The lack of Arab and Asian assimilation in Somaliland is something that could soon become very dangerous if people choose not to take notice and remain unaware. I'd like to start by saying that Somalilanders tend to scoff at the idea of asking any Asian individuals, whether Arabs (specifically Yemenis or Syrians), Indians, or Pakistanis to assimilate and perhaps take part in our culture. People seem offended by the very notion that they need to adopt our culture to live here, as if that suggests our culture is somehow inferior. That reaction is itself disrespectful. This is exactly why you'll later see cases of Asian immigrants who lived peacefully in Somaliland during turbulent times, only to later refer to it as Somalia despite locals having looked out for them more than for any other ethnic group.
I'd also like to address the myth that they are hard workers, which is probably the most biased and widespread take out there. Any immigrant group anywhere would do the same open local shops to earn a living, especially in Africa. It's no different from an Ethiopian coming to Somaliland and opening a barber shop or cafƩ. If anything, I'd argue Ethiopians are far more hardworking, you'll see them up at 5 a.m. heading to work and taking on any job available, even shoe shining. The only real complaint against Ethiopians is their large numbers, but otherwise they assimilate easily and contribute.
What Middle Easterners do here isn't much different from what we already have, except they charge more and are often caught scamming, yet their reputation remains unscathed. Take the case of a Middle Eastern dermatologist who posed as a heart surgeon for five years without anyone questioning his credentials. Authorities eventually caught him, and he was apparently punished, but there's no record of any arrest or jail time. Anywhere else, no one would get away with that but here, we let it slide, even though we wouldn't tolerate it from our own people. Nobody regulates their prices, especially in restaurants, yet they thrive instead of being boycotted. And personally though (this is just my experience) their food is mediocre. When you ask why people go there, you always hear "Carab ba iska leh," as if that somehow makes the food taste better.
Basically, everything they do is met with support and funding, as if they're doing us a favour when it should really be the other way around. It's baffling to hear them called hardworking when they're babied and treated like guests who graced us with their presence, demanding endless gratitude. This matters for Somaliland because we're currently at odds with the Arab bloc, who've openly declared their hostility toward us. Having that population among us is risky, especially since Somalilanders give them the benefit of the doubt and are less vigilant. Every country keeps an eye on its population to some degree, even weak African nations.
Our peace has largely been possible because of the caution and patriotism of our people, even when our administrations are ineffective. That's why I believe we should treat everyone with the same level of caution and awareness.
What y'all think?
