Men in Somalia
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You may also be interested in our daily prayer summaries during Ramadan via e-mail. Thanks for visiting!
(Day 23, for Tuesday, 23 September, coinciding with Ramadan 2008)
Hard realities for Muslim men and families
Total Somali population: 9,119,000 (July 2007 est.)
Somalia has suffered from a complicated civil war for over 20 years. Traditionally, Somali men were the providers of their families basic needs. However, when the war erupted there were several hundred thousand deaths. Thousands more were maimed or exiled. Over the past decade, more than half a million people fled the war - many of them men. This has devastated the family structure and left many families fatherless. The involvement in fighting, the trauma and the life in refugee camps have destroyed the vitality, vision and hope of Somali men.
Some men have found a way to escape from the harsh realities of Somali life. Khat (Catha Edulis) is an evergreen shrub that grows in the highlands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. Chewing the leaves of khat has a stimulating, narcotic effect, and like most drugs, khat is addictive and must be consumed daily. The majority of Somali men are addicted to khat, which has a huge influence on their life in Somali society. Men buy their khat at the market and then in the afternoon and evening, they meet with friends, drink tea and chew khat. Kept awake by the drug, men often come home late. Many children grow up seeing little of their fathers. The women are left responsible for the household chores, raising the children and providing for the family. Khat chewers suffer from various health problems, yet those who really suffer the most are their families. Men often spend most of their money on khat, yet their families go hungry.
Prayer starters:
* Pray that the bondage of khat would be broken. Social pressure encouraging men to chew is huge. Strength, wisdom and courage are needed to break this national addiction.
* Pray for wives and children to know how to cope with the absence of men.
* Pray that Somali society will experience God’s healing of families and come to know true fatherhood and the Father in Heaven.
About Khat
Somali: Jaad, also known as qat, qaat, quat, gat, chat, chad, chaad and miraa, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Khat contains the alkaloid called cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant which causes excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. In 1980 the World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychological dependence, and the plant has been targeted by anti-drug organizations. It is a controlled / illegal substance in many countries, while being allowed or tolerated in others.
Both of khat’s major active ingredients — cathine and cathinone — are phenylalkylamines, meaning they are in the same class of chemicals as amphetamines. In fact, cathinone and cathine have a very similar molecular structure to amphetamine.
Researchers estimate that families spend an average of 17% of their income on khat, the real figure probably much more. The larger economic problems come from the time and resources used to both produce khat and consume it.
Life in Somalia
Traditionally 90% of the Somali population lived a nomadic pastoralist life (this has fallen to about 60% at present). Groups of men travelled through the desert with their camels and livestock. While traveling, they had to endure the hot sun, walk for months across vast distances and protect their animals from wild beasts. Somali men often possess great courage and boldness. Being a warrior has traditionally been one of their greatest ideals. It is in this setting that the Somali oral culture developed. Somali men are known for being poets and storytellers and they love to debate. These cultural aspects continue to be highly valued even in the growing urban centers.
Video: Somalia, land of Need [18: 34]
Background information on Somalia is on our site here …>>
+ Gospel Language Link: Hear the Look, Listen and Live discipleship series in the Somali language
Related Articles
Filed under: Africa, East by TDI
| Email this story
Bookmark posts
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:57
[Pingback] September 22, 2008 Men in Somalia [...]
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:42
[Pingback] 30days, men of somalia [...]
September 25th, 2008 at 5:59
I’ve tried qat before, while in Yemen, and have studied the literature on it. I wouldn’t entirely agree with the description of it here. While the US classifies it at the same level as cocaine, in Britain it’s still perfectly legal. I think the US has gone way overboard on it. I myself felt no effect at all, except that I felt like a panda bear and it tasted like hard dry tea leaves. (In other words, there was no pleasure at all.) Yes, it is addictive, but socially and psychologically. Most scholars of the herb would say it’s effect on the chewer is equivalent to the effect of cigarettes, and the addictive properties more like those of alcohol and caffeine. For some individuals, it can be very addictive. For most, the physical addiction is minimal. In the West we allow alcohol, and in most countries caffeine is not banned. Minimal addiction is not considered a vice. Excessive use and addiction is.
So, I agree, there needs to be a great deal of prayer over the use of this herb, and prayer against the overuse of it. Men need to greatly curtail the amount spent on this, and spend much more time with their familes. They need to find that satisfaction in Jesus, and in communal worship. They need to be galvanized not just to the poetry in qat chews, but also be inspiring to love and serve others. Qat production takes up far too much arable land and water, that could be spent on more productive crops, helping the economy as a whole. Let us pray for these things. But let us also beware of treating qat as a dangerous drug, or perceiving these other cultures as basically addicted to coke. Unless we are willing to also examine ourselves, and suspend all use of cola products in our own countries.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:27
I didn’t chew qat but did see firsthand the effects on the daily life of people in Yemen. It was terrible. A friend showed us around his furniture business in the afternoon. The workers could barely manage to function after the afternoon khat session. Although the business owner was also a chewer, he admitted productivity was greatly impaired thanks to khat. But what saddened me the most was the impact on the ordinary folk, many of whom had little if any work at all. It was obvious, even to them, that they were hurt by qat, but knew no way out. Terrible.