Remembering Hodan Nalayeh: A diasporic journalist who stood for peacebuilding, social empowerment and promoting positive Somali culture

YUSUF SHEIKH OMAR • August 13, 2019

She looked at beauty in everything and saw light and hope in any dark situation and disaster

Somali BBC journalist and colleague of Hodan

Background

The Somali saga began long time ago, notably when the military dictatorship staged a coup and ousted the democratically elected government in October 1969. The military regime oppressed its own citizens, and denied their basic human rights such as freedom of expression. As a result, disorganized clan-based militias were formed to fight the regime. When the military regime finally collapsed, there was neither a nationally-agreed political agenda nor were there united forces ready to form an alternative government. This set the scene for Somalia’s prolonged violent conflict which ultimately transformed into an ongoing ideologically driven war most recently fuelled by Al-Shabaab and ISIS. Since the start of the protracted civil war in Northern Somalia in the 1980s, and the following total collapse of the military regime in January 1991, Somalia has been generating hundreds of thousands of refugees who fled Somalia in search of refuge and protection. Among them were Hodan Nalayeh, who ended up in Canada, and the author of this piece, who migrated to Australia before relocating to the UK.

Hodan Nalayeh and 27 others were killed a month ago on Friday 12 July in a terrorist bomb attack in a hotel in Kismayo, the capital city of Jubbaland that is a Regional Member State of the Somalia Federal Republic. Around 60 people were wounded. Among the dead was Ismail Mohamed Shuriye who was an Australian Citizen and a former member of Somalia Federal Parliament.  Apparently there were different meetings in the hotel including Somali diaspora, traditional leaders, and business people. Jubbaland is embracing elections mid August. Past experiences prove that social divisions and clan grievances come to the surface during elections. Terrorist groups exploit such situations by escalating their attacks. Similarly, cynical politicians manipulate such an environment for their bad faith political ends by hiring terrorists to execute attacks on their behalf.     

I last met with Hodan Nalayeh, her husband Farid Jama and her two sons on 29-30 April 2019, at a conference titled “Intellectual Security & Countering Extremisms”, held in Mogadishu. Mogadishu is a city of two contradictory worlds, a place of ongoing terrorist bombardment and, at the same time, resilient people that can build the next day and go forward.

Similar thoughts race to mind. On another day, my wife Khadijo and I were walking in a city called Bosaso. A young man standing in front of the cafeteria intentionally threw a glass bottle into the street and vanished back into the cafeteria with a big smirk as if he has done something good for the passers-by. Bosaso is a city of stones, so the bottle broke into small sharp pieces. Khadijo and I were shocked by this violent action. Another young man who was walking on the street kneeled down and collected all these harmful pieces of glass. Violence and peace, evil and good, happen every day and side by side! One is fixing an aggressive act committed by another one.

Hodan’s role was to broadcast the conference deliberations. We stayed in the same hotel and would chat any time an opportunity emerged. I found her an effective listener as a psychotherapist trained to heal inner wounds. In the conference discussions, Hodan raised thought-provoking questions: “Have you contributed to the betterment and development of your homeland? How would you envision your role in recovering Somalia? Any thoughts of how we can collectively advance Somalia’s stability?’ Such questions were bombshells to the spoilers and enemies of peace who don’t want to see Somalia experiencing stability.

A passionate journalist for pro-social change, Hodan was sick of the negative media coverage on Somali issues: terrorists, famine, piracy, failed state, corruption, you name it. She understood the media gap and the message that the traumatized and war-torn Somalis needed to hear the most: peace, positivity, love and hope. In fact, the time that Somalia has been depicted most positively by international media was in the days following her death, simply because media wanted to talk about Hodan and what she has been doing in Somalia for the last several years, which of course was positive. So, within a few days, the same media whose coverage of Somalia was very ugly and awful had begun instead to reveal the achievements of Somali people, and the beauty of their culture and country. Hodan’s death is a tragic loss. However, if anything positive can come out of the tragedy, it is that it has put a spotlight on the beauty of her work, which is also the beauty of her people and country of origin: a great legacy that will stay in hearts and minds of Somalis and peace lovers elsewhere.  

Those who knew her will tell you about the personal qualities and characteristics which earned her a reputation as a peace hero. During a remembrance night for Hodan’s death and legacy, a middle-aged woman friend of Hodan remarked:

Hodan has never been seen angry, ever. A deep and sincere smile was her mode all the time. She uplifted people, spread and promoted love, harmony and hope. Somalis loved her very much and everyone who is loved aduunka dhexdiisa (in this life), will also be loved Aakhira (in the hereafter).

In a similar vein, a Somali journalist at the BBC who knew her very well said: “Hodan looked for beauty in everything and saw light in any dark situation.”  Another mourner echoed:

When explosions and bombardments happened, Hodan usually talked about Somalis’ resilience, strength, adaptability and quick recovery. This undermined the corrupt ideology of terrorist groups as well as the behavior of dishonest politicians whose aim is to kill hope, harmony, community spirit and social solidarity, so they can benefit from status quo of despair and chaos.

Terrorists want to instill and spread a culture of violence, fear and despair through their narratives and actions. To defy this and to put her beliefs into practice, Hodan started showcasing Somali achievements and the beauty of Somali culture and country. CNN has said that Hodan uncovered “a positive side of Somalia rarely seen in media coverage” of Somalia. In this way, she succeeded in undoing terrorists’ everyday messages.

As it is often said, “charity starts at home”. Hodan’s Social Integration TV focused first and foremost on showcasing Somali diaspora achievements in her naturalized country, Canada. “Hodan highlighted the Somali community contributions in Canada”, said Ahmed Hussein, the Somali-background Canadian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees. The journalist then expanded her work on behalf of the Somali diaspora by addressing community achievements, needs, solutions and the best ways diaspora communities can integrate into their host countries. Hodan believed that if people integrate well into their host countries by learning the language and culture of their new countries, gaining experience, employment and useful networks, then they will transfer all these experiences and abilities to Somalia, thereby contributing to the peace and development of their homeland in the long term. This was the opposite of the beliefs of extremists, who preached instead to avoid positive interactions with the wider host society. Through her approach to social integration and intercultural contact and exchange, Hodan disrupted and uprooted misconceptions of Islam that were being instilled and promoted by extremists like Al-Shabaab.   

To get her message into the wider Somali speaking society throughout the Horn of Africa, Hodan remarkably and quickly improved her Somali language. She therefore inspired many young diaspora Somalis who were her main audience in English. She became a role model for these young diaspora Somalis and many of them followed the pathway she set out by improving their competence in Somali language and culture. For example, at Hodan’s memorial a young UK-born Somali-British man spoke: “You call her Hodan Nalayeh. We, the youth, call her Hodan TV because we followed her through her Integration TV. She was our inspirational role model.” Like Hodan, he improved his Somali language well and spoke in Somali at the memorial, gaining huge applause from others attending the service.

 A member of Hodan’s extended family shared with the mourners that the journalist was involved in numerous humanitarian and developmental projects, including an education centre in her birthplace called Laas’aanood, as well as a water well in a remote area where nomads experience such severe water shortage that they risk dying of thirst.

The Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, narrated that a man walking in the desert saw a dog lolling its tongue from thirst and licking the ground. The man then climbed down into a well in that area, filled his shoe with water, and held the shoe in his mouth as he climbed up. Then he gave the water to the dog. Allah appreciated the man for this noble deed, and rewarded him with forgiveness, which is one of highest rewards. From an Islamic perspective, Hodan’s tireless work for charity is in this category. This is the heart of peacebuilding.   

Drawing on Somali wisdom, a number of mourners repeatedly commented: Waari mayside war ha kaa haro (you will never live forever, and therefore you should leave behind a good legacy and you will be remembered). In Hodan’s case, this stresses the importance not only of continuing to sponsor her educational centre and water well project, but also of keeping alive her great dream.  The words of an elderly woman further highlight this legacy: Hodan ma dhiman ee way dhuumatay (Hodan has not died but has just disappeared.) Another mourner echoed her words: waa in taalo loo dhiso Hodan (a statue should be erected for Hodan) in order that coming generations are able to visualise and be inspired by this remarkable Somali woman in the future.