It is true, image is everything, Somalis are experts in border crossing – look how many countries we live in today. I doubt he would have been bothered if he had some expensive suit and expensive luggage bags.

It really depends on what sort of class you have, if you are in a seminar with maybe 15 people or so, you are required to attend, because they take attendance and its usually a good portion of your grade, because attendance means, you’ll be able to participate in discussions. You should always attend lectures, because you are paying money, and I have learned from past experiences, always go to lectures --- how else will you learn, if you can teach yourself the material, why even attend university. Learn the material, become a self taught expert, and Xerox a degree, and moved to the Middle East – and remember to change your name to John, Bob, or Smith.

Sounds like an interesting event ---- in Canada I doubt we have such convention, but we do have Islamic conferences held annually in Toronto --- but they’re not as good as they used to be, I didn’t go this year, but I heard they had musicians on stage --- I think that’s just plain wrong. I will mention this – I have seen an Islamic documentary on science and Islam and how the Koran predicted many scientific discoveries before modern had discovered the tools to investigate it.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ on a personal note: I hate these people because they’ve damaged humanity, and they brought so much injustice and suffering to hundreds of thousands of ppl. However, you cannot like a person who’s hurting or damaging your interests, its that simple– we should condemn people who murder innocent people, or hurt them directly or indirectly. There are a lot of things we hate, and there are many things we tolerate that we should hate – a murder dying – is justice served, regardless whether he murdered Muslims or not.

First of, cats are inherently evil, they sneak up behind you and scratch your eyeballs. That being said, I’ve always been intrigued by the way Christians depict their religion through imagery, and other discursive methods – such as the commoditization of Jesus – such as having shirts, stickers, tv shows based on religious figures among other things. Even with the rise of the Christian right, many media critics, writers and in general liberal America has always been producing satirically driven critique – that is cynical and unapologetic just like the Bush administration.

There are many Somali young people in the music industry, we only speak of K'Naan, but in fact there are many more --- especially in Canada, i don't know about the US. We have plenty of talented kids in Canada including Siham -- she's the sister of a good friend of mine, and i just heard her new material produced in Atlanta, but she's from Toronto. Check out her myspace, and listen to her tracks -- she's really good. You also check out a good friend of mine, Kilo Tonne, he's from Canada as well... also headed towards ATL to work with some producers there, he's also talented and focused at a such a young age -- what do you guys think of their music? http://myspace.com/sihamworld http://myspace.com/kilotonne

Wild one, I’m guessing your Muslim – since you’re a female, I’m assuming you wear skirts, so if you wear a skirt, there isn’t much of a difference between both garments ----- is there? Just don’t wear the colours men wear.

NB I agree with you ----- many Somalis work for their tribe, not for Somalia

I think if you go on to his website, you can see his concert schedule – but I think he’s going on tour to Europe with some reggae artist.

I had no idea Somali people resented K’NAAN this much – Perhaps I should inform him of this thread --- BTW he was part of this forum back in the day.

And yet we conduct this debate in English The language will survive -- however, where can one find a Somali grammar book ---- what is the correct spelling of certain words, becuz every region has its own unique dialect. I think we should have a Somali Language Institute – where they dictate these technicalities like the French.

The purpose of life is a test ---- we are presented with obstacles and paths which offer the wrong and the right way ---- we must choose according to the teachings of the deen. However, we can also indulge in our calamities and fantasies in which our imagination permits --- and just because we vanguard pseudo religious discourses from a keyboard doesn’t get anyone closer to heaven nor farther from hell – even accusations of atheism and fundamentalisms of any sort or any extreme does not increase the weight of deeds. In sum the purpose of life is following the right path, while respecting other beings, creatures and your habitat (earth). Lastly, I’m sure whomever posted this topic meant’d to be a rhetorical question.

Its difficult to find a good job if you’re doing some social science degree – however, most people are creating their own jobs – we live in the do it yourself era, even attaining jobs depends on your ability to be proactive, innovative and your overall motive. For most Somalis with degrees, I suggest they establish some sort of business that would benefit Somalia in the near future – the recycling business is almost nonexistent, urban planners are needed, communication designers and the list goes on. These include many of the fields that Somali people are not interested in at all. I even find there are no Somali people who study media, did you know that there are many jobs with international media corporation who will hire to gain access to Somalia. Most importantly, where are the filmmakers - doing a documentary about Somalia can be so profitable for those who make it. They can sell it to the BBC, PBS and a whole lot more networks – even documenting events in Somalia in a journalistic and artistic (photography) methods can be rewarding in many ways. Most Somali families tell their children to study engineering, the legal system, the medical profession, all those fields are good, but what about all the other fields that we are not academically investing in, it going to impact us in the future.

We should donate in our own way, through other channels – I don’t know if its true but some business lady in Australia donated dog food? – She owned a pet food company or something – is that true? Another thing, this only emerged in the media, and many of the organizations that aid the needy are corrupt. CIDA accounts giving 18 million to Somalia, but only 3 million of that money can be accounted for ever being spent in Somalia, a friend of mine was researching that. Also the YMCA has been defrauded by a Chinese accountant in Toronto stealing two million or so – who thought giving to the needy could be so difficult.

Correct me if I’m wrong, religiously speaking, aren’t we not supposed to talk in washrooms. The thread is reaching 6 pages, for me to respond or see where the argument is going – I apologize for my one liner.

The thing that pisses me off the most is those who defend the religion and belief things they don’t’ practice – who commit sins – the perception is wrong – but they have the right to correct yours. People who doubletalk. Girls who seem nice, but they mistreat you for the sake of it. Hijabis who wear tight clothes – just take the hijab off if your going to show me your belly. Parents who say your degree is worthless unless you’re an Engineer or doctor, or have something to do with computers – like computer science.

Successful women are often aggressive in every facet of their lives – and as men we do want our women to be kind and gentle – and need I say obedient. There is nothing wrong with successful women – but their methods for exploring the uncharted territory of the business world – they have to be aggressive – although I think they should separate their work life and personal life.

Iran is no where close to having a nuclear bomb – this is just a big scare to rally nieghbouring countries to ally themselves with the US.

The Danish government along with most other European countries have been issuing anti-Islamic laws, in Belgium they also banned the hijab, and a friend of mines nephew’s teacher was insulting the prophet in class – and they didn’t know what to say the poor kid, who is only 7. I was recently reading an article in the New York Times Magazine, where they had an article on Germany, where Arab families were killing their daughters for honor killings - and they’re making a huge issue about culture clash in a world where monoculture is clearly prevailing through the media. The problem is this – Europe’s abundant tolerance is actually leading to extreme intolerance on both ends. The cultural warfare has begun – even those who have assimilated are waging the war on the other end.

At least they’re keeping illegal ships from our coastline – we don’t want anymore hazardous dumping – we don’t want to have many more babies with being born with deficiencies.

It’s interesting this past weekend Togane gave a speech at York University, their education conference – and he praised Somali women for their efforts and he had all the women/girls in the audience yelling and screaming as though they were at an Arcade Fire concert. He actually said we need a female president for Somalia – and they went crazy. He told a story about a woman he knew told to him. She said my son asked me, mommy what does dad do – because you drop both of us off in the morning. One day the kid was with her, and they went home straight, and the son asked, mommy we didn’t pick up daddy from his day care. Of course Togane told the story better.

So clearly sum’d up – the hate within us all – I heard this line while back ‘today I saw an apple on my head, and there was blood on my hands’ that is Somalia – we carry our qabil on our heads, while we shed blood for the sake of it. Well composed poem – you might want to consider it for mass publication.

What happened to our parents, what’s wrong with the older generation? They actually give us a right of passage to fail – we don’t have a country that we can be proud of, and we try to change things, the older generation stands in the way with their irrational politics – what are we to do. I personally approached the so-called academics of the Somali community, and spend five minutes with them and you’ll see how narrow minded they are. They can write all the bs they want in online qabil affiliated websites, but in the evening, catch them at coffee shops parading about the success of their respective warlords. As children we watched the horrors of Somalia and we watched and ran – how can we do something for Somalia when we can’t even get through the elders in the west, imagine those in Somalia how difficult it would be to actually stabilize them. I say drugs is the only haven for our misfortunes and failed expectations, and every possible dream we have ever had that went down the drain washed down with coke and rum – I’m surprised no Somali youth has yet to set him/herself on fire – many of them socialized us to accept tribalism – sad – recently, in Toronto during Eid, Somalis pray’d apart from each other D’s and H’s - what examples have they set for us. I stand up as a failure to whatever prospects the older generation had in mind.

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar You have cleared up the confusion among Somali Conservatives, those that are well off – those that are not on welfare, or don’t have a dependency on social programs. The media altered many people’s votes to go towards Conservatives, this time around Harper was much friendlier, and he actually smiled a lot, and cuddled with reporters. I think many voters (Somalis) voted for the Liberals (strategically), although they are not offering feasible programs for them, when we compare them with the NDP. I don’t think we’ll have American style democracy – there are too many interest groups and minorities in Canada – the only thing that will unite them with the Conservatives is economic prosperity. Many of them don’t give two sh!ts about this country to actually support more spending on military, or participate in decisions that would alter public policy. Show me a Somali that actually cares whether Canada has an adequate military, but they do care about the development of domestic social infrastructures, such as health care.

exactly who are you talking about, Paul Martin and members of his former cabinet? Yes! You should read an article in the first issue of the Walrus Magazine []www.walrusmagazine.com] – the writer did a good job – it was on Paul Martin and his business ventures. Its not like I’d like them to be governing the country – to be honest I don’t really care who governs Canada – the policies don’t really affect me. In addition to that many of the platforms are the same when its comes to issues.