Saturday, November 09, 2024

The Somali Cross

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOMALI CROSS

Description

The Somali Cross was christened hankutallaab.[1] This specific design is inspired by the traditional Somali hangool, which nomads and shepherds use to move thorny branches out of their way and pull taller branches closer to grazing animals for them to eat. It can be referred to as a shepherd's staff- Somali style. The hangool is an essential tool for Somali nomads, as it helps them navigate the harsh environment that they live in. It is used to protect themselves and their animals from harm, and it is also used to nurture the animals by providing them with food.

The Somali Cross, a unique symbol, encapsulates the cultural heritage of the Somali people. It's not just a cross but a testament to the resilience, creativity, and resourcefulness of the Somali people who have adapted to their harsh environment. The cross is a fusion of the hangool and a horizontal line, resembling a Latin cross with a Somali touch, creating a unique and beautiful design. The Somali Cross was crafted to represent the unity and interconnectedness of the Somali Christian community. 

 

Cultural Relevance

In some regions in the Somali Peninsula, when a clan chief or elder is crowned, they are given a hangool as a symbol of authority, nurture, and protection. The Somali Cross takes this tradition to a new level by attempting to represent the entire Somali Christian community and their cultural heritage.

Rev. Dr. Aweis A. Ali
, a Somali Christian scholar, designed the Somali Cross in 2023. His design, a true work of art, has been widely praised for its beauty and cultural significance. The Somali Cross symbolizes hope and unity for the Somali Church, a testament to the creativity of the Somali Church.

See this link for different crosses and their names: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_cross_variants

Somalis and Crosses[2]
Somalis are a transnational ethnic group that lives in their ancestral homes in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The symbol of the cross holds a significant place among Somali Muslims.
[3] The crosses observed by Richard Burton during his visit to the Sool and the Sanaag regions of British Somaliland looked more Greek than Latin.[4] The Abyssinian Church, which had the most influence in British Somaliland, uses a variety of crosses, including the Greek and the Latin.[5]

This Church also has selections of elaborate indigenous crosses. 

Sada Mire, a Somali archaeologist, describes the annual Aw-Barkhadle Muslim religious celebrations in present-day Somaliland, “People come to the site and paint a cross on their foreheads.”[6] Sada describes in Aw-Barkhadle “where there is at least one burial with stelae decorated with a Christian Orthodox cross in situ.”[7] Sada adds “Other Christian burials also exist across the country.”[8] Aw-Barkhadle is a Muslim shrine near Hargeisa, Somaliland.

Sada Mire once again describes Christian burial sites in Somaliland, which demonstrate clear evidence of Abyssinian Christianity. This is not surprising, as ancient Abyssinia sometimes included areas that are now part of Somaliland, such as Hargeisa and Berbera:

There are also megalithic burials where the stones are arranged in a cross. The area of Dhuxun (62), in Saahil region, has many cruciform burials…. There are many isolated, single Christian burials, massive in their design…. Dhubato in the Hargeysa region and the Saahil area have many ancient Christian burials which are aligned as a cross. Sites such as Suuqsade…contain ancient Christian burials. There are also finds of Christian codices in Somaliland.[9]

In certain regions of the Somali peninsula, students at religious schools traditionally receive a temporary cross on their foreheads or cheeks from their teachers as a symbol of blessing. The teachers use black ink, the same ink that the students use to write the Qur’an on their wooden tablets. However, this practice has been in decline in southern Somalia over the past twenty years due to the rise of radical Islam, which opposes all practices it deems non-Islamic.

In the early 1970s, Somalia was struck by a devastating cholera outbreak. Due to a lack of medical resources, many lives were lost. Dehydration was a common cause of death among cholera victims. One of the ominous signs that a patient might not survive was the development of pruney feet, known as "cago miin" in Somali. Muslim traditional healers would burn a cruciform on the soles of the feet, as it was believed to have medicinal value. Many Somali Muslims who survived the cholera epidemic still have these markings on their feet today. This deadly period in Somalia's history is referred to as "Daacuunkii" (the cholera era) or "salaan diid" (the no handshake era).

 

In pre-civil war Somalia, it was very common for metal gates to have crosses embedded in them for decoration. In the Somali peninsula, people who cannot read use a cross symbol to mark their possessions so they can easily identify them. Crosses serve five purposes: decoration, blessing, protection, healing, and identification. Identification crosses are akin to signatures, as everyone has a unique way of drawing their own cross. Sometimes, the difference lies in where the cross is placed or how many crosses are present on one's possession, such as a sack of millet.


In some Somali Muslim clans, particularly the Hawiye sub-clans of Murusade, Harti Abgaal, Isaaq Daa’uud, Sheekhaal, and Gaal Je’el, as well as the Isaaq sub-clans of Ciida Gale, Habar Yonis, and Habar Je’lo, especially those in the Haud Reserve area of the Somaliland-Ethiopia border, and a few members of the Abdalla and Mohammed Subeyr of the Ogaden sub-clan, and the Marehan sub-clan, all of whom are part of the Darod clan, brand their livestock, such as camels and cattle, using the cross symbol.








[1] “Han” from hangool and “kutallaab” from iskutallaab, a Somali for cross.

[2] This section has been adapted from: Ali, Aweis A. Understanding the Somali Church. Nairobi, Kenya: KENPRO Publications, 2021. Used by permission. https://somalibiblesociety.org/download/understanding-the-somali-church.pdf (accessed on 15 June 2024)

[3] The cross very often used by Somali Muslims is a hybrid of the Greek, and the Latin crosses. The Greek cross has arms of equal length while Latin cross has a vertical beam that sticks above the crossbeam.

[4] Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa, 318.

[5] The official name of this Monophysite Church is the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን).

[6] Sada Mire, Divine Fertility: The Continuity in Transformation of an Ideology of Sacred Kinship in Northeast Africa. 1st Edition. UCL Institute of Archeology Publication. (Routledge, 2020), 26 - 30

[7] Ibid. 26.

[8] Ibid. 30.

[9] Sada Mire, “Mapping the Archaeology of Somaliland: Religion, Art, Script, Time, Urbanism, Trade and Empire.” Afr Archaeol Rev 32, 111–136 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-015-9184-9 (accessed 30 December 2020).

 

Friday, September 20, 2024

Ethiopia accuses OLF-Shene of kidnapping South Korean Missionaries and handing them over to Al-Shabaab

From the Ethiopia Observer
The Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service has revealed that the Oromo Liberation Army, OLA-Shene was responsible for kidnapping two South Korean nationals near the Ethiopian border in Kenya last week and handing them over to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

The victims, David Lee and his mother-in-law, Hiwi Sokk Cheon, were reportedly abducted from the residence within the Odda Mission Church (OMC) Secondary School compound in Moyale, Marsabit County, around 9:00 PM on August 12.

The Ethiopian spy agency has accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) of having “direct ties” with al-Shabaab, the terrorist group operating in Somalia.

This information came to light during a meeting between Kenya’s Information Services Director General, Noordin Mohamed Haji, and Ambassador Redwan Hussein, Director General of Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service, in Addis Ababa yesterday, Wednesday.

The Ethiopian and Kenyan officials agreed to strengthen coordinated operations against regional terrorist groups, particularly the OLA, which has been implicated in a series of violent incidents along their shared border, according to the Ethiopian Press Agency. The discussions focused on the growing threat posed by the OLA, a militant group that has intensified its activities in the region.

Friday, February 03, 2023

Dr. David W. Shenk Passes Away


David W. Shenk, 85, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, January 31, at Landis Homes, Lititz, PA.

He married the love of his life, Grace Witmer (in 1959) with whom he shared 63 years of partnership. He was blessed by their children: Karen (Merv), Doris (Caleb), Jonathan (Cynthia), and Timothy (Christine). He loved his seven grandchildren: Chloe, Sofia, Gabriel, Dulce, Vanessa, Amani and Maia. David was predeceased by his parents, J. Clyde and Alta (Barge) Shenk, and his stepmother Miriam (Wenger) Shenk, a brother Joseph Shenk and a sister Anna Kathryn Eby. Two brothers remain, John Shenk and Daniel Shenk and stepbrothers Daniel (Thelma) Wenger, Wilmer (Miriam) Wenger and step sister Annetta (Harold) Miller. He was born in Shirati, Tanzania, son of missionaries.
David was a graduate of Lancaster Mennonite High School; Eastern Mennonite University with a B.S. in Social Studies and Theology; New York University with an M.A. in Social Studies Education and from New York University with a Ph.D. in Religious Studies Education and Anthropology.
David and Grace moved to New York City (1959) where David was director of the Mennonite Voluntary Service Center for two years, then on to Lancaster Mennonite High School (1961) where he was instructor in Bible and History for two years. In 1963 David, Grace and family moved to Somalia, where David served as Director of Education for ten years under Eastern Mennonite Missions. This is where David and Grace’s ministry with the Islamic world began. Beginning in 1973, the family lived in Nairobi, Kenya for six years where David was a Kenyatta University College lecturer, a Nairobi Mennonite Church pastor, and an Islamic Ministries coordinator.
The family returned to the United States in 1979, where David served as Home Ministries director for seven years followed by International Ministries director for eleven years, both at Eastern Mennonite Missions. In 1998, David and Grace moved to Lithuania where David was Academic Dean at Lithuania Christian College, Klaipeda, for four years. In 2002 upon their return from Lithuania, David served as Global Islamic Ministries Consultant with Eastern Mennonite Missions for 19 years. He was author and/or co-author of 18 books. He was a member of Mountville Mennonite Church where he pastored from 1980-1986.
David was a visionary whose lifelong passions were dialogue, witness, peacemaking, and hospitality, all centered in Jesus. He had a welcoming smile that invited conversation. He enjoyed anthropological engagement with Muslim and Christian scholars from around the world and was committed to interreligious dialogue. He loved his family and arranged for his children and grandchildren to visit their roots in East Africa.
Those who experienced David's company saw a man always seeking his fullest life. Eager and enthusiastic for adventure, David loved safaris, stormy weather, morning jogs, and snorkeling with his family in the Indian Ocean. He embraced life with such confidence and faith, little could dissuade him from greeting every person after a crowded church service, from driving to preach during an impending blizzard, from exploring a hippo-filled lake with a faulty motorboat, from churning the homemade ice cream maker until it broke—yet again. His energy and curiosity kept him traveling the world until he was 80 years old—teaching and preaching with gusto. Even in his final days one could hear him mouthing sermons and speeches, his spirit always overflowing.
David’s memorial service and visitation will be held at Mellinger Mennonite Church, 1916 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. The visitation will take place on Friday evening, February 17, from 6-8 p.m. and on Saturday morning, February 18, from 9:15-10:30 a.m. The memorial service will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by a light meal. The service will also be live streamed with a link available at www.snyderfuneralhome.com close to the date of the service. There will be a private viewing and interment.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Eastern Mennonite Missions, P. O. Box 8617, Lancaster PA 17604 for the David and Grace Shenk Legacy Endowment Fund which supports ongoing Muslim and Christian dialogue.

Dr. David Shenk Passes On

Today we reflect on the life of David W. Shenk, who went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. We grieve the loss of David’s presence here on earth but rejoice that he has been received by his heavenly Father. In his autobiography, “A Gentle Boldness,” David concluded by reflecting on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:20. David wrote that he and his wife Grace “were seeking to celebrate the peace of Jesus … Jesus commissions us to be his ambassadors of peace.” Indeed, that is what David has been: an ambassador of Christ’s peace! A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 18, at 10:30 a.m. at Mellinger Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa. Join with us in praying for David’s wife, Grace, their children, and grandchildren as they mourn their loss.

Source: Eastern Mennonite Missions

Monday, August 08, 2022

Somali Christian Sentenced in Hargeisa

 

“Hana”, a young Somali Christian lady, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in Hargeisa, Somaliland because of her Christian faith. The young Christian who was active on social media refused to recant her faith and return to Islam. Hana’s parents accused her to the local police a few months because of their disappointment in her faith and social media ministry.

It is illegal in Somaliland to abandon Islam and convert to any other faith. Propagating any faith other than Islam is also banned.

 

Another Somali Christian, Sa’eed Adan Mohamed, was brought to the Berbera District Court of Somaliland late last month where he was sentenced to three years of jail time and Somaliland Shilling one million (USD 150). A government lawyer accused Sa’eed of evangelism activities. Sa’eed has been held in Berbera central jail since June 2022.  The Somali-owned MM TV reported the court decision and that Sa’eed was found guilty of the evangelism charges.[1] 

 

Mohamud Yaasiin, the court judge, is a known Islamist sympathizer and the three-year sentence is seen by many as excessive. It is noteworthy that many of the Muslim residents in Berbera demanded the death sentence be imposed on Sa’eed.

 

C. G., another Somali Christian arrived in Addis Ababa a few days ago after fleeing Hargeisa, Somaliland, where he faced intense persecution. This long-time Christian is currently resting and recuperating in Addis Ababa after walking three days to the Ethiopian-Somaliland border. 

 

Somaliland is historically more tolerant than southern Somalia but radical Islamism has been taking root in this breakaway republic for the last fifteen years. 

 

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

4 MASIIXIYIIN AH OO LAGU XIRAY HARGEYSA

Boliiska Somaliland ayaa saqdii dhexe u dhacay guri ay qoys Masiixiyiin ahi ka deggan yihiin caasimadda Hargeysa. Maxamed iyo Xayaat ayaa Khamiistii, 21 Janaayo 2021 xabsiga loo taxaabay iyaga oo lagu maagayo caqiidadooda. Xayaat ayaa umul ah iyada oo laba isbuuc ka hor qalliin ku dhashay gabar yar. Xayaat ayaan weli ka bogsoon qalliinkii lagu sameeyay. Sabtidii xigtay ayaa misna waxaa loogu dhacay hoygooda laba gabar oo Masiixiyiin ah oo mid ka soo jeeddo Xamar laguna magacaabo Xamda. Tan kalena ay tahay Itoobiyaan lagu magacaabo Esther. Afar Masiixiyiin ah ayaa iminka u xiran boliiska Hargeysa. Warar ay Somalis For Jesus (SFJ) si hoose u heshay ayaa sheegaya in dhawaan la filayo in Esther loo masaafurin doono dalkeeda Itoobiya. 

Xayaat ayaa iminka aad ugu xunuunsanaysa xabsiga waxayna u baahan tahay daryeel caafimaad oo degdeg ah.  Inanta yar oo ay Xayaat dhashay ayaa iyana bugta waxaana loo baqayaa nolosheeda.

Qoys kale oo iyana Masiixiyiin ah, Cawaale iyo Muna, ayaa iyana lagu xiray Hargeysa bishii Sebteember 2020 iyaga lagu maagayo caqiidadooda. Qoyskaas ayaa ugu dambayntii la sii daayay bishii November iyaga oo loo masaafuriyay Xamar. Waxay iminka ku nabdoon yihiin dalka Itoobiya.

Dadka iyo dowladda Somaliland ayaa caan ku ah dulqaadka. Weerarada is xigxiga ee lagu beegsanayo Soomalida Masiixiyiinta ah ayaa dareen ku abuuray Masiixiyiinta yare e ku nool Hargeysa.

Ilo wareedyo ku sugan Hargeysa ayaa u xaqiijiyay SFJ in Muslimiin xag jir ah ay saamayn ku yeesheen boliiska Hargeysa. Ilo wareedyo Muslim ah iyo kuow Masiixiyiin ah ayaa farta ku fiiqaya wariye hore oo iminka noqday Muslim xagjir ah. Cabdimalik Muuse Coldoon ayaa si bareer ah u canaantay dowladda Somaliland bishii Nofember kadib markii Hargeya laga masaafuriyay Cawaale iyo Muna. Coldoon ayaa ku dhaliilay dowladda Somaliland in aysan ciqaab culus marsiin qoyskaas Masiixiyiinta ah. 

Dowladda Somaliland ayaa xabsiga ka sii daysay Coldoon bishii Juun, 2020. Si kastaba ha ahaatee degdeg ayay muuqatay in Coldoon uu xabsiga ku noqday maro ku dheg mintid ah. Sarkaal hoose oo Hargeyasa jooga ayaa u sheegay SFJ in “wariyihii mar deganaa oo naxariista lahaa uu iminka yahay Muslim mintid ah oo aad u caraysan.” Il wareed Masiixi ah ayaa u sheegtay SFJ in Coldoon uu si cad u taageero ururka al-Shabaab kaas ah kan ugu dhiig daadinta badan ururada Muslimiinta xagjira ee Afrika oo dhan. 

Waxay u muuqataa in Coldoon uu bartilmaameedsanayo Masiixiyiinta tirade yar ee ku nool Hargeysa isaga oo garab ka helaya saraakiil boliis ah oo aan tiro badnayn. Saraakiishaas  ayaa aad loo hadal hayaa in uu lacag joogta ah siiyo. 

Walaalayaal u duceeya Masiixiyiinta reer Hargeysa, siiba kuwa iminka xiran ee lagu maagayo rumaysadkooda Rabbiga.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

4 CHRISTIANS ARRESTED IN HARGEYSA

The Somaliland Police in Hargeysa has raided the home of a Somali Christian couple, Mohamed and Hayaat, on Thursday, 21 January 2021. The raid came shortly before midnight. Hayaat delivered a baby daughter two weeks ago by C-section, and she has not yet fully recovered. Again, on Saturday, Hamda, a Somali Christian lady visiting Hargeisa from Mogadishu, and an Ethiopian Christian lady named Esther were also arrested. There are currently four Christians in custody in Hargeisa. Local reports indicate that Esther would soon be deported to Ethiopia.

Hamda is now very sick in prison and needs urgent medical attention. Hamda’s infant daughter is also ailing, and the Christian community is worried about her conditions. 

Another Somali Christian couple, Awale and Muna, was arrested in Hargeysa in September 2020 because of their Christian faith. The couple was eventually deported to Ethiopia via Mogadishu in November. 

Both the people and the government of Somaliland are known to be tolerant. The repeated raids on local Christian homes create anxiety in the tiny Somali Christian community in Hargeisa. 

Local sources have confirmed to Somalis For Jesus (SFJ) that radical Islamists have infiltrated the Somaliland Police Force in Hargeysa. Both Muslim and Christian sources point the finger at a former journalist turned radical Islamist, Abdimalik Muse Oldon. Oldon, as he is known, publicly denounced the Somaliland government in November when Awala and Muna were deported from Somaliland. Oldon chastised the government for not severely punishing the Christian couple. 

The Somaliland government released Oldon from prison in June 2020. However, it became apparent quickly that he was radicalized while in detention. A junior police officer in Hargeisa told SFJ that “the once rational and compassionate journalist is now a raging Islamist.” A Christian source also told SFJ that Oldon openly supports the al-Shabab Islamist group, the most violent Muslim group in Africa. 

It appears that Oldon is targeting the tiny Christian community in Hargeisa with the help of few police officers who are said to be on his payroll. 

Please pray for the Christian community in Hargeysa, especially those detained for their faith because of their walk with the Lord.



Sunday, October 18, 2020

An Open Letter to President Bihi


An Open Letter to the President of Somaliland, HE Muse Bihi Abdi.

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

Somaliland: Couple in need of prayer


Oct 6, 2020

MEC Report

Being alerted of “suspicious activities,” police came to the house of a Christian couple on 21 September, arresting both after they found Christian materials. The couple have three children.

At a 5 October press conference, a Somaliland police colonel stated that two individuals had been arrested for being “apostates and evangelists spreading Christianity,” with the case to be forwarded to the relevant court.

He also threatened that “whoever dares to spread Christianity in this region, should be fully aware that they won’t escape the hand of the law enforcement officers and that the spread of Christianity will not be allowed and is considered blasphemy.”

He encouraged citizens to report those spreading Christianity to the police.

The arrest and detention of the couple has caused great fear among the local Christian community, with many believers fleeing abroad.

Please pray:

  • That the detained couple and their children will experience God’s closeness, peace and comfort during the couple’s detention, and for a speedy release
  • For God’s strength for those who fled and wisdom if and when to return
  • That the community will be, strong, courageous and overcome the fear
  • For wisdom for the leadership on how to handle this situation and to continue their ministry without government interference.