Somaliland Times Owes Samatar Brothers An Apology
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By Ahmed Keyse Ali, Hargeysa
Last week Somaliland Times published an editorial under the title ‘Ayan Hersi and the Samatars”. The editorialist recounted the plight and travails of Ayan Hersi, a Somali born Dutch novice politician who fell from grace after authorities discovered that she lied to immigration department when she applied for asylum in the Netherlands. Half of the Somaliland Times editorial revolved around innuendos and misinformation Ayan Hersi spread about Islam and Muslims.
Another half of the editorial is a musings on two Somali professors-. Ahmed Ismail Samatar and Abdi Ismail Samatar , dean of International Studies at Macalester College and professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota respectively. The editorial questioned the expertise of the professors as far as Somalia and Somalis are concerned, and has made wrong connection between Ayan Hersi’s reckless penchant for the arm-chair criticism about religion, and Samatars’ perceptive comments on Somalia.
What is striking about the editorial is the license Somaliland Times gave itself to besmirch the reputation of Samatar brothers and call them people who “spread hatred against Somaliland as a country and people through the BBC’s Somali programme.”. How come did the editorial writer import the phraseology of Khat Majllis into the pages of a newspaper in pursuit of a truth? Why does Somaliland Times want Somaliland to be called a democratic state when it wages a vilification against two innocent professors ? Is any one who challenges Somaliland Policy a hate filled soul?
The editorial did not give convicting examples about the alleged hatred attributed to Professors Ahmed and Abdi Ismail Samatar . “The Samatars showed a lack of moral courage to stand up against oppression. Instead they sided with the dictatorship. “Somaliland Times editorialized. Those familiar with the work of Samatar brothers know that they have been objective analysts of the Somali predicament. Professor Ahmed Samatar was in Mogadishu for the Somali Studies in 1989 despite his book, Socialist Somalia that castigated Barre regime for hypocrisy and human rights violations. Likewise, Professor Abdi Samatar wrote a great deal on Somalia. He took both the dictatorship regime and warlord fiefdoms to task. Why does Somaliland Times turn a blind eye to the ethics and journalism and chose to wage a character assassination war against two Somali professors who are a role model for many Somalis?
The only evidence I have is Somaliland Times harbors hatred towards Samatar brothers. Editorial board of Somaliland Times owes professors Ahmed Samatar and Abdi Samatar an apology. Their bravery and integrity is inspiration to many Somalis, myself included.
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