Great pictures, Viking. Some of your captions – the references to "Somali booty" and an "old school Puntlander" – are a bit misleading because they draw a direct connection, in not so subtle terms, between Somalia and the Land of Punt. But the pictures are enchanting. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

I think a history section could be a positive addition to SOL, but there would need to be strict protocols governing the exchange of information. Anyone with Internet access can find an audience for his/her kooky ideas nowadays. The history-related info posted here would have to be credible and verifiable. Separating history from politics will unavoidably prove problematic, but there would be little need for that if explicit rules against political propaganda were put in place - if not in general, then at least for any impending history forum. Since the Golden Rules presently do not forbid propaganda and other things which could degrade the quality of a history forum (e.g. ethocentrism), they may need to be tweaked for that purpose. (In general, I think this is a great idea.)

^^^ Walaal, it's obvious that people extend the group pathologies associated with 'tribalism' to these political camps with which they align themselves. For instance, articles written by authors whose views are discernibly anti-secession frequently pass with very little (if any) criticism – no matter how well deserved – from the resident pro-unity/Somaliweyn camp(s). The manner in which this latest Lewis critique has been received is merely a continuation of that tradition. Since I issued the harshest criticism thus far, it's not particularly surprising that you are now wafting the air and catching whiffs of a pro-secession inclination coming from this direction. It's all rather convenient, I say, but it still demonstrates that you are operating with a tacit understanding of those 'unspoken rules'. The same rules that allow incredibly poor and ineffective articles to pass time and again, very often without so much as a murmur of disapproval. Anyway, regardless of what you think my argument seems like, my personal views on Somaliland and secession would be wholly inconsequential so far as this topic is concerned. Those views would not make my criticism of the article any more or less accurate, and that criticism still stands so you are more than welcome to challenge it. Is there anything in particular that you disagree with or is this exercise just meant to quickly render my argument obsolete by saying it has a pro-secession bias? What are your views on the article? Do tell.

To be honest, these increasingly outlandish Lewis critiques, and their imprudent authors, are now far beyond trite. This particular article does not really explicate the reasons for which Lewis supports Somaliland. (Did anyone even notice?) Maybe the author penned his thoughts expecting them to be received unquestioningly or, worse yet, marvelled at as snippets of critically analytic genius, but that they are not. Some may find his repellent combination of conjecture, rumour, and 'creative fiction' satisfying, but I'm sure sensible readers understand why writings in which those devices are employed are neither convincing nor, conceivably, entirely truthful. In my opinion, the author's reduction of all things to a purely tribes-oriented schema - one that somehow manages to still implicate Lewis - cheapens the article beyond redemption, while his allusion to the homogeneity myth offers a tidbit that will prove memorable only for its absurdity. Mr. Mirreh's evocation of the Dervish movement is not so much absurd as it is out of place. I suppose the need to revive glories of the past, so as to find a sense of self in the present, always trumps considerations of historical context. It's just amazing how idealized thoughts and images of sword-wielding men on horseback, directing their righteous indignation at God only knows what, place an almost glamorous veneer over the longstanding hallmarks of the Somali experience: poverty, illiteracy, and jahiliya.

HornAfrique, it's nice to have you back. I have been a lurker in these parts long enough to develop a good understanding of who is who. I think you are one of the most polite and level-headed nomads here, despite the fact that you sometimes stoop to the level of your agitators. I would suggest that you give NGONGE's advice serious consideration because this little mishap could turn into a sort of 'rebirth' for you. Being covetous with one's time and energy is a real virtue in the Politics corner. If you expend those two things a bit more wisely, you just might find this place a lot less exasperating, and maybe even [gasp] time well spent. Good luck.

Madame President? Almost. Read: Liberian to Be First Female African leader Liberia 2005: The Road to Democracyhref> Weah Cries Foul in Liberia's Presidential Play-Offhref> Wikipedia: Liberian Elections, 2005href>

Peace and blessings to all. Eid Mubaarak! (Er, note to self: Find a new avatar.)

It is great to see most of you London nomads are safe. I wish sister Diamente a speedy recovery. A few words of advice: Compared to the might of Allah (swt), there is really very little other human beings are capable of doing to us. So please try to keep any fears you may have of a potential backlash in moderation. Salaama

Simply breathtaking! I'm feeling a little envious of those vacationers in the pictures now. Sigh.

** Lurker Mode OFF ** Baashi, For one so fervent about differentiating himself from pro-secessionists, you don't seem to have any qualms about imitating said group - or, to use one of your third-person pronouns of choice, "them." Here’s a clue, walaal: as supporters of a subunit that defines itself (politically) in terms of its rejection of a larger whole, pro-secessionists can get away with divisive claims; as adherents to an ideology that seeks to unite several different subunits into one whole, pro-unity folks cannot. The latter should know better than to speak in the language of exclusion. So far, you have gone on two tirades about the differences between "us" and "them" and "we" as opposed to "they." How many more will follow before you realize that the language you are using is itself divisive? PS - You can goad pro-secessionists all you want (and vice versa), but I suggest that you not speak on anyone else's behalf while doing so. Acting as a spokesperson for all other proponents of unity is highly presumptuous, to say the very least. ** Lurker Mode ON **

Originally posted by LANDER: BTW change your avatar or put up some display of the Somaliland tri-colours [...] That goes for all you Somalilanders and undercover Somalilanders alike... Oh, what subtle prodding. Excuse me, huno, but I'm not a flag-waver either. Moreover, you seem to think that political allegiances should be defined by heritage. While there may be nothing wrong with being mindful of one's heritage, I don't think individuals should let it steer their political leanings in a predefined direction. Nice try, though.

WOW. I'm so happy to see these lovely pictures of Muqdisho, the city of my birth. This is the first time I have actually seen what a few locations that I've previously only heard of in name look like (e.g. Banadir University, SIMAD, Madina Hospital). Excellent. Too often, news of development in Muqdisho gets snuffed out by stories involving acts of violence, especially the sort news mediums seem to report for no other reason than sensationalism, but these pictures are indeed heart-warming. Thank you, Rahima. PS - I was once a B.H. baby as well, so those pictures were the proverbial icing on the cake.

Here are a few more links, Modesty: Mogadishu: Images from the Past Craig Hayslip’s People & Places Gallery Blair Orr's Page on Somalia Africa’s Horn Somali Nomadic House

Originally posted by NGONGE: I'm not sure if any of these new people know that I like to be the centre of attention here and that I refuse to surrender my prom queen title to any of them. LOL. Interesting choice of words there. The morning bell has not even rung yet and you're already terrorizing the freshmen, I see. Well, I, for one, am skipping the next prom. Other nomads whose corneas were damaged by NGONGE's last outfit are welcome to join me.

It's there, but you'll have to get to it the long way. www.somaliuk.com -> Music -> Mixture of Songs III -> Mustafa I've listened to this poem countless times, but it always has the same effect: calool xanuun.

It sounds like a fascinating programme. I hope the CBC airs it here. Fyr-Kanten, Rageh signed a book deal with Penguin in 2003 and he’s currently working on a book about Somali history. It will be most likely be written in English like his first one, so you might want to stay on the lookout for that. PS – There are many books about Somali history in English. Those distributed by non-Somali publishing houses are often much easier to find, but, if you look in large libraries (particularly those of universities), you could find some rare texts.

I just came across an interesting article on Hiiraan Online. Four Somali community workers and activists – two of them from organizations mentioned in my last post – have been recognized for their achievements in Ottawa. "The challenges we face are not often unique to us and we have to reject to be ghettoized in any way. There is nothing called “the Somali problemâ€. The challenges we face and the problems we encounter in Ottawa have nothing to do with our Somaliness." The immigrants' struggle continues, but congrats to the honourees! See the article here: Somali Women Receive Key to the City of Ottawa

Thought-provoking piece. Thanks for sharing, Caaqil.

Sister, I probably should have written in English to begin with (I known using Somali here can be a bit exclusionary). Above, I said that the term yarad can be translated to 'dowry' and, like its English equivalent, it's only used to refer to marriage while sooryo has a wider range of meanings. It can be used in reference to marriage, often to describe gifts of money or food, but it can have slightly different meanings too. For instance, it can sometimes be used in the place of casuumad. (If, say, a family were invited to dinner by their future in-laws, they could say: "Waa lana sooryeeyey", which is almost the same as "Waa lana casuumey"). The main difference between the two is that sooryo is more or less a gift, while yarad is the debt of marriage (owed by the groom and his family). So, since the author of the article used brideprice, I was just trying to say that yarad is the more appropriate term for what she was describing. That's all sister.

Alle-ubaahne, Walaal, waxaan hubaa in yarad lugu turjumi karo "dowry". Oo waliba, sida kalmadaa Ingriisiga ah, macnaha ereygan wuxuu ku saabsan yahay guur oo kali ah. Lakin macnaha sooryo sidaa uma koobna. Way ku xirnaan kartaa guur, inta badana wa marar la tilmaamayo hadiyado lagac ama cunto ah, lakin kalmadu macno kalena way lahaan kartaa -- tusaale ahaan, mar-mar waxa lala simi karaa casuumad. Waliba dadku markay sooryo bixiyaan, waa hadiyad oo kale. Lakinse marka yarad la bixiyo, reerka caruusku waxey iska bixinayaan deyn iyaga saaran (i.e. ta meherka) oo waajib ah.

I once came across a paper by a sister named Zainab Mohamed Jama. Her piece focused on poetry from the 1940s and '50s by women who actively participated in the Independence Movements. It was quite interesting. Somewhat depressing too when one learns the magnitude of their sacrifice was not understood, much less appreciated, by those of their time. See it here: The Poetry of Somali Women Alle-ubaahne, In using the term bride price, I think the author was referring to yarad, not sooryo.

Sorry for the late reply nomads. I was a bit busy with exams and a few others things, so I haven't had enough time to formulate a corherent response until now. Nationalist, I dislike the manner in which Samsam has been sucked into mechanisms that are reducing the sister's case to yet another tribalism-disguised-as-politics exercise (i.e. propaganda machines). If you think that stance somehow acts as a buffer for Somaliland or its government, it is a real pity. Then again, that line of reasoning is so typical of people who think and define their existence in accordance with perilous us/them dichotomies, I'm not at all surprised with your skewed deduction (maybe I am psychic). Depicting the Samsam issue as one of sides and reducing it to another pitiable showdown between two regions - as propaganda machines appear to be doing - does nothing productive or long-lasting for the cause. In case anyone's wondering exactly that 'cause' is, it is Samsam's plight in particular but rape crimes in Somalia as a whole. Smith, Considering the shameful illegitimacy of many Somali news mediums, I'm not particularly surprised that nomads were skeptical when the story first appeared on SOL. Walaal, I won't speculate on nomads' reasons for not believing you, but a degree of skepticism is actually healthy. People should be critical of sources in the media and what they offer. If they were not, I would be concerned. Nassir, Walaal, it appears several unusual elements, such as the incredulous espionage charge as well as the involvement of rape and torture allegations, combined to create a gripping, if disturbing, saga. As you noted, one contributing factor is the location. The case does call Somaliland's often vaunted democratic ideals into question because the unfairness of the sister's trial was apparent. You'd think time would illuminate the details of this case and reveal a few consistent truths but contradictions are still abound and it's difficult to determine exactly what befell Samsam. If the sister was indeed raped, as many of us believe she was, we can either view her as a cause or we can view her as part of a cause. I prefer the second line of reasoning but some news mediums – typically those that could be classified as propaganda machines – have propelled Samsam to such dizzying heights that, if they were poorly informed, people could actually conceive rape crimes to be rare in that corner of the world. Although it may seem necessary at the moment, I think deference of that sort will prove to be unproductive in the long run. We are Qurbo Soomaali, after all, with little (if any) influence over events taking place in the homeland. Baroor muxuu inoo tari? We need to determine the best course of action so as to make ourselves useful in some way, even if that 'action' will amount to nothing more substantive than virtual discussions. Instead of examining the case, and the implicit issue of rape with which the sister's name has become synonymous, in a singular and selective manner, we need to place it in its proper social context. It has been the subject of a great deal of discussion for several weeks now but, unfortunately, we appear to have little to show for it. Has our knowledge of rape crimes in Somalia, our understanding of the problem, been broadened by all of this discourse? Thus far, focus has been centered on the nitpicking and contestation of details (and some of those details are of great importance - e.g. Samsam's age) but the prevalence of rape crimes in the country, the nature of this phenomenon, its causations, its social implications, etc., have yet to be addressed.

Note: I made a mistake in posting my response here yesterday. It was supposed to be in the thread entitled Interview: Rakiya Omaar on the Imprisonment of Samsam's Lawyers. I will move it there now. My apologies for any confusion I may have elicited here.

^Have I touched a nerve of some sort brother? (Was it the exploitation part?) I’m not quite sure what your point is but if you’re suggesting that I made a previous denial of the Samsam case or something else of that nature, then I’ll ask that you not attribute those remarks to me because they are not mine. Thanks. PS - I don't like to spend too much time in one thread so, if you must compel me to make return trips, please make them worthwhile.

Tamina, Thanks for sharing this information. It sounds interesting. There is absolutely no reason I shouldn't attend since I'll be enjoying my winter break around that time. x_quizit – Bring your sisters and make sure to drag K there too. I haven't seen or talked to them for so long.