Mogadishu Islamic Courts should be supported. They are doing a noble work.

On the contrary I dont think C/llahi Yusuf did/will endorse such a statement. Well who is in charge then, the president or the prime minister. Am adamantly sure he is irked by that utterance made by Geedi in the interview. If thats the case, then we should hear from Cabdulahi Yusuf in the next few days disciplining Mr Geedi for damage control. What you mean haruun? You saying don’t held responsible the criminal but blame the crime itself Mr Gheedi is accountable of his mouth and actions; he cannot blame Abdulaahi Yusuf on what he himself said on Somali BBC On the other hand, Abdulaahi Yusuf has responsibility to take immediate action about the foolish language that Gheedi said in Somali BBC, Unless Abdulaahi himself part of the plot (70%probability). Haruun, of course Abdulaahi is not innocent, when his prime minister is saying foolish words publicly on somali BBC Really, former president Abduqaasim Salad Hassanand his government was stronger in issues of Somali unity, respect for Somalia’s territorial integrity. Mr. Soomaal, what geedi said on the BBC was a big boost to the separatists in the north and disapointments to the non separatists in that area as well as other Somalis including me and a green light signal to the International community. However, I doubt this is the idea of Geedi alone. He is playing his part of the game, a game played by him, Yusuf and other warlords in the government coached by Ethiopia and its ally the west. Remember both of these men are the products of land-locked Ethiopia, a nation trying hard to see Somalia breakup into mini states. If it looks like duck, sounds like a duck, and smells like a duck,.. you know the saying. Now the non separatists have a choice to support this puppet government of Ethiopia and let Geedi/Yusuf decide their fate or have a voice of their own to take control of their own destiny.

Al-Qaeda: Wrong Answers to Real Problems * By Soumayya Ghannoushi** 11/08/2005 Once again I watched the nauseous devastation and massacre, this time in the heart of my city, near the universities and libraries, where I have spent much of my adult life. After Madrid and Bali, Casablanca and Riyadh, I have come to predict al-Qaeda's responsibility for a given criminal act through the following test. If I find myself at a loss for an answer to the questions: "Why the innocent?" and "For what purpose?", then, in all likelihood, the crime is of al-Qaeda's doing. The absurd, random mass carnage of young and old, male and female is its trademark. Residential buildings, tourist resorts, rush hour trains and crowded buses turn into grand spectacles of mass murder where no heed is paid to the victim's identity and the extent of his/her responsibility for the policies of a country defined as the enemy. The boundaries between the world of politics and that of organized crime are blurred, as political demands get wedded to criminal methods. Al-Qaeda, it must be said, is no pioneer in this field. For although it founds its ideology on religious references and speaks a language overwhelmed by religious symbols, al-Qaeda falls largely within the modern tradition of revolutionary anarchists - from the Jacobins and the Bolsheviks down to latter-day Marxist guerrillas like the Baadr-Meinhoff Gang. Destruction as a Passion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Al-Qaeda belongs to a tradition of revolutionary anarchists. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like these modern revolutionary nihilists, al-Qaeda warriors subscribe to an instrumentalist logic that recognizes no distinction between the legitimate and illegitimate, thereby sanctioning acts of terror for the attainment of their ends. Like them, they are more interested in the act of destruction than its effects. As the father of Russian anarchism Mikhail Bakunin put it, "the passion for destruction is also a creative passion." Al-Qaeda is also a revival of the radical currents that surfaced in Islamic history from time to time only to be defeated by moderate mainstream Islam led by the Ulama (scholars). In particular, they appear to be a continuation of Kharijite thought with its dualistic puritanical conception of the world and the community of Muslims and of Gnostic underground organizations like the Assassins and Qaramita, who sought to disrupt the stability of Muslim societies through acts of terrorism. Al-Qaeda would be best seen as a mixture of these political and ideological strands. Apart from the ideological justifications it takes recourse to, one would, indeed, be hard put to find much that distinguishes it from Latin American anarchist groups. Their acts share the same destructive ferocity, the same absurdity. The difference is that where one finds its ideological legitimacy in Marxism, the other seeks it in the Islamic religion. Islam Misinterpreted -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The terrible irony is that Muslims currently find themselves helplessly trapped between two fundamentalisms, between Bush's hammer and bin Laden's anvil. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How can the murder of the innocent be perpetuated in the name of a religion that likens the loss of one human life to the loss of humanity at large? How can Islam be said to sanction such acts of aggression when it openly forbids revenge and declares in no less than five Qur'anic chapters that: "No bearer of a burden bears the burden of another"? How can the killing of ordinary men and women going about their business be permissible when even the battlefield has been regulated by the strictest moral code: "Destroy not fruit trees, nor fertile land in your paths. Be just, and spare the feelings of the vanquished. Respect all religious persons who live in hermitages or convents and spare their edifices"? Perhaps the one thing al-Qaeda militants have proven good at, apart from the shedding of innocent blood, is fanning the flames of hostility to Islam and Muslims. From the darkness of their caves and hiding places, these self-appointed spokesmen for about one and a half billion Muslims worldwide have excelled in stirring latent negative images of Islam within the Western psyche. Through their senseless crimes, Islam, in the minds of most, has become a euphemism for mass slaughter and destruction. Thanks to them, racism, bigotry and Islamophobia could rear its ugly head unashamedly in broad day light. The terrible irony is that Muslims currently find themselves helplessly trapped between two fundamentalisms, between Bush's hammer and bin Laden's anvil, hostages to an extreme right wing American administration, aggressively seeking to impose its expansionist and hegemonic will over the region at gunpoint, and to a cluster of violent, wild fringe groups, lacking in political experience or sound religious understanding. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It didn't take the neo-conservative world supremacists long to spot the immense opportunities 11 September handed them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Us" and "Them" Although the two claim to be combating each other, the reality is that they are working in unison, one providing the justifications the other desperately needs for its fanaticism, ferocity and savagery. No wonder, it didn't take the neo-conservative world supremacists long to spot the immense opportunities 11 September handed them. Their puritanical missionary belief in being God's instruments on earth and grand imperial ambitions could now be realized through shameless emotional blackmail and bogus moral claims. The two share a shallow, myopic, dualistic conception of the world populated by "us" and "them" in Bush's language, "believers" and "non-believers" in bin Laden's. Al-Zarqawi and his fellows then brandish the sword of excommunication (takfir) against the Muslim body itself in an endless orgy of maiming and mutilation. Some are to be expelled, because they are Shi`ah, others because they are Sufis, or Mu'tazilites (rationalists) and so on in a perpetual elimination process that spares no one but a handful of puritan elects from its deadly reach. The vast stock of common denominators is ignored, that which tears and divides is sought. These would rather see the world turn into an ever-raging battlefield, Muslim societies into blazing scenes of sectarian schism and civil war in a region rich in ethnic, religious, sectarian and linguistic diversity. I daily use London's trains and buses and could have been one of Thursday bombings' victims. I hardly think that killing or maiming me would have aided the causes the bombers claim to defend. The truth is that these narrow-minded fanatics are a scourge to the causes they purport to champion. Ask any Iraqi or Palestinian if the bombing of the innocent in Bali, Casablanca, or London has helped alleviate their suffering. If anything, they have handed their oppressors with an open permit to butcher and destroy, safe in the knowledge that blame has been shifted from them to their victims. Just Causes, Unjust Means -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Al-Qaeda's acts have turned the aggressor, who colonizes, massacres and pillages, into a victim. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, Sharon demolishes the homes of Palestinians, expropriates their lands and sends his helicopters to massacre them in their hundreds in the name of combating terrorism. Arab regimes stifle dissenting voices, imprison and assassinate in the name of resisting terrorism. American tanks and gunships invade, occupy, kill and rampage, all in the name of terrorism. Al-Qaeda's mindless acts have turned the aggressor, who colonizes, massacres and pillages, into a victim. For all their material vulnerability, victims have a very powerful asset: their moral case as innocent victims. Perhaps, this is the cruellest dimension to these senseless crimes: That the powerless has been stripped even of his victimhood. Even this has been appropriated by the powerful. The causes al-Qaeda extremists speak for are certainly just causes. The sanctioning of genocide and occupation in Palestine, slaughter of hundreds of thousands in Iraq through exposure to depleted Uranium and years of barbaric sanctions first, then through bombing and shelling without bothering to count the dead, brutal invasion of the country, destruction of its infrastructure and humiliation of its people undoubtedly rank among modern history’s bloodiest crimes and darkest tragedies. But the mindless killing of the innocent in Madrid, or New York is the wrong answer to these real grievances. These are illegitimate responses to legitimate causes. Just as occupation is morally and politically deplorable, so, too, is this blind aggression masquerading as Jihad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This article was originally published on al-Jazeera (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/06C38FCF-7A1B-4444-9DAB-757C9E1A6DA8.htm) on July 11, 2005, and is here republished without any changes. **Soumayya Ghannoushi is a researcher in the history of ideas at the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London

lol Soomaal, Don't attack the messanger(Geedi), attack the message(Warlord Yusuf" I do anything to be president" + Ethiopia, "Im dying to see Somalia breakup into ministates".)

Not surprised at all the adm found you not guilt.

Can a father abuse his own children? I don't think so with a right mind certainly. Would you leave your child alone with Jacko?

Jackson To Make Bahrain His Permanent Home Pop superstar Michael Jackson has fallen in love with Bahrain after spending the summer in the Middle Eastern nation and now plans to make it his permanent home. The King of Pop flew to Bahrain shortly after being acquitted of child molestation in a Santa Maria, California court and spent time there as a guest of the crown prince Sheik Salman Ibn Hamed Khalifa. And, after months of speculation suggesting Jackson is planning to sell his Neverland home in California, and make Bahrain his official headquarters, attorney Thomas Mesereau confirms his client is making a life-changing move. He says, "He's moving on in life. He's living permanently in Bahrain. He has friends there who have been very loyal and helpful to him in a difficult period of his life." Mesereau, who represented Jackson in his child molestation trial, insists the Middle East has been a tonic for the King of Pop. He adds, "He looks really well."

Nomads, what are all these negative talks about Micheal..Lets see what Wako Jacko does in his new home. Jacko bought a big house there and he is trying to invest in UAE, the financial capital of the Middle East. You never know he might change his name to Mohamed and become a Muslim. Remember his brother jermaine became a Muslim not so long ago. I heard he dresses the traditional Arab dress to mix with the Arab crowd..

I lower my stress level when I come to SOL, but I guess its otherwise for some people.

Sky, what the gent in centre of the picture doin? Surely not! eheheh. Nice observation boy!! maybe you need to consider working as IO.

Micheal, you better stay away from those kids. Or else Sharia is what is waiting for u.

Jet 2005 Sept 5, 2005 Page 64 Michael Jackson is saying farewell to the US West Coast and making a new home for himself and his family in the Middle East. According to the Jackson's brother Jermaine, the King of Pop is planning to move to Bahrain, a group of 83 islands off the east coast of Saudi Arabia, family friend Steve Manning tells Jet. Jackson is currently enjoying an extended getaway there with his children. The New York Post reports that an undisclosed amount of money was spent to purchase 14 acres of land next to a palace of Jackson's pal Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad al Khalifa. Manning says he was told the land was given to the entertainer. Manning explains that the reason for Jackson's departure from America to a land where the official language is Arabic and the practiced religion is Islam, is because he receives unfair treatment by the media that has 'demolished his spirit and soul.' Jackson is recovering from his four-month trail that ended with Santa Barbara County jurors clearing him of child molestation charges (Jet, June 27).

JACKSON 'MOVES' TO BAHRAIN Troubled pop star MICHAEL JACKSON has reportedly splashed out on a 14 acre estate in Bahrain and plans to flee America for good. The THRILLER star was desperate to find a refuge away from the media's prying eyes, and he appears to have found it in the shape of a lavish property next to his friend SHEIK ABDULLAH BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA's palace, the New York Post reports. Jackson fell in love with the Middle Eastern country when he holidayed there after being acquitted of sex abuse charges earlier this summer (13JUN05), and it was the only time he was seen in public since the gruelling trial. And the 46-year-old is sporting the traditional dress and headgear - in a bid to avoid attention as well as fit in with the local culture. 02/08/2005 13:57

http://www.suuban.com/Mog-Life_People&Nature_htm_Feb282005.htm ENJOY IT.

Recently there was an interesting program on PBS. It talked about the World running out of Antibiotic drugs. Its all about money. Drug companies choose to make money making drugs and not antibiotics.

Maasha'allah. Very good news sxb!

They don't have the support of the Somalians living in the city of Minnesota to do anything. I see Dumb people !!!

cool-down time. I'm sure MMA was just joking. Quite an experience to travel Such a semidesert landscape. Nice pics though.

haruun, where did you get your population figures? Or should we just trust you? Somalia Largest CitiesPopulation Estimated: Mogadishu 2,587,183 2005 Hargeysa 477,876 2005 Marka 320,436 2005 Here the source: http://aol.countrywatch.com/aol_country.asp?vcountry=158

I assure you that there are no plans of invading, maiming or killing any persons in Mgadishu. Who are you lataliye Warlord turned president Yusuf?

However would we be in a better osition with an Amhara led Ethiopia? Very good question. Traditionally these two ethnics, Amxaaras and Tigray have dominated Modern day Ethiopian politics. They are Orthodox fanatics who believe Somalia is integral part of Ethiopia and will one day join willingly or unwillingly. When it comes to dealing with Somalia, Eritrea and other Ethiopian ethnics including Somalis and Oromos(Oromos are the majority of Ethiopia, almost 50% of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is located Oromo region one of the largest in Ethiopia, 80% of Oromos are Muslims), their is no difference between them. Therefore Amxaara led government might even be worse than tigray led government. Only Ethiopias disintegration will help Somalia come out of this mess.

Case closed the City of Mogadishu and Boosaaso can't be compared kidd. You can't compare a city of 2.7 million(Mogadishu) to a city of 200,000(Boosaaso,best of times). Somalias capital city Mogadishu is doing ok financially as well as socially despite the absence of government. Tens of thousands of people went to pray EID today without a single violence. Buying spree in Mogadishu Dugsiga indhoolayaasha Mogadishu Mogadishu always welcomes the good, the bad and the sick...Have some Xalwo sxb.

Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice? Short and sweet

yes it is fantastic, though i wonder what a "Religion Minister" does? Caano geel the minister of religion is responsible for promoting Islamic way of life in the country and confronting un Islamic activities.

girl has won a Koran recitation award in Somalia for the first time. Amina Abdul-Majid, who is 16 years old and blind, was one of 60 children who took part in the competition in the capital, Mogadishu, and won $500. Religion Minister Omar Mohammed said she had broken the mould by winning an award which had been exclusive to boys for decades. Amina lost her sight when she was hit by a bullet in factional fighting during Somalia's 14-year civil war. A transitional parliament and government, sworn in last year, has failed to end the anarchy. The competition takes place across the country during Ramadan and children have to know the entire Muslim holy book by heart as they are asked to recite different passages on demand. Religious scholars judge the style, intonation, accuracy and grammar of the recitations. The winner is announced on the last day of Ramadan, before the festivities of Eid al-Fitr, and is feted as a celebrity in Somali society. Amina says she will continue her education as she would like to become a prominent Islamic scholar.