List of Somalis

This is a list of notable Somalis from Somalia, Djibouti and other parts of Greater Somalia, as well as the Somali diaspora.

Academics

Activists
  • Magid Magid – Somali-British activist and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Sheffield
  • Abdulkadir Yahya Ali,(1957–2005) peace activist, co-director and founder of the Center for Research and Dialogue.
  • Dekha Ibrahim Abdi (1964–2011) – peace activist in Kenya
  • Leila Abukar – political activist
  • Fartuun Adan – social activist; founder and Executive Director of the Elman Peace Centre
  • Elman Ali Ahmed – entrepreneur and social activist
  • Halima Ahmed – political activist with the Youth Rehabilitation Center in Mogadishu
  • Hodan Ahmed – political activist and Senior Program Officer at the National Democratic Institute
  • Ifrah Ahmed – social activist; founder of the UYI NGO
  • Nimco Ahmed – Somali-American political activist; State Director for the DFL
  • Abdirizak Bihi – social activist; Director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center
  • Ilwad Elman – social activist at the Elman Peace Centre
  • Asha Haji Elmi (Caasha Xaaji Cilmi) (b. 1962) – peace activist in Somalia
  • Leyla Hussein – psychotherapist and social activist; Chief Executive of Hawa's Haven; co-founder of Daughters of Eve
  • Ahmed Hussen – Somali-Canadian lawyer and social activist; President of the Canadian Somali Congress
  • Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim – Somali social activist
  • Hanan Ibrahim – social activist based in the UK; founder of the Somali Family Support Group (SFSG)
  • Hirsi Magan Isse (Xirsi Magan Ciise) (1935–2008) – activist, scholar and one of the leading figures of the Somali Revolution
  • Fatima Jibrell (b. 1947) – Somali-American environmental activist; co-founder and executive director of the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization ("Horn Relief"); co-founder of Sun Fire Cooking; was instrumental in the creation of the Women's Coalition for Peace
  • Hawa Aden Mohamed – social activist; chairperson of the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development
  • Musse Olol – American social activist and Chairman of the Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO)
  • Hibaaq Osman – political strategist; chairperson of the ThinkTank for Arab Women, the Dignity Fund, and El-Karama
  • Hawo Tako (d. 1948) – early 20th century female nationalist whose sacrifice became a symbol for pan-Somalism
  • Mohamud Siad Togane (b. 1943) – Somali Canadian poet, professor, and political activist
  • Shadya Yasin – Somali-Canadian social activist and member of the Ontario Premier's Council on Youth Opportunities

Architects
  • Alexander Yusuf – Somali-British architect; founder and Director of Villa and Mansion Architects

Artists
  • Aar Maanta – singer, composer, songwriter and music producer
  • Abdi Sinimo (b. 1920s) – artist and inventor of the Balwo musical style
  • Abdullahi Qarshe (1924–1994) – musician, poet and playwright known for his innovative styles of music which included a wide variety of musical instruments such as the guitar, piano, and oud
  • Alisha Boe – actress, known for portraying Jessica in Netflix's original series 13 Reasons Why.
  • Ali Feiruz (1931–1994) – musician; one of the first generation of Somali artists; prominent member of Hobolada Waaberi musical troupes
  • Amin Amir – Somali-Canadian cartoonist and painter
  • Barkhad Abdi – actor, best known for his portrayal of Abduwali Muse in the film, yCaptain Phillips, co-starring Tom Hanks.
  • Elisa Kadigia Bove – Somali-Italian actress and activist
  • Guduuda 'Arwo – singer
  • Hassan Sheikh Mumin (1930/31–2008) – poet, reciter, playwright, broadcaster, actor and composer
  • Hasan Adan Samatar (b. 1953) – artist during the 1970s and 80s
  • Mohamed Mooge Liibaan (d. 1984) – artist from the Radio Hargeisa generation
  • Magool (1948–2004) (Halima Khaliif Omar) – considered in Somalia as one of the greatest entertainers of all time
  • Mocky (Dominic Salole) (b. 1974) – Somali-Canadian pop music performer
  • Maryam Mursal (b. 1950) – musician, composer and vocalist whose work has been produced by the record label Real World
  • Marian Joan Elliott Said (Poly Styrene) (1957–2011) – pioneering Somali-British punk rock singer with X-Ray Spex
  • Jiim Sheikh Muumin – singer and instrumentalist
  • Jonis Bashir – Somali-Italian actor and singer
  • K'naan (b. 1978) – Somali-Canadian hip hop artist
  • Khadija Qalanjo – singer and folklore dancer in the 1970s and 1980s
  • Sulekha Ali – Somali-Canadian singer-songwriter
  • Saba Anglana – Somali-Italian actress and international singer
  • Waaberi – Somalia's foremost musical group; toured throughout several countries in Africa and Asia, including Egypt, Sudan and China
  • Waayaha Cusub – music collective led by Falis Abdi
  • Xiddigaha Geeska – Somali music band based in Hargeisa

Athletes

Authors

Directors

Entrepreneurs
  • Nasra Agil – Somali-Canadian civil engineer and entrepreneur
  • Omar A. Ali – entrepreneur, accountant, financial consultant, philanthropist, and leading specialist on Islamic finance; formerly CEO of Dar al-Maal al-Islami (DMI Trust), which under his management increased its assets from US$1.6 billion to US$4.0 billion; currently chairman and founder of the multinational real estate corporation Integrated Property Investments Limited and its sister company, Quadron investments
  • Abdirashid Duale – entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the CEO of the multinational enterprise Dahabshiil
  • Liban Abdi Egal – founder and Chairman of First Somali Bank
  • Nuria Sheikh Farah – entrepreneur; owner of Risala Enterprises Ltd. and Chairperson of Gargaar
  • Faisal Hawar – engineer and entrepreneur; CEO, President, and co-founder of the International Somalia Development Foundation as well as the Maakhir Resource Company
  • Amina Moghe Hersi (b. 1963) – entrepreneur; has launched several multimillion-dollar projects in Kampala, Uganda, such as the Oasis Centre luxury mall and the Laburnam Courts; runs Kingstone Enterprises Limited, one of the largest distributors of cement and other hardware materials in Kampala
  • Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim – twin fashion designers and owners of the Mataano brand
  • Aden Mohammed – banker and entrepreneur; managing director of Barclays Bank in East and West Africa; under his tenure BBK won the Banker Awards 2009
  • Hussein Mohamed – entrepreneur; Vice Chairman of the Eastleigh Business Association
  • Hodan Nalayeh – media executive and entrepreneur; President of the Cultural Integration Agency and the Vice President of Sales & Programming Development of Cameraworks Productions International
  • Hussein Shire – businessman; founder and former CEO of Gateway Bus Company

Journalists

Judges

Military

Models
  • Jawahir Ahmed (b. 1991) – Somali-American model; as Miss Somalia, won 2013 Miss Africa Utah and was 2nd runner up in the 2013 Miss United Nations USA pageant
  • Waris Dirie (b. 1965) – model, author, actress and human rights activist
  • Ayan Elmi – Somali-Canadian model
  • Halima Aden (b. September 19, 1997) – American fashion model. She is noted for being the first Somali-American to compete and become a semi-finalist in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant.[1]
  • Ubah Hassan – Somali-Canadian model
  • Iman (Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid) (b. 1955) – international fashion icon, supermodel, actress and entrepreneur
  • Fatima Siad (b. 1986) – third-place finisher on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10; professional model
  • Yasmin Warsame (b. 1976) – Somali-Canadian model; in 2004, she was named "The Most Alluring Canadian" in a poll by Fashion magazine

Royals

Pilots
  • Asli Hassan Abade – first Somali female pilot; prominent member of the Somali Air Force; paved the way for gender equality within the military ranks
  • Ali Matan Hashi – first Somali pilot and prominent member of SRC
  • Mustafa Mohamed Moalim (Mustafa Maxamed Macalin) (1943–2009) – first Somali fighter pilot; chief of the Somali Air Force School; chief of the Somali Air Force Operations
  • Muse Bihi Abdi – Somali air pilot

Politicians

Presidents

Prime ministers

Other politicians

Scientists

Muslim Theologians
  • Abd al Aziz al-Amawi (1832–1896) – 19th-century diplomat, historian, poet, jurist and scholar living in the Sultanate of Zanzibar
  • Uways al-Barawi (1847–1909) – scholar credited with reviving Islam in 19th-century East Africa and with followers in Yemen and Indonesia
  • Abd al-Rahman al-Jabarti (1753–1825) – scholar living in Cairo; recorded the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt
  • Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti (fl. 10th-11th centuries) – early Muslim leader and forefather of the Darod clan
  • Ali al-Jabarti (d. 1492) – 15th-century scholar and politician in the Mamluk Empire
  • Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn – 13th-century scholar and saint; associated with the development of Wadaad's writing
  • Abdallah al-Qutbi (1879–1952) – polemicist theologian and philosopher; best known for his Al-Majmu'at al-mubaraka ("The Blessed Collection"), a five-part compilation of polemics
  • Abd Al-Rahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'i (1820–1882) – scholar; played a crucial role in the spread of the Qadiriyya movement in Somalia and East Africa
  • Abadir Umar Ar-Rida – 13th-century cleric and saint of Harar; forefather of the Sheekhaal Somali clan
  • Sa'id of Mogadishu – 14th-century scholar and traveler; his reputation as a scholar earned him audiences with the Emirs of Mecca and Medina; travelled across the Muslim world and visited Bengal and China
  • Shaykh Sufi – born Abdul-Rahman bin Abdallah al Shashi (Arabic: عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله شاشي) (b. 1829–1904), 19th-century scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist
  • Uthman bin Ali Zayla'i (d. 1342) – 14th-century theologian and jurist who wrote the single most authoritative text on the Hanafi school of Islam, four volumes known as the Tabayin al-Haqa'iq li Sharh Kanz al-Daqa'iq
  • Hussain Bisad – tallest Somali man alive; has the largest hand span in the world
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See also
  • Somali people

References
  1. "Somali-American teen to be first fully covered Muslim contestant in Miss Minnesota USA". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-04-02.
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