Take a goddamn seat, Madoobe. You've said absolutely nothing of substance here -- what evidence do you have that the task force recommendations are not in the best interest of Somali children? Break the recommendations down, be specific, and tell us your critique. What do you propose should be done instead? And how the hell is the task force a source of employment, jobs, bonuses, etc for those involved? The stupidity here is astounding. Thankfully people like you are in the minority, a loud and stupid minority, but a minority nonetheless.

He can be a real douchebag sometimes and this interview is no exception, but he's on point when it comes to Somali women.

<cite> @Apophis said:</cite> Atheism is another form of theism. It advocates for certain social values to be adopted ( gender equality, homosexuality, human rights... the list is endless) and forbids other "backward" values to flourish. Just like religion.The only real difference is the believe in the supernatural (even here it's pretty close as atheists do worship the great god, lord secularism). The only real defensible position to take is naturalism, no bs social values weights it down. Atheism doesn't advocate anything, it's simply the absence of a belief in and the rejection of a god/gods. Atheists fall everywhere on the political spectrum and have diverse views on society, it's not a coherent ideology and value system like an organized religion.

What on earth are you talking about, Madoobe? Jim Spyropoulos isn't a racist, and no one is making "an extra buck" off the Somali Task Force. This article is a joke, and anyone familiar with the writer of the piece, Tarek Fatah, would understand why that is.

<cite> @Libaax-Sankataabte said:</cite> A nomads asked us if the mobile version is for browsing only. Just to remind anyone who may not be aware, the mobile version is fully functional as far as login and posting/replying is concerned. You can login, start new topics or reply to existing debate threads using your mobile phone or tablet. Click on the top right icon, a menu panel opens and you have the forum and login link among the list of links to choose from. To close the menu panel, click on the same icon and it shall close. Can you add a 'quote' function for replying when using the mobile version? Also, I was using my iPad when something appeared about an SOL app I could download, what was that about? It went away before I figured it out lol

<cite> @SomaliPhilosopher said:</cite> do y'all not get tired of engaging in such conversations. same points, often same people, same outcome. neither party sees the "light". Instead lights go out. you go sleep. and wake up and do it all over again another day another thread. its like the story of sisyphus. but the question is to y'all Team A and B who punished you to such fate. For today's victims........ AYB- let go of your insecurities the Doctor- let go of your ego Khayr- let go of weed +1 and I appreciate the Sisyphus reference, well done SP

First day of classes today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4AA6EuZe-k

Looks great!

<cite> @Alpha Blondy said:</cite> you don't get into much, ma istidhi? so what you saying.....you didn't watch it, miyaa? No, I'm saying you'll enjoy it if you can handle sodomy and shower rape lol

Oz was intense, I never really got into it.

<cite> @SomaliPhilosopher said:</cite> bout to check out this wolf of wall street Awesome movie, a little too long but I enjoyed it.

I like Ahmed better.

<cite> @thefuturenow said:</cite> Loose use of loaded terminology. What is coercion? Is it good or bad? What makes it so? In the present case, how was our lady heroine coerced? What should her family have done differently? Maybe you didn't read the thread, but it was Johnny B who used the term coercion, and I disagreed with him on that.

LayZie, you would enjoy this. My mom decided to attend the school board meeting tonight, which had the Somali task force present their recommendations, and as a public event it is also open to members of the public to give deputations. Of course that means all the anti-task force folks showed up to say why they don't support the task force and disagree with their findings and recommendations, while others also came to give deputations in support. So my mom emailed me this: "Hoyo, I went to a TDSB committee meeting that was hearing the Somali task force recommendations and deputations. What I heard today and the behaviour that the group against the recommendation exhibited made me relinquish my Somali identity. You, my child, I want you to do the same. I always thought that younger generations are far more progressive than the people of my age. Tonight I have seen young university graduates arguing that 75 percent of Somali children are doing okay therefore these recommendations are not necessary. Isn't that crazy, what about the other 25 percent? I am done with the Somali community." lool they made my mom abandon her Soomaalinimo!

<cite> @Khayr said:</cite>Saff, I can only judge you by what you write and you writings are not reflective of a traditional muslim mindset. To you, Khayr, and under your criteria. So again, who made you the gatekeeper of "traditional Islam"? And who are you to say I have a bias against Islam, because we don't agree?

<cite> @SomaliPhilosopher said:</cite> ^Great, I will start preparations on the Aqal. --------- I hear Al-Shabaab's ban on internet has actually materialized. Telecom/internet providers in al-shabaab territories have cut off services. You're building us the aqal? A reversal of traditional general roles in miyi, huh... I think I can live with this. Does Al-Shabaab reserve the right to use the internet for themselves though? I remember they had a Twitter account...

<cite> @Khayr said:</cite> You were agreeing because it precisely reflected your bias towards Islam. You don't identify with traditional Islam anymore and so therefor; you would like us to develop this nonchalant attitude about people that apostate from Islam. Hence, the attitude of "live and let live". You wouldn't say that if it was your sibling or relative that decided to leave your family and told you that they were no longer your brother or sister. You see, you are echoing sentiments that are alien to traditional Islam. lol, what do you know about my religious beliefs, Khayr? And who made you the gatekeeper of "traditional Islam"?

<cite> @thefuturenow said:</cite> Live and let live. So let us ask. Why does this lady's family have to put up with her atheism? Do they not have the right to disown her? Should they not be left to live? They can do whatever they want, that's not the discussion. Johnny's point was on religious coercion in the Somali household, and I was agreeing with that to the extent that it means one is not free to practice a different faith or become atheist/agnostic in a Somali family without those consequences.

Shots fired at Oklahoma U, this is insane. SP the idea of running away with you is starting to appeal to me...

<cite> @SomaliPhilosopher said:</cite> Saffy can you repost that dhaanto song, I lost it

<cite> @DoctorKenney said:</cite> I'm pretty sure Safferz also has the "live and let live" attitude towards those she disagrees with when it comes to political and social issues (such as homosexuality, liberal democracy, etc.) I recall almost a year ago, when me and Safferz disagreed about economics. In that debate, I had a more free-market Neo-Liberal approach to Economics while Safferz had a completely different approach.....and she still had the "live and let live" attitude towards me. Respectfully disagreeing with someone is a great trait to have, and Safferz herself has exhibited this many times on this forum. She's someone with her own viewpoints, and it's hard to find someone who agrees with Safferz on absolutely every issue. (It's hard to find someone in this world who agrees with you on absolutely every single issue). But she's been able to handle this well, and I totally respect that Thanks DoctorKenney. I'm not sure that Khayr understands what "live and let live" means, and it's an idea that several of you have expressed in this thread -- if someone wants to leave the deen, that's their decision. La ikraha fiddin, right? My point here was to say that even though we can all make choices in theory, in practice that doesn't mean they play out in a vacuum and that choice isn't shaped or restrained by certain factors... and the fact is that it is incredibly difficult to become an atheist or non-Muslim in a Somali household.

^ how is that similar in any way?

<cite> @thefuturenow said:</cite> ^kkkk nuune. ka daa. Kan religious coercion sheegay baan la yaabanahay. War ma oga miyaa in niyadu laga Muslimo oo na laga gaaloowo. . .yaa ku haysta? I wouldn't call it coercion, but I do think Johnny B has a point. There aren't many Somali households where one is free to be a non-practicing Muslim, convert to a different religion, or become an atheist/agnostic; doing so openly would mean losing everything and everyone you hold dear. I can imagine it's incredibly difficult to not share your family's beliefs and feel pressured to conform because doing so would be social suicide in the Somali community. Where he's mistaken is that it's not uniquely Islamic, but true for most religious households of any faith, and even some families with other strongly held worldviews (ie. marrying outside of the race/culture in some families, coming out as gay in a conservative household, etc).

<cite> @LayZie G. said:</cite> ^I didn't know your hometown city was this messy. LoL Mida kale, I know for a fact that the organizers of the recent protests have not read the draft recommendation of the Task Force. Its a shame because the organizers themselves had no idea such task force existed. Their only grievance is that they are mothers and someone should have called them to inform them of school board's plan. Some confessed to saying and said they were recently made aware that such a task force existed. Some of the mothers are so stubborn that they are taking legal action over draft recommendations that they have not read. LOL Some, including the author of the previous article confessed that the task force is made up of non-somalis. Once the list of the members was sent to him via his inbox, he just couldn't believe it. His source is from waxa la yidhi news portal. Cheers That's our people! I'm honestly embarrassed by all of this.

Blizzard hitting us tonight, just wonderful.