Profile: Hussein Sheik Ahmed Kadare, Somali Script Inventor
Hussein Sheik Ahmed Kadare was a Somali legendary poet and script inventor from 1952, he died today in his home in Mogadishu, here we explore his times and live.
He was born in Shibbis district, Banadir region, at the time considered the outskirts of Mogadishu before the city expanded its border.
His Koranic teacher was Moalim Hussein Gab who was famous in the Warsheik district along the Indian Ocean shores. His Koranic studies which include the learning of Arabic Alphabet may have ignited Kadare’s mission to have Somali language written.
He was orphaned at the age of nine when his father Sheik Ahmed died, Kadare joined religious school , later on at the age of 16 he joined a formal education school run by the Italians who were Somali colony, such studies were considered un Islamic and against the Somali culture.
When Somalia Liberation organization SYL was formed in 1943, Kadare was one of the volunteers who were trained with the Osman Kennedid script which was invented in 1922 by Somalia clan chief Osman Yussuf Kennadid.
In 1952 Kadare invented his own script and later opened a school to teach the public how to write and use his script.
In 1961 , one year after the independence , the first Somali president Adden Abdulle Osman formed a commission tasked to come up with a single Somali script, Kadare was one of the committee , the mission was never materialize due to competing members of the committee who each wanted his script to be adopted.
When the socialist government of Mohamed Siad Barre came into power, it formed another commission; Kadare was also included as a member.
On 21st January, 1972 Kadare and other members of the committee announced a consensus of having a single Somali script, they adopted Latin Script, this was based on the fact that all Type Writers in the government offices were all manufactured with Latin Alphabet and the Somali government could not afford to buy new machines, if non Latin script was to be chosen.
Later on Kadare became the Director of State owned Mogadishu Radio, he was also the head of Somali Cultural Academy run by the information ministry.
He was often arrested for anti revolutionary stance, especially when the anniversary of Marxism regime was to be marked on 21st October every year.
In 1991 Kadare was one the founders of President Ali Mahdi government just after the fall of Siyad Barre, in Ali’s government Kadare became the information minister.
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