Dr. Abdishakur Jowhar The tribe in war is an altogether vicious animal. Tribal identity gains dominance over that of an individual’s self identity in situations of tribal conflict and competition. Tribal identity almost takes over during times of war. Tribe members at such times drive themselves into an extreme an irrational frenzy. Normal language is replaced by unintelligible animal noises. “Tolaayeey, tolaayeey, Waar Hayaaye†Read on. Abdishakur Jowhar MD, FRCP©, DABPN E-mail: abdijowhar@yahoo.com

Time makes more converts than reason. That was an acquiescent prelude of the defiant pamphlet of Thomas Pain. Common Sense, he simply named. He was a young British migrant in America who refused to appoint, so to say, a man-eating feline to tend on the affairs of innocent masses. His mere writings have become the fuel of American Revolution that ousted the British rule. This is a case where the eloquence and the articulacy of simple man have shaped the thinking of the masses. Although it is not fair to elevate Ch. Reese to that stature, I nevertheless found his article an authentic expression and correct representation of the pulse of the people in the West; the regular people that is. The reason that the world is changing on us is not because the enemy hates our way of life, he tells them. They are over here because we are over there. I was intent to write and reflect on this. But as I re-read his article, the simplicity in which he chose to convey his message just disarmed me. Let’s pray to see more of him, the mouthers-of-full-truths. People who dare to write competently and do not play fast and loose with facts. As I exit this topic, let me remind my fellow nomads that it is the tradition of God to test those who profess His faith. His divine word hints that it is precisely when time gets tough that we ought to hold His robe tight and fasten it harder.

You see, waxaan mooday inaad af soomaaliga iga badiso. Mise adiga urugley iyo yool-yool besaad taqaan. Come on, Bishaaro . I did not like the usage of Waaq. It represents an era when humans were on the death rows; hanging from the cliff of ignorance. Sister, to see a Somali with sanity use it is a showy display of unawareness and playing fast and loose with words. Waaq is the imagined god of Somalis (Oromos if you like) before the message of God has arrived to them. How could a Muslim (assuming they are Muslims)dare to signify such pre-Islamic idols? Bal aan sugo waxay ikhyaarto ku jawaabaan. As for you Bishaaro aka Qalanjo, Ciyaarta naga daa afsoomaali waa naga badisaaye! P.S: Indha adeygayga ma la yaabteen, rag gabyaa ah baan isku taagayaa!

Waaq baa iiga marag ah aa? Ma anigaa mise labadiinaba aqoondarraa idinka heysata macnaha Waaq? Intaan diintu soo gaarin baa erayadaa oo kale adeegsata. Marqaati Ilaahey baa lagashadaa iyo aadanihiisa ee lagama dhigto Ilaahyadii jaahiliga.

Suldaanow, ma xasuusataa murtidii Cadbi Iidaan Faarax---Allaha u naxariisto. Misana Sheekhyadii iyo u qabay Weliyo sheellaaye Misna sharax Kitaab kama akhriyin Shed ay ku yaallaane Waxa badawgu Sha'allaah u yidhi sheeg haddaad garato Shaxda niman aqoon lama degeen mana shu'aysteene Shan Soomali oo wada socdoo Calan ku sheekeeya Shinmaa la arkayaa waa su'aal sharad ka yaallaaye

Jamaal & Ngonge, biyo hoostood baad iska aragteene tiinnu dood waa dhaaftay. Awalbaad dekeno hore qabtay oo didisay cowshiiye Maantana biciidkaan damcaad daba ordeysaaye Fediyaamo deerooy haddaanan dabada kaa toogaan! Saasay sheekadiinu iila ekaatay.

NGONGE, Fair enough, saaxiib. As for the Islamic part, I am still adamant about it. In the final analysis terrorism is a political label (remember Y. Carafaat) more than it is a criminal act! It is expectable these Muslim movements (remember Sadam, though unrelated but it shows how any can claim to be on the Allah’s side) to inject religion in to this as much as they can. It is also expectable from the western powers to depict their adversary in the darkest shade possible: savages who want to destroy our civilization and way of life. But as you agreed with me the nature of this conflict is political, and not religion. We may get there, but we are not there yet. Islam is not a religion in dispute; moderate. Vs. extremist as some would have us believe. The nature of our faith is not in question. We don’t have to issue apologies and we should ridicule those who expect one. It could be more complex than this and I may as well missing the mark. As for you, one has to admire your soul-searching enquiries and self-examining posts you penned. I will come back to reflect the author’s point; the duplicity of western (USA& UK) leaders and how theirs is just a treachery of sort. Some people, I suppose, are sent to fight wars that they are destined to loose. Baashe, It’s a serious charge when one indicts entire faith simply because a few angry men decided to express their grievances by killing unarmed and unsuspecting civilians. You see, Baashe, I avoided to discuss the root causes of terrorism and merely referred it in a passing sentence. That I thought is obvious for all. Where I took issue with our old chap was what seemed to me (subtracting NGONGE’s last post of course) stubborn insistence of his that these acts are Islamic in nature. That I thought was an impeachment of sort. That’s all saaxiib.

NGONGE, I am really busy winning my bread and you are giving me more than I can chew. Nonetheless, I feel obliged to follow up on you and ask you simple question that’s easy to answer without resorting to your creative writing. Do you agree in principle that terrorism is, more often than not, political in nature and has NOTHING to do with religion, culture, and race? Unless you intentionally arrest your intelligence, I expect your answer to be affirmative. Then (I am not letting you off the hook yet) what is it that makes these incidents so different? Remember my argument is not about the causation of these incidents. Rather I take issue with your insistence that they are Islamic in nature (there is a problem with Islam!). I did not like how you scoffed my argument and resorted to evasive sophistry, saaxiib. Answer this question as direct as you could possibly be.

Although you make a lot of sense in your analysis (a series of them, not just this one), the premise of your argument is quite erroneous. Since the suicide bombers are Muslims fighting for Islamic cause and supported by fellow Muslims, the problem of terrorism, or so your argument goes, has everything to do with Islam (as a religion). The center of the debate, it follows, must be about how to expose this deviated lot, identify them and separate them from the rest of the community. You seem to be convinced that if Muslims (those who do) do away the tacit support they indirectly give to these bombers it would substantially lessen the efficiency of their operations and help illuminate our much cherished morals and values. To do that it with authority, it would require embarking on a reform within the house of Islam, you think. It does not appeal to your reason to confuse the two wars; imperialistic war waged by known entity with well defined goals and targets and sporadic and terrorist one waged, aimlessly, by un-appointed mullahs with no tangible objectives. The former, you lectured us, is conventional war (you didn’t support it and thought it unjust war) and as such has rules of engagement. The latter, you noted, is not a war as we can’t say for sure who’s a waging it as an entity, no return address so to say, and its methods wicked and unpredictable, and its targets random and indiscriminate. You plead for your fellow Muslims to make their stand clear and appose these Khwarij, as you put. If not, you demanded from them, to present their logic and explain how their acts could not contradict with the basic teachings of Islam. That, I think, sums up the gist of your argument, saaxiib. Correct me if my comprehension fails me as it often does. Well, the problem of today’s terrorism is deeply rooted in politics, as it always has been. Religion has nothing to do with it (I really believe this). The suicide bombers are politically motivated more than any thing else. Their operations and its timings are politically calculated and are synchronized. Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, and Iraq are theaters of their activities. Terrorism may not always be the weapon of the weak but it sure is the prize of hegemony. History, is full of entities whose methods of struggle were debased but whose causes were right and just (Algeria comes to mind). These are people who are angry at the policies of the western powers. They have and eloquently articulate legitimate grievances. Although their messages are decorated with religious references, if you listen between lines you could easily see how politics shape their thinking. They are fighting against corrupt regimes in the Arab world and attack the backbone of state economy, tourism in Egypt for instance. They are fighting against occupations in Iraq and Palestine, Chechnya and Kashmir. And now the chicken, as it were, came to roost. The battle ground is no longer in Baghdad and Groznyy; it’s, so to say, in your backyard. The consequences are direr and reality of war have hit home. The brutality of war and its injustices are closer to home and we are having a feel of it more than we ever have been. And for that reason, it seems to me, we are injecting our emotions in to the debate and consequently loose the fact the nature of this war has not changed (political in nature) but its theaters slightly shifted. Yes they are all Muslims, but what would that signify? Spanish terrorists are Christians. And so were Irish terrorists! I failed to comprehend the logic behind this preposition of Muslims terrorism has some thing to do with religion while the other terrorism can be explained in different light. Your insistence on this is unrecognizable and out of character of you. You seem to be singing the popular songs of the western politicians and repeat their rehearsed lines. I understand your frustrations with these folks whose unwise and criminal actions affect the lives of millions of Muslims. But for you to think that theirs is Islamic in nature is just a failing grade. The solutions can not be found in reforming particular religion, imams, or Madrasas. It really lies in resolving these grievances, the ones whose significance seems to elude you. Pressuring Musharaf won’t do the trick. Meeting with Muslims community in the west and urging them to cooperate won’t do the trick. As wicked as these acts seem, they represent a politically motivated struggle whose legitimacy can’t e eclipsed by cheap dismissals. Now don’t shelf me in the wrong drawer and pull your usual card of litmus test on me, saaxiib. I do not condone terrorism and think is unjust method and essentially immoral. I don’t, how ever, differentiate between the one committed by tomahawk missile and the one triggered by suicide bomber; the effect is same to its subject.

It's this irresponsibility that sickens me. I long for a leader with the guts to speak the truth. What's wrong with saying to the American people: "The terrorist attacks against us have nothing to do with Islam. They are a response to our policy of supporting Israel and the Arab governments we like, our military presence in the Persian Gulf, and our decision to attack Iraq. I think our objectives are worth the price, but if you disagree, vote against me in the next election." read on.

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf- Xiinka, duqa speaking of xiin faniinka, Sayidka oo af Maay ku hadlaayo ma maqashay? [/QB] MM, yaa oghee? Ninku caadi ma aheyn! :cool: Malaha waad maqashay darwiishkii reer-koonfureedka ahaa ee Sayyidku maaraada u waayeey ee subax walba kula soo jarmaadi jirey Sayyidii gabay aa ihaaya. Maalintii danbe baa Sayyidku yiri war bal sheeg waxaa ku hayya! Hadda maxaa ka danbeeyey..... I guess Bishaaro knows the rest of the story.

Originally posted by 7 of Nine: The content you say? Which might be what Xaaji-duul-duul ? As some of the others, it went right over my head. Lets call a spade a spade… the intent and the content are intertwined. The intent is as baleful as the content. Shanka-Roon aka Falxado ma adigii baa? Maxaa kaa magacya-badan! All I was saying was let's not lynch the brother.

^^^Right on. Rahima and Viking beat it to me. Totally agree with them. Some people seem to be debating about the brother’s intent and not about the content of his post. It sounds (to me) like they decided to reside in the lower levels of this discussion. In the bigger scheme of things smoking may not scale high, but that does not lessen the impact of social ills, medical harms and religious deviations it causes. It doesn’t really matter the gender of the smoker, or does it?

@Magaalada Gaalkacyo uma muuqato in dadku ay ka anfariirsan yihiin xabadihii dhacay , waxayse ay wali ku kala mashquulsan yihiin shaqooyinkooda caadiga ah .. Really? That city always had and continues to have contagious affliction of defying law and order. Clannish pride compounded with deep intolerance and ignorance caused that poor city of Mudugh desert fortune of development and progress. With its volatile politics and explosive tribal tensions, Gaalkacyo remains to be the dark spot in what supposed to be a bright star of sort in the gloomy south. Security and political stability are chief blessings of Allah indeed.

SD, thanks much brother. The man whose biography you posted was simply a good and productive Muslim; his intellectual activities unrivalled and his spirituality heartily pursued. He was friend of the truth and his moral fiber was beyond compare. شيخ الإسلام حبيبنا ولكن الحق أحب إلينا منه which roughly translates to: The great Shiekh is dear to us, but the truth is more dearer than thy! was, so to say, his Ijtihaadic signature. He was knower of Allah and, as it was said, guided by His light. Thank you saaxiib.

^^^^^^ @Lan alifsheey humaadi albaqri mikitoosaaw. ^MM, kan anoo kale aa lag wadaa!

We (as Muslims) are in a testing times. That we desperately need reform and change is patently obvious reality and self-evident truth. How and what should we do to embark on this much needed reform is the question of our time. It’s here where ideas diverge and thoughts wander. As many of you probably did, I have given this issue serious thought. There is nothing wrong with Islam at all! The problem is not with Islam and it remains intact and integral; its articles of faith unbroken, its system of justice wholly superior, and its reservoir of universal values forever kept. The beauty of Islam is its originality and it will remain under God’s divine guard. When one suggests that there is a problem with Islam it must mean what it says which is utterly wrong. There is no two ways about it; a broken argument which a good Muslim can’t be neutral about. It’s even worse when one proposes specific reforms to transform Islam and attempts to alter its message; a futile effort that is bound to fail. Now I can easily agree that Muslims need be reformed and renewed. We need to go back to our roots and understand the fundaments of our religion. We need to understand the nature of our problems and device a workable solution for it. Our problems are manifolds indeed. In a one level it seems that we’ve forgotten the concept of Ummah; we don’t feel the pain of our fellow Muslims and we’ve adopted the ways of thinking of our adopted countries (those who are in the west) and see things through lenses of our interests. As the result of that attitude, we’ve become segmented and fragmented Ummah. In another level, we’re consumed with politics and blinded by its overwhelming effects. The hatred of others seems to have cloaked our sense of justice; it determines how we react and revenge, through it we justify our deeds and explain away things, and it become the scale of our thinking. To day, we are so angry that we don’t know what we doing and neither can we decide what course we should take so we can remedy our problem. Angry people, as Mahathir said, can’t make right decisions. We are all confused. Even in these wars of aggression, some of us are asking which side we should take! We feel exploited and wrongfully labeled. Look at the Muslims of Britain who’re wronged and put on the defense; the ceaseless apologies, the pledges of cooperation, and the whole scheme of guilty by association; a wicked concept that thrives in the west. But it needs not be so. It must be in the domain of common sense that Islam is a global religion and Muslims are mortal sinners. When one of them sets a bomb off, it should not compel the rest to state the obvious and issue apologies. Press conferences should not be held do tell the world that Islam is against violence and does not condone it. That Muslims are not all terrorists. It is really sickening and ridiculous. The invasions of Muslim lands, exploiting Muslim resources, keeping and supporting oppressive Muslim regimes and denying millions of Muslims the right to choose their leaders had been and still is the doings of the west; a consequential policy whose fruits we are all harvesting. Muslims had been under the big guns of the west for a prolonged period of time. Colonized and humiliated. Enslaved and exploited. There are historical and religious overtones to this conflict, we must remember. The war on terror is no less and no different than those colonial wars and its destined to be lost. But as Muslims we must realize that means don’t justify goals. Killing unsuspecting civilians taints the cause we intend to advance. It must be clear to us that indiscriminate bombings (suicide or guided missile) are acts of forbidden terror. They are desperate acts of angry men and do not represent the values of the mainstream in the both communities. It’s equally clear to me that this war is going to continue unless its root causes are adequately addressed. As long the west and Muslim reformers continue to insist that problem is with Pakistani Madrasas or Saudi curriculum (with Islam), this war, I am afraid, is bound to go on. And the drums of reformers will even beat louder, but to no avail.

Jasadayda Eebbaan ka helin taloba waa jeere. Nin diimeed hadalki soow maaha.

@Dont talk about them, if you cant talk to them. Wisdom of the week.

Xoogsade,to me the outcome of Nairobi in general and the task of the old man in particular are to apprehend the thugs in the south! Simple, is it not? President, government, parliament, and prime minister are just titles that do not fit and suite. The plan was to sweep the south (avoid the big and populous Mogadishu) and deliver the winning punch of this prolonged civil war; an ugly scenario but a political reality that can’t be escaped. I said many times and I say it again the old man has unique traits that perfectly suite and could potentially solve the puzzle of the south. Does the old man need a battalion of amxaaro to perfom that essential task? I think not. How does the UN decision affect his plans? Remains to be seen. Is it set back of sort? Certainly. Ogow Jananku is a class of his own; unlike me, he justifiably dreams a working government headed by the old man. Obstacles do not please him and some times he is not all together. But lets not breath on his neck at same time, saaxiib.

Generale, was that a stray bullet or one guided with clumsy sentiment? See, when grown people hold meetings and converse decisions are made and this one sure does not please the old man ! And neither does it bring delight to the regional powers that concern with the Somalia. It hinders, saaxiib. As for me, I still have my eyes on the ball :cool: !

Does that mean TFG can’t bring foreign troops in Somali soil? Or it just means it can’t import weapons? These are testing times for the old man.

Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada midoobay oo gashaanka ku dhuftay in uu qaado cuna qabateentii hubka ee sarneyd Soomaaliya New York Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada Midoobay ayaa maanta go´´aan ku gaaray in aysan qaadin cuna qabateenta Hubka ee Saaran Soomaaliya tasoo ay codsadeen DFKM ee garabka Madaxweyne Cabdulaahi Yuusuf halka Garabka Gudoomiyaha Barlamaanka ay diideen in la qaado cuna qabateenta hubka Sooomaaliya xiligaan uu qilaafka jiro Golaha Ammaanka Qaramada midoobay ayaa taageeray howsha nabada ee laga wado magaalada Muqdisho kuwaasoo loogu sii booriyey in ay sii wadaan howsha wax looga qabanaayo nabadeenta caasimada Soomaaliya ee Muqdisho, golaha waxa uu kale uu ka codsaday midowga Afrika in ay la yimadaan qorsha loo dhanyahay ee lagu geeynaayo ciidamada Afrika ee Soomaaliya ayadoona looga bahanyahay in dhamaan heyadaha dowlada kuli isla ogoladaan sida Barlamaanka Golaha wasiirada . Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada Midoobay ayaa waxaa lagu sheegay inaan laga ogolaan doonin in dhinac ka mid ah dowladda DFKM in uu ku tillaabsado tallaabo military. warbixintu waxay intaa raacisay in ciddii isku daydo tallaabo military in markaasi lala xisaabtami doono.

Mutakallim, If in fact feylasuuf JB’s disjointed argument represent yours, then this thread needs to be brought to halt; to continue would be nothing less than dragging articles of faith in front of a court full of fallible mortals whose extravaganza of sophistry cloak their receding intelligence. As it stands, the underlying argument of your provocative writing is muted and it’s worthy of note that your curiosity exceeded your meager knowledge! Halkaa ha noo joogto.

Yaa Baarqab yaqaan? macallin reer Hargeysaad ah oo suugaanta Xamar ka dhigi jirey baa arday reer Xamar u badan weydiiyey! Laa, Baarqab geela iskaabulada lee maahanow!