Sad to hear this. May Allah forgive her for that sin. I wonder if she was muslim. The Harvard article about the incident sums up her profile and it doesn't say anything about her being a muslim student. Harvard has strong Muslim associations that would have commented about her death. I hope she took the Shahadah sometime in her life because she is the daughter of Caasho Xaaji Diiriye Xirsi afterall. Ilaahey ha u naxariisto. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=255849 http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=255683 http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=255714

The E.U today rejected Turkey bid to join them. They probably think these muslim Turks aren't civilized enough lol. Their excuse was Turkey didn't meet the "political and economic criterea" needed. I am glad that Turkey is rejected because I have no respect for a nation that runs away from its values to be somebody else.

It is in the news that YEMEN owned the scuds from North Korea. America had no choice but to let them go because it was an "unlawful" hijacking of a ship in international waters. YEMEN said it owns the scuds and wants them released a.s.a.p. Somalia and Eritrea better not mess with Yemen. Remember that Island off the Puntland coast called SUQADARA (Siyaad Barre once said we own it and he would attack if Yemen doesn't return it).

Could have been heading to Somaliland, Puntland, Djibouti, or Southern Somalia. I doubt it was going to Ethiopia or Yemen. If it was truely heading for Somalia, this is a whole new ball game for the Horn. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Pentagon officials said Tuesday that U.S. military weapons specialists have found at least a dozen Scud missiles aboard a ship stopped en route from North Korea several hundred miles off the coast southeast of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. (View map) Scuds are the type of ballistic missiles that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein used to attack both Saudi Arabia and Israel during the Persian Gulf War. But U.S. officials said there is no indication the ship was headed to Iraq. They said there was every suggestion it was headed to the Horn of Africa. U.S. intelligence had been monitoring the ship since it left North Korea several days ago headed for the Arabian Sea region, officials said. The ship -- called the So San -- was stopped Monday by the Spanish navy frigate Navarra, which had to fire several warning shots to get it to halt, a senior aide to the Spanish defense minister told CNN. Once the ship stopped, about a dozen armed Spanish naval inspectors flew over by helicopter and boarded it. Although the ship did not have a flag, the aide said its crew was North Korean. When the Spanish crew looked into the cargo hold, they found containers buried in the cement. They opened one container and found what appeared to be missile parts, officials said. The Spanish crew then called for assistance from the United States, and a U.S. explosives ordnance disposal team went on board. As to ownership or nationality of the ship, a senior official told CNN it appeared to be a "stateless vessel" and said there was not much in the way of official paperwork on the ship. News of the ship's interception came amid increased tension between the United States and North Korea. In October, North Korea acknowledged it was developing nuclear weapons despite its 1994 agreement to freeze its nuclear weapons development program. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last week called North Korea the "single biggest proliferator of ballistic missiles" and said the communist nation is "a danger to the world." President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, earlier this year called North Korea a "merchant for ballistic missile technology" and said Pyongyang was willing to sell the weapons "to just about anybody who will buy." "The North Koreans have been known to go around with glossy brochures about their ballistic missiles. They're stocking a lot of the world right now," Rice said. Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh confirmed in August that it bought Scud-C tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) from North Korea around 1999 and 2000, according to Jane's Defense Weekly. Saleh defended the purchase as a legitimate arms transfer because his country was under no arms ban, Jane's said. According to the weapons research organization, Yemen is reported to have about six Soviet-built Scud-B transporter-erector-launcher vehicles and about 18 Soviet-built 300 kilometer-range Scud-B missiles. http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/10/ship.boarding/index.html

cool signiture JIDAAWY. I like how you charish your topics. Creative. Much respect saxib.

The brother is doing his thang. Good luck to him.

DHAQDHAQAAQYADOODAANAA = 22 Muraad, "Lagama maarmaan" is two words, isn't it? I think it is two words.

Half man, half amazing ofcourse.

Republicans usually have "US AGAINST THEM" mentality regardless of who they are trying to demonize. But don't forget that Isreal is mostly supported by the Jewish lobby: a lobby that is heavily democratic. Jews in America mostly vote democratic also. The ten JEWISH senators in the US senate are democrats. Also remember that it was Goerge Bush senior (a republican) who pissed off the Isrealis when he said "Negotiate with the Palestinians or ELSE". For the first time in its history Isreal was "forced" by an American president to give land back. Republican policies don't favour IMMIGRANTS, BLACKS, JEWS, GAYS, MUSLIMS or ANY OTHER ETHNIC group.

The most influential politician in Kenya's Indian Ocean region, Shariff Nassir, expressed concern Sunday that political violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had spilled over into Kenya. "What is going on now is that Palestinians can't fight against Israelis in Israel. They have to fight outside. Wherever they go, they have found out that in Kenya, it is the easiest way to come in," the government minister told Reuters. "For as long as they do not resolve the question, the attacks won't stop. People who strap themselves with bombs and are ready to sacrifice their lives are dangerous. They are prepared to go to dangerous heights," he added.

She is being invited back to the Netherlads to run for office in the next election. She is very popular in the Netherlands now. The non-Muslim majority loves her.

Aplus, SOONKAA kaa tan badiyaa u malaynaa. No QUIZ type questions remember? lol

Aplus, SOONKAA kaa tan badiyaa u malaynaa. No QUIZ type questions remember? lol

I have always heard that Nugaal is where they speak the "Standard Somali" or atleast close to the "media" Somali. But, remember that the historic NUGAAL valley is way beyond the artificial Nugaal State setup by Siyaad Barre. The majority of the famous peots were running around this area. I must say they were the ones who set the current standards. MMA, Siyaad Barre was really born in Ogaden, Ethiopia. ... even though he claimed to be from Garbaharey, Gedo in the books.

Nigeria is not a muslim country. It is 60% christians and 40% muslims ... or atleast that is what the current christian regime claims. There is a movement within the current Nigerian political establishment to pull Nigeria out of the Organization of Islamic Countries. The problem is that the government is reluctant to experiment any move that would alienate the muslim North because "bandits" might take to the streets and start a civil war in Nigeria.

Paul Wellstone was always fighting for the "little guy". He was a true champion of peace ... always voting "NO" against any bill authorizing war. He was well-liked by the Somali community in Minnesota.

No More AOL CDs. Stop the abuse http://www.nomoreaolcds.com/

No More AOL CDs. Stop the abuse http://www.nomoreaolcds.com/

Originally posted by Leamante: The Mall Of America is the biggest mall in the World. Actually it is the SECOND biggest. West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Canada is the largest mall in the world. WEST EDMONTON MALL

NEWS ******************************* U.S. sees steady rise in alien drug Immigrants introduce amphetamine-like khat from E. African region NASHVILLE -- As more immigrants from East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula settle in the United States, federal drug agents report a rise in an unwelcome custom: the use of khat, an amphetamine-like drug illegal in the United States but as culturally entrenched in parts of Africa as coffee-drinking is here. While seizures of khat don't compare with those of marijuana and cocaine, they are increasing, Drug Enforcement Administration agents say. "It's clearly been growing in recent months," said Harry Sommers, resident agent in charge of the DEA's Nashville office. Sommers said his office has seized 50-100 pounds a week in the past few months. Nationally, the DEA has seen a steady rise in the amount of khat seized, from 24.3 tons in 1999 to 40.9 tons in 2001, said Will Glaspy, a Washington spokesman for the DEA. Sold in bundles of stalks, khat costs about $85 a bundle, Sommers said. Khat (pronounced "kot") is grown primarily in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and its use predates coffee. It is widely used in Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen, Kenya, Eritrea and Sudan. Its use is legal in most countries, including Britain. But in the United States, chewing on the leaves can land a person in jail. Internationally, the World Health Organization has decided to review recommendations that khat usage should be controlled, if not criminalized. "It's legal over there, and so you can go and shop and buy it and just chew it," said Gizachew Tesfaye of Nashville, an Ethiopian immigrant who said he doesn't use the drug because his Christian faith prohibits it. Many Muslims avoid the plant for religious reasons as well. Users chew on stalks of the plant much as people here chew tobacco. Sometimes people drink it in tea. The effect produces a euphoria that lasts for hours. "You would equate it to something like amphetamine," said Sommers of the DEA. "It's going to speed the system up. It makes people braver and bolder. It keeps you from sleeping." It also can make users violent, Sommers added. "It has been used for thousands of years, generation after generation," said Yigzaw Belay, an Ethiopian national residing in Nashville who said he avoids the plant. "People don't see it as a narcotic." Belay, who wrote a graduate-level paper on khat at the University of Iowa, said that khat is entrenched in religious and social rituals in many countries. Men often sit together, chew khat and talk about social and political issues, he said. Many think the drug is therapeutic. "I do not believe that it should be categorized along with heroin or cocaine as a hard-core drug, or even marijuana," Belay said. The majority of immigrants from countries where khat use is common probably do not know it is illegal here, he said. Abdishakur Ibrahim, a Nashville imam (Muslim spiritual leader) originally from Somalia, said the drug has ruined his country. "The whole country is destroyed by it -- gangs and warlords fighting to control the khat," Ibrahim said. "This society is already suffering with enormous drug problems. It's bad for the whole (East African) region. It's bad for Americans. It's bad for everybody."

DHAQAN CELIS is a new term in the Somali vocabulary. Somali kids from the diaspora are brought back to the Motherland, to teach them about their culture and language. It has been called "the quiet revolution". If you visit a city like Hargeysa or Boosaaso you would see kids running around wearing Fubu/Karl Kani gear claiming to be from CANADA, USA, the UK. They are learning the language very well and some of them have miracelously paid a visit to BAADIYE. Most of them love the exotic experience. Now, my question is ... would you ask your parents or relatives to take their kids back to the motherland for DHAQAN CELIS? Just for the school/summer holiday? Have you ever thought of going there yourself for DHAQAN CELIS ... if you happen to be one of the unfortunate ones that is?

Originally posted by SamiGyrl: Shatiguuduud (Yellow shirt) In Somaliland GUDUUD means RED not yellow . The word CASAAN is mostly used by the locals but GUDUUD still mean RED. Have you ever been to Hargeysa or Burco?

I found this piece on the New York Times website ********************************************* Behind the Veil: A Muslim Woman Speaks Out By MARLISE SIMONS AMSTERDAM — Ayaan Hirsi Ali had done well in the 10 years since she arrived in the Netherlands as a young refugee from Somalia and, until a few months ago, she lived a quiet life in her adopted land. Never did she intend to create a national commotion. She studied Dutch, took on cleaning jobs, went to university and worked as a political scientist. She made a name for herself pressing for the emancipation of Muslim women and documenting how thousands, living even here, were subjected to beatings, incest and emotional and sexual abuse. To the surprise of many, she became a leading voice condemning the government's support for multiculturalism, programs costing millions of dollars a year that she considers misplaced because they help keep Muslim women isolated from Dutch society. Then Ms. Hirsi Ali, 32, began receiving hate mail, anonymous messages calling her a traitor to Islam and a slut. On several Web sites, other Muslims said she deserved to be knifed and shot. Explicit death threats by telephone soon followed. The police told her to change homes and the mayor of Amsterdam sent bodyguards. She tried living in hiding. Finally, last month, she became a refugee again, fleeing the Netherlands. "I had to speak up," she said, in a telephone interview from her hiding place, "because most spokesmen for Muslims are men and they deny or belittle the enormous problems of Muslim women locked up in their Dutch homes." Her ordeal has caused an outcry in the Netherlands, a country already uneasy with its recent waves of immigrants and asylum seekers, now representing almost 10 percent of the population. Many Dutch see the threats as an intolerable assault on the country's democratic principles. The threats have also intensified a fierce debate — one that can be heard these days across Europe — about what moral values and rules of behavior immigrants should be expected to share. Though absent, Ms. Hirsi Ali seems very present here. Her portrait has appeared on magazine covers and television and there have been indignant newspaper editorials and questions in Parliament. Some have called her the Dutch Salman Rushdie. In paid advertisements, more than 100 Dutch writers have offered her support. "I've made people so angry because I'm talking from the inside, from direct knowledge," she said. "It's seen as treason. I'm considered an apostate and that's worse than an atheist." The theme of injustice toward women in Islamic countries has become common in the West, but it has gained fresh currency through Ms. Hirsi Ali's European perspective, her study of Dutch immigrants and her own life. Born in Mogadishu, she grew up a typical Muslim girl in Somalia. When she was 5, she underwent the "cruel ritual," as she called it, of genital cutting. When her father, a Somali opposition politician, had to flee the country's political troubles, the family went to Saudi Arabia, where, she said, she was kept veiled and, much of the time, indoors. At 22, her father forced her to marry a distant cousin, a man she had never seen. But a friend helped her to escape and she finally obtained political asylum in the Netherlands. She was shocked when, as a university student, she held a job as an interpreter for Dutch immigration and social workers and discovered hidden "suffering on a terrible scale" among Muslim women even in the Netherlands. She entered safe houses for women and girls, most of them Turkish and Moroccan immigrants, who had run away from domestic violence or forced marriages. Many had secret abortions. "Sexual abuse in the family causes the most pain because the trust is violated on all levels," she said. "The father or the uncle say nothing, nor do the mother and the sisters. It happens regularly — the incest, the beatings, the abortions. Girls commit suicide. But no one says anything. And social workers are sworn to professional secrecy." More than 100 women a year have surgery to "restore" their virginity, she estimates in her published work. While only 10 percent of the population is non-Dutch, this group accounts for more than 60 percent of abortions, "because the Muslim girls are kept ignorant," she said. Three out of five Moroccan-Dutch girls — Moroccans are among the largest immigrant groups — are forced to marry young men from villages back home, to keep them under control, she said. A year or so ago, Ms. Hirsi Ali's case might not have attracted so much attention. But the mood in the Netherlands, as in much of Europe, changed after Sept. 11, 2001. In the month that followed, there was an unheard of backlash against the nearly one million Muslims living in the Netherlands, with more than 70 attacks against mosques. Sept. 11 also gave politicians licence to vent brewing animosities. Among them was Pim Fortuyn, a maverick gay politician who was killed in May, apparently by an animal rights activist. He said out loud what had long been considered racist and politically incorrect — for example, that conservative Muslim clerics were undermining certain Dutch values like acceptance of homosexuality and the equality of men and women. What Mr. Fortuyn did on the right, Ms. Hirsi Ali has done on the left. Many in the Labor Party, where she worked on immigration issues, were shocked when she told reporters that Mr. Fortuyn was right in calling Islam "backward." "At the very least Islam is facing backward and it has failed to provide a moral framework for our time," she said in one conversation. "If the West wants to help modernize Islam, it should invest in women because they educate the children." To do this, she argues for drastic changes in Dutch immigration policy. The government, she says, should impose Dutch law on men who beat their wives and daughters, even if the Muslim clergy say it is permissible. It should also end teaching the immigrants in their own language and stop paying for the more than 700 Islamic clubs, most of which, she said, "are run by deeply conservative men and they perpetuate the segregation of women." Her views, and the death threats, have divided Muslims, who account for most immigrants here. Almost 20 Muslim associations have condemned the threats, but at the same time faulted her for criticizing Islam. Hafid Bouazza, a Dutch-Moroccan author who in the past has received letters saying he will burn in hell for his writing, said the threats were shocking. "No criticism of Islam is accepted from women," he said. "Muslim women are particularly vulnerable." Others were bitter. Ali Eddaudi, a Moroccan writer and cleric living here, dismissed "all the fuss" over a Muslim woman who "panders to the Dutch." Ms. Hirsi Ali agrees that the criticism is so intense in part because she is a woman. "I am a Muslim woman saying these things, and it has provoked a lot of hatred," she said. One thing is certain: the death threats against Ms. Hirsi Ali have given more prominence to her ideas, which have now become the subject of intense debate among Dutch policy makers. The Dutch Liberal Party has invited her to become a candidate in the parliamentary elections next January. She says she has accepted and hopes to return to the Netherlands, though she fears for her safety. "Either I stop my work, or I learn to live with the feeling that I'm not safe," she said. "I'm not stopping."

Magnoona, I always thought it was a JFK quote.

Originally posted by SomaliaOnline-President: Also, it was an Arab dude who said that famous quote------Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what u can for your country. I thought it was Kennedy who said that ...