Somali - Other Considerations (2024)

FAQs

What is important in Somali culture? ›

The focus of Somali culture is on the family; family is more important than the individual in all aspects of life. Somalis will live with their parents until they get married. In times of sickness or marriage, all resources are pooled and it is understood that whatever you have is not only yours.

Due to the Somali people's foremost ingenuity and facility with poetry, Somalia has often been referred to as a "Nation of Poets" and a "Nation of Bards", as, for example, by the Canadian novelist Margaret Laurence. Somalis have a story-telling tradition.

Famine in Somalia has put millions of people at risk of severe malnutrition and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and measles. The geography and topography of Somalia makes it vulnerable to natural disasters, including droughts, famine, floods, and cyclones.

The Somalis are primarily nomadic herdsmen who, because of intense competition for scarce resources, have been extremely individualistic and frequently involved in blood feuds or wars with neighbouring tribes and peoples.

It is rude to show, point or expose the soles of your feet to another person whilst sitting. Respect people's privacy and ask permission before taking anyone's photo, especially if they are a woman. Always offer your seat to someone who is older than yourself. Stand up when someone older than yourself enters a room.

Nevertheless, there are certain values that are characteristic to Somalis, these being generosity, hospitality, kinship , respect for the elderly and honour. Broadly, Somalis have also demonstrated a high level of adaptability and entrepreneurialism in the face of adversity.

First, it was a basic religious rule attributed to Allah. Girls were expected to wear hijab to maintain modesty and not show their bodies to men.

Same-sex relations are illegal in Somalia. Punishments under strict Sharia law include flogging or death. It's also illegal to preach a religion other than Islam in Puntland or Somaliland.

Somalia's most valuable resources are its pastures, which cover most of the country. Somalia has few mineral resources—only some deposits of tin, phosphate, gypsum, guano, coal, iron ore, and uranium—and both quantity and quality are too low for mining to be worthwhile.

Is Somalia peaceful now? ›

Somalia 2022. All parties to Somalia's conflict continued to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law with impunity. Al-Shabaab increased its unlawful attacks against civilians.

Some notable Somali specialties include kimis/sabaayad, canjeero/lahoh, xalwo (halwa), sambuusa (samosa), bariis iskukaris, and muqmad/odkac. Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Somalia, in accordance with Sharia, the Islamic law.

Islam is the dominant religion of Somalia, practiced by over 99% of the population. The vast majority of Somalis are Sunni and of the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Both Samaale and Sab are supposed to have descended from a common ancestor with origins in the Arabian Peninsula. Contemporary genetic studies indicate that Somalis in general do not possess any noticeable Arab ancestry.

Family is very important in the Somali culture. The two cornerstones of Somali culture, according to popular belief, are poetry and (Islamic) spirituality. Margaret Laurence, a well-known Canadian author and academic, referred to Somalia as the "Nation of Bards" (together with the "Nation of Poets").

Islam is the official state religion of Somalia and the vast majority of the Somali population identifies as Muslim. Most belong to the Sunni branch of Islam and the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Somali meals, generally always cooked by the women, are meat driven. (Vegetarianism is relatively rare). Goat, beef, lamb and sometimes chicken is fried in ghee, or grilled or broiled. It is spiced with turmeric, coriander, cumin and curry and eaten with basmati rice for lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast.