^^^Old man, you are boring me now, I really do not understand your objection. I already told you it is a small issue, and it is not what they did, but rather how. I also told you that I'm just letting them know, that I noticed they are deviating from their own mission statement. I also told that I don't know this dude, but since I saw the story reported in the media, it means nothing for me to take out 5min to send an e-mail. And it is my business, because the man is just trying to help with in his own time to better a community and they are shitting on his time and effort. :mad: Everything that happens, whether it affects one person or many in the Somali and Muslim community is my business. [That is not even a joke] :cool: Cara, patronizing me now and laughing at my expense. I see.

^^Ngonge, no because that is based on your opinion and perception of what you though he did. But if you told me he abused you, beat you up and called you a smelly Somali, you can bet I would not only write a letter to Sir Ian Blair, help you launch a compliant, I would also turn up outside his yard with my little billboards, shouting down down I send many e-mails a day, sending one more on his behalf is no skin off my nose. If I got wronged, I too would like to believe that many who do not know me or care will take 5min to send a *s***** e-mail on my behalf. :cool: It is not a battle, it is a matter of principle.

Ngonge some small wrongs, in small places can set a precedent. In any case we are a small community, who do not have the skills nor organised enough to fight big campaigns and offenses against our community. Therefore they can practise on small campaigns such as this. On a serious note, I think all wrongs should be addressed, regardless of its size and importance. that half page was your fault, with your stuff and nonsense precedent and followers.

^^^Thank you edo Cara. Even if they told him, "hell no" and printed another one off and gave it someone else, it would've been something. It just common curtsy to at least inform of their decision, if nothing else he would not have wasted his time writing an acceptance speech for an award that never came.

^^^I don't get it?? seeking apology mode? My dear I don't want an apology nor do I expect they will give another Muslim one of their worthless awards. They should stop hiding behind their nonsense about their role and purpose. Cara lol, would you believe she did. :rolleyes: I really don't see the point of arguing with you far too liberal bunch of lovely people. So Angui I told you all the news/ alert and what I think is the correct thing to do, ama sameh ama don't. Goodbye.

^^How did they meet him half way dear Lily? Is that not the issue, that he made a request, which they accepted. They could've just said no and maybe someone else would've collected it for him, or he would've just gone about his business.

I think some of you missed the point by a mile. The issue is not about act itself, but the overall conduct of the African centre, based on what is expected of them and the role it is suppose to play. It is a disgrace that the African centre which boasts respect for diversity as a mission statement, and prides itself in it’s understanding, tolerance of difference and variety can publicly humiliated an individual for their religious practise, particularly as Mr. Sheikh had engaged in charitable work that did not differentiate between Irish or immigrant, male or female. I cannot believe that someone would be treated in such a way, how intolerant and insulting to only merit one worthy of an award because of a handshake. He had one request,[whether that request is correct or not is besides the point] which he respectfully inquired about prior to ceremony. Especially if you consider that the organisers had previously given assurances that this would not be an issue. Since when has abandonment of ones religious convictions been a prerequisite for asylum in Ireland? And when did World refugee day become a day of humiliation for certain communities? African centre is the last place that refugees should be discriminated and humiliated. It should cater to all refugees alike, regardless of religious practise. How insulting that the award with his name crossed out was given to someone else, it certainly demeans the award, its value and the creditability of the African centre. I very much doubt that Mr. Sheikh or any other Muslim would want an award which comes with unspoken conditions about their beliefs and practice. :cool: Many high profile figure, including Tony Blair and Gordon brown have managed to remain respectful when meeting with Muslims and not be offended when Muslim women do not shake hands with them [as has been the case many times] I don’t see what was so special about this presenter. :confused: Yes it is a small issue and I can understand why some of you think the shiek should’ve kept quite, but flexibility works both ways, the majority of refugees in the UK happen to be Muslim and if the institutions that are suppose to help them, cannot be tolerant of minor things, [Do you think anyway would’ve noticed if they did not shake hands?] forget the bigger things. Here is a quote from the African centre: “promote positive awareness about Africa, and to help to empower the African diaspora in the UK” Really?? I’m sure it is just doing THAT. It is no harm to droping them an e-mail reminding them of their responsibilities and holding them accountable for their deviation from their own mission statement.

A Muslim asylum seeker who was to have been honoured for his volunteer work was striped of his award after indicating that he would not shake hands with the woman who was to present him with the prize. Alinoor Ahmed Sheikh, a Somali asylum seeker based in Co. Kerry, had been selected for the accolade by the judging panel of the Africa Centre’s annual World Refugee Day awards, due to his work with the Kerry Volunteer Centre and as a fundraiser for Amnesty International. He respectfully informed organisers prior to the ceremony that he was a practising Muslim and therefore would be unable to shake hands with the female presenter. According to the Irish newspaper Metro Eireann, the organisers had accepted his request and had promised Sheikh that there would be “no problem”. However, Sheikh – who had been writing notes for his acceptance speech during the ceremony – was left stunned when another person’s name was announced as the winner. He said this treatment had left him aggrieved. Sheikh said he does not shake hands with women on religious grounds, and instead touches his upper chest and says ‘I greet you’. Through his volunteer work, he interacted with people of many nationalities, including Irish, and both genders. The person who won instead was accorded a certificate with the original winner’s name crossed out, and hers written above. She was not present to receive her award. Later, Sheikh inquired as to why this happend and was told it was because he refused to shake hands. Email the African Centre at info@africacentre.ie and respectfully voice your disapproval of their actions. This is an example of public humiliation, especially if you consider that the organisers had previously given assurances that this would not be an issue. Sources: Metro Eireann The Times Gorey Muslim Community MPACUK

I take that back, what happened was that for once Muslims voted. Here is what happened: "Rankings are an inherently dangerous business. Whether offering a hierarchy of countries, cities, or colleges, any such list—at least any such list worth compiling—is likely to generate a fair amount of debate. In the last issue, when we asked readers to vote for their picks of the world’s top public intellectuals, we imagined many people would want to make their opinions known. But no one expected the avalanche of voters who came forward. During nearly four weeks of voting, more than 500,000 people came to ForeignPolicy.com to cast ballots. " Such an outpouring reveals something unique about the power of the men and women we chose to rank. They were included on our initial list of 100 in large part because of the influence of their ideas. But part of being a “public intellectual” is also having a talent for communicating with a wide and diverse public. This skill is certainly an asset for some who find themselves in the list’s top ranks. For example, a number of intellectuals—including Aitzaz Ahsan, Noam Chomsky, Michael Ignatieff, and Amr Khaled—mounted voting drives by promoting the list on their Web sites. Others issued press releases or gave interviews to local newspapers. Press coverage profiling these intellectuals appeared around the world, with stories running in Canada, India, Indonesia, Qatar, Spain, and elsewhere. No one spread the word as effectively as the man who tops the list. In early May, the Top 100 list was mentioned on the front page of Zaman, a Turkish daily newspaper closely aligned with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Within hours, votes in his favor began to pour in. His supporters—typically educated, upwardly mobile Muslims—were eager to cast ballots not only for their champion but for other Muslims in the Top 100. Thanks to this groundswell, the top 10 public intellectuals in this year’s reader poll are all Muslim. The ideas for which they are known, particularly concerning Islam, differ significantly. It’s clear that, in this case, identity politics carried the day.

I've come out of hiding to share this: According to a survey by Prospect and Foreign Policy Magazines the top 100 intellectuals in the world have been annouced, and interestingly the top 10 are overwhelmingly dominated by Muslims. 1 Fethullah Gulen Religious leader • Turkey An Islamic scholar with a global network of millions of followers, Gülen is both revered and reviled in his native Turkey. To members of the Gülen movement, he is an inspirational leader who encourages a life guided by moderate Islamic principles. To his detractors, he represents a threat to Turkey’s secular order. He has kept a relatively low profile since settling in the United States in 1999, having fled Turkey after being accused of undermining secularism. 2 Muhammad Yunus Microfinancier, activist • Bangladesh More than 30 years ago, Yunus loaned several dozen poor entrepreneurs in his native Bangladesh a total of $27. It was the beginning of a lifetime devoted to fighting poverty through microfinance, efforts that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Over the years, his Grameen Bank, now operating in more than 100 countries, has loaned nearly $7 billion in small sums to more than 7 million borrowers—97 percent of them women. Ninety-eight percent of the loans have been repaid. 3 Yusuf al-Qaradawi Cleric • Egypt/Qatar The host of the popular Sharia and Life TV program on Al Jazeera, Qaradawi issues w .eekly fatwas on everything from whether Islam forbids all consumption of alcohol (no) to whether fighting U.S. troops in Iraq is a legitimate form of resistance (yes). Considered the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qaradawi condemned the September 11 attacks, but his pronouncements since, like his justification of suicide attacks, ensure his divisive reputation. 4 Orhan Pamuk Novelist • Turkey Part political pundit, part literary celebrity, Pamuk is the foremost chronicler of Turkey’s difficult dance between East and West. His skillfully crafted works lay bare his native country’s thorny relationship with religion, democracy, and modernity, earning him a Nobel Prize in literature in 2006. Three years ago, Pamuk was put on trial for “insulting Turkish identity” after mentioning the Armenian genocide and the plight of Turkey’s Kurds in an interview. The charges were later dropped. Today, Pamuk teaches literature at Columbia University. 5 Aitzaz Ahsan Lawyer, politician • Pakistan President of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association, Ahsan has been a vocal opponent of President Pervez Musharraf’s rule. When Musharraf dismissed the head of the Supreme Court in March 2007, it was Ahsan who led the legal challenge to reinstate the chief justice and rallied thousands of lawyers who took to the streets in protest. He was arrested several times during the period of emergency rule last year. Today, he is a senior member of the Pakistan Peoples Party, formerly led by Benazir Bhutto, and one of the country’s most recognizable politicians. 6 Amr Khaled Muslim televangelist • Egypt A former accountant turned rock-star evangelist, Khaled preaches a folksy interpretation of modern Islam to millions of loyal viewers around the world. With a charismatic oratory and casual style, Khaled blends messages of cultural integration and hard work with lessons on how to live a purpose-driven Islamic life. Although Khaled got his start in Egypt, he recently moved to Britain to counsel young, second-generation European Muslims. 7 Abdolkarim Soroush Religious theorist • Iran Soroush, a former university professor in Tehran and specialist in chemistry, Sufi poetry, and history, is widely considered one of the world’s premier Islamic philosophers. Having fallen afoul of the mullahs thanks to his work with Iran’s democratic activists, he has lately decamped to Europe and the United States, where his essays and lectures on religious philosophy and human rights are followed closely by Iran’s reformist movement. 8 Tariq Ramadan Philosopher, scholar of Islam • Switzerland One of the most well-known and controversial Muslim scholars today, Ramadan embodies the cultural and religious clash he claims to be trying to bridge. His supporters consider him a passionate advocate for Muslim integration in Europe. His critics accuse him of anti-Semitism and having links to terrorists. In 2004, Ramadan was denied a U.S. visa to teach at Notre Dame, after the State Department accused him of donating to Islamic charities linked to Hamas. 9 Mahmood Mamdani Cultural anthropologist • Uganda Born in Uganda to South Asian parents, Mamdani was expelled from the country by Idi Amin in 1972, eventually settling in the United States. His work explores the role of citizenship, identity, and the creation of historical narratives in postcolonial Africa. More recently, he has focused his attention on political Islam and U.S. foreign policy, arguing that modern Islamist terrorism is a byproduct of the privatization of violence in the final years of the Cold War. He teaches at Columbia University. 10 Shirin Ebadi Lawyer, human rights activist • Iran Iran’s first female judge under the shah, Ebadi founded a pioneering law practice after she was thrown off the bench by Iran’s clerical rulers. Having initially supported the Islamic Revolution, she cut her teeth defending political dissidents and campaigning for the rights of women and children. A fierce nationalist who sees no incompatibility between Islam and democracy, Ebadi became the first Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Is this the beginning of a Muslim revival? Who is your top intellectual? Source: Foreign Policy The Guardian

Oh Shid I forgot, It would be right about now I guess. Well one post ago! Bye people. Do take care all inshallah. Bohoo, cries :cool: Salamah P.s. good thing I already posted that needed help thread! :eek: P.s.s. I knew I was forgetting something!

Che :confused: Explain? when, where, WHAT, HOW Paragon, I don't know waax kaa haadli

^^^NOpe. I wanna make it on my own.

^^^^ What! I'm Geeljirad to the bone! I had to think hard about that one. I too would've assumed that it grows on trees [i've never seen on growing anywhere, but I guess it is bit heavy to hang] lol

^^^They grow in small bushes, I got it write because you told me to read between the " bold" which I directly translated, out of context with the rest of the sentence. Go back to last pages. :cool:

^^Really the one before that, was you showing him your good side! lol anyway I was talking about the other thread with the zack and few others I've seen around. lol Okay: A watermelon fell out of you and I broke my hand... :confused:

Everyone is a bad mood today. It is the fighting day of SOL. Acudubiliah.

^^^Loool @ Taliban shoes! HAHAH lool

Too much calcal waa no good. Loool @ Human and sensitive. Then calacal away, but don't let Aduunyo run away from you while you are busy calacal[ing] Geel: Lol Well good to hear yours is going well! I'm good otherwise alhumdulilah. The project should come together soonish. I got my exams results, all of them good. So I’m less worried now. P.s. Any of your family in the UK, so I can harass them! lol

^^No thanks atheer, If I remember correctly, your threads were just calcal.com. Geel_jire Hello Long time no see, are you keeping well? How is your project coming along?

^^^I told you in English, in Somali and an explanation. what more do you want dear. It is the sound that a hammer makes when it hits the nail. Qaadow. Now don’t stress yourself over it. :cool:

^^^WHy Do you know want people to dig up your younger years threads I remember some funny ones! lol HAha, maybe i'll bring them back.

^^Isku direh :rolleyes: He is Tukeel. Kaar: dee joog haadab, anaga aya kaka teginah.

^^It is Somali. It means, on point, you've nailed it. Waad laa heeshi. Maa fahamtey?

^^^ :rolleyes: Why don't you go back to the politics section to have your fight. Halkan is peaceful corner, (most of the time) In saying that, I did not come up with it :mad: Now soco bax! :mad: Pheeew, feel much better