I second the SAW sentiment toward sophist. Very well AYOUB! I’m more than willing to answer your questions and if you keep them coming …perhaps we can get somewhere provided they are all relevant to the secession/unity issue. As to the statement about me as someone who is not unaware of being tribalist…well let me just remind you the old adage that perception is not necessarily a reality. BTW nomads in this forum are not here to get approval from other nomads. Let’s leave that at there. On what bases would I want Somaliland be divided? Is it tribal? I don’t want it to be divided at all. My preference is to have it as part of Somalia. Before we proceed, two facts are in order: a) Somalia is a tribal society. b) Clans/sub-clans are the only organized (grass roots level constituents) that can wield political power in Somalia – or their tacit support is a prerequisite to any political settlement. In light of these facts, assuming you agree the premise, it follows that a matters of large concern are decided on tribal basis. Whether that is right or wrong is another matter all together. Now! We know SSH folks are not for secession. We also know pro-secessionist claim are grounded on the Somaliland whose borders encompasses SSH areas. The challenge is how you go around denying the self-determination right of SSH and yet claim it is perfectly okay to seek separation from the rest of Somalia on same self-determination principle. Hence ‘if Somalia is divisible so is Somaliland’ proposition stand unchallenged. What derives my attempts to dismiss…..? Well I’m not so sure I attempted to dismiss EVERYONE who have good thing to say about Northwest. I did dismiss couple of foreign ‘Folgers’, namely David Shinn, who have a reputation to make political statements in support of divided Somalia. Now! It should be noted that Ambassador Shinn’s have never traveled to SSH areas in effort to weigh both sides of argument. One sided, biased, foreigner lobbying for divided Somalia is not to be taken seriously.

May I be so bold as to suggest to such luminaries of this site such as Mr Baashi, Mr Sumarai Warrior or Jack as he was known in another life-form in another forum, and last but not least to Mr SmithNwestern, to take leave of instruction from the book of somali political conduct of Mr Sophist in here, and finally see to it without much further ado, that you also declare your tribalistic ideology which is patently clear to any one who has brain to determine things, and please for love of god stop this kiddish game of yours in which you do attempt to move heaven and earth to disguise your similar hardcore convictions of Mr sophist kind, with this solipsistic intellectual veneer that you play with somali youngsters of this site,...I am sure you're much the wiser than that and you'll have no difficulty in deciphering the gist of my suggestions to you. Indeed! I for one have no difficulty in deciphering that post. I have to admit though I've been under the impression that our differences were confined to the debate of ‘secession vs. unity’. Having carefully read this last post of yours, however, I’m now convinced that you are not only a man devoid of principle but also a one with shallow mind. It is your idea that we, nomads here, are a mere counter in a grotesque game. If the right pressure could be applied to us we would be cheerfully in favor of polemical, tribalistic quarrel. No sxb! Not at least all of us and not certainly me. You are assuming of course that I’m under influence of the tribalistic ideology. The same would be true for anyone who opposes secession I suppose! In any case, yes my private prejudices are innumerable, and I really cherish the opportunity of getting them exposed so I can unlearn and relearn. I would appreciate if you can pinpoint them for me, since you are so sure of them, not the mere convenience of advancing your argument at my expenses but as a genuine generosity from your part. I’ve posted 300+ pieces and it won’t be very difficult for you to find some of them. I can imagine how difficult it would be for your likes, the cynics, to entertain the idea or even the possibility that a Somali would take ‘Somalinimo’ position sincerely, at this time and age, in the nomad politics. Perhaps H. L. Mencken was right when he said, I’m paraphrasing here, it is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place. Could it be that you might be projecting your thought processes onto others? Let me agree with you the fact that Tribalism is ‘the’ center of gravity for Somali politics. I will add to that this premis: every clan has exaggerated notion of its relative political importance. This is true to all new political creations be it Puntland, Somaliland, or other Somali lands. In a culture where one’s place, status, and strength is based on the severity of revenge that would be carried out on one’s behave, nomadic politicking and how low it can go should be familiar to all of us – or at least the ‘informed’ nomads. There! We have something to agree. It doesn’t mean anyone and everyone from Somali descent subscribes to tribalism. For you to assume no nomad can engage political discussion without clannish chauvinism speaks volumes of your 'case'. It bears no sort of relation to the known facts, and is full of assumptions and hypotheses that every intelligent man must laugh at. Now! Mr. Oodweyne if you honestly think those of us who happen to take the position of ‘Somaliweyn’ or opposed secession are bunch of ‘defeated’ cowards who run out of options to hide their shame and now find a solace under this ‘absurd’ idea of ‘Soomaalinimo’, you are quite a character – a one full of assumptions. You are just expressing your deep-seated animosity toward what you perceived as your eternal enemy. You are lucky to have this venue to discharge them. Beware though your premises won’t stand unquestioned or unchallenged. When and if challenged or questioned, would you be man enough to articulate them without winning or crying wolf? I noticed many of the nomads dismiss ‘Somaliweyn’ as unachievable goal for foreseeable future. I agree with that premise, to some extent. But you seem to disdain it for other reasons, I gather. Here is a challenge for you Mr. Oodwayne: Why don’t you ask me all the questions you have about ‘Somaliweyn’, unity or ‘Soomaalinimo’. If you don’t have any and continue to air your nonsense in public then I am safe to assume that you are either troublemaker, delusional or clannish zealot with no case to make. I have one single question for you if you care to answer it: Is Somaliland divisible? Why?

I would like us to post here short, informative articles...articles with substance. No news clips plz. -------------------------------------------- Human moral standards are universal A moral sense is inborn in man and, through the ages, it has served, as the common man's standard of moral behavior, approving certain qualities and condemning others. While this instinctive faculty may very from person to person, human conscience has consistently declared certain moral qualities to be good and others to be bad. Justice, courage and truthfulness have always found praise, and history does not record any period worth the name in which falsehood, injustice, dishonesty and breach of trust have been praised; sympathy, compassion, loyalty and generosity have always been valued, while selfishness, cruelty, meanness and bigotry have never been approved of by society; men have always appreciated perseverance, determination and courage, but never impatience, fickleness, cowardice and s t u p i d i t y. Dignity, restraint, politeness, and friendliness have throughout the ages been counted virtues, whereas snobbery and rudeness have always been looked down upon. People with a sense of responsibility and devotion to duty have always won the highest regard; those who are incompetent, lazy, and lacking in a sense of duty have never been looked upon with approval. Similarly, in assessing the standards of good and bad in the collective behavior of society as a whole, only those societies have been considered worthy of honor which have possessed the virtues of organization, discipline, mutual affection and compassion and which have established a social order based on justice, freedom and equality. Disorganization, indiscipline, anarchy, disunity, injustice, and social privilege have always been considered manifestations of decay and disintegration in a society. Robbery, murder, larceny, adultery, and corruption have always been condemned. Slander and blackmail have never been considered healthy social activities, while service and care of the aged, helping one's relatives, regard for neighbors, loyalty to friends, aiding the weak, the destitute and orphans, nursing the sick are qualities which have been highly valued since the dawn of civilization. Individuals who are honest, sincere and dependable, whose deeds match their words, who are content with their own rightful possessions, who are prompt in the discharge of their obligations to others, who live in peace and let others live in peace, and from whom nothing but good can be expected, have always formed the basis of any healthy human society. These examples show that human moral standards are universal and have been well-known to mankind throughout the ages. Good and evil are not myths, but realities well understood by all. A sense of good and evil is inherent in the very nature of man. Hence in the terminology of the Quran good is called maruf (a well-known thing) and evil munkar (an unknown thing); that is to say, good is known to be desirable and evil is known not to commend itself in any way. As the Quran says: God has revealed to human nature the consciousness and cognition of good and evil. (al-Shams 91:8) This is an excerpt from a translation of a talk given by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi on Radio Pakistan, Lahore, on January 6, 1948. [ September 02, 2003, 01:55 AM: Message edited by: Admin ]

A Forgotten Covenant (from islamicity) " This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world). . "* Such were the memorable words of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the year 628 CE, when he granted this historic document, also known as the Charter of Privileges , to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians living under Islamic rule, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. In the spirit of this and numerous other authoritative Islamic texts, one wonders why contemporary policy makers in the West insist on supporting the secular, corrupt, and authoritarian regimes of the predominantly Muslim nations. What is the wisdom of allocating billions of dollars to overthrow, through well-crafted public and covert operations, the popularly and legitimately elected Muslim governments? Have the West's 'experts' on the Middle East, the Orientalists and the national security advisers hijacked Western political institutions as the latter hijacked the legitimate government of, for example, Iran's democratic Mosadeq regime, or the Algerian peaceful election that guaranteed Muslim control, and many more cases? Should the predominantly Christian West fear and fight genuine Islamic regimes or should it change its outlook by trusting those who uphold God's Words and Mohammed's (pbuh) commands above secular and cultural values? *The English translated text of the Charter of Privileges was extracted from the Book 'Muslim History: 570 – 1950 C.E.' by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq, ZMD Corporation. P.O. Box 8231 – Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8231 – Copyright Akram Zahoor 2000. P. 167.

Tamina, Here is a brief biography from jannah.org __________________________________________ From: Khalil, Yasser KhalilY@mail.dnb.com Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahu wa Barakatu, Biographies: Hassan al-Banna (Allah Arhamu) - A great Muslim and teacher of Da'wa Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Banna, the father of al-Shahid Hassan al-Banna, worked as a watch-repairer in the southern Egyptian town of al-Mahmudiyya. he was also an Islamic scholar that had graduated from al-Azhar University. Imam Hasan al-Banna was the oldest son and was born in al-Mahmudiyya in October 1906. His family was well educated and followed a very strict Islamic lifestyle. The Imam memorised the Qur'an at a very young age and eventually joined the Teachers Training Centre where after a three-year course he came first in his final examinations. He was admitted to Cairo University despite being only 16 years of age because of his intelligence and breadth of knowledge. Hassan al-Banna when asked why he commenced the work of da'wah once commented: Only Allah knows how many nights we four spent(his colleagues) reflecting on the situation of the Ummah; what stages it has passed through and the sickness that has reduced it to its present state. And we pondered on the cures for all the Ummah's illnesses. The Ummah's difficulties painhat e would often end up crying during these nights. In 1927 he took the job of a teacher within a state school at the age of 21. In March 1928, the Imam, his brother and five others gathered at his house and swore to live and die for Islam. The foundation for the Muslim Brotherhood (Jama'at al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) had now been laid. In the book "Letter To A Muslim Student" (FOSIS,1995) the dynamics of the Ikhwan are explained: Hassan al-Banna's greatest achievement was his ability to create a sophisticated, organisational structure aiming to translate his vision into real life. However what distinguishes the Ikhwan from other groups which were established in the twenties and afterwards is the former's holistic approach. The Ikhwan was not merely a social, political or religious association or group. It was described by antagonists as a state within a state. By 1934, the Ikhwan had established more than fifty branches in Egypt. They set up numerous schools, mosques and factories. At the end of World War Two, the Ikhwan had over half a million active workers and around twice as many supporters (some sources say around 3 million). Over two thousand branches were in existence altogether and fifty in Sudan - the work of the Ikhwan began to transcend national borders. The British even invited al-Banna to their embassy for tea. He was complimented on his good character and his welfare work for the poor, the orphans and the widows was applauded. They explained that the world was very fragile and that Egypt must be built into a modern and prosperous state. They concluded that it was in the Ikhwans interest to get assistance from the British. Al-Banna listened patiently, then told the Ambassador that Egypt and all its money is the property of the Egyptian people and that Britain's time in Egypt was coming to an end. Al-Banna was exiled to Upper Egypt in 1948. The government of Noqrashi Pasha banned the Ikhwan despite the organisation having sent thousands of fighters in the war against Israel. A journalist asked al-Banna about the ban and he replied: "..when words are banned, hands make their move." Shortly afterwards the Prime Minister was killed and the blame was immediately attributed to the Ikhwan. In the following months the properties of the movement were confiscated and thousands of youth were imprisoned. On the 12th of February 1949, on a sunny crowded market in Cairo Imam Hassan al-Banna was shot dead by assasin. No one was ever charged with the murder. He was only 43 years old. His last daughter was born on the same day. Her mother named her "Esteshhaad" - martyrdom. The Muslim Brotherhood has since the martyrdom of Hassan al-Banna survived all attempts to stifle it. Not only did it grow even stronger in Egypt, but it created branches in all the Arab countries. The Islamic resurgence manifest today in the Arab world today owes its origin directly or indirectly to the Muslim Brotherhood Organisation. Wa Salaam, Yasser.

Religion and Human Life (Adapted from Spirit of Islam by Muhammad Asad) What we call the 'religious attitude' is the natural outcome of man's intellectual and biological constitution. Man is unable to explain to himself the mystery of life, the mystery of birth and death, the mystery of infinity and eternity. His reasoning stops before impregnable walls. He can, therefore, do two things. One is, to give up all attempts at understanding life as a totality. In this case, man will rely upon the evidence of external experiences alone and will limit his conclusions to their sphere. Thus he will be able to understand single fragments of life, which may increase in number and clarity as rapidly or as slowly as human knowledge of nature increases, but will, nonetheless, always remain only fragments - the grasp of the totality itself remaining beyond the methodical equipment of human reason. This is the way the natural sciences go. The other possibility - which may well exist side by side with the scientific one - is the way of religion. It leads man, by means of an inner, mostly intuitive, experience, to the acceptance of a unitary explanation of life, generally on the assumption that there exists a supreme Creative Power which governs the Universe according to some pre-conceived plan above and beyond human understanding. This conception does not necessarily preclude humankind from an investigation of such facts and fragments of life as offer themselves for external observation; there is no inherent antagonism between the external (scientific) and internal (religious) perception. But the latter is, in fact, the logical speculative possibility to conceive all life as a unity of essence and motive power; in short, as a well-balanced, harmonious totality. The term 'harmonious', though so terribly misused, is very important in this connection, because it implies a corresponding attitude in man himself. The religious human knows that whatever happens to him and within him can never be the result of a blind play of forces without consciousness and purpose; he believes it to be the outcome of God's conscious will alone, and, therefore, organically integrated with a universal plan. In this way man is enabled to solve the bitter antagonism between the human Self and the objective world of facts and appearances which is called Nature. The human being, with all the intricate mechanism of his soul, with all his desires and fears, his feelings and his speculative uncertainties, sees himself faced by a Nature in which bounty and cruelty, danger and security are mixed in a wondrous, inexplicable way and apparently work on lines entirely different from the methods and the structure of the human mind. Never has purely intellectual philosophy or experimental science been able to solve this conflict. This exactly is the point where religion steps in. In the light of religious perception and experience, the human, self-conscious Self and the mute, seemingly irresponsible Nature are brought into a relation of spiritual harmony; because both, the individual consciousness of man and the Nature that surrounds him and is within him, are nothing but co-ordinate, if different, manifestations of one and the same Creative Will. The immense benefit which religion thus confers upon man is the realization that he is, and never can cease to be, a well-planned unit in the eternal movement of Creation: a definite part in the infinite organism of universal destiny. The psychological consequence of this conception is a deep feeling of spiritual security - that balance between hopes and fears which distinguishes the positively religious man, whatever his religion, from the irreligious.

Ameenah hit the nail on the head. Bravo! Zadiqa, If your line of reasoning is accepted every German would have been guilty in Nuremberg trail and all Hutus as an ethnic group would have been implicated in the Arusha trail. ‘Collective punishment’ and ‘guilty by association’ concepts are wrong in every moral standards known to human beings. So walaalo, let that hard feelings that you seem to harbor in your heart go. If you don’t it will blur your sense of judgement and it will only consume you. You have legitimate grievances but they are misplaced. Perhaps I could be of assistance by getting you in touch with body of knowledge that could persuade you to see things in their right perspective. Since you are Muslim, there is no need to tell you the goodness of “Sabar” and the value of accepting the divine decree. There is classic book called “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” by Charles Mackay. It talks about how easily the masses have been led astray, and how imitative and gregarious men are, even in their infatuations and crimes. It will be good read for anyone who wants to know why do genocide, civil wars, nationalistic fervors, etc happen. There is also category, in sociology, concerned generally with critical thinking in group, institutional, or organizational contexts. It is called “groupthink” and to paraphrase Irving Janis, groups (or clans) experiencing “groupthink” don’t consider all alternatives and desire the glory of their group at the expense of quality decisions. To me Puntland, Somaliland, and other political Somali groups are experiencing this phenomena. Simply put the group thinking denies space for the right to differ from the group – General Jama Ghalib comes to mind. Tuur and Saleebaan Gaal are left alone, Ex-NSS officer is embraced within the group and Jama is ostracized. Only the group can have perfect explanation. So my dear Zadiqa those of us who support ‘Somaliweyn’ are realist and we know quite well the conditions on the ground are not conducive to this call at this juncture of our history. But I have yet to see anyone refute the ‘true’ definition of the concept itself. We can’t let go because we know too well the obstacle is negative Tribalism.

No kidding! MMA widaay u r okay but not as good as reer Kaambo Amxaaro or reer Kismaayo. Yup! it is true laqash reedh or dim baagan u named cuz I don't have accent By the way u sure sound like a GALTI or GIIR_GIIR if u know what I mean

Whether you are fan of his or not, he is, and remains to be, the former head of ‘Gestapo’ – the infamous NSS. Not only he got away with a ‘documented’ crime but he is also rewarded with the highest office of the region. Now! I’m all forgiveness oo dee waa gobonimo and I do understand civilians elected him…what I don’t understand is how ‘selective justice’ is going to work. Selective application of justice is the very definition of injustice in case you didn’t know. I for one agree that he sure “knew the true nature of 'Qaldaans' ”. For he understood that political expediency is the winning option…and boy! did he played the ‘game’ right! Tell me who should we blame for the past wrong doings? Since you think ‘military junta’ and ‘civil war’ are not to blame.

Ah! I see! So reer Xamar too are guilty by association heh? What about the former head officer of NSS in Northewest? Kangroo court! that is what comes to mind There are so many lives shattered in Somalia but you won't heard victims accuse Xamar or Hargeisa residents.

Yet they have destroyed homes, They have shattered lives, They have tortured hundreds in ways you cannot imagine They have slathered woman and children by the thousands. Tell me WHY, I should “unite” with these murderous, Tell WHY I would consider these hooligans my brothers/sisters, Tell me HOW I could have these home wreckers as my neighbours. Zadiqa that's a sensible and touching poem...and very legitimate grievences as well. "They" = The military junta who ruled the country. Somali masses were subjects, just like you, under the iron rule of Siyad. Somali masses were never consulted nor informed about these despicable acts against their muslim bro/sisters in the North. He was a dictator who vowed to crush anyone who challanged his rule. Now that former dictator and his government is gone. Are you blaming the victimized, expolioted, subjugated, powerless Somalis for the deeds of the former military junta? Think about it!

Mr. Oodwayne, Well! Let me see if I can make sense out of this contradicting post of yours. First of all let me agree with you that Northwesterners in the TNG have no institutional capacity to implement any decision taken, on the behalf of Northwesterns, by the TNG. The reason is obvious. Their policies are not inline with the aspirations of peoples in the area, namely NW, Togdheer, West Sanaag. How is Mr. Qeybe be different than ministers in TNG? Mr. Ahmed Qaybe is in the same league with the ministers and parliamentarians from Northwest in the TNG. He has no political legitimacy to represent his neck of the wood. To say otherwise will only make your premise inconsistent and hence contradicting. In addition, traditional leaders were the ones who facilitated the wishes of Northwesterners to secede. To downplay the role of traditional leaders in the nomad politics is to discredit the significance of Burco and Boorame meetings in which the very ‘destiny’ you are so adamantly advocating is decided. Boqor Buur-madow, Suldaan Saciid, Garaad Saleebaan views reflect the wishes and aspirations of their people. Try to be objective in your posts. Here is a good question for you: is Somaliland divisible? And why?

I got this article from Islamicity. Please read it. The Might of Simplicity He wasn't a wealthy man or a carrier politician. He was neither the son of a prominent family nor the friend of an influential leader. His friends admired him, his foes respected him. His message appealed to the rich and the poor, the male and the female, the old and the youth, the intellectual and the illiterate, the urban resident and the rural peasant. He despised oppression and dedicated his entire life struggling against it. At the time of his tragic death, many people, including his Christian friends, defied government orders not to participate in his funeral and risked their lives for paying respect to his grieving family. His name was Hasan al-Banna, the Imam, the leader, and the reformer whose legacy not only influenced Muslims in Egypt but also inspired the oppressed, the reformers and the grassroots activists around the world until the present times. In 1938, at the age of 32, Hasan al-Banna synthesized his concepts of grassroots activism in several concise points. More than 50 years after his martyrdom in 1949 and with all of the socio-economic, political and cultural developments that our world has witnessed, his words couldn't be more relevant today than they were half a century ago. Following is the clear and simple advice he gave to Muslims: 1. Be engaged in Dawah (promote the message of our Most Merciful Creator) efforts following the authentic sources of Islam as prescribed in the Quran and Prophet Muhammad's tradition and as understood by the early righteous followers of Islam. 2. Abide by the words, actions, and instructions of the Messenger of Allah in all spheres of life, especially in matters of creed and worship. 3. Recognize the importance of purifying the heart and becoming close to the creator through Dhikr, repentance, love for Allah, and supererogatory acts. 4. Be organized politically, demanding the reformation of Muslim governments and seeking to re-establish a just and equitable Islamic political order. 5. Establish athletic associations, understanding that the development of fitness in preparation for worship is an essential part of the training for the individual. 6. Promote culture and learning, encouraging Muslims to acquire knowledge of Islam and other subjects and culturing their bodies, intellect and heart. 7. Strengthen their economic status through lawful means. 8. Develop a welfare system, attending to the problems of the society, discovering their cures and keeping their nations healthy. 9. Avoid disagreements in matters of jurisprudence. 10. Remain free from the control of the rich and influential. 11. Have no alliance with political parties and organizations. 12. Apply a gradual approach in confronting challenges, favoring practical and constructive aspects of the work rather than seeking publicity and propaganda. 13. Pay attention to the youth and reach out to people in the cities and villages. 14. Create a balance between 'intellect and emotion' and between 'reality and imagination'. 15. Refrain from insulting other groups and personalities.

QaxootiMammi, Corporate world is not perfect by any stretch of imagination but it has come a long way and the level field is pretty much changed to the better. As long as companies look after their bottom line the top performers, regardless their gender, will be rewarded. Corporate world is materialistic in nature and family and 'quality time' is not their first priority. Women without children attain upward mobility quicker and sooner than those with children. I think the issue is more about the trade offs women face in than the corporate world being unfair to women. On the one hand, women want a 'quality time' with their family more than men would want. And on the other hand, they realize they have to forfeit that 'quality time' if they are to manage the company in their capacity as top officer. Because of women tend to be more conscientious in their familial resposibility than men, they are more likely to give up their career for marital or familial reasons. Women tend to take more paid time off, medical/family leave...and all these have impact on the company they work for.

PPl here talk about settling the SSH issue through the barrel of gun.I think Riyaale and Ina Yusuf would love to have Baashi n Lander as their mouthpieces to preach the Puntland vs Sland agenda. What they seem to not understand is that somali wars get nasty and loyalties change. What should I make of that? Are u suggesting that I'm novice in these matters? I've always considered myself pro-unity and anti-secessionist. You seem to suggest otherwise.

Yaa muxtrama, muti'adiba, ukhti Tamina...u r not confued abaayadiis. First of all these categories are not mutually exclusive. It is what 'learned' folks deduced from their subjects. Call educated guess, if u will. Now! let's see: according the theory that I've read, Tamina as a soulmate (as muslims we all believe Calaf) believer, u r more satisfied with ur relationship than MMA. But u have fewer and shorter relationship than MMA . U r in search of Mr. right, that soulmate, that is hard to find. U r not a realist U r a perfectionist.

I don't subscribe to soulmate's camp. I don't associate with any of its crap viewpoints. According to this theory (Gaalo 'anaylsis' crap, by the way ...stimulating stuff though ), u are not: perfectionist, overachiever, idealist, or dreamer. U r a realist. And u know what they say about realists . Widaaygey MMA, u r with good company Anyone else?

Soulmate believers ------------------ 1.There is one (or very few) right person(s) for me. 2.Love is discovered. 3.The right person is ideal or close to perfect for me. 4.Finding the right person is the most important factor in a successful relationship. 5.Passion is of great importance. 6.People are hard to change. Non-believers ------------- 1.There are many people with whom I can be happy with. 2.Love is built over time. 3.Person is not expected to be a perfect fit. 4.Effort is the most important factor. 5.Passion is relatively unimportant. 6.People can change. Calaf (is totally different than soulmate) ----- 1.Events are pre-detertermined by omniscient Allah and humans are kept in the dark as far as fate is concerned. 2.You have a total faith in what's decreed for you by Allah. 3.Efforts are rewarded regardless your destiny. In the final anylsis, there are 2 camps in this world, those who believe in soulmates and those who do not. The soulmate believers believe in soulmate theory while people from the other group believe in work-it-out theory. what camp do u belong?

Mobb_deep, It is all good. Calm us down bro. Folks here need an extra set of eyes. Much appreciated.

Amiin Allaha u naxariisto. Another sign of irrational and destructive nature of Qabyaalada. Killing a doctor to avenge an unsettled political dispute! We have a looong way to go.

My appology to sxb Lander. No offense is intended there. That is an advance one. Now! Where did I go wrong Mobb-deep? I re-read it and it seems to me it was all KAFTAN.

^^Hehee Yes I took advantage of it...to the fullest if I may add. Yes I touched on many 'related' and relevant facts that shed light on the issue of SS&H...bit of facts that I wanted to share with the folks here. By the way, seriously where did u got this war-mongering crap? Or is it something related to ur reading comprehension being not up to the bar? Seriously, the perception is not a reality...u do understand that...don't u? Go back and read one more time...and see if may be u kinna read that thought into it! Waxii aan taariikh, wacdi, iyo xigmad aan akhyaarta soo dhex dhigay addiga ma doc bey kaa mareen? Ku gal...hal bacaad lagu lisey Showba dhego aaraada maangalka ah lagu dhegeysto kugumaba yaaliin. Innaba wax growsiiya ah...waa habeenkii xaley ahaa oo tegay Warkaaguba waa yaa! yaa! Somaliland miyaa la soo hadal qaadey U know what! it is time we speak a language we both know ...how about fa'niji? Dimka qashal reedhka ee baamko xam'aaro gola dahlo yio taxa lacaleyl sikmayo? Ninbaa waxa la yidhi maxaa gabayga isaga deysey, waxuu yidhi: Daliil gabay ah diin iyo xigmad, daacad iyo waano Doraad iyo midaan shalay lahaa duug haday noqotay Inaan dhegaba hadal deeqiheyn baan isga daayay Hadda iskaba quustey, laakiin ragga qaar waxaa moodaa in aan isla garaney meesha wax ka qudhunsan yihiin. Folks from now on let's frame the discussion along the lines of my last post, namely, how to bring about a system that does not deny the reality of tribalism in our polity and yet ensures that it will not be prone to its influences? Enjoy this long weekend,

Sophist and Bari_nomad, I see u guys are nodding ur heads in agreement with me. Good to know we are on the same page when it comes the underlying facts of the region. Che and Gediid, I like it. I like it very much when I see nomads reach the conclusion that Tribalism, negative tribalism, is the nexus of Somali politics. We have no parties independent of clan influence, political platforms, idealogical convictions, or societal segments like farmers, postural nomads, labor unions, or any kind of organizational entities that can truly bring clans together. Our constituents turned out to be clans. The only organized group which can bring different clans together is the - Ikhwaan. The democratic governments tried to embrace tribalism and at the end it had been consumed by it. Siyad tried to contained by naively forming Golaha Sare ee Kacaanka that transcends tribal affiliations and at the end it exploded with tragic effect. It would have been very instructive, informative, and interesting to see how SOL members tackle the problems presented by the tribalism in our polity. What would the articulated nomads, like Sophist, Libaax, and others would say about this, I wonder!

War bal cagta u dhiga tookha. Lander, Frustrated!..me! Not at all. Why should I be frustrated if I may ask? Sxb u quote me out of context…and yet the quote itself doesn’t say what u read into it. It just simply says the will and the might to completely defeat and invade a neighboring clan is not there. Why would anyone want to fight for what’s not theirs? U could be right and SL-ers may have well-organized force but that is beside the point. If u insist SL-ers have better cause, than PL-ers themselves, to die for a land that’s not theirs, then u must know more about the nature of human beings than I do. In addition, I suspect u r novice in matters of Somali history and Somali politics. If u were knowledgeable about tribalism and what it entails and the lessons learned in the civil war, u would have known few basic facts about us, Somalis. I’m going to paraphrase what I read from various sources to further my understanding in the causes not the symptoms of our ills. These are indisputable facts as far as the reality on the ground is concerned. 1. Somali state collapsed and Somali society splintered into its component clans (hence SS&H is under its rightful owners). Mind u! it didn’t splintered who colonized where. 2. Somalis experienced a power struggle among various clan- and region-based organizations. 3. Collapse resulted from certain features of Somali lineage segmentation. 4. Somali clan organization is an unstable, fragile system, characterized at all levels by shifting allegiances (hence SL/PL can not count on the loyalty of its various clans all the time). 5. A given alliance fragments into competitive units as the situation that necessitated it ceases to exist (that is exactly what happened in SL 94/96, PL 02/03, USC 92-present, and the best example is Kismayo). 6. To varying degrees, the poles of power in the politics of independent Somalia generally have tended to form around the clan-families under the umbrella of PL-ers and a confederacy of the clans from USC and Northwestern-ers. If u agree the facts I enumerated above then u would also agree, by logical extension with above facts as a background, that west Sanaag/Togdheer would not let their sons die in order to realize Somaliland state with its former colonial borders as its new demarcation. As that would result a bloody civil war that will make the region unstable, a one that will sink its economy and will take away the peace SL showcases around the world. Gone with the wind will be the secession dream. People are wiser, more patient, and pragmatic than ever before…they know better than that. Without the will to force others to plea their allegiance to the never-land, Hargeisa is in very difficult position. U see! The ball is in Somaliland’s court. Whether Mogadishu is unstable or not is irrelevant to the matters pertaining this corner of Somalia. What’s relevant is who wants to secede? Is it a tribe? Former colony? Is the exit strategy unilateral or is it mutual agreement? How about the timing? When do matters that cry out for representative society be conducted? Do these matters settled when the concerned society is engulfed with wars and famines? There is two front: one is SS&H and other is Somalia as a state when and if it emerges. In every international forum, SS&H is making a compelling case that starts with the phrase ‘if Somalia is divisible so is Somaliland’. The reason there is always a deafening silence the in the air whenever that phrase ia uttered…is the fact that there is no way around it! The self-determination principle, International conventions, and every rational argument favors the SS&H. Somalia, in its chaos state, argues that the region can’t afford further balkanization as that is what the secession entails to. Pro-secessionist are forced to repeat themselves with a) reciting the grievances they had with a regime that no longer exist. b) citing colonial history that is irrelevant. c) citing a poll taken from indoctrinated pro-secessionist sympathizers…not the SS&H as observers would confirm. d) and the condition that they want 50% of power-sharing scheme allocated for them (This is back-door business conducted by the so-called pro-secessionist elite) – as the only way they would give up their drive to secede. The interesting part is that Ethiopia, in principle, commits itself to respect our territorial integrity. It implicitly undermines our future and its hidden hand is all over our political map, however. Nevertheless its official line is one Somalia. England, the colonizing power, signed with its EU partners a letter issued by the organization after the conclusion of Arta conference. The letter explicitly confirms its commitment to one Somalia and it pledges to support its reconstruction (if u dig google, u may find it). All in all, All these points are clear indication of the futility of the quest to attain recognition. Don’t get me wrong…the prevailing idea is that the recovery zones can and will serve as building blocks of the ‘emerging’ Somali government…and it is absolutely and unequivocally okay to wait other regions. If this emerging Somali government materializes then that would be the end of the secession talk and the beginning of power sharing ‘scheme’ talk. If u want to refute my take on the matter…just do that – refute the facts. Finally, the most interesting issue is how Somali State led by a group of leaders with tainted credentials will deal with stubborn, determined tribe that won’t recognize them, and has never took part of reconciliation effort? It will be an other difficult chapter of nomadic politics if we ever reach there. Too long? Do u hate this kind of talk...too bad, we are not clones Mind u this is a forum...that is all to it! we come here to drop few sentences OR this ^^^

Entreprenuer, Around 2/3 of our population relate to nomadic culture and hence had developed a taste of nomadic literature. As wanderers in search of posture; camel, horses, lion, and water are subject of inspiring awe. No wonder most popular lyrics celebrate natural beauty in general and savannah (semi-arid) postures, with its biodiversity, in particular. On the other hand Somali urbanites aka Benadiri, Barawani have taste of artistic/theatrical renditions where entertainment is valued more than lyrics. Both forms of Somali 'Murti' have their audience. Ninkii gabadha cas ka helay ee markaa amaanteeda heeska u curshay waxuu yidhi: "Midab aan cadaan iyo cawl aan aheyn oo, Deymada cajabiyoo, aan lagu caajiseyniyo, Waxa tahay mas ciideed!" Mas-ciideedku waa mas aad iyo aad midab qurxoon oo unique ah leh. Carbatu waxay u taqaan marka sifaha xayawaanka la siiyo aadanaha 'Isticaara tashbiihiya'. Cadaanba qurux Somalida uma taqaan . They r very confident, dignified, and self-respecting pple...atleast that's what they used to be. Reer xamarka: Muxubo muuno beeshayee, Moosinkeed waa la moodeyee, ...... Laba miyiraa ley mudaa Waa leegu maadsadaa OR Meel libaax soo galey, Lo' ma joogeysee Waa lakala leexiyee, Liin iyo caanee, Leeloo yaa leelaa!! Best wishes with ur summer vacation...enjoy it!