Very well Ngonge. I was under impression that you are one of the few articulated nomads who wouldn't just get to the Ma fahmi kartid level due to the frustration stemming from the fact that your views don't seem to get through as you would like them to. Don't panic for I completely understand where you are coming from. FYI, Ma fahmi kartid is a phrase used by a great man who just couldn't see eye to eye with his nephew on matters of great importances. This great man, Somali by the way, was full of himself, knew many things from the top of his head, and take a great interest in his nephew's development. He would lecture him about how things are and how he sees it. The nephew had habit to surprise him and ask his great uncle a question about the subject he is preaching. The questions this kid had managed to come up time and again were very simple. His questions were based on different perspective, however. Out of frustration the great uncle would throw his hands at air and say that famous phrase Adeer, ma fahmi kartid. He wouldn't just answer kid's questions! It was a defence mechanism and the phrase was indicative of what's lacking from the old man. He just simply didn't have the wisdom and patience to give the answers the kid demanded of him to understand in order to try to put two and two together. The point is obvious! It's time to find your nitch and cross the bridge and once understand that reosanable people will sometimes disgaree and always one side will claim that the other side just don't get it and try to accuse them of being obtuse, ignorant, or partisanship. If you choose this name calling dig you seem to be resorting to a la Ma fahmi kartid style, our discussion will be pointless. The better way in dealing with people in this kind of setting is to ask clarification or to limit the scope of the topic by stating the thesis in a concise and clear manner. That way, the misunderstanding can be eliminated. Now, with that lecture from my part, let's call it even and decide whether we want to continue the discussion in a goood faith so we can at least try to understand where other side is coming from. I think I know where you are at on the issue. I have asked you how you suppose the 'silent majority' to go about what you have in mind. You could simply share your thoughts and we could take it from there. Short in time saaxiib...will be back tomorrow Allah willing. In the meantime, try to be calm. Think hard and try to sell whatever you have in mind. You will find me reasanble and accomodating but I will not hold back my take on the issue. I know you can do it. I don't think we have a big disagreement here.

Sxb I found the article I mentioned in my prev post. In the interest of informing the nomads about the existence of sincere Muslims that has a sensible, sound, and reasonable approach to present crisis, I posted (I hope you don't mind) this article. Note the author's interest is empowering Muslims (solidarity is encouraged) by tapping to the modern knowledge and existing technologies all the while keeping their sacred Islam intact. This is what I like to call reclaiming Islam or restoring Islamic institutions without reducing the Divine texts to man made constitution open for amedments. I wonder when his likes would get the exposure of likes of Ayan, Manji, and the well known author Mr. Rushdie enjoy in the Western media. -------------------------------------------- The Hudaibia Approach 5/9/2004 - Political - Article Ref: IV0404-2291 Number of comments: 3 Opinion Summary: Agree:2 Disagree:0 Neutral:1 By: S. A. Abidi Iviews* - As a Muslim I agreed with my Spiritualist friend who was willing to offer whatever sacrifices were required for defending Islam. But I believe every Muslim must use his intellect and take into account the realities around him or her before taking any action. One must ensure that the ends as well as the means at his disposal meet the moral standards of Islam. For instance, it would be unthinkable for me to rob someone in order to buy a ticket for Hajj, or to attack a whole army with the help of two friends and getting killed without achieving anything. With such perceptions I found it difficult to share with my friend the perceptions of the dangers and the sacrifices that he carries with him. My spiritual friend is well versed in theology, but has no clue of sociology and historiography that was founded by Ibne Khaldun who explained how societies succeed and fail. When he talks of knowledge, he is not referring to Algebra, which takes its name from the Arabic book Kitab aljabr wa al-muqabalah written by Al-Khwarizmi or for that matter Algorithms which is a highly developed mathematical concept worked out by the same Muslim Arab whose corrupted name it still bears. Yet the scholar was a product of a madrassah of 9th. Century Baghdad and this friend of mine graduated from a 21st. Century madrassah in Pakistan. He has not heard of these 1200 years of gems of knowledge that were borrowed by those nations who now rule the world, because the knowledge of religion has since been separated from the knowledge of the world around us, that was never the intention of Islam. Perhaps his compartmentalized knowledge that excludes the realities of the changed world, is the cause of confusion in coping with the world that he hardly understands. No wonder he is frustrated in finding why has his society collapsed over him. A person with such a victimized perspective may buy or steal Klashnikoves in desperation to express his rage but may not be able to repair them when they malfunction. Such a person may aim guns at the enemy but may not know how to calculate the trajectory. In his frustration he is ready to lay down his life to bring back the glory of Muslims but he has no idea how it will come about. Though his intentions of defending Islam are noble but his sacrifice of life may go to waste because the idea of defeating his perceived enemies with the destructive weapons that he borrows from them, is by itself self-defeating. It would have been a different story, had he chosen to borrow the instruments of construction from his adversaries to build his strength, like his adversaries did in the 15th. Century Europe. First of all he must identify his true enemy that has put Islam in danger, which is his IGNORANCE of the technology of progress. That makes him an incomplete entity in the world community that is driven by knowledge. He must pick up the threads where he had left and make a run to join them with the present day realities, whatever it may take. It is not as formidable a task as it may look at first sight. He has sufficient means to educate himself and the sources of information are in plenty and faster than ever. All he needs is the will to overcome the obstacles in his way to recovery. This may however need sacrifices --- but a different kind of sacrifice. He has to prevail upon the rulers who decide his destiny, not to misappropriate billions to keep in their personal accounts, but spend for educating the masses. It may cost them their power and treasures, but will make them more respectable and their nations more powerful. He has to join forces with his compatriots in other lands to bring about solidarity and to ensure cooperation in trade, industry and research that are the true sources of power of a people and only guarantee for peace. These efforts may no doubt put my friend in trouble. He may be put behind the bars, but such sacrifice of personal freedom will deliver freedom to Ummah in the long term. This may cost him even his life, but it will be a worthwhile sacrifice and will deliver what no suicide bomber has been able to achieve. My spiritual friend asked me, how could he survive as a weakling, while the long process of change takes place. He does not have to go far looking for an answer. It is already spelt out in the great wisdom of the treaty of Mecca that can be called the "Hudaibiya Approach". When you do not have the wherewithal to prevail upon your adversary, there is no need to kill innocent people, which is against the teachings of Islam, or get killed yourself in vain. Use diplomacy --- simply make peace and persevere. This approach may be used to enhance the strength of your social and moral values and to re-structure your knowledge base, which will win you more friends and make your economy and defense capability stronger. Those who are trapped in Wana, (Wana is located about 17 miles from the Afghan/Pakistan border on the eastern edge of a valley approximately 4,500 feet in elevation. In March 2004, Pakistan military carried out an operation in the region against suspected al Qaida and Taliban members) are sadly the victims of circumstances and their own miscalculations. Their clever friends made them believe that they were fighting a war against the Godless Communists and defending Islam. In fact they were sacrificing their lives in defense of Capitalism. When the truth was revealed and the friendship turned sour, they became the victims of the same Capitalism --- for Capitalism has no friends but the lust for wealth. Sadly, it is questionable whether these fighters did serve Islam then or are serving it now, despite their pious intentions. Valor may be a commendable quality, but watchfulness comes first. Not only should one know his enemy but should also be able to choose the battleground where he can win. People who want to master their destiny must possess the KNOWLEDGE of how societies progress and grow from strength to strength in the fields of economy, science, technology, diplomacy and solidarity with friends, and how the greedy adventurers can be kept away. A deep faith in the essence of Islam should provide an anchor, which others may learn to emulate. The author is an independent commentator based in Karachi, Pakistan

Maxaa la yiri reporters have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of events on the ground zero and the leading newsmakers whom we have spoken to in order to confirm and substantiate the news. As a practical reasons, we neither have the time nor the space to talk about the events in detail on this great SOL site. However, in the spirit of informing the public about the ins and outs of their homeland, our producers have put revealing snippets together a la newswire format. 1. On ground Zero: President Abdullahi have made clear to us that he has no intention to initiate a new civil war. He made no secret that his nascent and divided government need all the tools available to it in order to survive. He has a duty, he insisted, to move on and do what he can. Our reporters pressed the president very hard to explain how he intends to avoid from the traps lay ahead cleverly thrwon all over by the strong men in Mogadishu. With smile he said and we qoute him "Bring them on". He condescendling lectured our man in Jowhar Mr. Shabeel Lagde about power, government, resolve, and leadership. At one point, he qouted a nomad known for his manly man resolve and decisiveness. Mr. Shabell Lagde qouted the great fighter words as being "Gardaro is yeel yeel yaan ninkii gudanni diidaaye...". The old and tired man reasoned that he is in a receptive and loyal city and he has the means to defend his TFG if the need be. The goal, he said, is to reinstitute Somali state and the likes of Mogadishu lords and their wishy washy, willy nilly stand will not slow him down a bit for they have not taken into account the interest of the people. He reminded our reporter that he had compromised already twice. 2. Mogadishu faction of the TFG have been busy in taking part of meetings. The agenda and ad hoc at that have been many but the overarching issue was how to inflate the Jowhar factions air baloon that's been rising to new heights by the day. Minister Caato made a verbal threat but another Minister Mr. Ceydiid showed resolve by making the point tha villa Baidhabo will be the home of the folks whose destruction has been asked to take part. Minister Yalaxow had a difficult time in rallying the troops of his clan. The tribal chief and subclans allied with the Jowhar make the point that if Mogadishu comes under attack that they will take a firm stand in its defence. However, they dismissed any move to harm their brethern in Jowhar. The nascent media have been instrumental in beating the drums of war. The well documented reports indicate that there were unfounded call to take arms against non-existing cavalary. They pulled one great stunt and that is the UN agencies staff have been evacuated due to the esclating rhetoric within the TFG. 3. Northwest's nascent democracy has taken an other important leap. The districts seats can be openly contested in an open and democratic way. A precedent in the Somali lands since the overthrow of late sixties elected government. The only setback is the two main platforms run by the contestens are institutionalized but rundown clannism and successful secession effort. The point of contention has been ignored for the time being. The overlapping borders of the two autonomous regions of that corner of Somalia has not so far become an issue. Some of the cheerleading media loyal to the cause secessionists are championing reported that the Mr. Siilaanyo, one of the hopefulls has managed to visit 17 towns in one day. The math doesn't add up. But the point is to convey that the towns that fall in the grey area where the borders overlap have been receptive to this candidate and by extention he will be the one that will bring the glory to Hargeisa. 4. Down under in the South where manly men conquered the weaklings (some would put it differently and call them victims) - manly men who intend to enjoy the fruits of their hard won labor are reconfiguring their strategy. There are mino differences between the big boys and lil complication introduced to the equation by the godfather of the alliance. Morgan desperate for position and way back to the most resourcefull region of all Somali regions with complete infrastructure made a big gamble by alligning himself to Mogadishu lords. With no leverage of his own, Morgan is hoping that the Abdiqasim's words will be kept a la manly men style and hopefully he will be given the lion's share he so fearcifully had fought for over a decade. As of today, that is not happening even though the rumors say otherwise. 5. Camp operation "Smart Move" in Bay region is in the dark. It's no secret that all out war has been averted and the big men there have discussed the way out of the current stalmate. The interesting thing is both sides of Camp "Smart Move" have talked the talk but have yet to walk the walk. The Guduud and Madoobe are still in sync with Jowhar TFG side of the equation all the while Xaabsade has a close reltions with JVA alliance. All in all Bay region is the one to watch as far as the looming showdown of Jawhar and Mogadishu is concerned. To be continued...

Maybe you meant to say: you have the right not to be offended. I figure this is a typo. I don't like to be offended missy. I can let unintentional dig slip once a blue moon but I will not let any faceless screen character have fun at my expense. Manly men are not weaklings. They lose temper at the slightest percieved provocations . You can't balme them. Reason being that screen character and realworld character can sometimes become one. If and when that happens lil chicks can became a drama queens eager to have all the attentions they can master. Likewise, grown up men and old hags can loose the nerve and smash the screen and make fool out of themselves. In light of these possibilities, I the great Baashi granted the right to not intentionally offend and provoke other nomads. In my great wisdom gained from the school of hard knocks, I reasoned that this is not good for the foruming. :cool: On the other hand, the lil kid in me is vying my attention and I kinda heard him pleadimg but Sir!...the topics will be dull and the fun as some nomads defined will not be there. To please all the voices I will overturn my earliest fatwa on this thing...and completely contradict myself by conceding that the lil child in me have a point. Once again, in the eyes of endless heads of seemingly nice and eloquent fellaz and the need to be acknowledged I change my firm and unshakable opinion. Today I declare the right for every1 to offend other nomads and the right of not to get offended can be easily reconciled. All you need to have is great wisdom Allah ahs endowed me. You see this is not that comlicated. The Lion Teaser Jr. will be delighted and Moderators will see to it that my words be engraved along side the great wise Greeks if I let in my little secret on this score. I have to get paid first...nothing comes free right! No free lunchs, No free lunchs.... PS: Off to lunch and when that's done off to Politics section where my report of Maxaa la yiri is past due...markay isku dbabdhacdo ii yeera dee I will be wrestling with the lions a la manly men.

Great exchanges. Thank you all. Special thanks to Socod_badane, Johnny B the greatest stud ever landed on the SOL land, and Bakar. You have been polite and yet managed to air your views on the subject with considerable passion and conviction. Darwin's theory is one explanation among many. Some people get their understanding of science, ideology, religion, etc all mixed up. Mutakalim was onto something when he suggested perhaps we look at the scientific method and the philosophy behind it. All in all, the jurry is out and the Darwinists have undergone metamorphosis of a kind and one would be hard pressed to refute them since the original theory and the neodarwinism are quite different. In the interest of good discussion in the future, I urge those who are interested in this subject to visit NOVA site. Nova is programming content catered to public use and PBS is the one that has the right to air. The last several weeks there have been four consecutive science program called The Origins of Life. Tomorrow night PBS will air the last segment of the serious. Fortunately, the site has a sizable material from these programs posted. the link is Here...check it out.

Now the word is out, I hope we will turn a new page and respect each others' views. I expect from the nomads who wish to participate in the discussion on that "great" article to not engage/resort to underhand dig

No Miss Athena. Addi kuma heesto. Sometimes nomads are indeed caught up in taking sides. That's what I have noticed lately on how folks go about foruming. Stop being paranoid Nomads have weighed this issue and at the end disagreed. Not bad at all. My amigo Castro is a good debater and he has made his case. Some of us saw wisdom in his tolerant and whishy-washy views. Others mostly principled-centered allowed him to air his views but disagreed on the validity of his argument. Both sides understand this is a forum and that everyone is entitled to their opinions; so what's the fuss is all about. I like the manliness of all of us...terrific

I don't agree with you on some issues but nevertheless I respect your opinions Ngonge. I also respect Castro's opinion. I was very careful not to play Islamic card on him. The reason being I suspected based on his cyber posts that he doesn't base his opinions on sound Islamic principles. Now, I meant to play ball by using reason, sound, and rational argument. I believe I have been doing that all along when it comes with my amigo Castro and anyone who has shown reservation to base his/her opinions on Islamic principles. I don't know why you jumped guns so hastily Sage Ngonge.

Ngonge, Granted Salman Rushdie is a prolific writer. His talent in articulating views or dramatizing plots has been acknowledged in many circles. He had put, in the past, his talents into use by writing Satanic Verses and won much praise from many corners mostly from like-minded people who had suspected all along that the Divine revelation Prophet Mohamed recited and preached is not what Muslims made it out to be. He has offended millions of follow Muslims by writing that book. Although I am reluctant to question other people’s faith, given the man’s public work, it’s not farfetched to say that a deep faith in the essence of Islam is lacking from his part. I am not that impressed by the eloquence of hypocrites like Rushdie. I am the view that when it comes to issues of larger concern to Muslims, only sincere and pious Muslims who are genuinely interested in reclaiming (restoring if you will) Islam from the confused souls (be it reformers - those who are itching to introduce innovation to Islam- and enraged Muslims who lost their moral compass due to frustration and desperation) should take part the discussion in finding way out of the backwardness that’s been characterized Muslim countries all over the world. The exhortations of the likes of Rushdie and Manji are not to be heeded. The reason being that they are for secularism, for relativism, for homosexuality, etc the opposite of what Islam is all about. The line between the two camps is very clear. Any effort to reconcile the two will fail. A hypocrite’s exhortation is meaningless and changes nothing. Now that being said, let me address the central point of your post. I’m not sure if I got the gist of the post but I have a hunch that you are impressed by how reasonable and articulate Rushdie has been in his latest write-up. In addition you are worried that the two groups one group being the Rushdie’s camp and the other being not so enlightened mullahs are ripping the Muslims masses apart. These two are presenting the masses a dilemma you implied. The question you posed therefore is should they let them run away the ball, as it were, and let them celebrate in a false victory over each other at our expense! Moreover, to paraphrase you again, the silent majority, you thought, has an obligation to chip in and declare where they stand in this conflict staged mostly in the western media! These are good questions even though I don’t regard the Rushdie camp as sincere and genuine Muslims and hence don’t equate them with the mullahs. For mullahs with all their mistakes, they have the best interest of Islam at heart and the idea of restoring Islam might appeal to them. Nevertheless, I ask you how you suppose the silent majority to go about your suggestions? There are many genuine and sincere Muslims out there who don't get exposure the likes of Manji and Rushdie seem to be getting. They reason, they take great pain in articulating the hopes and aspirations of the masses by calling diamond a diamond. One of these great minds is S. A. Abdi and has put a great solution on the table. His solution is called "The Hudaibia Approach" and it's inline with the Prophet Mohamed's (pbuh) worldview. I posted that article in SomaliaOnline Weekly Bulletin thread. I can't be bothered to dig that up and provide the link. PS: I’m sure you agree with me that opinions vary and reasonable people can sometimes disagree in good faith. If nomads don’t agree with your line of reasoning or see things through different lenses that doesn’t mean that they have comprehension problem. All it means is that they just don’t see the way you see things.

Caaqil wlc back awoowe. Good to see you back. I agree with your last post. A lot of truth in that post. Zaylici, I haven't read your post in its entirety...I applaud the effort though.

^ Ahem! Sometimes some nomads are too caught up in taking sides Aduunyooy xaalkaa ba' as Mr. Adduunyo used to say I wonder if the sympathizers should also excuse paedophiles, incest, and other sexual deviants. Surely, the tendency, the inclination, the urge, the lust can be characterized as being natural. These people don't wake up in the morning to become outcasts...they just have some weird imblances up in their heads...they are created that way right

Nazra, your aunt is right. Choose your friends wisely.

Religion and Human Life 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. (Adapted from Spirit of Islam by Muhammad Asad)

Essentials of Friendship 9/11/2005 - Social Religious Education - Article Ref: IC0509-2789 Number of comments: 3 Opinion Summary: Agree:2 Disagree:0 Neutral:1 By: Saadullah Khan IslamiCity* - A cardinal principle in the equation of human relationships is that all members of every human community should learn ... to care deeply... about themselves about others to act in ways that are supportive of the vital interests of... ourselves and of others Wise ones have said that among the most important ingredients in the formula for a successful and fulfilling life, is knowing how to get along with people. Friendship is Necessary Human beings are by nature social beings that interact, that are interdependent, and thus, in need of friends and companions. Much of our lives are spent in such social associations, and friendship is indeed an essential component in human relationships. Friendship is ... Friendship is a voluntary, reciprocal and interpersonal relationship that is mutually productive and characterized by mutual positive regard. Friends are .... Friends are people, who seek the company of one another; who like and wish to do well for the other, believing that the other party reciprocates these feelings with good intentions. In Islamic literature, the root meaning of the terms used for friend indicate some of the essential qualities necessary for friendship... sadeeq (truthfulness/honesty) khaleel (associate/link) wali (protector/overseer) rafeeq (kind/caring) Who You Choose as Friends and Why? When choosing your friends, which qualities are most important ... Social status/Popularity Income level/Wealth Looks/Appearance Race/Ethnicity Faith and/or Character Political Affiliation Intelligence/Education Interest/Hobbies/Skills Compassion/Care Loyalty/Reliability Kinds of Friendship: 1. for pleasure - could be positive or negative when pleasure is gone, friendship is gone. 2. for usefulness/utility - could be positive or negative when usefulness is over, so is the friendship. 3. Proximity - could be positive or negative when you move, gone is the friendship. 4. Common enemy - precarious The enemy of your enemy is your 'friend' until ...? 5. for virtue = friendship of character must be positive 6. natural friendships = between father/son, siblings...ought to be positive Choose Friends Wisely 1. Prophet Muhammad advised that ... A person is influenced by the lifestyle of friends; So, be cautious whom you befriend. If one is negatively influenced by those we associate with then the consequence could be disastrous. [Qur'an 43:67] Prophet Muhammad said; "The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk compared to the one who blows the blacksmith's bellows. As for the seller of musk; either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from his perfumes. As for the one who blows the blacksmith's bellows; either your clothes could burn or you will get an offensive smell from the smoke of his fire." 2. Greek philosopher, Aristotle said: "Complete friendship is the friendship of good people similar in virtue; for they wish good in the same way to each other in so far as they are good, and they are good themselves. Such friendship last as long as they are good; and virtue is enduring." 3. Sayedna 'Ali advised: "Befriend the righteous, flee from the transgressors, avoid the hypocrites and do not associate with deceivers." A-Z of Friendship A Friend ... Accepts you as you are Believes in you Calls you Doesn't give up on you Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts) Forgives your mistakes Gives unconditionally Helps you Invites you Just in all matters Keeps you close at heart Loves you for who you are Makes a difference in your life Never betrays 0ffers support Picks you up Quiets your fears Raises your spirits Says nice things Tells the truth Understands you Values you Walks beside you Xtra caring to your concerns Yearns to assist in everything positive Zaps you back to reality when you lose focus True Friends True friendship is ... based on trust, warranted loyalty, mutual respect and genuine care. "Remember that the best relationship is one in which your care for each other exceeds your need for each other." [Dalai Lama] Remember the response of the sufi sheikh to the man who wanted to marry his daughter and tried to impress him with his knowledge; "I do not care how much you know, I want to know how much you care." A true friend .... warms you with his/her presence, trusts you with his/her secrets, remembers you in his/her prayers, is there before you know it, lends a hand before you ask for it, gives you love when you need it most; doubles your joy and shares your grief. That is why ... True friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget. [author, Amanda Kunkle] True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost. [cleric and author, Charles Caleb Colton] Are You a Good Friend? "A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be." [Author, Douglas Pagels] "The best friend; according to the estimation of Allah, is the one best to his/her friend." [Prophet Muhammad ] Source: Islamicity

^ Congrats Yoonis Are you going to act like a man and go there Alla Mujahid style or this is a chicken-hawk kinda armchair general who runs by his mouth On a serious note, I'm very surprised that some folks are this excited for what could be a lengthy and ugly civil war in a far away land called Somalia! I bet if Il President wins your sense of selfsteam and pride will shoot up like a mercury in a oven Same is true of the cheerleaders in the other side of the aisle. Wadaeeca Alla dheh awoowe xaaladu waxay u egtahay mid faraha ka bixi rabta

^Noted. However I find it ironic for you to protest against the mere mentioning of the L word and at the sametimes assert the proposition that homosexuality is natural. If the L word is that disgusting what makes you convinced that people who go out of their way to engage in "forced" sexual activity that can't be had without artificial lubricants are performing necessary function sanctioned by nature. If this kind of rational discussion where details must be spelled out in order to refute the assertion one is making is beyond your taste. How about the idea that sex performs necessary function for the natural world such as procreation that propagates the survival of species. Exactly what natural function does homosexuality do for the nature? Amigo Castro raggu waa sheekasanayaan hadde alla manly men style

I posted this poem twice and I'm gonna do it again! That's how much I like this poem. Don't Quit (Poem) When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit - Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar, So stick to the light when you're hardest hit - It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit. ~Source Unknown~ Stoic, good to see u back sxb. Raxmah, good topic.

I'm not familiar with the details of this issue. That being said, I guess Ontario Province's decision in acknowledging the importance of Shariah for its Muslim citizens is step forward. I feel sorry for the likes of Irshad and other self-hating confused souls who make a name for themselves by badmouthing, distorting, and marginalizing Islam and Muslim minorities in the West. Oh! how Edward Saed was on the money when he wrote his memorable and much praised book Oriantalism. I recommend you to read it and understand the institutions that take the lead in reforming "Other" inferior cultures and religions in order to enlighten them and introduce them the Westren way of life. The native activists ushered to fame by the kingmakers of the age, writers, thinktanks, governmental institutions, newspaper editorials and articles, TV images, etc when these Western forces converge they succeed. He was right 100%.

Good advice.

I noticed that some folks start throwing around unmanly underhand sarcasm elsewhere. I invite them back here to vent... Ah! Just-In scientific breakthrough on the subject. Why Researchers Have Sex on the Brain. For some odd reason this article was in my hotmail inbox...MSN health & fitness. Must be the Zionist playing tricks on me

Originally posted by Castro: ck2: Do you think mom would still have shot him 8 times in the head if he hadn't married that 22 year old bimbo? Baga dheh Amigo Castro, if Homo are part of natural order how come that hole doesn't come equiped with natural lubricants...explain that mister!

Because I was too manly to stoop that low Edited: Remember the term is for girlie-men only.

Nope. My weekly dose can't be missed.

Castro, glad you went back and re-read the article. Now, the second sentence which happen to be the leading "topic" sentence reads in part: There are other words, such as "courage," "frankness," or "confidence," that convey the good side of manliness without naming a sex . In closing, after he said what he had to say on the subject, he concluded that "being a man or women is much more than having" distinct body shapes and here he cites scientific evidence by alluding to an article written by Iain Murray. He then went on to say that the genders differ in their thinking pattern. From there he went back to the thesis by asserting that While malenes is partly just a fact of biology, in humans it is linked to thinking and reason in ways that make manliness something much more than mere aggression. In humans masclunity is more than just defense of one's own; it has been extended to require noble sacrifice for a cause beyond oneself. Certainly, women reason and sacrifice too, and they are not devoid of aggressiveness. But their participation in these things is not "equal". As Aristotle said, men find easier to be courageous - and women find it easier to be modest. Of course you cannot avoid Aristotle's qualifier, "for the most part." For the most part, men will always have more manliness than women have, and it is up to both sexes to fashion this fact into somthing good." Maleness means men. Manliness encompassess both genders but more in men than women. Is this true? Maybe, maybe not. This is something we can discuss. Now, I'm getting old and my ESL is not helping me in the composition and comprehension dept's as well, but it seems to me that at the outset Prof Mansfield made it clear that manliness is a human attribute. In his analysis he thinks men, for the most part display manliness more frequently than the fair sex. In addition, he thinks when it comes to specific "manliness" attributes, their participation are not "equal". As a reasonable man I do understand that we are all entitled to our own opinions. And that's absoletely fine. However, judging from the course of our discussion on this subject, many of us hastly concluded that the author and the ones he had impressed with his rational commentary are chauvinists who are bent in taking away women's rights. In all fairness, that wasn't the case. Now, I will be delighted to weigh in women's rights but that is diffrent topic for different time. @Bishaaro Annigu waa iga intaa ee ii bashaala

^^ I second that. However, I add that she tries very hard to potray that image. It's all verbal