Mohamud Siad Togane ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Toogane, ar, محمد سياد توغن; born July 1, 1947) is a Somali-

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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and peace activist.

Biography

Born in

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, Togane was educated in Mennonite schools in Mahaddei and Jowhar in his home country. He subsequently moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, where he attended Hartnell Junior College. He graduated from Eastern Mennonite College with a BA in English literature in 1969,He returned to Somalia and taught at the Lafole College of Education from 1970 to 1973. Like many other intellectuals, he left Somalia to escape Mohammed Siad Barre's military regime. He settled in Canada in 1973 and acquired Canadian

citizenship Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

in 1978.Robert Rhode
"Togane Exposed"
– Mennonite Weekly Review, December 17, 2004 He received an MA in creative writing from Montreal's Concordia University in 1982. He has taught and lectured at many colleges and universities in Canada and the United States. He co-founded the Montreal Somali House and the Somali Peace coalition, and has been involved in several efforts for Somali peace and reconciliation, including a visit to Somalia in 1991–92. Togane published his first collection of poetry in 1986. The book, ''The Bottle and the Bushman: Poems of the Prodigal Son'', focussed on themes of racism and alcoholism. This and future writings also acerbically critique Somali social and political practices, including female genital mutilation, life under dictatorship, prejudice between cultures, clans and religions and the dangers of clans. His works, described as "brilliant caustic, controversial, wickedly funny, and associative free-verse commentaries", also appear on his and other Somali websites, skewering aspects of Somali politics and experience. The poems, which often examine and reflect on subjects that are taboo in public Somali discourse, sometimes use vulgar language to reinforce the point. Religious, philosophical, literary and pop culture references abound. Critics argue his confrontational style sometimes contributes to the conflict he seeks to expose and oppose. However, others state that his style reflects his acknowledgement that he, like other Somalis, is deeply influenced by clan-based thinking and the influence of the civil war. His poetry has been collected in several anthologies and appeared on Montreal buses as part of the Poetry in Motion program. Togane has written articles for various media, including ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', '' Zymergy'', and ''

African Art African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the ...

''.

Bibliography

*''The Bottle and the Bushman: Poems of the Prodigal Son'', Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Québec : The Muses' Co., 1986. *''Bridges: Literature Across Cultures'' (1994) *''Quebec Suite: Poems for and about Quebec'' (1995) *''Eternal Conversations'' (2003) *''Fifty Years, Fifty Stories'' (2003)

Notes

External links

Togane's websiteTogane's Blogspot
{{DEFAULTSORT:Togane, Mohamud Siad Somalian poets Somali Christians Somalian former Muslims 20th-century Canadian poets Canadian male poets Eastern Mennonite University alumni Living people 1947 births Canadian Christians Canadian former Muslims Place of birth missing (living people) Canadian activists Somalian activists Converts to Christianity Somalian emigrants to Canada 21st-century Canadian poets Concordia University alumni 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian male writers