Hassan Sheikh Mumin
Encyclopedia
Hassan Sheikh Mumin (b. 1930 - d. 16 January 2008) was a Somali
poet, reciter and playwright.
in 1931 in the then British Somaliland
protectorate
. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Borama, where he graduated from school and traditional Islamic school.
Mumin fought for the independence of British Somaliland, and social and political changes for a, joined the party, founded in 1943 Somali Youth League in and wrote his first published poem for a rally in Borama the early 1950s. After independence, Somalia (1960) 1965-1968 he was at Radio Mogadishu, poet, playwright and lecturer employed as, after 1968 he worked in the Department of Education and Culture was next to continue the literary and the radio.
In 1969, Siad Barre seized power and the cultural authoritarian regime intensified its control and censorship were exposed under, leaving Mumin's work banned. He left Mogadishu and moved to the neighboring country of Djibouti
. He later returned to Borama.
. In this play the song sung by Shallaayo, the heroine, who has been tricked into a false marriage by the Leopard of the title goes:
"Women have no share in the encampments of this world
And it is men who made these laws, to their own advantage.
By God, by God, men are our enemies, though we ourselves nurtured them
We suckled them at our breasts, and they maimed us:
We do not share peace with them."
These famous lines were considered as tackling issues in certain aspects of traditional Somali life.
, Norway
on 16 January 2008. He was buried on 26 January 2008 in the mausoleum
of his father in the Ahmed Guray district of Borama. Hundreds of peoples attended his in funeral, including ministers from the Somaliland
region, in addition to opposition leaders, poets, singers, and a 12 member delegation from Djibouti. He was posthumously awarded the highest cultural award by the Djibouti government.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
poet, reciter and playwright.
Biography
Mumin was born in ZeilaZeila
Zeila, also known as Zaila , is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast, situated in the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia.Located near the Djibouti border, the town sits on a sandy spit surrounded by the sea. It is known for its offshore islands, coral reef and mangroves. Landward, the terrain is...
in 1931 in the then British Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Borama, where he graduated from school and traditional Islamic school.
Mumin fought for the independence of British Somaliland, and social and political changes for a, joined the party, founded in 1943 Somali Youth League in and wrote his first published poem for a rally in Borama the early 1950s. After independence, Somalia (1960) 1965-1968 he was at Radio Mogadishu, poet, playwright and lecturer employed as, after 1968 he worked in the Department of Education and Culture was next to continue the literary and the radio.
In 1969, Siad Barre seized power and the cultural authoritarian regime intensified its control and censorship were exposed under, leaving Mumin's work banned. He left Mogadishu and moved to the neighboring country of Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
. He later returned to Borama.
Major works
As Mumin's most important piece is Shabeelnaagood (1965), which with social position of women, urbanization and the changing of traditional practices and the importance of education is concerned and the only Somali play in 1974 under the title Leopard Among the Women was translated in English and is present in most of the top universities among them Oxford University where it was translated by the Oxford University PressOxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
. In this play the song sung by Shallaayo, the heroine, who has been tricked into a false marriage by the Leopard of the title goes:
"Women have no share in the encampments of this world
And it is men who made these laws, to their own advantage.
By God, by God, men are our enemies, though we ourselves nurtured them
We suckled them at our breasts, and they maimed us:
We do not share peace with them."
These famous lines were considered as tackling issues in certain aspects of traditional Somali life.
Legacy
Hassan Sheikh Mumin died in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 16 January 2008. He was buried on 26 January 2008 in the mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of his father in the Ahmed Guray district of Borama. Hundreds of peoples attended his in funeral, including ministers from the Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
region, in addition to opposition leaders, poets, singers, and a 12 member delegation from Djibouti. He was posthumously awarded the highest cultural award by the Djibouti government.