One should really be asking themselves those questions every day. All of the issues raised by Classique are also valid for me. In addition to all that, in no particular order: - I want to do more writing, actually finish a novel for a change. - Make the time to actually eat healthily, instead of reaching for the junkfood after a busy day at work. - I want to do more things for others that don't benefit me in any way. I haven't done much of that this year. - Teach myself to stop worrying about things I have no control over, like politics. - Get a decent job relevant to my career plans. - Do at least 10 original and challenging things this year. - Learn how to network, I'm terrible at remembering people's names. - Insha-allah see my ayeeyo for the first time in 20 years (I'm 21). - Gain a better understanding of Islam, so I can teach my children properly one day (if Allah gives me some) - Learn how to skate - Learn the profound principles of not spending any money unneccessarily (I think it's called saving or something). - Learn Arabic and improve my Somali. - Find out what Tofu tastes like I can't think of any more.

I also thought that muslims were moderate by nature. The points being put forward by some western forces, are quite valid and completely in line with Islam. These are originally Islamic principles that have been corrupted by various cultures over the years. Remember it was Islam which pioneered women's rights and human rights. I think the point of the article is not to subscribe to moderate or extreme or whatever term is popular these days. I think the author is calling for muslims to return to the true message of Islam, and not to be afraid of self-criticism. You know, just because the West has supported some principles, doesn't mean that they automatically go against our religion. It is our religion and we all have our own 'muslim' countries, let's take back both. Wind and Haddad, don't be fooled by the war of language that's going on in the media. Moderate, extremism etc., are just words. It's what they signify that's important. If they talk about 'moderate' like it's some kind of cult or Islamic denomination, it's our fault that we let them. I'm still not sure what moderate islam really means, but if it's really about kindness, tolerance, humility and respect, then we should tell them that they are talking about what's already in the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The problem is not that the West supports moderatism, but that we didn't support it first.

Originally posted by wind.talker: Second paragraph and already he labels himself as a "cultural alien." Which Islam is he talking about? How can one be "inherently less capable of understanding" something? Is he implying the understanding of Islam depends on your race, i.e. if you're Arab, Pakistani or Indonesian you're more able to understand the religion as opposed to be being a Brit? In Islam, there is no racial hierarchy. I wonder if he understands this basic notion. HADDAD - Thanks for that info. Seems like "moderate Islam" is quickly becoming a new branch of our beloved religion! Wind I think that he's being slightly sarcastic there. It's obvious from this article that he doesn't believe that Islam belongs to certain races and cultures, but he is referring to the people he met who seem to have that opinion. Anyway I think he has some valid points. Not many muslims I know stop to think what impression they are giving to non-muslims of Islam. (including myself sometimes) What is moderate Islam anyway?

I'm so sorry to hear this AJ, Ilaahi ha u naxriisto. I hope you are keeping well through all this, and remember God is great and we live and die by his grace only. Once again, I'm sorry to hear this.

I've been to: Africa - Somalia: Mogadishu, was born here. - Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, some remote villages Asia - UAE: Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, uhh EVERYWHERE - Syria (short period) - Oman: used to go here all the time, don't remember where though, I was very young. Europe - Holland: EVERYWHERE, grew up here. Lived mostly in Sneek and Amsterdam - United Kingdom: London (I live here now), Canterbury, Dover, uhh, Kent (haven't traveled much since I came here, London is pretty self-contained) - France: Paris, Calais, Versailles, Lille, Le Havre, Disneyland!, loads of places I don't remember - Belgium: Antwerp, Brussles, Gent, Brugge - Germany: Frankfurt, Munchen, Stuttgart, Hannover and bunch of other villages and stuff - Romania: Buckarest But I intend to go backpacking through Europe this summer, so expect a bigger list then.

^^Sure, let's all share the misery of herbal breast enhancements. It'll bring us closer together.

Well mine's valenscia@hotmail.com

Alle-ubaahne, did you actually read my whole post, or did you just skim to it. It is very, very clear from my post, that I am not those who side with the French Government He did read it, I think he's deliberately misinterpreting your post. Originally posted by Alle-ubaahne: Subxaanalaah, I think you guys having nothing but to downtrack my harmless remarks all the way until you touchdown my personality, especially that lady sheherz..., I don't even know how to write it! Ok, go ahead guys, let Alle-ubaahne be your primery target for the day. I did nothing so far but defend my religion from the French infidel, and you guys are running around here asking me to lower the megnitude of my harsh criticism against the French followers! What can I say... at least you better side with the French instead of concealing your identities indirectly as the so-called Moderate Muslims. Anyway, you better take your heels so as be save from any fitnah, please. Can you? My failure to understand such mindless stubbornness leads me to think that you are actually enjoying all this. Either you are unable to read or you enjoy being 'controversial', because it fuels whatever misguided sense of righteousness you have? Because as far as I know, everybody agrees with you on the thread topic. How about you save all that energy for when someone actually truly disagrees with you?

Originally posted by Alle-ubaahne: Xu, Does it hurt if your brother disagrees your inappropriate iconic appearance over the screen, which may reflect on you? By the way, how come you know the Gaalo langauge but Arabic, which is the language of the Quran? Tell me why you know the Gaalo language in the first place. Cajiib, these people have no idea how far they crossed the boundaries! :confused: Good grief man, the point is that avatars have nothing to do with the thread topic or the validity of my opinion. It's like you're some bad lawyer who knows the only way he can make his case, is to discredit the witness in any way he can, instead of directly challenging what that person is saying. So far I've mostly agreed with you, yet you insist that I did not. Weird. :eek: Is knowing the gaalo language a crime?? I had to learn it, considering I grew up here. I've never had the opportunity to meet many Somali or Arabic people. However I'm trying to learn Arabic, insha-allah I'll master it one day. However, your pompous dismissive attitude is exactly the kind of behaviour that makes people scared of Islam. Instead of making our religion open and inclusive, you seem to have this "well you should learn Arabic, tough luck!" type of viewpoint. That's really great for pulling all the de-Islamised youth back to the right path. It's a really good thing not all imams think like you. I did question that girls' support of the French imposition of regulations against Muslims You shouldn't comment before actually reading what people post. I'm not going to repeat myself again. Read my previous post, for goodness. But I have to admit, post-9/11 muslim communities have become more closed in response to the attacks on their religion. Maybe that's the wrong way of going about things. All this mystery surrounding Islam allows the ones who do speak out, to spread their anti-Islam propaganda. Maybe we should have a real dialogue, preach in the local language to show them the true face of Islam, and hopefully this will allow more people to become drawn to Islam.

Aah, we have 'em every generation: The twitchy technophobe. What happened to the good old days, indeed.

You are right, that's what it really comes down to, isn't it. For us to do these small things Allah SWT asks of us, despite our errors, He gives greater things in return. I like your signature too.

Originally posted by Alle-ubaahne: xu, You agree with the Gaalo, right? Yeah, I could see that from your unveiled hair. Please, go and take your hijaab first, then express your views politely, ok. Good grief, this is taking laziness to a whole new level. Did you even read what I said? Agreeing with Gaalo? All I said was that it's a good thing for Imams to speak the language of the country they're preaching in, for the benefit of muslims who don't speak Arabic, so that they too will receive the Islamic guidance they need. Xu, freedom of religion shouldn't be regulated. The MPs have no business defining what means what in Islam. When you impose borders on what you as a Muslim can and can't do, it's only a matter of time before they decide Friday prayers are inappropriate and shouldn't be held at all. Underdog, I think you misunderstand me, when I said: What I mean is, unless the MPs drafting the terms defining radicalism are widely respected and learned Imams or muslim scholars, they have no business interfering with religion I pretty much said the same thing as you. The MPs trying to redefine Islam for us, are not experienced Muslim scholars or Imams, and thus would not know what the difference is between radicalism and true Islam, or even have any educated perspective on Islam. It's the lack of knowledge that I'm addressing. If you read the rest of my post properly, you will find that I'm actually agreeing with you. Like I said, it scares me to see these people feeding into the paranoia that's so rampant after 9/11, using us Muslims as diversions from their own sordid affairs. It always starts with one seemingly insignificant law, before you know, millions of people are subjected to a law no other religion has to adhere to. Also it doesn't matter whether the person I agree with is Gaal or not. If it were a French muslim proposing state interference into our religion (or any religion), I'd still be against it. And Alle-Ubaahne brother, don't make such strong assumptions about people you've never met or even ever spoken to. It's a vile ignorant habit that I'm sure is beneath you. :rolleyes:

I always thought it was a good idea for Imams to speak the language of the country they're living in. Or to preach in that language. Personally I prefer it, because I don't speak Arabic, not very many people do, so it would be more beneficial for muslims if they spoke in a language they could understand. However, (as some people are attempting) to prohibit preaching in a language other than the national one, is just wrong. In mosques in certain communities, people will get a better understanding of what is being preached in a language they understand. To deprive them of that, means that the government sees religion as nothing more than a political tool. This scares me a little. Especially since they don't specify what 'radical' really is. It can be used to challenge any Islamic concepts; restriction of interfaith-marriages, teaching that Islam is absolute, circumcision, fasting children etc. What I mean is, unless the MPs drafting the terms defining radicalism are widely respected and learned Imams or muslim scholars, they have no business interfering with religion Honestly, soon you'll need a license to be a Muslim. Start teaching your ayeeyo all the Harry Potter knowledge she'll need for the Britishness test, before she can call herself a Muslim.

Originally posted by NGONGE: The blacks in the stories are black slaves. I wont go into the morality of it, however, you need to remember that these stories were written at a time when slavery was rife in the Muslim world and most slaves were black. Ergo, black slaves were mentioned in a bad light. Yes I know that, but what struck me was the prevalence of women cheating on their husbands with black men. The vivid (and somewhat exasperated) descriptions of the slaves' ugliness and monstrosity by the arab male characters sound a little insecure to me. I've always found it funny how the masculinity of arab characters was addressed in these tales. It's interesting how the adulterous women chose these slaves over their royal husbands. In any other story, slaves were always depicted as weak, pitiful and undesirable. That's why it's funny that the black slaves are repesented as sexually appealing to an extent. But then again, I've only ever read the Burton translation, which does cater to the prejuidices of that 19th century. So I'm not entirely sure how faithful a translation his version is.

An interesting test, however I found the dinner question funny. excuse yourself for a moment, then eat as much as you can of the food to satisfy your craving, then invite them in to share the remaining food. lol However realistically, I don't think you're much less of a sister if you help people according to their need, rather than slavishly indulge their every whim. Being humble, patient and kind doesn't mean to let people walk all over you as they please. Anyway good test, remind me to say Salaam more often.

I don't know, personallyI find something quite disgusting about that idea. My cousins are like brothers to me, it would feel like incest.

Originally posted by NGONGE: I also don’t see why we would need a men’s section! Like someone above said, men are free to roam in all the sections. We are MEN, we can go wherever we like. Nobody should limit us to one section or call it a man section. Women on the other hand, while allowed to venture out from time to time, can’t be “souraaf†and claim to have equal footing with us men. Of course, we have to placate them with the sweet words of equality and fairness but when being practical, they have to be hidden away in their own section (if it wasn’t for political correctness, I’d call it a kitchen). This might sound too odious but dress it up with the right words and expressions and it’s fairly acceptable to all ( even those in the “kitchenâ€). So, men, give the ladies some space. Ehh, us women are able to discuss anything. There's nothing we really shy away from. However, how many men can handle such topics us menstruation, childbirth, commitment, interior decoration etc.? And honestly, I thought by now you guys would've caught on that the reason you were able to dominate the world was because we allowed it. We allowed you to play with your little toys like weapons, power and money because it kept you quiet and obedient. Also you underestimate the kitchen. Surely an intelligent man like yourself should be able to recognise it for the seat of power that it is. It is in the kitchen that leaders of the land are shaped. Honestly, it's amazing what one can achieve with a little nutritional manipulation.

Originally posted by besbaaso: if u luv arabian lit. u have probably read the "alif layla wa layle" or the one thousand and one nights tales.....i luve arabic fairy tales....found an old copy at this tiny book store near the university....it is called tales from the arabian nights....by n.j.dawood.... I love that too. But have you noticed that they are a tad racist and misogynistic, even if it is related by a woman? All the women are committing adultery with black evil ugly men. All the villains seem to be black? :eek: When I was younger I used to love the story of Qays and Leila. However, such mindless unjustified love doesn't do it for me anymore. That's why I can't stand Romeo, both these men were in love with Love. Obsessions like that don't move me emotionally. I can't sympathise with someone's love, if I don't understand it.

To be honest, I used wear plain non-prescription glasses to interviews to make me look smarter. It is amazing how easily opinions are formed based on a bit of deformed plastic. However, I soon realised certain things were assumed and expected of me. If I said something particularly clever, people were kind of indifferent about it. Like it was the kind of thing they expected me to say, rather than understand what I was saying. I decided that I didn't need accessories to illustrate my intelligence. I could surprise people with my remarks, catch them off guard or get back at them for thinking I was just a dumb bimbo.

I'm also a little torn over this subject. First, you have to acknowledge that a lot of the victims of STDs don't neccessarily indulge in fornication/aldutery. It could be their partners, and them being the unsuspecting victims. Then there are the people who may have had unlawful sex in the past, but who have put it behind them and decided to marry someone. What I'm trying to say is that you can't write off condoms as inciting unlawful sexual behaviour. These people need protection too. However, condoms won't help at all if not coupled with clear education on Sexual Health and wide-spread testing to prevent spreading the disease. In a Somali society, that will be difficult, but not impossible if done in a sensitive manner. But then again, it may sound a tad brutal, but STDs may act as a deterrent to fornication. Probably only if coupled (no pun intended) with proper sex education. Hm, it's a difficult one. What I do know is that education is important, and that we need to expel this fear of sex as something unspeakable. It's human, it's natural and depending on the way it's applied, it will shape the rest of a person's life. And like people said, don't forget condoms for preventing pregnancies. It beats having to remember taking the Pill everyday. Originally posted by besbaaso: sorry no offense intended....queenie....u a little too knowledgeable about condoms....if u know wat i mean.... It's not a matter of being too knowledgeable, but a matter of irrelevant knowledge.

To be honest, as a woman, I don't see the point of a Women's section. We talk about human relationships most of the time, and men can actively participate in those too. Of course there are some threads that seek the opinion of women only, but not enough to merit a whole section, me thinks. If there are any specific women's issues that need discussing, lets put it in the General or Debate section, whichever is appropriate.

First, he is so undesirable to modern Somali girls that he has to get one from the bush? But because he knows that he is horrible, he won't educate her properly and abuse her, in case she wises up and finds out what a prick he is? Goodness, you want us to symphatise with him?? Typical Farax innit. Any other man who was rejected by girls for very specific reasons, would go out and try to change his bad habits. But our good old Farax on the other hand, just goes in search of someone who doesn't know any better. You gotta give him credit for his ingenious profit-loss analysis.

From what I understand of their religion (no need to pretend it has anything to do with Islam), it seems pretty racist. They place too great an importance on their own race. It's so appealing to its followers because it gives a divine meaning or a purpose to the victimisation of black people. It's totally messed up of course. W F. Muhammad being God in human flesh?? White people created by a mad scientist? ehh, right. I don't see why you're so puzzled over that phrase when there was all that other nonsense that's supposed to be the fundamentals of their religion. A man who can make that up, can surely find creative ways to justify his own sins. Self-evident me thinks.

Wiilo, Jackson, you guys must be really weak in your faith to feel threatened by a few hundred christians. Non-muslim communities have always lived peacefully under Muslim leadership. In fact, it is this tolerance that learned Muslims pride themselves on. That's what Islam brought to the world, tolerance to those who don't are not actively trying to harm you. Remember the Quran? That Holy book you associate yourself with? Remember the phrase: "Lakum di nokum walye din"? Somali people really are the most disrespectful and intolerant of people. Instead of showing them the kindness and generosity Islam teaches us, they show fear and disgust at anything and anyone that's not like them. I would say Christians and other non-muslim people should be protected. They should have the right to assemble and worship and celebrate their holidays. If Christian countries can do this much for us, why can't we do the same in return? Are they better than us? More tolerant? Or are these countries wrong and they should have gagged us and torn down our mosques? Because who knows, when they learn how truly open and tolerant and warm our religion is, through ordinary Muslims who practice Islam in the kindest humblest way, perhaps then they will become drawn towards it. Honestly if I were a non-muslim, and had no knowledge of Islam except by the example of Somali muslims, I don't think I'd become one. Do you honestly want to be like that?

I've been wondering about something for a while. In several western countries, groups are emerging who want to establish an Islamic state in the Western country they're currently residing in. They want to remove the godlessness and reinstate the quran as the only law, etc. However, what I don't understand is why they want to even attempt this in the west. Isn't it hypocritical of them to concentrate their efforts on western countries, while the current so-called 'muslim' countries are rapidly declining? Why would any Western nation take an Islamic government seriously, when the current ones are a joke? Wouldn't their efforts be better spent trying to improve the state of current muslim countries first, by setting an example of Islam can really work, before progressing unto countries that are so ideologically different? What are your thoughts about this?