Farah Omar

Haji Farah Omar (Somali: Xaaji Faarax Oomaar, Arabic: الحاج فارح أومار‎) (1871 - 1949) was a politician and Somali nationalist from British Somaliland Protectorate. He was one of the first modern politicians to emerge in the Protectorate and later became one of the first initiators and pioneer leaders of the political struggle between Somali people and colonial forces. He is credited for the formation of the first Somali association, the Somali Islamic Association, created in 1925 for publicising Somalis' claim to independence.

Haji Farah Omar is described in the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World as a reformist, modernist Islamic leader. Omar was exiled to Aden by the British administration for his protests against excesses of colonial administration, and campaigning for the improvement of economic facilities and expansion of education in the Protectorate.

Omar visited India in 1930, where he met Mahatma Gandhi and was influenced by Gandhi's non-violent philosophy which he adopted in his campaign in British Somaliland Protectorate.

His political agitation did not find favour with the British colonial authorities which led to him being exiled to Aden.