^ I second amigo Castro and say for once Happy May 18th, October 12th, and Jan. 1st.

If unity based Somali political project had become a farce, a vision based on sharing political institutions could have been formulated other than redrawing the Somali map, and expecting people to honour borders that the British and Italians made. It was the Garaad’ contention that secession is fraught with contradictions similar to those that led to the collapse of state of Somalia. The only difference between secession and unity is that the first has never been tested whereas the latter was tested. He was not naïve, though: he understood that candour and honesty that characterize Somali traditional leadership have no place in the cut-throat, modern day Somali politics used for co-opting traditional leaders as purveyors of clan sentiments. He did not stoop so low as to endorse policies of any administration whenever leaders resorted to favouritism or dictatorship. He thought of the administrations as necessary stabilising entities. He had fallen out with both former Somaliland and Puntland presidents. There. Alla yarxama. He was a true Caaqil in every sense of the word.

Tuujiye and when are you going to get hitched Bro Yeah when widaay Tuujiye?

keep us posted plz. Ilaahay ha soo uruuriyo.

Noticed this: “…can be a giant on billboard across Hotel Waamo and still end up as a welfare case and that is all there is to fame…†And then this: “…they somehow learn to outwit nature in Aargada like roundabout way…†And “…feeling distraught by his father's cruel words he headed for the beach with the rest of the early evening strollers who amazingly most of them were the pretty girls from Calanley neighbourhood and here he was breathing sea air spiced with perfumes.†^Boby you are true to your city roots wallahi sxb. ----- A certain genius named Boodhari (God bless his soul) who summed up his life with the initials of the woman he loved taught us that LOVE has very little to do with the beloved person and everything to do with the lover's imagination, nothing is so seductive as our own thoughts, the passion that sweeps us off our feet is all our own. Interesting thought there widaay. "Intelligent!" the painter shook his head mournfully, then sighed and even looked at his son to show he could mourn with his eyes "Intelligence is no recommendation my dear son and most people haven’t the faintest notion of intelligence, it could be tall, short, Somali or non-Somali, if you want to get a good job unlike me and i mean any kind of good job in anywhere in the world, you need some official proof that you have brains, it seems to me the most sensible thing you could do is get top marks and study as if you wanted to join the board of directors at Sayyid Muhammed Abdulle Hassan University" Right there…words of wisdom. The sea was calm and the night wasn't spent yet, though the sun already signaled its coming by lighting the clouds from below the horizon, she put on her favorite Guntiino and went downstairs listening to the silence in the house… Ummmhh! Alla yaa cizak. Awoowe Waxaa-la-yiri nuqulka jimacaha gacan iyo lug iyo waliba labo faryareey iyo giddi suulasha buu u taagay sheekadan. Keep it coming awoowe.

Getting Ready For Nuclear-Ready Iran Two year in the making, this paper was written for the neocons priesthood who now hold the levers of power in beltway. Donnely the principal author of this study works for American Enterprise Institute, a Neoconservative think-tank. Contributors of this paper include four usual suspects: Steve Cambone, John Bolton, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and Paul Wolfowitz. Or even better the author of this paper was the deputy executive director of the now famous Project of American Century! Can someone connect the dots! It is remarkable how a small group of like-minded people can publicly take over, literaly, an empire in the making in a matter of years. I'm amazed wallahi. The thesis of the paper is very simple: If America wants to have energy security it must dominate Middle East. Ambitious Iran armed with nukes can disrupt America plans in the region. It can also impede, he emphasizes, US ambitions of the region. He reasons that circling Iran is not enough and won't deter the mullah but will make them nervous and accelerate their nuke program. Plus the prospect of regime change in Iran, he explains, is next to nill once they cross the treshold. What America ought to do, he recommends, is to preempt that scenerio and act quickly before it is too late. The link I posted is not the paper itself in its original form but compilation of analysis pertaining to that study. The DOD funded the publication of this book. Where is the freaking media. All these hijaking are happening under their nose. Even NPR and my fav Frontline are ignoring the issue of the day.

I'm rooting for Iran of course. This topic is not about good guy vs. bad guy per se. I'm so amazed how group of people in key positions of government, business, media, and entertainment world have managed to go so far as to admit their loyaly to foreign state and use the resources and might of their native country to support their cause which is basically the welfare of another state. This man Charles is one of the prolific writer I come across. He has a column in Newsweek and Whashignton Post. He is also what you and I might call a talking head but in the media lingo is a regulat contributor, expert, and news analyst in major TV channel. He defends that state with vigor and passion. This one caught my eye today and I want us to see how this "war of ideas" is waged in this circle. Get it yaa Qasaaro

Check out Charles Krauthammer's brilliant column on Israel's struggle for existence. Ain't that nice way to fight for the Israel's cause. He was given the platform to educate them the laymen and that's all he does and he does it very well. What can I say, Charles is on it big time. Israel in the crosshairs

Originally posted by Socod_badne: quote:Originally posted by Khayr: Her insults to Islam and muslims is a more serious crime. Not to those of us who value human life.

You, you, and yes you too are under complete surveillance of George W. Bush's neocon administration. Be afraid and don't do anything stup!d! Every call you make, every email you write, and every step you take they are watching you. Well not every step you take but certainly all electronic communications you have with friends, family members, and colleagues are under scrutiny especially if you fit the profile you know which... Oh Orwell how did you know all of this! Sometimes you wonder whether this is a real or a tactic to get us into submission. NSA and Phone companies...

Xiinoow awoowe waa caadaa. Washington Post article reports pressure on Neocons. Republican maverick weighs in: Iraq, nuclear capabilities, terrorism, Israel and oil are all part of an Iranian puzzle game that cannot be played one piece at a time," Hagel wrote. "There will be no lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear threat until the broader interests of Iran, the U.S., the region and the world are addressed." Two points for Ahmednejad of Iran and nill for Bush.

With all due respect, you missing the point Mr. Brown.

Hambalyo Qac'qac. I'm sure you are humming to that old melody tune Raaxada guurkiyo, raaliyo ninkii hela, ragannimo ku faana... Mid wanaag ku waara Allaha ka dhigo kaaga awoowe. Talo oday aan ku siiyee awoowe make it work.

Ahmed and Dubya are world apart. But I must say Ahmednijad knows how to play the game. In a sense, he put Dubya and his neocons on the spot. In short, even though he comes across more philosophical than diplomatic, he seems to be saying let's talk.

I don't like this whole Slanders vs The Others/ Non-Slanders/Original Somalis etc. It's a sophisticated form of qabilism since it sets several tribes from one region of Somalia against another set from another region. Qallanjo, Allow ha ku celin. Fariid fowqal fariid.

Letter to Dubya

Brilliant. This kind of topic is what makes eNuri unique.

deleted. On a second thought I see no benefit in engaging with JB on this subject. We've been through this before and we disagreed strongly on this very subject. I let my buddy Nur do what he does the best.

Ok. Use Windows Movie Maker program to record the clip. Save the clip in a folder and from there you can upload it to putfile. Make sure you use the naration feature since the WMM is for editing movies. The other thing you should be aware of is this is .wma file. Now, if you want to have .ram file then you need to purchase Real Networks software. Just play with it and you will figure it out. Good luck bro.

Try putfile (www.putfile.com).

In my humble opinion, the courts seems to apply selective justice in ad hoc manner. Justice in courts' jurisdiction requires political support. In other words, clan support for the application of justice is not only necessary but it is also the integral part of the courts power base. The other side of the coin is that the minority clans in Mogadishu often seek the help of the courts to settle their problems.

Sage Nur, In order to illustrate the concept of being a follower of Islam, for the sake of simplicity, one can use the analogy of membership of professional society. You see one losses membership if one doesn't pay one's dues and/or one doesn't adhere to the membership rules. That's what being a Muslim comes down to. You either believe in Islamic creed per verbatum or you don't. Yes the author got it right. Kufr, in the final anaylsis, amounts to ingratitude.

I find it very interesting that every time a well versed polemic’s (any polemic) position on some subject is challenged, he/she will always seek shelter under the shady world of dictatorship of reason. It is fascinating. Techniques used to reach to this safe haven vary depending on the skill as well as the conviction of the polemic that is employing them. In order to defend his/her turf, a well versed polemic will always try to obscure reality or put a handy and deliberate spin on the facts to either impose views or defend convictions. Disingenuous polemics, the ones that are intellectually dishonest, go further and try (deliberately) to alter terms of debate. Polemics are intelligent. They understand a key and critical fact about human reasoning and that is its flexibility - it can be readily bended to different angles as long sa one adheres to the guidelines of logic (limited in so many ways). Now, take an idea, concept, hypothesis, policy, or any abstract notion and I can assure you that the same idea or policy can be rationalized in more than two different ways for audiences of two different interest groups! (ask how as food for thought) These rationalizations can be based on reasoning (note the difference btw reason and sound reason). The only exception I so far encountered is the mathematical realm and its sub-science branches. For me the divine revelations occupies different sphere as it is the word of Allah. Divine revelations are in line with natural laws as well as sound reasoning. With open mind and capacity to evaluate, to deliberate, and to understand, divine revelations can and will lead one to ultimate truth. My point is that reasoning is extremely important and necessary tool to deliberate, to conduct inquiry, to solve problems, to reach understanding of ourselves and our surrounding, to infer (logic), to solve problems, and what have you. But it is and only remains as an auxiliary tool. Other human attributes such as imagination, intuition, and common sense are necessary tools as well. Coming back to this unfolding dialogue between our fellow forumers namely Cara and Nur on the subject of whether God exist or not. I say this much. This dialogue should not be about who believes what. We already know that much. One believes the existence of Creator and Sustainer of this universe as described in the divine Qur’an. The other is not sure about the existence of this Supreme Being for Cara can’t prove one way or another for His existence, if I read her posts correctly. Likewise, who can take part of what SOL thread is not and shouldn’t be an issue for this is an open forum. Having said that it would be beneficial to all of us if we let them discuss on the subject. What is an issue, at least from my vantage point, is what sort of proof would Cara like to see in order for her to be convinced of the existence of the Creator of this creation we call universe. I let you continue this dialogue.

Understanding `Kufr` 4/30/2006 - Religious Social - Article Ref: IC0604-2982 Number of comments: 3 Opinion Summary: Agree:3 Disagree:0 Neutral:0 By: Hesham Hassaballa IslamiCity* - In the Name of God the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful During an extensive conversation about the relationship of a Muslim with non-Muslims, the issue of who exactly is a kafir , or one who "denies the truth" (frequently translated as "infidel"), came up. Yet, when I delved deeper into the meaning of the words kufr and kafir in the Qur'an, I learned that these words have a much deeper, more profound meaning. And it has nothing to do with "being infidels." The late Muhammad Asad (God's Mercy be upon him) eloquently defined the meaning of kufr and kafir in the Qur'an: This meaning is easily grasped when we bear in mind that the root verb of the participial noun kafir (and of the infinitive noun kufr) is kafara, "he (or "it") covered (a thing)": thus, in Quran 57:20 the tiller of the soil is called (without any pejorative implication) kafir, "one who covers", i.e., the sown seed with earth, just as the night is spoken of as having "covered" (kafara) the earth with darkness. In their abstract sense, both the verb and the nouns derived from it have a connotation of "concealing" something that exists or "denying" something that is true. Hence, in the usage of the Quran - with the exception of the one instance (Quran 57:20) where this participial noun signifies a "tiller of the soil" - a kafir is one who denies (or "refuses to acknowledge") the truth" in the widest, spiritual sense of this latter term: that is, irrespective of whether it relates to a cognition of the supreme truth - namely, the existence of God - or to a doctrine or ordinance enunciated in the divine writ, or to a self-evident moral proposition, or to an acknowledgment of, and therefore gratitude for, favors received. In the last part of Asad's statement lies my rediscovery of the meaning of kufr. A kafir can refuse to acknowledge the favors given to him or her, i.e., be ungrateful. In fact, the opposite of the word shukr, or "gratitude," in Arabic is none other than kufr. The Qur'an explicitly uses the word kufr to mean "ingratitude": And [remember the time] when your Sustainer made [this promise] known: "If you are grateful [to Me], I shall most certainly give you more and more; but if you are ungrateful, verily, My chastisement will be severe indeed!" (Quran 14:7) The literal Arabic text denoting "but if you are ungrateful" reads: wa la'in kafartum. Thus, the Qur'an uses both renderings of the word kufr, namely, denial of truth and ingratitude. Yet, when I think of it more deeply, kufr is truly ingratitude and nothing else. I remember hearing at a spiritual conference that all aspects of worship are nothing more than acts of shukr or "gratitude" to God. Thus, the kuffar are all those who are ungrateful to God. Yet, for what are we to be grateful to God? For His love for us. But, how do we know that God love us? There is no statement in the Qur'an that says flat out "God loves you." There does not need to be such a statement. The paradigm of the relationship between God and humanity in the Qur'an is one of love, because the Qur'an is full of references to God's Soothing Mercy. Yet, there is a deeper, more profound manifestation of God's love. God's love is manifested by our living and breathing on this earth. We were nothing before God gave us life, before God brought us into existence. If it were not for God, we would not be here. We would not have existed. With each breath we take, with each step we take, with each action and movement on earth, we live out the love of God in bringing us into existence. What did we do to deserve His bringing us to life? What could we possibly offer the Lord to recompense His infinite grace? Moreover, once He gives us this precious gift of life, His favors do not stop there. As a physician, I have been blessed with the opportunity to witness the awesome spectacle of the human machinery at work. It is so finely tuned, so meticulously controlled that it is a miracle we don't drop dead at any moment. What's more, if someone is afflicted with disease, the symptoms manifest themselves long after the disease process has started because of the redundancy built in the system. For instance, people with lung disease typically develop symptoms after more than 50% of lung function has already been lost. It is amazing how the human body runs, with several very complex systems working seamlessly together to allow us to go about our daily business without difficulty. All of this is nothing but a manifestation of God's love for us. With this understanding in mind, this verse in surah Al Baqarah makes so much more sense: How could you deny the truth of God when you were dead and He gave you life? After which He will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, then to Him shall you return (Quran 2:28) The literal Arabic term is takfirun billah. Thus, the verse could be translated to mean: "How could you be ungrateful to God after the fact that you were dead and He gave you life?" How can we be anything but grateful to God for the most precious gift of all: our life? This understanding is easily extrapolated to the other kuffar in the Qur'an. For instance, the Qur'an says: "Indeed, those who say, 'Behold, God is the Christ, son of Mary' deny the truth..." (Quran 5:17), with the Arabic text reading: laqad kafara alatheena qalu... Yet, this can easily be understood to mean: "Indeed, those who say 'Behold God is the Christ, son of Mary' are ungrateful [to God for this claim]." The word kafara here does not fit with the word "disbelieve," because Christians do not disbelieve in God. On the contrary, they wholehearted believe in and worship the God of Abraham. To this, however, they add the claim that God is Triune and Jesus Christ is divine. Given the fact that God has given so much to humanity, for human beings to claim that Christ is God is being ungrateful for God's favors - in the Qur'anic worldview - because God is too transcendent to beget offspring like human beings. The same is true for the pagans at the time of the Prophet . Did they "disbelieve" in God? Were they atheists? Absolutely not. The Qur'an plainly states this: Is it not to God alone that all sincere faith is due? And yet, they who take for their protectors aught beside Him [are wont to say], "We worship them for no other reason than that they bring us nearer to God." Behold, God will judge between them [on ResurÆrection Day] with regard to all wherein they differ [from the truth]: for, verily, God does not grace with His guidance anyone who is bent on lying [to himself and is] stubbornly ingrate! (39:3) Yet, to ascribe divinity to anything besides God - in the Qur'anic worldview - is to be utterly ungrateful to all the favors God bestows on the person who claims thus. In fact, the Arabic word for "stubbornly ingrate" at the end of Quran 39:3 is kaffar, which is derived from kufr and kafara. This passage of the Qur'an even further bolsters the view that kufr is essentially ingratitude: And so, when they embark on a ship [and find themselves in danger], they call unto God, [at that moment] sincere in their faith in Him alone; but as soon as He has brought them safe ashore, they [begin to] ascribe to imaginary powers a share in His divinity: and thus they show utter ingratitude for all that We have vouchsafed them, and go on [thoughtlessly] enjoying their worldly life. (Quran 29:65-66) Again, the word for "ingratitude" is liyakfuru, derived from the root word kafara. Any other iteration of the word kufr does not work. This is truly amazing. For so many years of my life, I had always thought a kafir was an "unbeliever." I realize now how primitive and naive such a belief truly is. The Qur'an is such a profound book, with so many layers of understanding that are waiting to be discovered. The more I delve into the Qur'an, the more I want to keep swimming in its words and meanings. And the more I understand why God asks the question, " Will they not, then, ponder over this Qur'an? - or are there locks upon their hearts?" (Quran 47:24). Hesham A. Hassaballa is a physician and writer based in Chicago. www.drhassaballa.com He is also Co-Author of the book, The Beliefnet Guide to Islam Islamicity

MMA, I stand corrected. Xiin, I must disagree with you on this one. From what I gather Dahir Aways is a leader and a scholar. His influence on legions of clan militia is public knowledge. He himself is a top brass military officer with the rank of colonel. In the past, he has taken part of the war between Ikhwaan and what Ikhwaan called at the time Thalimin on the side of Ikhwaan. Today he is an influential figure and his public pronouncements have a significant weight. In my opinion, it is incumbent on him and all the leaders of his standing to speak up against oppression of innocent civilians. The criminal enterprise that’s operating in the south especially in the lower Shabelle and Juba regions are supported, aided, and abated by groups allied with the courts. Courts have yet to distance themselves from Indhocadde’s group. As far as I know he hasn’t make an effort to lessen the agony of Jiido and Cibilcad. An agony brought about by people who are very close to him. Moreover, the foot soldiers of this criminal enterprise are from his sub-clan. These are the very people that rushed to his rescue in the last contest between courts and the warlord snitches in Mogadishu. It is more than practical for him to convene a grand meeting for his sub-clan and discuss the role his kinfolk have in the land confiscation in Lower Shabelle and Jubba regions. It looks like that there is a thin line between the warlordism and the Islamic courts in Mogadishu. In principle I’m pretty much supportive of the idea of Islamist taking active role in the politics and asserting themselves in the affairs of the state. I believe they have done an impressive work in reviving civil institutions and done very well in the business sector. I also support the courts in the fight against the loose coalition of what I call assassins and snitches. Given the courts role, however, in both Shabelle and Juba operations and their association with the clannish politicking on the side of one partisan group among many, I’m not sure if this is what Islamists are all about. It is very important for people in his position to distance themselves from the likes of Indhacade and make crystal clear that they condemn the oppression, looting, and killing of innocent Muslims.