In what ways did Salh's father raise her within traditional Somali gender roles, and in what ways did he not? What did you think of his teaching methods?

Salh writes that her father ensured that both his sons and daughters got an education, which was a bold view at the time. In what ways did Salh's father raise her within traditional Somali gender roles, and in what ways did he not?

What did you think of his teaching methods? Was the violence just a part of his personality/culture/expectations or was he trying to get across to his “students” how important learning was?

Despite being a conservative Muslim (relative to Sufism), Salh’s father was progressive in his insistence in educating his sons and his daughters. The importance he placed on his daughters’ education was relatively unique within the Somalian culture. He was also a rarity in teaching males and females the Koran and Arabic in the same room at the same time. With that said, the brutality with which he reprimanded his children and students was unconscionable…abuse by any definition and ironically, destructive to what he was trying to achieve. Who can learn in a hostile environment?

Her father was a devout Muslim (a man of God) and was not as compassionate and tender as other fathers, and believed in harsh corporal punishment, he did believed that his daughters to be educated as well as their sons. He oversee all aspects of his children’s education and activities. Even when a school could not provide teaching Arabic or the Koran, he volunteered to teach them himself. And when his daughters could make am agreeable case for them to have a certain opportunity, or be together, he would listen and even agree. So he had his strange way of showing love and protection. Unfortunately, his harsh punishments overshadowed the good and care he provide to them. But they respected and feared his ways.

Salh’s father was a devout Muslim and progressive in many ways but was a harsh disciplinarian with his children and not show emotional support toward them. However, one unique trait he hade was his belief in education both for his sons and daughters which was the norm during that time in Somalia. He believed that male and female students should be in the same classroom when learning the Koran and Arabic and was will to be the teacher. Yes, he loved his family and was progressive in some ways but why a disciplinarian.

As I mentioned before Salh's father was complicated. His desire that his male and female children both be educated was progressive but his treatment of those children less so. He seemingly abandoned Salh's mother who went and started a business of her own and he abandoned his children, until he didn't. I think the Somali world was changing so rapidly from what he knew that it was difficult for him to know exactly what to do. The acceptance of Wahhabism, the more conservative form of Islam, from the Sufism he knew had to be difficult to deal with as well. It is very possible that Salh's father represented the conflict between the old and new ways.

As a former teacher, I cringed every time Shurgri's father beat one of his children or students for not giving him the right answers. At the same time, I found such a dichotomy between that behavior and his desire for his children, especially the daughters, to receive an education. I kept wondering what he expected those daughters to do with that education which was the product of fear: did women become teachers also and were they expected to teach as he did? His lack of consistent behaviors makes it difficult for me to respect him as a teacher or a father.

I agree with cece - Salh's father was terribly inconsistent with his belief that his daughter's should be educated and his lack of respect for them as individuals. Why educate someone and then not allow them to think for themselves and explore the ideas that they have been educated around. How does someone educate their child then expect them to continue to be oppressed and belittled. I wondered if his insistence on their education was more to represent to the world that he was achieving something new and noble than to actually educate his daughters to be scholars.

I don’t believe Salh’s father was genuine with his education of girls. He was very self centered and way too mean to achieve much progress among his students. Also, he would show up inconsistently to do his teaching.