LOL@Scandanavia... I will surely suggest that one

I hope it doesn't take 3 centuries maybe 50 or so years?

She'll probably get airtime and media attention for sure, but I think the Canadian students did well by rejecting her as speaker and brought to attention her hatred and intolerance. The university should have outright refused to host her due to her baseless accusations and outright lies. If she did get the speaking engagement she would have barked loud and hard since she has the mic and wouldn't have allowed any opinion except hers.

Good riddance...

Good work Ngonge!... I'm truly impressed yet a bit tired from these Niqab/Hijab debates that periodically pop up on SOL, this post should've been in the Islam section...

hmmmmm... to change the world?? I think changing the world would be a bit too much to ask, so let's start with changing Somalia... here are a few thoughts I sometimes daydream about when on the train heading to or from work... - 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 - 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 and a universal healthcare system - start a government funded international school and university exchange program whereby Somali students 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 - 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... 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 - 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 and freedom of worship - propel Somalia as a multicultural society while at the same time preserving Somali culture and heritage - fully encourage the arts and participate 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 - create international treaties that allows Somali citizens to have freedom of travel that rivals that of Western countries now with all that implemented in Somalia, a way to change the world is to somehow export the above to the rest of Africa

^^ LOL@ Meel banaan

Originally posted by Peacenow: The create a sleazy city flooded with prostitutes and playboys and they arrest two couples on the say so of one emirate women. What sick hypcrites. I have to side with Peacenow on this one. I don't think the Sheikhs of the UAE are shining examples of morality and ideal Islamic behavior. [ March 16, 2010, 08:09 AM: Message edited by: sheherazade ]

Originally posted by Gheelle.T: I don't think your intention is to get as much opinion as you can get and present to him, or is that? What will what some nomads write on a random forum do for him? Maybe change his mind and the decision he already made? I guess not. Anyway, carry on!! A bunch of random yapping on a forum will definitely not do him any good. But, my intention from the post was to see what Somalis think of such unions, purely out of curiosity. If I do find something worthy then I shall indeed pass it along. Anyway, I realize it was a mistake to post such a thread Originally posted by Khayr: A marriage based on pure sentiment will wade off sooner or later because it just that - sentiment (an emotion that goes up and down like the ocean tide). Thanks for the one useful response ya Khayr. Originally posted by Malika: Johnny B,isnt going to like this ailmos,he told you all this in confidence.. LOL Originally posted by Jacphar: That's what it boils down to. Names of ciyaal aanba la ogeyn imaashahooda is khayaali. True.

Originally posted by Peacenow: It is no one's business to discuss this but the couple. Shame on you for making public other people's lives. Religion has nothing to do with this. What is important is that both are happy. Shame on you. hahaha.. Peacenow... adeer, relax... read what I wrote to Ghelle and Castro above... the situation is real, everything else is fabricated, so no one has any chance of knowing who I'm talking about ... so calm down, cimamadaada oo kaadacday dulka ka soo qaad, khudhlak finjaan shaay wo estree7 ya rijaal

^^ I think my wife would not be very happy if I were the one with a Swedish fiancée ya Lychee...

Colour = Diirac New Word = Nabadsugid

Originally posted by Lychee: and only if the she’s a virgin (chaste) I don't think being a virgin is a qualification yaa Lychee...

^^ What fine print?... and C&H can handle that

Originally posted by Castro: This is stuff and nonsense. Shame on you ailamos for airing the private details of your friends' lives. ^^ awww... boohoo! come on Ghelle T & Castro, this is an open forum is it not? if it doesn't interest you then move on no one here knows who I am nor who my cousin is, so what does it matter? So relax... take a chill-pill...

Sorry Lychee... I joined in late and went down the wrong track

Originally posted by chocolate & honey: Well, what the hell is NEUTRAL? Why must you eradicate a whole culture to acheive neutrality? :confused: So she is Catholic and He is Muslim but none of them is religious? Ok, what does being religious mean? Does he still pray, fast etc? If she is Catholic, doesnt that mean she has different values that ARE different from his? I've only started being close to him since he started to work in the city about 4-5 years ago, but in that time I don't think he's ever set foot in a mosque or even fasted for that matter. I really don't know enough about her values to comment, but I do know that she's not a fan of the catholic church and although she was raised catholic she doesn't practice at all. Astonishingly she sympathizes with Muslims and I've noticed that she defends them in conversation. I think by neutral she means something like what B suggested above... Hey B seems like you have experience is such matters do share your expertise

Originally posted by chocolate & honey: Are these two planning to raise aliens? LOOOOOL...

Xaal qaado = Dems&Reps Mukulaal boodboodeysa = Tom&Jerry New Word. labalaabow

^^ yep.. facts.. as in sh*t does indeed happen in so-called "pious communities"

Here's the story. My cousin got engaged to his high school sweetheart two weeks ago. He lives right here in the city and works a few blocks from where I am. We often go for coffee or lunch and last Friday him and I were discussing about random things, the usual politics and blah blah... when he began to tell me his concerns about the engagement and the pending wedding. His fiancée is Swedish and I don't mean Swedish-Somali but Swedish-Swedish, they are very close and have known each other for almost 20 years, their families though are not that familiar with one another. I've met both families on visits and they're both respectable and very nice people. His parents, although respecting his opinion (he's 33), are not very comfortable with the whole engagement as they thought they were just close friends and nothing will come out of it. His (and his parents) concerns revolve around the fact that his fiancée believes in having neutral names for their future children (non-Somali, non-Swedish). She also wants the children to carry both their last names: hers first, then his to break the traditional patriarchal system, so it would be Bengtsson-Osman. Her family is catholic but she's not religious (neither is he), so regarding religion she doesn't want to indoctrinate the children with a particular religion and that they should be exposed to both (and others) and in adulthood the decision is their to follow whichever. So in summary he's concerned that the children will be more Western than Somali and that they might loose their Somali identity. I basically think the whole matter is quite romantic and told him not to worry, they world is getting smaller anyway and his kids, if he decides to go ahead with the relationship, will be international kids from two smart people... world citizens if you will. Since I've met the future Mrs. Bengtsson-Osman, I told him flat out that one doesn't meet women like her often and to rethink about his doubts. However, I've been curious to know what the online Somali community thinks?

Originally posted by chocolate & honey: Lazy fooqul lazy. Seriously? How does dumping your kid on the other side of the planet help? I have seen some kids who were dumped on Egypt and Moroco come back gay and more F-ed up than EVER! I just love how some Somali parents think Muslim countries(as if there is such thing)are like this magical countries where fairies tend to kids and make sure they're on the narrow and straight path, LOL! Everywhere you go aduunkan, there is drugs, alcohol, willing and participating sexual partners. There was once a girl banished to Egypt because she started dating at a very young age(seriously thats all), the mother typical cried a river and sent her to live with an aunt in Egypt, well the girl found new freedom, friends and money in Egypt where she was taught to smoke hashiish and drink. She died at the hands of two OLDER SOMALI MEN who bought her drugs and rented her a hotel. The hard facts right there.

Originally posted by Kulmiye: US should be concern about their health problems and high unemployment rate- those two are just the tip of the iceberg, the list is longer than that sxb... add the chronically ill credit system, misleading, incorrect and inflammatory media, expensive education... etc etc etc

btw... I wanted to operate one of those Caterpillar excavators and bulldozer that ripped apart roads and could destroy anything in their path ... ... ended up as an environmental engineer instructing where those bulldozers and excavators should go... haha...

Originally posted by Blessed.*: I think it's lazy parenting!! I agree. And although this methodology might work it doesn't negate the fact that it is lazy parenting. The question these parents should ask themselves is why?... Why did the kid turn up this way? What did they do that contributed to this? In my opinion and experience the parents were probably not involved enough in the child's life to prevent these troubles from arising. The teenage years are not the same as the preteen years and a lot of "traditional" parents don't understand this matter. Those years are when children try to define themselves by refusing authority and rebelling against instruction. The way to deal with this is not to be stricter but the other way around, to befriend them as they are entering adulthood and are craving some sort of respect and recognition from their parents whom they look up to (whether they show it or not). A time comes in every parent's life when they cannot anymore tell their offspring what to do but can only advise and guide them, like a good friend, the sooner a parent realizes that the better is for the offspring's development. Anywho, I like how Blessed called it.... lazy parenting indeed.