Never understood those permanent "guests" not paying any rent/tax/etc, expecting myself or my flatmate to pay the energy bill and even the shopping ("laga ma hadlo cunto" mentality) or giving me their bed linens for me to clean along all their usual mess etc (with the occasional "I'll tell hebel", "you are mean" etc blackmailing). what can be an excuse for not even a little clean up for more than one year? misplaced egos? On top of all that, and as usual with Somalis, backbiting the people most generous/patient with them seems second nature. More generally however, is it being a "model muslim" on outside appearance or going to hajj enough (to impress the public as goal)? How does that go along with not keeping one's word, leaving your power bill unpaid or scheming for illegal public subsidies etc?! Me thinks a lot of cherry picking from people lacking even basic honesty, civility or manners is discrediting the religion more than anything else...

Yours was a very partial attempt at explaining away why cities such as Cairo have such low levels of crime and countless tourists never experience even a single theft in the overpopulated city. And how do we extract away religious beliefs from laws anyway? Are not commencing law students first taught that Law originate from a given society views on morality (ie source of Law)? Here is a notorious "sceptic" take on how our sense of rationality is such a limited and capricious commodity: ............................................................ THE OPIATES OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES [NASSIM TALEB:] As a practitioner of science, I am opposed to teaching religious ideas in schools. But, it seems to me somewhat misplaced energy — more of a fight for principles than for any bottom line. As an empirical skeptic, I would like to introduce a dimension to the debates: relevance, consequence, and our ability to correct a situation — in other words the impact on our daily lives. My portrait of the perfect fool of randomness is as follows: he does not believe in religion, providing entirely rational reasons for such disbelief. He opposes scientific method to superstition and blind faith. But alas, human skepticism appears to be quite domain-specific and relegated to the classroom. Somehow the skepticism of my fool undergoes a severe atrophy outside of these intellectual debates: 1) He believes in the stock market because he is told to do so. — automatically allocating a portion of his retirement money. And he does not realize that the manager of his mutual fund does not fare better than chance — actually a bit worse, after the (generous) fees. Nor does he realize that markets are far more random and far riskier that he is being made to believe by the high priests of the brokerage industry. He disbelieves the bishops (on grounds of scientific method), but replaces him with the security analyst. He listens to the projections by security analysts and "experts"— not checking their past accuracy and track record. Had he checked them he would have discovered that these are no better than random — often worse. 2) He believes in the government's ability to "forecast" economic variables, oil prices, GNP growth, or inflation. Economics provide very complicated equations — but our historical track record in predicting is pitiful. It does not take long to verify these claims; simple empiricism would suffice. Yet we have confident forecasts of social security deficits by both sides (democrats and republicans) twenty and thirty years ahead! This Scandal of Prediction (which I capitalize) is far more severe than religion, simply because it determines policy making. Last time I checked no religious figure was consulted for long-term business and economic projections. 3) He believes in the "skills" of the chairmen of large corporations and pays them huge bonuses for their "performance". He forgets that theirs are the least observable contributions. This skills attribution is flimsy at best — there is no account of the possible role of luck in his success. 4) His scientific integrity makes him reject religion but he believes the economist because "economic science" has the word "science" in it. 5) He believes in the news media providing an accurate representation of the risks in the world. They don't. By what I call the narrative fallacy, the media distorts our mental map of the world by feeding us what can be made into a story that can be squeezed into our minds. For instance (preventable) cancer, not terrorism remains the greatest danger. The number of persons killed by hurricanes, while consequential, is dwarfed by that of the thousands of isolated daily victims dying in hospital beds. These are not story-worthy, implying; the absence of attention on the part of the press maps into disproportionately reduced resources allocated to their welfare. The difference between actual, actuarially defined risks and the perception of dangers is enormous — and, sadly, growing with the globalization and the media, and our increased vulnerability to visual stimuli. Now I am not arguing that one should ignore the side effects of religion — given the accounts of past intolerance. But it was in these columns that Richard Dawkins, echoing the great Peter Medawar, recommended bright students to find something worthwhile "to be smart about". Likewise, I suggest exerting our skepticism "where it matters". Why? Because, alas, cognitively, our resource to doubt is rather limited. We humans are naturally gullible — disbelieving requires an extraordinary expenditure of energy. It is a limited resource. I suggest ranking the skepticism by its consequences on our lives

Naxar, your peculiar definition of "progress" is not even shared by most Americans (and even Amsterdam no longer tolerate vitrine prostitution, with drug policy under constant reviews too); Which "rights" are you always keen to promote anyway, to try and be specific for once (whether it be trade, substance use or behavior based)? Do you believe that trades or products that ruthlessly exploit primal instincts or prey on the vulnerable or addicted are ethical (eg pawnbrokers, branded liquors marketing among the African middle class keen to emulate etc)? PS: again, this is not about individuals per se but my views on intimacy etc are not open to change unlike you, thank you.

While it is now common to attack Shariah Law, is it not ironic that those denigring it should be so grateful to it for replacing such horrible legal traditions as those of ancient Celts, Vikings or even the Roman's (tempered later by biblical prescriptions)? Could those branding any Divine Law (including those of the old or new testament) have lived, even briefly, under one of those old pagan legal system (including the recently dismantled Hindu one that mandated the burning alive of surviving widows/widowers etc)? .................................................................... English Common Law and Islam: A Sicilian Connection by Manlio Lima Is it possible that certain principles of early English common law are rooted in Islamic ("shari'a") law, introduced into Norman England through contact with the multicultural kingdoms of Sicily and Jerusalem? That is the thesis suggested over the last decade by several scholars, most notably John Makdisi in the United States and Omar Faruk in the United Kingdom. While there exists no absolute "concrete" proof of a direct connection, circumstantial historical evidence supports the possibility of an exchange of legal ideas. In the beginning there was civil law --legal codes such as the Ten Commandments. The Romans, in particular, developed highly sophisticated codes of law which were inherited, at the fall of the Western Empire, by the Byzantines and (as canon law) by the Church. Common law arrived on the scene to address some of the complexities not directly encompassed by civil law, and while the origins of common law ("case law") are largely obscured by the mists of time it seems that the tribal law of the Romans' adversaries (among them such "Barbarians" as the Celts, Goths, Huns and Vandals) was influential to some degree. Civil law was established by legislation, common law by the precedent of a decision in an earlier but similar case by a fellow judge. Well into the era of the their conquests of England (from the Anglo Saxons) and Sicily (from the Fatimid Arabs) in the 1060s, the Normans still employed "trial by ordeal" to settle disputes. This holdover from their Viking forebears subjected a suspected criminal to a physical test, his survival of (for example) attempted drowning by full immersion in water "proving" a favorable decision by God. For personal disputes, "trial by combat" pitted one man against another in a mortal struggle to decide personal claims over property --be it land, a horse or even a woman. In such circumstances, from which our word "trial" comes, only the physically strong or martially able could claim legal remedy, while females were excluded altogether. A better system was needed, and simply adapting the Church's legal codes to wider society seemed inadequate. rest of the article

..

It seems that with all the problems facing humanities, a liberal agenda that normalise "individual morality", alcohol (as well as the legalisation of other substances), "free sexuality" etc needlessly compound suffering and distract of the real priorities, not less by confusing and tempting those less well-informed or vulnerable. Indeed, society can't tell to teenagers it's OK to be gay, "how do you know if you did not explore it", "everybody tries cannabis nowadays" etc and then wonder why curious or hesitating youngsters increasingly drift in such lifestyles and public health issues explode. Likewise, it is hardly wise or remotely compassionate to severely punish a banker mother that lost her job and sunk into alcoholism the moment she drives while drunk, without adressing the underlying issues (yet another accident of that sort depressed some weeks ago). Finally and most ironically, dogmatic financial, economic and social liberalism is now fuelling an extreme or xenophobic counterforce, with openly racist parties now in the ascendancy, if not already ruling, key Western states (as many liberal myths are unravelling with excruciating costs, if not an entire state such as Belgium)... Few of those unforgettable, but sadly more and more common, horror stories that constantly depress: In This Rape Center, the Patient Was 3 By Nicholas D. Kristof IN a rape treatment center here, I met a 3-year-old patient named Jessica, who was cuddling a teddy bear. Jessica had seemed sick and was losing weight, but she wouldn’t say what was wrong. Her mother took her to a clinic, and a doctor ferreted out the truth. She had been raped and was infected with gonorrhea. As I stood in the rape center corridor, reeling from the encounter with Jessica, a 4-year-old girl was brought in for treatment. She, too, turned out to have been infected with a sexually transmitted disease in the course of a rape. Also in the center that day were a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old, along with older girls. Sexual violence is a public health crisis in much of the world, and women and girls ages 15 to 44 are more likely to be maimed or killed by men than by malaria, cancer, war or traffic accidents combined, according to a 2005 study. Such violence remains a significant problem in the United States, but it’s particularly prevalent in countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia or Congo that have endured civil war. The pattern is that after peace arrives, men stop shooting each other but continue to rape women and girls at staggering rates — and often at staggeringly young ages. ......................................................... This other shocking tragedy of much wasted potential happened a little while ago; a lesbian executive drived intentionally her "wife" mad, the latter being a brilliant journalist experiencing difficult time (both talented though one seemed heartless): Huff Post writer stabs lesbian lover 222 times Freelancer pierces 'marriage' partner with screw driver A freelance election reporter for the Huffington Post fatally shot herself after stabbing her lesbian lover 222 times with a screwdriver and stuffing the body in the back seat of the victim's BMW, authorities say. Carol Anne Burger, 57, an award-winning photojournalist and regular contributor to the website, reported on the election from their home in Florida. She had experienced an upsetting breakup with software executive Jessica Kalish, 56, a woman whom she had married in Massachusetts, the Palm Beach Post reported. The partners were planning to divide their assets, including the home they still shared, after splitting last year. Kalish had met another woman and frequently went on dates with her. "Burger, upset at the disintegration of her relationship and disgusted with the U.S. during the past several years, sometimes talked of moving to Panama or Mexico to start again," the Post reported

Some of the reasons why secularism sells not in a Somali society and ... (old memory brought back by that other post).

As ever again, too much distorted thinking and emotions are confusing the topic, which is not about personal devotion or definitions of morality (let alone Al Shabab) but the source of laws. Apart from the most basic fact that a muslim, by definition, is mandated to uphold and defend the Quran & Sunnah and thus the resulting Shariah, just like jews are expected to uphold the Torah or old testament laws, the nitty grityy has been well captured by Norf: [Let me explain. For me, secular societies mean Europe and North America (is Mexico secular? ). Popular western culture is dominated by the US. Personally, I grew up in the UK and so base my opinions of secular societies on those two nations (rightly or wrongly). In addition, I was born in the Middle East and live there today. Purely from observations, I have deduced the following: 1. The level of crime is much higher in western secular societies than in ME countries with a form of Shariah Law (why is that?). 2. Family values have been eroded in western secular societies but remain firm among ME societies (why is that?) I’m keeping it to two points as I believe these will be very important to any future Somali state. What I’m trying to do here is get you to be more specific. Considering the above (which you’re free to contest), what is the attraction of a secular state? Why would, more specifically, a Somali family prefer their children to grow in Somalia under the same laws and social norms that rule or led to a Mexico City, Bangkok or Los Angeles than say a Karachi, Kuala Lumpur or a Cairo (incidentally extraordinarily safer despite overpopulation, omnipresent need and tourisms)?

Things like stoning, lashings, chopping of hands, public executions etc. make me uncomfortable. I sort of try to rationalise it in my mind that this is not something I can agree with. But I feel I am going against the will of God. I dont know. I believe everyone deserves "due process of law" and without public humiliation. Maybe this is the result of 20 odd years of utter liberal propaganda that have been hammered into me since childhood. Other things I have questioned in Islam is things like inheritance jurisprudence and the distribution of wealth, how assets should be divided up between sons & daughters. I find myself disagreeing with it. If I were you, I would not get bogged down on the finer details of hududs or other secondary Fiqh issues before thoroughly adressing the 6pillars of faith and your position vis-a-vis them (ie Iman in Allah, his prophets, books or revelations, angels, the Qadr or predestination and the day of judgement). For instance the inheritance issue (daughters getting half of the sons's share) is not independent of the fact that males are mandated to provide for their families regardless of the wife's income (no obligation even if she's wealthy) etc. Apart from proceeding coherently and letting emotions and other influences aside (easier said than done I reckon), my other point is that, just as you would not wait for further diagnostics and tests before adopting precautions, this inquisitive period should not be an excuse to neglect or give up your prayers not only because time is not on our side but also because performing your spiritual duties lead you better than anything to clearer thinking as well as reduced stress (exactely what we all need the most, particularly in this age, and precisely what will assist you most in your quest for the truth)...

^Alhamdulilah indeed; I think my criticism & suggestions over the phone has again be misinterpreted, when I just wanted things to improve & everyone took responsibility for what he did. I Did not realise this habit of going straight to the negatives to be fixed (as if taking off a line on a to-do list), while criticising, could be very distressing for a close relative despite all my good intentions (need to state the positive, show love & compassion in speech etc)...

Basically, the "trick" is to try and keep on praying, even if that seems pointless presently; likewise, one should learn to ignore recurring, baseless whispers without feeling guilt: Doubts About Islam: I Don’t Find Any Observable Effect or Peace in My Worship

This trend of absurd levels of inequalities is now increasingly common; it is among the highest priorities and responsibility of the state to adress such dire state of affairs that directly affects every other major sectors, whether it be health, environment, crime or stability. Countries such as Cuba have amply demonstrated that this need not be the case and that World-leading, remarkable health, social, educational and even scientific achievements necessitates little resources but rather committment for equality. What is most perverse is that conspicious consumerism go side by side with widespread lack of the most basics; one of the multiple side-effects being that the youth as well as not so young focusing on how to "get out of the country" in search of an elusive eldorado that would hopefully enables them later to afford similar cars, villas or gadgets, should they survive the perilous journey that is. This also distort priorities in the minds and is akin to psychological torture (perceived or relative poverty is extremely detrimental on many fronts). One of the solutions may lies with prohibitive taxation of non-productive, luxury goods or economic rents, regular serious levies on estates, cars and other non-essentials (though this issue go well beyond mere economics); what is the point of having an administration anyway if the countless traffic or burns victims still rot away in the hospital in front of the presidential palace for lack of the cheapest, essential generic drugs and doctors do not even possess nutritional supplements to save children lives and futures? Finally, the fact that Somali perception of "class" relates more crudely to the material dimension does not helps of course (eg businessmen that seldom ever read a book or clueless politicians can be rated as "very successful"), just like the general naivety about titles and academic backgrounds or relevance etc (many attach importance to and state "PHD holder" as if that proved anything, "eng" prefixes command authority even if it's just at best 3 years degree from the corner university etc).

One Size Doesn’t Fit All When it Comes to Vitamin D for Men African-American men especially need high doses of supplements African-American men living in areas with low sunlight are up to 3 ½ times more likely to have Vitamin D deficiency than Caucasian men and should take high levels of Vitamin D supplements, according to a new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “This study shows that the current one-size fits all recommendations for 600 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D don’t work,” said Adam Murphy, MD, instructor in the Department of Urology at Feinberg. “Skin color and sunlight exposure need to be considered for recommended daily allowances of Vitamin D.” Vitamin D deficiency causes brittle bones and has been linked to such diseases as prostate cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. African-American men have lower levels of Vitamin D because the increased melanin in darker skin blocks the ultraviolet rays necessary for the body to produce the vitamin, Murphy said. Thus, African-American men require up to six times more sun exposure than Caucasian men to make adequate Vitamin D levels. “It takes a dark-skinned male like myself 90 minutes three times a week to absorb enough sunlight to produce the recommended amount of Vitamin D compared to just 15 minutes three times a week for a Caucasian male,” said the Chicago-based Murphy, who also is a physician at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center url=http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/news/2011D-September/Vitamin-D.html PS: Since Vitamin D is crucial for every body system, from brain to immunity (as well as in getting optimal children0), this seems to vindicate the Dr advising 5000 IU a day in places such as the UK where sun exposure is normally minimal and people assumed to be Vitamin D deficient (often very deficient). However, sunshine is important for the body for other reasons and advocating for supplements in this special case is probably a "lesser evil" (I walk, jog and expose myself to sunshine, very few do it to the same extent though).

There was yet another wedding next door, a djib/borama one; the women only night costed £ 3000-4000 for hall rental, catering excluded. Now, if one adds up all the costs... The ladies in their sparkling but unorthodox dressing, the youth etc; I was both envying the almost naive joy and grateful not to think in the same way. As for the merrier side, our Borama cousins are very patriots and even the child told me Somalia when I asked him if he visited Djibouti (they basically consider all Somalis one nation wherever country they reside in, not sectarian as Somalis from elsewhere)...

Alpha Blondy;748788 wrote: In somaliland, perceptions are everything. ascertaining vital information is key, esp in diaspora circles. you're often asked your tribal background before what football team you support or what music you listen to. its a nihilist society, where people worship money and how many plots of land they posses or contesting through the courts. Well, that seems so true; they may learn to value other things such as open spaces, environmental conservation, equal redistribution of resources etc when it will be a bit late though (it's also true that perceived poverty make one focus on the very short term and distort things). nice macawis btw...

Enjoying preparing veg/chicken biryani (serious cooking has been long delayed); oddly my local restaurant owning flatmate prefer mine to their food, though their new outlet seems popular (though we are many in here). It's so destressing...

Those banks fail to develop anything other than their top brass's pockets, eg the BCIMR offered mainly very low risk consumer credit with sky high rates or punctioned its captive customers through all sorts of fess, throughout decades long quasi-monopoly in Djibouti. At any rate, the BCIMR did not encounter much success in Hargeisa, an outcome which is salutory. One would rather cheer for a Dahabshiil or the few other Somali owned banks that operate within ethical guidelines. The real question that faces Somaliland too is however, what kind of "development" we rather have: big businesses and few fat pockets or preserving optimal well-being, equality and environment (all are very closely linked in countless ways hard to fanthom). The bottom line is that, like many other concepts such as "education", "development" is all relative, while much of what is hailed uncritically engender more negatives than positives in terms of equality, health, well-being or environmental outcomes (that even the most powerful states can not readily adress given that politics is subordinated to the business elite).

^The madness is that while we have been taught to denigrate Arabs, universally known for generosity (Saudi Arabia second largest WFP donor), former colonial powers who partitioned our lands are still held in high esteem; yet even British historian concede that the partition exacted the Somali State, leading to defeat and rebellions with the predictable atrocities, while Italian and other influences corrupted it (the reason why the military coup was welcomed by all Somalis back in 1969). But then again such levels of delusion (confusing allies and ennemies) is typical of the generalised, latent brainwashing...

So Che, why not brief us about that trip? The Djibouti regime survival has little to do with post 91 Somalia or newborn Eritrea (though nearby chaos indirectly help to frighten minds), it's mostly about Western support, not least French firepower (eg when the Frud rebels, mostly Afars, were 40 kms only away from town) as well as clan and ethnic manipulations (eg the Republican Guard or army officers do not really reflect local demographics). The commercial elite tends to be more varied (Yemenis mostly but also other Somalis) but, despite real progress, there are still gross distortions in the public sector; my younger bro who just came back after a 3 months stay and many promises as well as appeals to come back was less well treated than others with much less credentials (no appropriate workload or office in contrast with Eurocopter that even paid the flight back to an interview). Many well qualified nationals, who costed huge sums to train, are employed abroad or underemployed. Apart from the president's close ligneage mostly, others have not much leverage, unless connected via some VIP, the first lady or influent traders (even those links help mostly a small elite; the rest are grateful for the relative stability, security and "mildness" of the regime); There are however more progressive policies like staples subsidies and farming abroad or improving, free public services etc, while cultural and religious awareness has improved in all spheres...

Let's not be mean with AB, Somaalidu iska celis ayey ku fiicanyihiin so anyone too considerate and nice will struggle at first. btw, hope you will fully update us about the homeland sxb...

Have some awkward conversation pending with a well-known Sheikh, about few "religious" guys who character assasinate and spread lies (among other crimes), yet act nice when it's convenient. But then again, even the universally resepected authentic scholar is somewhat of a victim himself of "mosque politics". I shall try and pen some lines about what we witnessed and put me through some of the hardest times I ever had...

War and shopping - an extremism that never speaks its name John Pilger, 22 September 2011 Looking for a bookshop that was no longer there, I walked instead into a labyrinth designed as a trap. Leaving became an allusion, rather like Alice once she had stepped through the Looking Glass. Walls of glass curved into concentric circles as one "store" merged into another: Armani Exchange with Dinki Di Pies. Exits led to gauntlets of more "offers" and "exciting options". Seeking a guide, I bought a lousy pair of sunglasses: anything to get out. It was a vision of hell. It was a Westfield mega mall. This happened in Sydney - where the Westfield empire began - in a "mall" not half as mega as the one that opened in Stratford, east London on 13 September. "Everything" is here, reported the architectural critic Jonathan Glancey: from Apple to Primark, McDonalds's to KFC and Krispy Kreme. There is a cinema with 17 screens and "luxurious VIP seats", and a mega "luxury" bowling alley. Tracey Emin and Mary Portas lead the Westfield "cultural team". The biggest casino in the land will overlook a "24-hour lifestyle street" called The Arcade. This will be the only way into the 2012 Olympic Games for 10m people attending the athletics. The simple, grotesque message of "buy me, buy me" will be London's welcome to the world. "If you've seen the Disney film Wall-E," wrote Glancey in 2008, "you'll certainly recognise Westfield and malls like it. In the film, humans who long ago abandoned the Earth they messed up through greed, live a supremely sedentary life shopping and eating. They are very tubby and have lost the use of their legs. Is this how we'll end up? Or will we plunge into the depths of some mammoth recession... with nothing and nowhere to spend?" In the less apocalyptic short term, Westfield is "a step towards our collective desire to undermine the life and culture of the traditional city, along with its architecture, and to shop and shop some more." The original development plan for Stratford City evoked Barcelona: a grid of defined streets of shops and places to live. Modern, civilised. Then the Olympics loomed and so did Westfield, a major corporate sponsor. The mega mall, the biggest in Europe, is built in the midst of grey tower blocks not far from where the recent riots occurred, its "designer" products, made mostly with cheap, regimented labour, beckon the indebted. That it stands on a site where London workers made trains - thousands of locomotives, carriages and goods wagons -in what was once called manufacturing is of melancholy interest. The mega mall's jobs produce nothing and are mostly low-paid. It is an emblem of extreme times. The co-founder of Westfield is Frank Lowy, an Australian-Israeli billionaire who is to shopping what Rupert Murdoch is to media. Westfield owns or has an interest in more than 120 malls worldwide. The Sydney Tower, the city's most visible structure, is emblazoned "Westfield". Lowy, a former Israeli commando, gives millions to Israel, and in 2003 set up the "independent" Lowy Institute for International Affairs which promotes Israel and US foreign policy. On the day after the Stratford mega mall opened, Unicef researchers reported that British children were caught in a "materialistic trap" in which they were bought off with "branded goods". Low-income parents felt "tremendous pressure from society" to buy "branded clothes, trainers, technology" for their children. TV advertising and other seductions of the "consumer culture", together with low pay and long working hours, were responsible. Children told the researchers they preferred to spend time with their families and to have "plenty to do outdoors", but this was often no longer possible. As "welfare" has become a dirty word, basic facilities for the young such as youth clubs are being eliminated by local authorities. Four years ago, Unicef published a league table of children's wellbeing across 21 industrialised nations. The UK was bottom. A fifth of British children live in poverty: a figure forecast to rise in the Olympic year. The priority of Britain's political class, regardless of party, is the repayment by ordinary people of "the deficit", a specious and cynical term for the epic handouts to crooked banks, and the simultaneous waging of squalid colonial wars for the theft of other countries' resources. This is extremism that never speaks its name. It is an extremism that has emasculated the social democracies that were Europe's redemption following the second world war. The forced impoverishment of Greece with exorbitant returns demanded by German and French central bankers is likely to produce another fascist military coup. The forced impoverishment of millions of Britons by the ancien regime of David Cameron, with its growing police state and compliant bourgeoisie, especially in the media, will produce more riots: nothing is surer. One can count upon the extremism of apartheid in any form to trigger such a result, no matter its consumerist gloss hermetically sealed in a mega mall. The prospect is democracy for the rich and totalitarianism not only for the poor; and "liberal intervention", as the Guardian calls it approvingly, for those useful foreign parts too weak to resist our "precision" Brimstone missiles. I went to Parliament Square the other day. The graphic display of state crimes mounted by peace and justice campaigner Brian Haw had been finally removed by the Metropolitan Police, knowing that Brian could no longer stand up to them, bodily and in the courts, as he did for a decade. Brian died in June. Visiting him one freezing Christmas, I was moved by the way he persuaded so many passers-by and the power of his courage. We now need millions like him. Urgently.

^he's much more of a target for Western agents than Gaddafi loyalists: Who is Abdul Hakim Belhadj, the leader of the Libyan rebels? It's true that some rebels, ie the pro-Western faction, are fundamentally detrimental to Libyan interests, much worse than a Saif Al Islam, despite all the propaganda... Sida kale Nuune, do you remember the Libyan Sheikh who lectured at masjid Quba in St Matthews, Leicester, around 2005-2009 (and was an IT expert too)?

Who is Abdul Hakim Belhadj, the leader of the Libyan rebels? . Monday, 05 September 2011 12:20 . .His name has been in the news a lot recently, but who exactly is Abdul Hakim Belhadj, the military commander of the Libyan rebels? In March 2010, Al Jazeera broadcast a film of a meeting between Belhadj after his release from prison in Libya under the initiative of the Gaddafi Charity Foundation following the intervention of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. More than 700 of the "leaders" of the Libyan Fighting Group have been released in stages, even though they were accused of joining Al-Qaeda; some were also accused of fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. In the film, Abdul Hakim Belhadj praises the mediation of Dr Saif al-Islam for his release. In an interview at the time, Saif al-Islam told reporters that the men who had been released "were no longer a danger to society" so he has no problem about their release. A year or so later, Belhadj was entering Tripoli at the head of a rebel army searching for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his father. So who is Abdul Hakim Belhadj? Born in 1966 in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Abdul Hakim Khuaelide, or Abdul Hakim Belhadj as he became known, is a son of the Islamic movement in the country. He graduated from the school of engineering and was one of the most prominent young men involved in the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union in the late nineteen-eighties. Belhadj was a "Mujahid", travelling with his Shaikh, Abdullah Azzam, and other luminaries of jihad in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Sudan. As a young man, Abdul Hakim Belhadj was known for his affiliation with the Islamic movement and founded the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which spearheaded the opposition to the rule of Colonel Gaddafi. The group was committed to the overthrow of the Libyan dictator despite the brutal repression by Gaddafi's totalitarian regime in the east of the country. Abdul Hakim Belhadj had settled in the city of Benghazi in eastern Libya in 1993; this was where the Senussi movement had its headquarters. Taking advantage of the hatred that the local people had for Gaddafi and his regime, Belhadj started to recruit young people for his political project and instructed them to become part of the revolutionary committees which developed the training and weapons needed for an armed uprising. After two years of working underground, the Libyan authorities discovered their training ground, leading to it being bombed by the government's aircraft. This was the beginning of the insurgency against the regime. After two years of armed conflict, Gaddafi's forced killed one of the most prominent leaders of the group, Sheikh Fathi Salah Suleiman. Many of the Islamic Fighting Group's fighters fled to Britain, which was happy to grant them asylum and use them as a political card against the Gaddafi regime. Following the events of 9/11 the United States and its allies in the Middle East stepped up their rhetoric against Islamists in general, and ex-fighters from Afghanistan in particular. Belhadj was captured by US intelligence agents in February 2004, while trying to leave Malaysia for Sudan. Papers found in Tripoli have revealed that he was "rendered" first to Thailand and then back to Libya after a tip-off from Britain's MI6. After interrogation in Bangkok by, Belhadj told the New York Times, "two people he said were CIA agents", he was handed over to the Gaddafi regime which regarded Belhadj as one of its most prominent opponents; he was high up on the list of wanted men from the Salafi and Muslim Brotherhood movements. Back in Libya, reports the NYT, "he was thrown into solitary confinement for six years, three of them without a shower, one without a glimpse of the sun". According to the Guardian newspaper, Belhadj has "demanded an apology from London and Washington and said he was considering suing over his rendition to Tripoli and subsequent torture" by the Gaddafi regime. That Shaikh Abdul Hakim Belhadj paid the price for his opposition to Gaddafi with his body and his freedom is without question; he spent a number of years in the infamous Abu Salim Prison. However, the efforts of another Libyan opposition leader, Shaikh Ali Salaabi, ensured that Belhadj's role was not over, despite the hardship. Salaabi took advantage of the relative level of openness in Libya during the last few years of Gaddafi's rule to promote a reconciliation project with the support of the dictator's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and some of his fellow liberals and Islamists living in London. Colonel Gaddafi was persuaded that the political direction of the Islamic Fighting Group was safe and that there was a need to turn the page on the past and move forward by releasing the Islamists. Abdul Hakim Belhadj was one of the most balanced members of the Group; he believed that the confrontation with the Libyan regime in 1995 was premature and instigated by the Libyan security forces. Nevertheless, all members of the "free Libya" project understood that the overthrow of Gaddafi would only be achieved through force of arms. While he was in prison, Belhadj was allowed to meet with colleagues and lead comprehensive dialogue about the intellectual foundations of the fighting group and review many of its concepts. His supporter and companion in this process was Shaikh Salaabi, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and a Libyan opposition figure. The consultation ended with the formation of a committee entrusted with the dialogue discussing all relevant issues; it included representatives from the security services, the Gaddafi Foundation led by Saif al-Islam, Dr Salaabi himself and representatives of the fighting group. Belhadj wrote a book called "Corrective Studies" which promoted a moderate Islamic approach; it was endorsed by mainstream scholars such as Shaikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Shaikh Diddu, Ahmed Raissouni and others. . Abdul Hakim Belhadj was criticized for this by some Salafis and relatives of the fighters of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and was accused of giving up on the quest for revenge for his comrades who were killed by the regime. His release in March 2010, along with 214 others from Abu Salim Prison, was the first time that something like that had happened in Libya's history. There was a great deal of media coverage of the event that was to change the course of contemporary Libyan history and lay the basis for ideological reviews in a number of other Arab countries. With the historic transformation of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, the Jihadist Salafist movement escalated its attacks against Abdel Hakim Belhadj, accusing him of betraying the cause, deviation from the right path and even atheism. In 2007, al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri announced that the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat would oppose Abdul Hakim Belhadj and his path of intellectual revision. Al-Zawahiri believed that this would reduce the effect of the "political vacuum" facing the youth of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group caused by Belhadj moving closer to the approach of the Muslim Brotherhood. Belhadj's release, believed al-Qaeda, was a painful blow to radical Salafi ideology in Libya and the efforts to confront Gaddafi. The Arab Spring in neighbouring countries gave rise to demonstrations in Libya by Belhadj supported by Islamists and liberals calling for freedom and the rule of law and equality. The peaceful demonstrations were met with great violence by the regime. Scores of demonstrators fell in Benghazi, the stronghold of the revolution, turning the quiet city into the nemesis of the colonel and his collaborators; but 2011 was quite different from 1995. Abdel-Hakim Belhadj and his companions carried arms and he was later appointed by the Interim Libyan Council to lead the most decisive battles against Gaddafi. The biggest of all was the fight for Tripoli, prompting the greatest military uprising faced by an Arab dictator in the modern era. After days of violent confrontation, Abdul Hakim Belhadj was able to stand in Gaddafi's compound in the Libyan capital and declare the end of tyranny in the country. He had fulfilled the promise that he made two weeks earlier and brought about the end of the regime, protecting thousands of civilians in the process. As the man "in charge of the military committee responsible for keeping order in Tripoli", Abdul Hakim Balhadj has come a long way from his days in a Gaddafi prison cell. For that, he has told the New York Times, he "is a grateful ally of the United States and Nato". Source: The Kuwaiti National Network

Curiously, relative periods of "happiness" or carefree, unboundled optimism receded first after I was around 13 of age; with puberty obvious, I felt no longer "entitled" to have fun with little restraint other than my sense of morality. This felt somehow like leaving "Neverland" and adopting rigid adult or manly norms of behavior, with little fun; a kind of "punition" which added to the unease with leaving behind my childhood body and the associated innocence (prior jokes sounded so embarassing). Adopting some of the ambient assumptions about "happiness", I thought a career as an engineer, maybe designing those addictive video games that seemed less and less captivating, or maybe cars etc, would stretch me as I was academically able (engineers within the French system are a bit like Harvard law graduates in the USA, with years of exacting maths, sciences and general, all-round preparation before school entry exams). That ambition conflicted however with other values, interests and practicalities later, even though I gave it a brief try right after high school ; I also have this recurrent thought to consider medical school, with pressures from relatives and others keen to see me emulate my gifted brothers, even if it seems a bit late. The younger of those two engineer siblings shocks me with his recent thoughts to switch to a "pilot's career" as it's much below his talents, focus and 7 academic years of sacrifices (why waste it all when Stanford medical school & co would be glad to provide you with scholarship?). Besides that more personal side, things I valued and still value much are my network of relatives and acquaintance or my enjoyment of nature and greeneries (which are scarce back in desertic Djibouti town). Yet, the basic ingredients about what I always saw as happiness changed little, with the extended family as the cornersone. Being in a position to advocate for health and people's well-being or put my varied interests into good use would thus be the cherry on the cake; I indeed appreciate more and more that health, the environment, socio-economics and spirituality are inseparable. On another and final note, status anxiety seems to be a major hurdle against "happiness" or healthy thinking and living; we Somalis are now vulnerable to that and quite snobbish about it (some even treat PHD, Dr and other title holders as another specy) when the truth is that even the best institution or most exacting curriculums can not guarantee flawless intellectual skills or even a broadly educated, well-read mind, let alone proper values and priorities (it actually tends to mould minds, while much imagination or outright bias parade as "science")...