Originally posted by Norfsky: What is wrong with the Arab model of Islamic state? you're joking right?

Originally posted by Tuujiye: Ailamos, I don't even know if your somali but if you are stop the double talk... what Kulmiye wrote and what your intentions are two different things... Kulmiye wants diin still and a civil life..but the rest of you and the non believers, what interest is that for you? No double talk here awoowe, diin iyo civil life weey isla socdaan under a secular government... which is something you have locked your mind out of and refuse to see or accept as possible... the countries of europe as an example are christian with secular governments, why do you think secularism and a Muslim identity is impossible for Somalia? as long as Islam is the main religion in Somalia, you and the likes of you will hide in fear no matter what... so stop the act! for 1300 years somalia not only have Islam but also some somalis like you who didn't believe in Allah and for that 1300 years, they lived unknown... what a load of bishbaash... the likes of me want a society that's not based in fear and persecution which is what the likes of you want... so please take your bishbaash to the al-shabaab section... laakiin no way ee umada somali u ogalaaneyso gaal kuunto madoow!!! you sound exactly like the rightwing bigots in the US and Europe with their xenophobia...

quite simply, life is what you make of it...

Originally posted by Kulmiye: "Also, some argued that because of the civil war, which has destroyed the very fabric of the Somali society, where a mixture of customary laws, Islamic faith teachings and Western secular thoughts seem not to have worked, that Islam is the only common identity and denominator that could be used to remould the broken foundation." Talow yaa saas u fakara? we have been practicing Islam for more than 200 years while keeping our traditions and cultural practices and it was never a problem- and now its important to live by the Sharia laws- and the need to ban modern material just so we can meet the Arab standard of Islamic state? why? Good point Kulmiye, as a matter of fact Islam has been present in the Somali peninsula for over 1300 years and this bast-ardization of the religion and its tenants by the IDF and their goons is what is rotting our society from the core...

you'll understand when you're older and are a parent yourself... parental love is difficult to define at least they don't kick you out when you're 18 and disoriented...

Originally posted by rudy-Diiriye: some how, after reading this, the only thing that comes into my head is following!! Alkoliste umberyaako, alkoliste umberyaako! looooooooool Another misinformed soul... It's shocking how many so-called pious folk, what I refer to the IDF or the Islamic Defense Forces, not completely different from the Israeli Defense Forces in that see everything through a single lens... in your case this lens shows them: that anything other than Islamic governance, and rule of law based on Sharia will cause mass prostitution and alcoholism, loss of family values and the very fabric of society and the disintegration of us as Somalis... This is nothing but utter BS at its best. Read some books other than the Quran, do some traveling, meet and get to know people who are different from you (get out of your hopeless shell for God's sake!!) and see how things really are instead of shackling yourselves in the ghettos of ignorance under a false spot light of righteousness. The ignorance in this thread has the power to drive the sane to insanity and sometimes I think if every Somali thinks like Rudy and Tuujiye and Co. then there is indeed no hope for Somalia.

Originally posted by Tuujiye: All of you hate Islam not because what these Shabaab Animals are doing to our country, but the fact that it doesn't allow you to do the things that you are all adicted on like qamri iyo qurunka kale.... Islam is not about Al-shabaab so stop using them for your excuses for leaving your faith....all of you are just sad bunch who stand alone looking for something to blame your sorry lifes.... I think Tuujiye is being a bit sensitive, overprotective, hostile and a whole host of other things associated with old age

Originally posted by Qhalib: quote: Puntland, which declared itself independent in the early 1990s when the Horn of Africa nation was plunged into anarchy and civil war. How occurate is the rest of the article? :rolleyes: I was waiting to see how long it would take for someone to notice that... it took a while :eek:

Good post GD... I sometimes do not understand the reason why certain individuals insist on religious governance, when secular governance provides one with same freedom (and then some) to practice one's religion while allowing room for social growth and development.

Originally posted by Sherban Shabeel: That's BS. Vices introduce themselves, they don't need people to introduce them, and to blame it all on piracy is plain simplistic thinking. These are just the jealous cats who aren't getting any money. I bet Prez Farole would like nothing more than to jump in a skiff and get some pirate money, but he can't because he's the President of PL. Can you blame him? Hell, I'd like nothing more than to jump in a skiff and get some pirate money.

Sorry Sherban, I had to change the thread because I double posted it...

A group of British Muslims demanded an apology from the Ministry of Defense on Thursday after it said replica mosques were being used on a military firing range in northern England. The Bradford Council for Mosques (BCM), an umbrella organization for faith schools and mosques in the area, called for the green-domed structures to be taken down and wanted assurance they would not be used again. “The structures do symbolize mosques,” BCM spokesman Ishtiaq Ahmed told Reuters. “Mosques are our places of worship, they are places of peace, and for anyone to suggest that they are potential zones of danger and should be shot at is really not acceptable.” The one-dimensional hardboard structures in Catterick, North Yorkshire, are not used as direct targets, but are intended to provide a more “realistic” background for soldiers training ahead of deployment in Afghanistan, a military source said. Other “generic eastern silhouettes” used include palm trees and irrigation ditches. But the BCM’s Ahmed said the site did not bear any resemblance to what British forces were experiencing in Afghanistan. “If they had a replica of a street or a village in Afghanistan with a mosque as a kind of location point we would understand that, but these are simply six or seven structures in the direct shooting line which anyone looking at would come to the obvious conclusion that they are mosques.” About 9,500 British troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan as part of the US-led coalition fighting an increasingly bloody Taleban insurgency. The Ministry of Defense apologized for any offence, saying it was never the intention for the structures to look like or replicate mosques. “We are seeking a meeting with representatives from the Muslim community to hear their concerns in order to discuss the way forward,” a spokesman said in a statement.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has damaged livestock exports and the fishing industry in semi-autonomous Puntland, bringing vices like alcohol and prostitution, the region's president said. A cash bonanza from millions of dollars in ransoms has filled pirate coffers and led to an influx of gleaming cars, new villas and luxury goods into Puntland, which declared itself independent in the early 1990s when the Horn of Africa nation was plunged into anarchy and civil war. Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole told Reuters that piracy had emerged as an industry for a wide range of people, including brokers and facilitators, disrupting the region's traditional economy. "They have disrupted our economy, which traditionally is based on livestock export and fisheries. No one is fishing on the waters now," he said in the interview conducted late on Thursday. "They have spoiled the cultural and religious values, and introduced drugs, alcohol and prostitution." Somalia's economy is based almost entirely on remittances, livestock exports to Gulf Arab countries and donor inflows. But the threat of hijackings in the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden has deterred livestock traders from crossing the waterway, hitting trade volumes. Farole rejected accusations by the United Nations that pirates may be collaborating with officials in Puntland and criticized the lack of aid from foreign powers to help the region fight piracy. He said said his government's $20 million plan to train a 600-strong anti-piracy force and put dozens of speedboats on 80 coastguard stations had failed to attract donor attention. "We brought this plan to many organizations including governments and the (United Nations). Everybody appreciated it but up to now we have not got any assistance," Farole said. The northern region has been relatively peaceful compared with southern Somalia. But Farole, who was in Kenya to meet with donors, said prisons were stretched to their limits with 264 arrested pirates and Puntland needed assistance to increase its jail capacity. Australia's Range Resources and partner Africa Oil Corp are exploring for crude oil in Puntland and Farole said there was a "good prospect" that their efforts would yield results. Somalia has no proven oil reserves but a joint World Bank/UN survey of northeast Africa 16 years ago ranked it second only to Sudan as the top prospective producer. Geologically-similar formations in Yemen, across the Gulf of Aden, hold nearly 4 billion barrels. http://arabnews.com/economy/article41007.ece

By ETHAN BRONNER RAMALLAH, West Bank — Senior Palestinian leaders — men who once commanded militias — are joining unarmed protest marches against Israeli policies and are being arrested. Goods produced in Israeli settlements have been burned in public demonstrations. The Palestinian prime minister has entered West Bank areas officially off limits to his authority, to plant trees and declare the land part of a future state. Something is stirring in the West Bank. With both diplomacy and armed struggle out of favor for having failed to end the Israeli occupation, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, joined by the business community, is trying to forge a third way: to rouse popular passions while avoiding violence. The idea, as Fatah struggles to revitalize its leadership, is to build a virtual state and body politic through acts of popular resistance. “It is all about self-empowerment,” said Hasan Abu-Libdeh, the Palestinian economy minister, referring to a campaign to end the purchase of settlers’ goods and the employment of Palestinians by settlers and their industries. “We want ordinary people to feel like stockholders in the process of building a state.” The new approach still remains small scale while American-led efforts to revive peace talks are stalled. But street interviews showed that people were aware and supportive of its potential to bring pressure on Israel but dubious about its ultimate effectiveness. Billboards have sprung up as part of a campaign against buying settlers’ goods, featuring a pointed finger and the slogan “Your conscience, your choice.” The Palestinian Ministry of Communications has just banned the sale of Israeli cellphone cards because Israeli signals are relayed from towers inside settlements. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is spending more time out of his business suits and in neglected villages opening projects related to sewage, electricity and education and calling for “sumud,” or steadfastness. “Steadfastness must be translated from a slogan to acts and facts on the ground,” he told a crowd late last month in a village called Izbet al-Tabib near the city of Qalqilya, an area where Israel’s separation barrier makes access to land extremely difficult for farmers. Before planting trees, Mr. Fayyad told about 1,000 people gathered to hear him, “This is our real project, to establish our presence on our land and keep our people on it.” Nonviolence has never caught on here, and Israel’s military says the new approach is hardly nonviolent. But the current set of campaigns is trying to incorporate peaceful pressure in limited ways. Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of the Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, just visited Bilin, a Palestinian village with a weekly protest march. Next week, Martin Luther King III is scheduled to speak here at a conference on nonviolence. On Palm Sunday, the Israeli police arrested 15 Palestinians in Bethlehem who were protesting the difficulty of getting to Jerusalem because of a security closing. Abbas Zaki, a senior official in the Palestine Liberation Organization, was arrested, prompting demonstrations the next day. Some Palestinians are also rejecting V.I.P. cards handed out by Israelis allowing them to pass quickly through checkpoints. Palestinian political analysts say it is too early to assess the prospects of the nonviolent approach. Generally, they say, given the division between Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, and the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority here, nothing is likely to change without a political shakeup and unified leadership. Still, they say, popular resistance, combined with institution-building and international appeals, is gaining notice among Palestinians. “Fatah is living through a crisis of vision,” said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, chairman of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs in Jerusalem. “How can they combine being a liberation movement with being a governing party? This is one way. The idea is to awaken national pride and fulfill the people’s anxiety and passion. Of course, Hamas and armed resistance still remain a real option for many.” Khalil Shikaki, who runs the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, said: “The society is split. The public believes that Israel responds to suffering, not to nonviolent resistance. But there is also not much interest in violence now. Our surveys show support for armed resistance at 47 percent in March. In essence, the public feels trapped between failed diplomacy and failed armed struggle.” Israeli military authorities have not decided how to react. They allow Mr. Fayyad some activity in the areas officially off limits to him, but on occasion they have torn down what he has built. They reject the term nonviolent for the recent demonstrations because the marches usually include stone-throwing and attempts to damage the separation barrier. Troops have responded with stun grenades, rubber bullets, tear gas and arrests. And the military has declared that Bilin will be a closed area every Friday for six months to halt the weekly marches there. “We respect Salam Fayyad,” one military official said, speaking under the army’s rules of anonymity. “But we don’t want him to engage in incitement. Burning goods is incitement. Destroying the fence is incitement and is not nonviolent. They are walking a thin line.” One reason a violent uprising remains unlikely for now, Palestinian analysts say, is that in the two years that Mr. Fayyad’s security forces and ministries have been functioning, daily life inside West Bank cities and their surroundings has taken on much greater safety and normality. The police and the courts are functioning again after the intifada of 2000 that led to many deaths on both sides. Traffic tickets are now routinely handed out. Personal checks, long shunned, are increasingly in use. Of course, the presence of Israeli forces outside the cities and at checkpoints, the existence of the barrier and continued building inside Israeli settlements send most Palestinians into despair and make them doubt that a sovereign state can be built. One effort to increase a sense of hope is a new push to ban goods made in the settlements, symbols of occupation. A $2 million project called the Karama National Empowerment Fund, jointly financed by Palestinian businesses and the government, aims to spread the message through ads and public events. Mr. Abu-Libdeh, the economy minister, said a law was likely to go into effect soon barring the purchase of settlers’ goods, a trade worth at least $200 million a year. Efforts to end Palestinian employment in settlements will not carry penalties, he said, because the government does not offer unemployment insurance and it is unclear whether the 30,000 Palestinians who work in settlements could find new jobs. Palestinian industrialists have financed the settlers’ goods ban partly because they hope to replace the goods with their own. They do not single out other Israeli goods, which are protected under trade agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. Mr. Fayyad, the prime minister, a political independent, said his notion was to build the makings of a state by 2011. “It’s about putting facts on the ground,” he said in an interview. “The occupation is not transitional so we need to make sure our people stick around. If we create services, it gives people a sense of possibility. I feel we are on a path that is very appealing both domestically and internationally. The whole world knows this occupation has to end.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/world/middleeast/07westbank.html

I guess this thread has been officially rendered useless after last night's crushing defeat...

Spanish club was at its majestic best at the Emirates By Anthony Sciarrino Apr 5, 2010 11:19:00 PM Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confessed that this Barcelona side, who the Gunners play in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, are ‘the best team that I’ve ever seen.’ Despite the flattering comment about the quality of the Catalan giants, the Frenchman still believes that his squad can defeat Barcelona and advance to the Champions League semi-finals. In order to accomplish that feat Wenger’s side will have to overcome injuries to Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Andrey Arshavin and Alexandre Song to overcome what the Gunners boss has called the greatest team he has faced. "This is the best team I've ever seen and the best team I've ever faced,” Wenger told The Sun. "They play at a higher pace collectively and I don't think we have ever been dominated so much at home. Certainly Cesc hasn't! "He's used to having the ball. I think there was the psychological influence of us being so used to having the ball, then suddenly we didn't have the ball. "The impression was deeper on the players than it should have been. "I think we have to make some things different on Tuesday to make sure that it doesn't happen again." Barcelona is not without missing first-team players such as Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yaya Toure injured and defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique suspended. Despite the weakened Barcelona squad, Arsenal have some work to do as Barcelona still go into the Nou Camp with two away goals and the initiative will have to come from the Gunners. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/174/uefa-champions-league/2010/04/05/1865520/arsenals-arsene-wenger-b arcelona-are-the-best-team-ive-ever

^^^ LOOOL..

Originally posted by Karl_Polanyi: i guess they didn't have a tv on that flight. Spot on! It was a Delta flight... go figure

Originally posted by B: quote:Originally posted by ailamos: quote: Originally posted by B: silly western ideas of governance And what may those be? for instance your whole argument is underpinned by the separation of powers. ... did I explicity mention that? Whoa! B you sure exposed me for the secularist that I am... truly I am shocked!

Originally posted by B: silly western ideas of governance And what may those be?

So here it is, on a recent flight from NYC to San Diego I've had the time to write down some of the things I've daydreamed about while on the train going to/from work... they're all centered on the thirst and longing for our homeland, and I thought I'd share it with everyone. I'm you all have some ideas as well, so please do share them. I'm certain I've missed a lot of things - get rid of all the AlShabaab goonies - get rid of the entire TFG, have a government comprised of this generations brightest both from inside and outside of Somalia - create a union of Somali regions in federal government that allows for the autonomy of the federal regions - Adopt the official name: The Federal Democratic Republic of the Somali People or The Somali Federation for short - create ministries of: foreign affairs, interior, agriculture and fisheries, natural resource conservation, petroleum and mineral resources, culture and heritage, Islamic affairs, transport, education, science and technology, defense, justice, finance, immigration, human rights and equality - have three 'capitals' in different regions e.g. the federal in muqdisho, administrative in hargeisa, and judicial in garowe ... so authority is not centralized in one region - a free educational system, a national healthcare system (NHS) and a national pension system - Healthcare facilities present in every settlement and village as well as the institution of services to the Nomadic communities - every citizen possesses a national ID card that allows the receipt of free services from the government and also allows visa-free travel to neighboring countries through agreements and treaties - start a government funded exchange program whereby Somali students (high school and university) can go to countries they're interested in and have international students, funded by their home governments, come to Somalia to learn about us - the empowerment of the industrial sector and indigenous products - the creation of an indigenous mechanical industry producing and exporting cars, trucks, heavy machinery, planes and marine equipment - advancement of the public transport sector with an extensive railroad system, bus network and low cost flights to other parts of Somalia, creating more jobs and independence from personal vehicles - the facilitation of fair trade deals with as many nations as possible and the creation of two national airlines, one headquartered in Hargeisa and another in Mogadishu to facilitate those business and tourism ties - having most major cities install a no-car zone in city centers to reduce CO2 emissions and encourage the use of the extensive public transport... and also applying a yearly tax per personal vehicle owned - create a country-wide network of renewable energy stations such as solar panels and wind turbines to enable both urban and remote communities to receive energy - encourage residents to purchase solar panels or other technologies in order to contribute to the national grid and reduce their energy costs - establishing national parks in different parts of the country (including ocean and beach areas) that have advanced conservation programs to maintain Somali flora and fauna particularly the endemic species - encourage tourism and foreign investment in the country with the guarantee of rule of law, respect for all and fairness and equality - advertise Somalia as one of the premier international vacation spots that rival nearby regions in the Middle East and East Africa... - Tourism slogans… e.g. "The longest coastal train trip in continental Africa... from the lovely beaches to Kismayo to the cultural heart of Saylac" ... something similar to the famed TransSiberian Railroad... - empower women and encourage them to take up jobs that are currently dominated by men... guarantee equal pay and instill a sense of gender equality in the society - institute a national Somali cultural center for the propagation and advancement of Somali culture and language around the world where there are members of the diaspora - Increase the literacy rates through the Somali cultural center and establish offices and centers in rural communities as well as service to the nomadic community - officially adopt the status of a neutral country and make peace with our neighbors - guarantee freedom of speech (this does not include hate/inflammatory speech), freedom of press, freedom of association and the freedom of worship - institute a culture of religious tolerance and understanding; allow the construction of churches and temples - establish Sunday-Thursday workday... Friday and Saturday are holidays... allow the flexibility for companies to institute a 10-hour workday and a three-day Friday-Sunday weekend - Institute a maximum of 15 minutes break per prayer time for employees - Minimum of three weeks and maximum of five weeks vacation per year per employee - 12 holidays per year [Prophet's Birthday, Eid Al Fitr (3), Eid Al Adha (3), 1st Muharram, Independence Day, End of Civil War (Federation Day), 1st of Ramadan, Labor Day] - propel Somalia as a multicultural society while at the same time preserving Somali culture and heritage - Ministry of culture and heritage fully encourages the arts and participates in international artistic events to showcase Somali artists as well as hosting events ourselves - advance the sports sector and take part in regional and international games - form international treaties that allow Somali citizens to have freedom of travel that rivals that of Western countries - create a world class educational system centered on wholesome learning where the core subjects in primary education are: Somali Heritage and Language, Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry), Mathematics, World History & Geography, World Religions (with a focus of Islamic History) - Institute Somali National University in every region - Options for university studies include 3-year Bachelors, 2-year Masters and 4-year PhD ... free education benefits expire after these time limits - Somali higher degrees officially recognized by the ministries of education in the EU, USA, Canada, Australia/NZ, South Africa, India, Gulf States, Brazil and AU - Turn Somalia into a country of immigration rather than emigration - Allow permanent residency to foreigners after 5 years of continuous residence with no unlawful activity and without absences lasting more than 3 months - citizenship conferred upon permanent residents after 10 years of residency - citizenship test includes knowledge of Somali language, culture and history - Allow dual citizenship - Deny citizenship or residency to nationals of countries that deny Somalis residency or citizenship - At the age of 18 every citizen must undertake civil (non-military) service for a period of one year. This could be divided into eight months of service in Somalia and four months of service in one of Somalia's humanitarian missions abroad - Adopt the slogan: Unity, Equality, Prosperity - Create a police force that is there to 1. Serve, 2. Counsel, and 3. Protect. These values must be instilled in every cadet to avoid abuse of power

a colleague sent me this last Friday... HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term. The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well : Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell,then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct...... leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.' The student got an A+.

^ I'll make a post of it soon as see what other brilliant ideas other have..

I hate that man...