Nur, Time permitting it would be nice if you can post topics #2 & 11. It does not matter really though any topic from that list will do. Nomads, I had a staff meeting today at my work and the folks were making a big deal about the flu vaccine shortage in the States. I understand having flu in Ramadan is not something to look forward to. Why don't you take precaution and try to get the shot if possible. Info of the flu go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm Ramadan Kariim to all. Nur may Allah reward you for your effort.

Bari_nomad, sxb I gotta admit my analysis are based on rumors, innuendos, second-hand quotes, and media reporting. It is too early to sort it all out but one thing is clear. Caqiidka got the support of Ethiopia and its allies for a reason. Knowing his political philosophy, one can speculate what the fate of “Maxkamadahaâ€, wherever they are, would be. In my humble opinion, the two cannot coexist politically. Add that the personal animosity between the leading figures of “Maxkamadaha†and Inna Yey. It all adds up! I would really be surprised if he chooses to go Mogadishu at this time without making significant concessions to Abdiqasim/Gallaal (He has millions of dollars at his disposal and the loyalty of the most organised clan in the south). He will be at the mercy of one of the Mogadishu lords whereas in Beydhaba he will have his tribal militia from nearby provinces disguised as Somali army plus Ethiopians few dozens miles away. What we know! Will see how it comes out. I was totally wrong on my predictions about the election and I could be wrong again.

Sophist, Waa mida koowaade Muqdishu waa caasimadii Soomaaliyeed. Su’aasha caasimada halkee u noqoneysa waa la xaliyey oo waxaa looga haray in Muqdishu loo daayo. Annigu shaqsiyan ma ogolaadeen in meel kale laga dhigo sababohan soo socda daraadood: 1. Hanti lixaad leh oo hanti ma guurto ah oo dadka ka dhaxeysa baa taal Muqdishu. Ninba hantidiisii yuu dalban doonaa hadii la heshiiyo. Inta qof hantidiisii qof kale booli u heysto hadde lamaba heshiin dee. 2. Hadii la yiraahdo Muqdishu ha laga bedelo waxay noqoneysaa in lagu heshiin waayo meesha kale ee laga dhigayo oo si fudud lagu kala dhinto oo markaa arrimo ka waaweeyn oo sal u qaranimada Somaaliya ay ku dayacmaan. 3. Sidoo kale hadii la bedelo hadde markaa waxa la xalaaleystey oo la sii hirgalinayaa qabyaalada. Awalbeyba habowsaneyd hadde ma qumane in la sii didiyo. Hadaba waxaan qabaa oo ay annigu ila tahay in si ku meel gaar ah Beydhabo looga dhigo hadaaney reer Beydhabo ogol yihiin. Dantu waa in Muqdishu si xeel ah oo aan dhiig ku daadan amaankeeda loo sugo deetana markii howlaha nabada laga hirgaliyo dib loogu laabto. Hantidii dowlada, hey’adihii, and iyo dhamaan hekalkii dowladeed Muqdishu yaalaa. Dhaqaale kuwo kale lagu abuuro lama hayo marka waxaa lagu qasban yahay in kuweenii hore aan dib inta u hagaagsano aan halkaa deeto ka ambaqaadno. Waxaan u qaatey in aad leedahay inta nabada la sugayo ha la tago meeshii nabad ah ileyn dalku waa isla dalkiiyee. Waan kugu raacsanahey qodobkaa.

If this story is true, and I have my doubts, but if this is true then we are doomed. It is a down right disgrace! It is a shame! My heart goes out to the lil child and her relatives. Wallahi I got emotional on this one... :mad:

^Of course he will! Let's see. Is Mogadishu important? very very much! Can "they" become an obstacle to the peace that's everyone is wishing to materialize? Absolutely! I can only guess why. Now, this is what I've heard through the grape vine. Beydhabo will be the seat of the new government. I don't know what to make of it except that Mogadishu is not safe for the time being and the fact that Abdullahi knows for sure that “Maxkamadaha†are very excited in anticipation of the bloody showcase with him. Azahari, a very influential fella who has the Abdullahi’s ear was quoted saying that Mogadishu is 10 year project and going in now is a recipe for failure. According to my sources the plan is to wait Italy’s effort to neutralize the situation. Abdullahi’s is itching to take on Marka’s Indhacade first, a political foe, and score point or two with foreign friends. That will draw most of the “maxkamadaha†and anyone who hates him into Shabelleda Hoose’s war theater. Gen. Galla will have time to consolidate his power in the city. Barre Hiiraale and co. are talking about the Jubadda’s Hoose governorship and other important matter. Abdullahi iss playing a clan card there. Very interesting stuff wallahi.

HA, I stand corrected sxb. Some voted for him. Ngonge, I thought the line "We will welcome the new government if they are willing to sit with us as equal partners" would be far more effective than a complete dismissal. What sort of politicians are there. You would think that they have given some thought on the all likely outcomes from this conference and have a contingency (diplomatic - that is) plan in place. Of course it is too early to tell what is what. But I have a hunch that when the honeymoon is over and dust settles, things will become more clearer. I don't think Abdullahi will be the first to fire to that direction because he have bigger fish on his plate. "Dividi et impera" game is more effective for him now than all out war. Siilaanyo is on the phone, the rumors have it, as an insult to Riyaale and co. Ethiopia is the key if you ask me. It is the only country that have spade ace up in their sleeve. Somaliland is the only leverage Ethiopia has on Abdullahi. I'll leave it there. Just a thought. I was very surprised the fact that Djibouti campaigned against Abdiqasim in favor of Abdullahi. Cumar Gelle worked very hard to bring Arabs on board to support Abdullahi bid for the presidency. Italy lost face with Abdullahi by courting with Mogadishu clans. It has been reported that Italy now is putting its bet on Gen. Galaal by organizing a considerable and organized force in Mogadishu so that it will have some sort of leverage on Abdullahi's PM selection. Boys! it is a hardball in a whole new ball game. The arithmetic has changed considerably. In the past I have been against the strongman of Puntland. I don't like his governing style. He is very stubborn man. He is a staunch supporter of extreme secularism. He has a dictatorial tendency. His record in SSDF is not very "distinguished" if I can borrow a word from Cheney. His handling of Puntland political crisis speaks volumes of his understanding of power and its use. The so-called federal constitution is a sham riddled of all sort of anti-Islamic clauses. Despite all of this, we need peace first. We can fix the system latter.

Lander, Calm down sxb, you and I have no influence on the ground. We don’t command armies nor we have the power to make peace or war. That responsibility rests on Riyaale, Mohamed Hashi, and Ina Yusuf. We can fistfight in loggerhead but it will only be in the virtual theater. Now, I call it as I see it. Nowhere in that post, have I implied a desire for war. You are too emotional and bit jumpy Lander. My goodness what has gotten in you man! Now, let’s see. It seems to me that ina Yey gained prestige and political portfolio coming out from this conference. He will now have a voice in the halls of international community. He will have more money (in the form of aid) to dispense, more money to invest in Somali army, and more handouts to leverage his political foes. All things considered, at minimum he will be in a position of enhanced influence to make deals with his foes. If you have anything to say, I expect you to comment on how on blue earth will Somaliland attain secession without going to war with a man who welcomes war and who brags about being a soldier, a warrior, the first one has who fired the first shot in the Somali civil war. Analysis is what we need friend not I’m bigger, I’ll ran over you as if your screen character has any muscle behind your cheap rhetoric. Come on dude! Somaliland has a problem on its hands. In politics, diplomacy is a big part of the game. As things stand now, Hargiesa’a response is that they don’t recognize Somalia. But the whole world wants them to not only recognize the new government but to sit and negotiate with none other than Abdullahi Yusuf. In the diplomatic circles there is something called of pressure and arm-twisting. Can they bear the diplomatic pressure? Abdullahi is saying we will sit with our brothers without any pre-condition and we will not sacrifice the territorial integrity of the nation to appease unreasonable secessionists. The burden is on the Somaliland. They now find themselves in a position of even no having a control over a part of the territory they claim to be under their administration. Abdullahi is not giving them without a fight. Do they have to resort to war? What will happen with the stability they have showcased so long as a bait of recognition? What is their contingency plan politically speaking? OG_girl, Sool, Eastern Sanaag, and Buuhoodle are part of Puntland. That is the understanding other delegates in that conference have. Shoobaro, My sources said otherwise sxb. All and I mean all of them voted for Abdullahi. I was surprised of how things turned out. I mean who would have thought that Abdiqasim would be embarrassed that way. The dude left the hall with grin on his face and no one has seen him since. How about Yalaxow and Aideed Jr.! Particularly Yalaxow whose foolish clannish analogy of shoes sizes made headlines - if you recall, it was the talk of the town in the Somali coffee shops all over the world. Gone is the sense of entitlement for the presidency some clans had hoped. Not only that Ina Yey has the discretion of picking the PM, he will also have an tremendous influence of who makes the cut in the cabinet. What a disappointment! I can see his foes lining up for the post each hoping he be picked instead of other Mogadishu warlord. SW, Simple analysis written on screen leads to war! that’s news to me.

Inna Yusuf has won the election because of the delegates from Somaliland, RRA, SPM, Aiedeed Jr., Puntland, and Qanyare voted for him. JVA (Geddo/Galgaduud) and collection of personalities such as Musse Yalaxow, Abdiqasim, etc put their eggs in the Addow’s basket. Their combined votes totaled mere 79 votes. The election was not a popular vote. Because of the actuality on the ground, the election was based on “Electoral College†model, where representatives of the clans cast votes for their clans. All Somali clans were represented in the parliament. One can recall the inception of both Puntland and Somaliland administrations where the leaders of the clans that inhabit these areas sat together to start new chapter despite the disputes and problems at the time. Only this time the meeting was held outside Somalia for obvious reasons and the fairness of the process was assured by international and regional observers. UN and other international bodies made sure that politicians sign a pledge of cooperation where they are accountable to the International norms. They’ve all given their pledge. What that means is anyone who sabotages the disarmament process will face severe consequences from the rest of the world in the form of sanctions. Ethiopia, the source of arms, vowed to cooperate and take part in the disarmament process. All this before the election took place! - just shows how determined they were. Taking all this into account, one would think that this time we will succeed to revive the Somali state. Maybe! Consider this, Abdiqasim, Caato, and Yalaxow turned down Mr. Kibaki’s invitation extended to all presidential contenders. The move was designed to illicit more commitment from these important men. In Mogadishu, pre-planned festivities in support of the new president-elect were cancelled. That’s very telling, to say the least! On the other hand, self-declared republic of Somaliland issued a statement that sums up the new relationship between the new Somali government and parts of the former territory of British Somaliland. They don’t recognize the new government. The translation: we won’t sit down with Abdullahi Yusuf. Why? Five days ago, he has given speech to MPs in a campaign dinner attended by Bubaa. In that speech, he said that if he wins the election his administration would approach Somaliland and condole them. Under no circumstance will his administration allow secession, he said in Somali. Hargeisa have a dilemma in their hands. The whole world is in favor of stable horn of Africa. The Ethiopians, and EU which Britain is part of are on board. They don’t control all former British territory. The new development in Nairobi means a UN seat, more money, and international acceptance to Somalia. Their whole peace plan rested on the proposition that once that Somalia gets all-inclusive government they will sit down and negotiate with that government. Now they find themselves in a position to say that they don’t recognize this government headed by Yusuf. There is no room to maneuver but to defy and lose the diplomatic battle. In balance, Abdullahi Yusuf is a very polarizing figure that often resorts to military solution to solve political problems. He is also an unwavering stubborn like no other politician in Somalia. He has given a hint as how is he going to confront the militia who has no interest to give up their guns. He will force them, he said. That means a new round of violence. However, this time the violence is a means to noble end: peace. All governments reserve the right to use violence in order to ensure the rule of law. He clearly has the mandate to do so. I don’t know if he has the luxury of buying the guns from the militia. In the end though, his success depends on the goodwill of personalities who have no interest in seeing him succeed. Let’s see and wait. We ain’t seen nothing yet.

Originally posted by Suldaanka: I think the storm is gathering clouds. :confused: What storm?

Maxaa is beddelay?

Yahooooooooooooooo! He did it...ina Yusuf won the most polorized election in recent history. He handedly won with 68% of the MP's votes, a clear mandate. Somaliland, RRA, made the difference! I just found that out! Imagine that!

Intaas lee iga aheed sxb. Bal Sophist aan ka war dhowrno.

^I see! Trash that I wouldn’t call it perhaps “flawed†but not trash. Well, let’s disagree on who checks the facts of the information we are bombarded daily whether it social, political, or religious commentary. You seem to be distorting author’s intent as well as his take on the subject of “reforming†Islam (oxymoron, right?) He is coming from that angle. Reading your post it seems as if he questioned Muslim scholars - all of them! Not true. There are instances where I disagree with what he had to say but overall he is on the mark as far as the need of reforming Islam and those who champion such efforts is concerned. In any case, I see what you’re saying here and I must concede he has thrown few punches at unnamed Muslim scholar. Nevertheless, he got it right on the big picture and that’s one of a hek of observation sxb.

Cheney won I think for he looked as if he is the head-master of the class. Like it or not the guy have a deep conviction whereas Edward had to to use his time to answer the last question in the slot allocated for the new one. He was bit jumpy but he exceeded the expectation. I concur with Lander and Tamina, Isreal's security seemed to be a priority. If the "lesser evil of the two" is something to go by, Kerry/Edward ticket is where we should put our bet. Bush is simply not acceptable.

Why would I be disappointed when I had exchanged posts with SW on the same subject? For your info I predicted Morgan’s defeat. I know the area and I weighed the situation objectively. Here are the facts Xarago. Before the civil war, people of Kismayo and its environs were from one particular tribe overwhelmingly. That’s why residents from Mogadishu, who happen to have tribal affiliation with Barre, fled to that region as well as Gedo in search of refuge. Kismayo and the region it controls have changed hands many times during the civil war. Today, Kismayo is controlled by an alliance made up by two clans who used to be sworn enemies at the expense of the rightful owners of the city. Because Kismayo have a functioning well-developed port (built by the Americans btw), it is an important city for any one who wants to have a big junk of the national pie. It is also important for the land-locked region west and the northwest of the city as well as businessmen in Mogadishu to haul goods in and out of the ports especially a time when the only developed port of Mogadishu is closed for security reasons. There are many important issues weighed by the warlords and the rights of the residents are not one of them. Force is what seems to matter and you, in particular, have shown your eagerness to cheer one warlord loudly and unashamedly while scorning the other. Your support for Hiiraale has no basis whatsoever except you hate one more than the other. What you probably don’t know is the fact that Hiiraale was under Morgan. They both fought against Indhacade when he was under Caato! What you might not aware of is the fact that general Ahmed Warsame is the last commander in charge of the division that waged war against SNM in the Northwest region just before the fall of the government in Mogadishu. Because of Puntland/Somaliland have unresolved issues, you saw fit to cheer Col. Barre Hiiraale, General Ahmed Warsame, and their USC alliance. It just shows your poor judgment. Other than that, I don’t know what to make of your war-mongering exercise! Here is more fitting Somali proverb and it goes like this: Rati diraac qooqey weyd ma aha! (diraac = abaar; weyd = caato). how he could be when he-camel is supposed to be grazing to survive through the drought! I hope you have the intellect to decode the message it conveys.

Inaa Lilaahi wa Innaa Ileyhi raajicuun. Alla yarxama. My heart goes out to the relatives of the victims.

The author hit the nail on the head, methinks. The author commented what he perceived to be a very troubling trend of learned and enlightened Muslims trying very hard to “reconcile the irreconcilableâ€! To his credit, he cited two names of scholars, the nature of their edict, the events that led to its issuance, and the context in which these edicts were supposedly issued. Clearly, this article is not a scholarly paper. It is not meant to be, I think, as it does not have all the characteristics of such paper (direct primary references of the edict he has spoken out against). Rather it is merely a commentary on the state of the “umah†and the emergence of new bread of scholars. And boy! was he on the mark! As far as the substance of the article is concerned, I think most of the posters agreed that the author has not made erroneous factual assumptions on the existence of Muslim apologists and radical reformists, and of the consistent and relentless effort made by the foreign powers to influence in the school curriculums in “targeted†Islamic nations to pursue an evil agenda of reforming Islam and what not. Obviously, there are governments who are cooperating with them. He also was right in pointing out of the so called “moderate†scholars who consistently come down with edicts preferred by the secular authorities they serve under. Ngonge, for instance, took issue with the author's credentials. Granted he didn’t submit it to his readers. But that doesn’t diminish the validity of the concerns he delineated in the article. Surely, he doesn’t have to hold a degree from ivy-league Islamic institutes in order to comment on the issues of the day. Skeptics should get hold of the said edicts and see for themselves if indeed it is what the author seems to make of them. We do know the name of the scholars and the subject in which they issued the edict for, don’t we? Finally, it is readers responsibility to check the facts of any opinion and there are many of them. You don’t just swallow anything that’s thrown at you regardless whether the author reveals his credentials or not. He could be the dean of Azhar and the same time be wrong. That doesn’t mean any whim can issue an edict but the emphasis here is “double-checking†the said facts in any writing. If this particular one has erroneous facts, we haven’t seen critics raise it - not that I checked but still critic have to be objective in their criticism.

Here is Ngonge's contribution Dhulkeena dabeecadiisaa, Micnaha daadku dhex qaado, Labada wabi ee dureeraa, Dalaga ciida u wanaagsan, Abuurka ku daadi weeyoo, Kheyraadka ka doona weeyee, Sida geela hawd u daaqoo, Lo’duna u dinaahiyeysoo, Contrast that to the reality on the ground Danyarteena eega oooh! Sidey diiftu ugu taalo ooh! Labada is dabooli waayoo, Dunidu wey nagula yaabtey, Dunidu wey nagula yaabtey! Dadyow, dadyow, Ku dadaala nabad, Dadyow, dadyow, Ku dadaala nabad.... Soomaali u diida ceeb, Naftiina u diida cey! From the song: Somali English Dinaah ? Dangiig ? Dubaax ?

Hadii aan barbaar mudan la helin, dhalin buuga lagu dhaarshey, Amba aan barta hoose laga dhayin bowdada, nabarka boogoobey, Amaba aan daabada baacin lagu dayin, bootiyo cagajugleyn beena, Baroorta maxay tari haatan, beylahday geenyadii sidii baadi oo kale! FG: Awoowe waa iga bowsi dee!

Kaliya inaad noo maqan tahay baan doonayay inaan ogaado Jamaal. Shan bog waan sugi karnaa.

Hadaad tiri Morgan waa qaldan yahay waxba maad dhimin. Diintana kamaad bixin. Horta taa aan isla garano. Dad badan oo yiri waa qaldan yahay baa jira. Laakiin addigu mashxarada iyo alalaaskaagu waa alamtara soo dhaaf. Naceyb Morgan hadii ay ku ekaan laheyd waan ka aamusi lahaa. Waxaadse moodaa in xamaasad alalska kaa keentay ay tahay mid fog.

Kuwii waa kuwii Morgan la socday, kuwii lagu laayey Dhoobleey, Hoosingoow, Xaliimo Cadeey, etc. Kuwii uu SW u hadlayey ee uu afhayeenka u ahaa addiguna aad xaqooda screenka iyo afka ku duudsiyeeysay sidii aad xaakim iyo waliga duula aad tahay. Bukaan socodka liitaa waa kuwa baneysta in lagu maadsado dad Muslim ah oo walaalahood ah oo gardaro iyo aabi lagu laayay caadifad iyo qabyaalad aawadeed. Waa kuwa u diidan dad Muslim ah hoygooda iyo meesha xuduntoodu taalo ayagoo sabab ka dhiganay firkoodii hore iyo heybta ay Somali ka yihiin baa halkaa iyo Puntland ka soo jeeda. Xarago waxna waa kaftan dhable iyo siyaasad ka sheekeyn; waxna waa diin ka bax uu qofku khadka dhaafo. Waxaan idin leeyahay addiga iyo inta kale ee cirka lalmanaysa oo sidii wax qaadireysan macnaha siyaasada ay isaga darsantey cagaha dhiga oo sax iyo qalad kal aqooda.

^Alla qalanjooy xikmad badanidaa! Ma waxaa leedahay maatada le'atay, dumarka ooyaaya iyo waxa hoy la gubay oo dab la qabadsiiyey muraad kama lihi oo baroor diiq ha iga maleysanina. marba hadii SW warkiisu hore iyo kii danbe is khilaafey. Mashxaradaada darisku (Women, General, Camel Milk debate, and Islam sections) ka ladi waayey ee aan is niri malaha Xarago mataanaa u dhashay showba alalaasku waa kaa digasho iyo alla arkaay kuwii sida loo galay! :mad: Adduunyo! Illeyn bukaan socodka liitaa damiir canaanta ma leh...walaal wax iskula har dee.

^Heedhe maxaa ku qaaday sowdigan mashxarad afkaba isku qaban la'

Xarago, Ma ogtahay dhuumashada qaar, uu dhabarku muuqdaa, waa dhib iyo hadimee! Originally posted by Rahima: Maybe I am naïve, but I believe in wishing that which is best for your brother instead of criticizing day and night their efforts. No. You are not naïve sis, methinks. You see this political conference in Nairobi is something beyond your control. You didn’t have any influence over the agenda, nor did you have a say of who was invited or who gets elected to the parliament. All you could do is hope for the best possible outcome for Somalia and Somalis. It just so happen that this thing in Nairobi is the next best thing we got. Your heart is in the right place sis. Now our separatist crowd seem to be going out of their way to point out the personalities who are taking part of the so called peace process in Nairobi. They have a point. We should concede the fact that neither the place nor the leaders nor the platform are something we can be proud of. We have already fallen into the bottom of the pit and any way out is better than digging the hole farther. We have to join this effort of peace-making even though we despise the actors in this sad political farce in order to get where we're going.