.

This is the real way out of today’s Somali quagmire; differences must be put aside. Past discords must be forgotten; variance of opinion and approach must be thought of as an advantage; and minimal consensus must be sought after as a first step for obliteration of the bad memories.

In this procedure, great focus must be made on the great 4-millennia long Somali History, which is incomparably more glorious, more magnificent and more dominant than the poor and mean past of the barbaric enemies of Somalia.

Under various names, Punt, the Other Berberia, Azania and Somalia, the Horn of Africa land was always free of vandals and barbaric ruffians who however have been targeting Somalia’s glory, wealth and civilization for hundreds of years. The reason Somalia’s enemies acted like this is simple: they always knew how much lower, lewder and paltrier they had been. That is why the racist and barbaric Abyssinians tried – with the support of the criminal colonial English – to usurp or minimize pages of Somali History, ages of high Somali culture and centuries of sophisticated Somali civilization. The due Somali patriotic reaction to the Abyssinian pestilence should not be limited to the political and the military levels only; it must encompass sectors like Education, Culture and African History and Humanities. The Somali commitment to defending the Somali History will bring all the Somalis closer. Then, the various previous excesses of intra-Somali dialogue, the rancor, the grievance and the complaint will simply gradually be forgotten.

Starting a series of articles dedicated to comments on R. Burton’s itinerary, misunderstandings, misconceptions, and racist attitude, I want to publish a pertinent comment sent to me by an erudite and patriotic Somali, Mr. Mohamed A. Awale. I publish his comment integrally, and find his remarks pertinent and perspicacious. In addition, I think it is very interesting that his great grandfather may have met Richard Burton in Zaila!

Richard Burton’s Inconsistencies and Anti-Somali Prejudices
By Mohamed A. Awale

Kudos for Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

Congratulation doctor for your always insightful and interesting comments! Sorry about my last criticism. May be it was unfair and too harsh. After all, I read your well intentioned rebuttal about it and I enjoyed every bit. There is no hard feeling on my part whatsoever.

Further, I read with great interest your latest and timely analysis on Richard Burton’s (the notorious bigot and British colonial spy) scandalous material about Somali and their territory. I read some parts of the book few years ago and couldn’t believe how insulting and bigotry it was. Worse yet, as you aptly pointed out, his work was a bible for every colonial midget who interested to exploit and subjugate Somalis back then. Overall, 70 % of what he said about Somalis culture, linguistic, socio-economic and religious practice was fabricated and exaggerated in order to set the tone for colonial supremacist plots. Obviously he was spy, coward and thief to the land as he confesses himself and thus no one of his right mind should expect him some objective and scholarly quality material. Unfortunately, Burton has already done some indelible damage in terms of exploitation, enmity and unnecessary division among Somalis.

On the whole, I found (explicitly or implicitly) the following blunders, contradictions and ignorance comments in his scribbling

He resented Somalis race due to their fierce independent and egalitarian nature plus Islamic heritage.

He resented them because no one (except spies like Sharmarke and inner-circle) treated like imperial master as he couldn’t dare to tell anyone else his true identity. He felt belittled and humiliated beyond comprehension.

He expected to get free service or slave labour or even raid on their shoulders as colonialist used to do in many parts of Africa, Asia and Americas, i.e. Abans or guides and helpers, but Somalis couldn’t care less and that is why Burton understandably cursed and disparaged them.

His notes were all about exploitation and sowing enmity among clan lineages and this wasn’t coincidence at all since his Victorian masters expected nothing less from him to implement a devious colonial scheme of ”divide and rule” in east Africa.

Part of the scheme was already in place and it was made in Aden. The British was already supplanted one particular non-local, Somali sub-sub-sub-clan of Isaaq from Buroa (e.g. Haber Yonis) where the Bogus sultan Sharmarke, End Time, Ibn Hamal, Guled et. al was all small-time agents of the same close-knit family. This group was useful idiots, as Stalin used to say ( most trusted and promoted, etc. by colonials) till independence of the North Somalia in1960

He mostly cursed and badmouthed local clans, namely Gadabursi, Isaas and others that kept him stranded in Zaila and held sway his travel. The decoy and fake Sharmarke legitimacy was not extended beyond the walls of Zaila. He has to beg, cheat and bribe all the way through other true leaders of the land of Ugases and Garads.

He contradicts most of his writing: He called Somalis as a hypocrites and treacherous while at same time he talked about their shallowness and brainless. He talked about war-like people that could be good soldiers and next time he ridiculed as incompetent race. At one point he complained about greedy and picky people while next line he talked about the free food and hospitality they gave. In another point he talked about their ugly African features and then how some parts of their body anatomies were exceptional. He talks about wild sexual behaviour or some weird polygamist who had 10 wives (white lie) but we now Somali are very conservative to this date and so forth.

His enmity toward the Gadabursi group usually stems from two things (1) these group had long history of civilization and/or they were prominent group in Zaila and Bulahar coast and allies of the Turks administration before its influence was weakened and he was suspicious about their loyalty for the imperial Britain (2) Burton had definitely some information fed by their rivals -- mainly Isaqs informants & co of the British colonial loyalist. His bias against them is not only limited to bad-mouthing but he also said something about their territories by assigning to other tribes. For instance, most of his en route to and from Harare (from Koraale to Marar) Burton spent in their territory. He may encountered few caravans, but there is no other Somali group inhabits between Gadabursi/Giri border to this date. H. Awal is far to the east side and Issa is to the west side.

His ignoramus came to the open when he talked the cause of malaria and its source. He said that Somalis superstitiously attributes its source to the mosquitoes that lives in the wet habitat. Somalis were right about this but Europeans didn’t have any idea at that time. He also ridiculed at first how locals used butter and greasy stuff as cream against the sun burn and insect bites, he applied himself later and he felt the benefit. Isn’t that cream stuff common thing Europeans in North America these days? How much this man prejudiced, pathologically liar and oxymoronic was beyond one’s imagination.

All in all, Burton was ultimate bigot, arrogant, oxymoron, ignorant and ruthless Colonialist foot soldier. Nothing less would describe his work, prejudices and attitude toward Somalis and other Africans.

Note: my grandfather from Gadabursi, Awale, was born and grew up in Zaila at the end of the 19th century and his father (Farah) was probably among the folks who met Mr. Burton at mosque and streets.

Thank you!

Mohamed A. Awale
Moe-awale@hotmail.com

Notes: The circumference of Gadabursi land, central part of the mighty Awdal Empire (http://harowo.com/uploads/Image/4-1/Awdal%203.jpg)

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 51, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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