Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Permission to party from the moral police

In Hargeisa, Somalis are not allowed to attend parties at houses occupied by foreigners!!! Apparently, few Somalis have been turned away from such parties, male and female. Foreigners by law have to employ special police personel to guard their residential and work places and these so called police seem to also be the moral police to keep Somalis from being "corrupted" by foreign parties. This despite the fact that there is a growing number of expatriate Somalis returning from Europe and North America to work or resettle back. Some don't even speak Somali well and don't identify with the culture that strongly.

I am one such Somali, holding a foreign passport, working for an NGO and living in Hargeisa. I share house with 6 colleagues from: Kenya, Uganda, USA, Denmark and Zimbabwe. I also have few expatriate Somali friends and I am organising my first party at the house. My Somali friends told me not to organise the party at the house coz of the embarrassment of being turned away from house parties. I spoke to the fake police guards last night informing them of my party plans and they said there won't be a problem letting my Somali friends in (like I am asking for an effing permission). Then this morning I found out they have been replaced with new ones, I don't think there is a conspiracy but better get this little issue straightened. So I had a meeting today with the area manager and head of security. The area manager, an Australian woman, doesn't understand why Somalis won't let other Somalis into parties and assured me it is not an organisational policy to turn any one away coz of their nationality. Head of security, a Somali man, is going to speak to the fake police to mind their business and not turn anyone away. I am so curious to see what happens tomorrow night, I am wearing my skinny jeans and kicking boots, just in case.

2 comments:

  1. And?? Did anyone get turned away? I want to know!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. No one will get turned away as long as I live in that house.

    ReplyDelete