http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article3067244.ece By Steve Bloomfield in Bosasso Published: 17 October 2007 Early one June morning, in Kamuda, a village of 200 families in the remote ****** region in eastern Ethiopia, 180 soldiers announced their arrival by firing guns in the air. The village, they said, had been providing food and shelter for the ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF), a separatist rebel group . As the villagers froze in horror, the soldiers plucked out seven young women, all aged between 15 and 18, and left. The following morning the youngest girl was found. Her body, bloodied and beaten, was hanging from a tree. The next day a second girl was found hanging from the same tree. A third suffered the same fate. The others were never seen again. Shukri Abdullahi Mohammed, 48, a mother of seven children, lived in Kamuda. As she describes the fate of the seven girls – "the most beautiful girls in the village" – she tightens her headscarf around her neck to indicate the way they were killed. "I will not forget it," she says. Days later, a 12-year-old boy from the same village was kidnapped by soldiers and gang-raped. Every night, soldiers would knock on doors looking for women to rape. "I did not want to wait until it happened to my family," said Mrs Mohammed. They left Kamuda and made their way across the porous border with Somalia, before travelling a further 300 miles by foot to the hot and humid port town of Bosasso. About 100 Ethiopians are now arriving here every day. Their stories reveal the brutality of Ethiopia's hidden war, a brutal counter-insurgency that some aid officials believe has parallels with Darfur. Some estimates put the number of people displaced by the violence at 200,000 already. According to accounts from refugees, Ethiopian troops are burning villages, raping women and killing civilians as part of a systematic campaign to drive them from their homes. They reported dozens of villages destroyed and accused the Ethiopian government of forcibly starving its own people by preventing food convoys reaching villages and destroying crops and livestock. A former Ethiopian soldier who defected from the army said how he had been ordered to burn villages and kill all their inhabitants. He said the Ethiopian air force would bomb a village before a unit of ground troops followed, firing indiscriminately at civilians. "Men, women, children – we killed them all," he said. "We were told we were fighting guerrillas – the ONLF," he said. "But we were killing farmers – they were not ONLF." Those who managed to escape are living in a series of ramshackle refugee camps on the edge of Bosasso. Their shelters are made from pieces of cardboard and old rags, scraps of plastic sheeting and rusting corrugated iron. Sat outside the shelters, on the grey expanse of dust and stone, voices overlap as refugees list the villages that have been destroyed. Kor u Celista, Gallaalshe, Fooldeex, Yoocaalle – places that were all once home to hundreds of families, now abandoned and empty, the huts burnt to the ground. Abudllahi Shukri Mohammed, 30, a cattle herder from Dega Bur province tells how he was forced at gunpoint to work as a porter for a group of 300 soldiers. They took his 18 cows and made him and five other nomads carry heavy loads. After three long days marching through the ******, Mr Mohammed tried to escape. "They caught me and started beating me. They kicked me in the head and hit me with the back of their guns." With his right arm he motions the steady, repetitive smack of the guns against his body. His left arm lies limp on his lap. He has been unable to move it since the attack, his fingers fixed in an ugly formation. "They beat me for two hours," he says, "then I fell unconscious. They thought I was dead so they left me." Ethiopia claims it is defending itself against an insurgency launched by the ONLF in a region that has long been marginalised. It claims villagers have been giving the fighters shelter and food. Analysts say Ethiopia has been attempting to reduce that support by emptying the countryside. Thousands have been moved to towns heavily controlled by the military. Anyone left in the villages is considered a possible ONLF supporter. The Ethiopian military is not the only destructive force in the region. The ONLF launched its most daring assault in April. The group attacked a Chinese oil installation in Abole, killing nine Chinese and 65 Ethiopians. It was that attack which sparked the fresh counter-insurgency – a fierce scorched-earth policy. In the ******'s main towns, Jijiga and Gode, the prisons are overflowing. "They are arresting anyone who they think might have a connection with the ONLF," says one human rights worker in Bosasso. "Some are being killed if the security forces don't believe they are telling the truth." Human rights investigators are gathering evidence of widespread use of rape, with women reporting gang-rapes by up to a dozen soldiers. In some villages, men have been abducted at night, their bodies dumped in the village the next morning. While in Darfur, aid agencies have been able to establish camps and provide humanitarian support, they have been blocked from setting up operations in the ******. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been thrown out and Medicins Sans Frontieres has also been prevented from working. Journalists trying to enter have also been banned – those that have tried have been promptly arrested. A UN team was allowed into the ****** last month to investigate allegations of abuse by Ethiopian troops. Its report was not made public but the team called for an independent inquiry. But while Khartoum's counter-insurgency in Darfur has been described by the US as "genocide" and by the UN as "crimes against humanity", international condemnation of Ethiopia has, so far, been limited. Indeed, the US has given its backing to Ethiopia. America's top official on African affairs, assistant secretary of state, Jendayi Frazer, visited one town in the ****** last month. On her return to Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, she criticised the rebels and said the reports of military abuses were merely allegations. "We urge any and every government to respect human rights and to try to avoid civilian casualties but that's difficult in dealing with an insurgency," she said. America sees Ethiopia as its principal Horn of Africa ally in the "war on terror". The US gave tacit approval for Ethiopia's Christmas invasion of Somalia which ousted the Union of Islamic Courts. It also provided logistical and technical support for the operation and continues to help co-ordinate a response to the insurgency in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which seeks to destabilise the transitional government, propped up by Ethiopia. The US provides some $283m (£140m) in military and humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and has trained its military – one of the largest and strongest in Africa. The ****** has become the latest flashpoint in a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa. On one side is Ethiopia and the weak transitional government of Somalia, on the other is Eritrea and two insurgent groups, the ONLF and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS). From West's favourite leader to grave-digger of democracy Sat between a beaming Tony Blair and Sir Bob Geldof, Ethiopia's Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, could hardly have wished for a stronger endorsement. The launch of Mr Blair's Commission for Africa report in March 2005 in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, enhanced Mr Meles's position as the British Government's – and the West's – favourite African leader. Handpicked by Mr Blair to sit on the commission, Mr Meles was viewed as the man to lead the "African renaissance". He was seen as a leader committed to development and democracy. But within two months of the commission's report being published, Mr Meles's star began to fade. Huge street protests erupted in Addis Ababa in May 2005 following a general election which both the government and opposition claimed they had won. Security forces opened fire on protesters, killing 193 people, and thousands of opposition supporters and leaders were arrested. More than 100 opposition leaders were put on trial for treason while the police crackdown intensified. Text messages, which had been used to organise the demonstrations in 2005, were banned. The next time Mr Meles and Mr Blair found themselves sat next to each other, at a summit in South Africa, the stiff body language and the lack of eye contact between the pair underlined the deterioration in the relationship. Britain still gives Ethiopia £130m in humanitarian aid each year – more than any other African country. Like the US, Britain has tried to retain a relatively close relationship with Ethiopia – one of its few allies in a volatile Horn of Africa.

Originally posted by SheekhaJacaylka: WAr is not good for anyone. Let's not waste more souls for nothing. But War is good for Somaliland when it is reclaiming its "border" right?

quote: ICU therefore ICU should work with the TFG peacefuly after all members of the ICU were part of the people who choose the leadership of TFG and then changed their mind after going back to Somalia. It seems you are leaning towards the T.F.G camp but never mind. Let is agree to disagree. This thread is going around in circles and I sense a bit of political naivety in you when said this: quote:ICU therefore ICU should work with the TFG peacefuly after all members of the ICU How can your work peacefully with a group of people that declared you as terrorists and vowed to crush you? The Ethiopian parliament declared war against the I.C.U and ever since that day they have the right to resist them and their allies. I assure that the Somali people of Muqdisho and Ocadenia are not fighting Eritreas war. They are fighting to rid themselves of the treacherous Woyanes invaders. And they are doing a find Job at that too. No nation has defeated an invader by sitting peacefully with their enemies. If our enemies agree to leave our land then the Somalis will sit peacefully with them. Otherwise expect more warfare, hunger and suffering in Somalia. And that will be my last contribution to this thread!

Due to the alleged oil in Somalia there will be many different conflicts. Different subclans will attempt to control resources through warfare. This whole thing about declaring is a way of making sure that certain subclans get their share of the pie. It doesnt take a genius to work that SL and PL are competing for one another in Sool and Sanag to capture alleged mineral etc.... quote:So, what is your objection to having these enclaves as long as peace reigns? The problem is that peace wont reign, well not now at least. Secondly some of these lines being drawn arent even enclaves. They are simply reers or subclans declaring themselves independent of any central authority and attempting to take control over resources. Clearly every Somali subclan cant get what it wants. We are seeing this in Kismaayo where a subclan wants to control the resources and security of an entire city. This is the same with Lasanod subclans have taken control. Obviously the other subclans are going to regroup and fight another day. Just the day an Ethiopian leader admitted that they were arming non Ocaden Somali subclans in order to divide and quesh the rebellion in that region. Thus a Somalia with multiple subclan states will eventually lead to other states and foreign companies arming and favouring one over the other.

Technically he has a point. Lasanod was invaded by another sovereign nation. Arent they Ajanabi?

Seek knowledge, it could well be that the I.C.U were after power. However, when you they were only after power, then this somewhat misleading. The I.C.U were bribed many times and offered condition by the rest of world to accept Ethiopian troops. They tried to bribe and tempt Sheikh Shariff with several offers. However Sheikh Shariff refused their offers and simply told that his religion and land wasnt for sale. The I.C.U went into a war with the biggest army in Africa, whereby they knew that they chances if success were severly limited. After this they went into the Bush and many of them are still regrouping. Clearly if they were money hungry men like the T.F.G they would have sold out their country and yielded to the demands of the imperialists and the warlords. Some of those young men fought their own tribes,subclans and brothers who sided with Ethiopia. How can you tell me that these men where only interested in power ? Lastly no human being is in a position to make a such grand statement.Can you read into the hearts of the I.C.U?Only has the ability to do that. I am not sayind that the I.C.U were perfect and pious angles. However it somewhat misleading and uncalled for to label them as power hungry warlords. Many Ulema are behind the struggle and they have given their fatwas. If you are saying that they are hidingh behind Islam, then explain to what your type of Islam would do about the thousands of Ethiopians that invaded? The rest of the Muslim world kept silent about the situation in Somalia simply because they are coward leaders who have surrendered to colonialism and imperialism a long time ago. As Gaddafi said the Arab league is controlled by Condi Rice. But people like Sheikh Yusuf Qardawi are not fearful and they have spoken in support of their brothers in Somalia. Eritrea is helping Somalis because they know if Somali falls they will be next.Believe me the dogs of war will seek to perform a regime change in Asmara. Lastly, please dont put words into my mouth. I dont support the alleged oppression of Muslims in Eritrea by that regime. Also the oppression of Muslims in Eritrea is politically motivated, the regime is even clamping down on evangelical Christians or anyone who challenges the authority. If I had my way Somalis would have nothing to do with that regime. However Eritrea is a country which has succesfully liberated themselves from the grip of Ethiopia. The people of Afar, Oromo, Ocaden and Somalia have chosen to seek expertise in how to achieve tgus from Eritrea thus I am in position to give judgements to men and women whos houses have been taken. You said that both the T.F.G and I.C.U are essentially Christian backed puppets and the I.C.U are using Islam as a cover for power. My question to you is how do intend or want Somalis to deal with ever expansionous Ethiopia? Dont tell me that your are waiting for good to appear out of the magic and rescue Somalia. What you have is what you have in Somalia. There no point in condemning both the T.F.G and I.C.U when you cant offer an alternative.

1. There is a history of enemity between the ruling classes of Abysnia and the Somalis.This dates as far back as the time of Imam Ahmad Gurey. quote: In Ethiopia the damage which [Ahmad] Gragn did has never been forgotten," wrote Paul B. Henze. "Every Christian highlander still hears tales of Gragn in his childhood. Haile Selassie referred to him in his memoirs. I have often had villagers in northern Ethiopia point out sites of towns, forts, churches and monasteries destroyed by Gragn as if these catastrophes had occurred only yesterday.". Imam Ahmad Gurey is reported to have had an alliance with the Jews of Ethiopia against the expansionst Christian Habeshas. 2. The ruling classes of Ethiopia have always sought to occupy the land of the Somalis all the way up to the Indian ocean.Quote: These are the boundaries of Ethiopia: Towards the East are included within the frontier the country of the Borana Gallas and the arrusi country up to the limit of the Somalis; including also the province of Ocaden. The the northward the line of frontier includes the Habar Awaz, Godoburisi and the Issa Somalis and reaches the Ambos.....Ethiopia has been for fourteen centuries a Christian Island in a sea of Pagans and Muslims......Formely the boundary of Ethiopia was the sea. Having lacked suffecient strength, and lacked any support from Christian powers, our frontier on the sea fell to the Mussulman. Emperor Meneliks letter to the European colonialists:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/faisa/appendix-1.jpg?t=1168043701 3. Ethiopian leaders tried to block the recognition of Somalia as a soveriegn state. Emperor Hailesallese even tried to convince the world that Somalis were nomads who were not fit enought to understand the rules of politics nor govern themselves. Quote: Haile Sellassie, the ageless personification of imperial dignity, triumphantly returned to Ethiopia from exile. However, events in the Ocaden took on another dimensions. Haile Sellassie began a relentless campaign for the consolidation of personal power and expansion of the Ethiopian State. He proclaimed, "I have come to restore the independence of my country including Eritrea and Southern Somalia whose people will henceforth dwell under the shade of the Ethiopian flag."5 quote: The British, having betrayed the Somalis for reasons of enhancing power, wealth, and influence, had yet another precedent for doing it again.They immediately recognized the throne of Haile Sellassie. In a statement on fragmentation of Somalia nation to the House of Commons in early 1941 Anthony Eden, a mediator on Ethiopia-Somalia problem, had the following to say: "His Majesty Government would welcome the reappearance of an Ethiopian State and recognize the claim of Emperor Haile Sallassie to the throne... His Majesty's Government reaffirm that they have themselves no territorial in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). "7 During 1942, the Emperor continued the fight to restore full sovereighty of Ethiopia in pursance to regain the pre-war boundary between Ethiopia and the British Protectorate. An agreement was then approved granting the British temporary administrative authority in the ****** Region. The Emperor pressed on with his ambitions to regain total control over the region. Finally in 1948, the British withdraw but retaining residual rights of supervision over Somali clans pasturing in the region. This marked the Ocaden Region as part of Ethiopia. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1986/KCA.htm 4. After Somalia had gained indepence the ruling classes of Ethiopia and Kenya were jealous of the newly founded state and sought to instigate aggressive policies against the Somalia both these nations treate the Somalis under the control as second class citizens. 5. Somalia has fought wars with both Ethiopia and Kenya in order to regain their land. I cant remember Somalis fighting any wars with Eritrea nor can I remember Eritrea taking any of our lands. 6. Somalis and Eritreans have a common heritage of been claimed as possesions of the Ethiopian crown. In other words both them have a common enemy. Quote: consolidation of personal power and expansion of the Ethiopian State. He proclaimed, "I have come to restore the independence of my country including Eritrea and Southern Somalia whose people will henceforth dwell under the shade of the Ethiopian flag." 7. The Somalia people aided the Eritrean people in order to free them from the grip of Ethiopia. Secondly unlike Ethiopia Eritrea freedom fighters where mainly Muslims. After Eritrean indepence Ethiopia tried to block all efforts of these people. Quote: After 1991 (victory of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) on regime of Mengistu Haile Marian) many former Ethiopian guerrillas have moved into the Badme region to farm small plots of land, displacing many Eritrean farmers who were already there. This process slowly resulted in Ethiopian domination over these Eritrean territories, forceful eviction of Eritrean farmers from their properties and looting of their animals. In August 1997, Ethiopian troops occupied the Eritrean village of Adi Murug under the pretext of pursuing "terrorists". In the same month Ethiopia expelled Eritrean citizens from their homes around Badme. These expulsions and the destruction of crops and other property continued throughout the next year. Two rounds of fighting followed in 1998 and 1999. 8. Eritrea wanted a democractic state where Muslims and Christain lived in tolerance. Whereas the Ethiopian Tigrays wanted a Horn of Africa dominated by their own kinsmen. Those that are interested in historic wish of the Ethiopian Tigrays to occupy and plunder the peoples of Somalia, Eritrea and other peoples can read for themselves in the following link http://home.planet.nl/~hans.mebrat/eritrea-ethiopia.htm. Here is a small excerpt: quote: Other Ethiopian arguments to take Assab by force are rooted in the belief that the Afar people living in this area should be reunited with the Afar people living in Ethiopia. This argument goes further than claiming parts of Eritrea. It also means claiming parts of the former French colony Djibouti. These claims however are contradictory to the 1964 OAU Summit in Cairo: " ... the parties reaffirm the principle of respect for the borders existing at independence as stated in resolution AHG/Res. 16(1) adopted by the OAU summit in Cairo in 1964, and, in this regard, that they shall be determined on the basis of pertinent colonial treaties and applicable international laws" This Ethiopian argument would undermine virtually every border on the African continent, including Ethiopia's own borders with other neighboring countries (Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan). 9. Lastly, I will answer the odd question which was posed:will Abu Mansur also fight the "Christian backed" I.C.U. The answer is a clear NO, NO and NO. Why would they fight Eritrea when it is the Ethiopian government that sponsored rebels to overthrow the Somalia government; that sponsored a slow genocide over the last sixteen years in Southern Somalia? Did Eritrea say that Somalia shall not be governed by Shariah law? Did Eritrea occupy and plunder the people of the Ocaden region? The answer is a clear no once again! Eritrea does not cross the Somalia border when it likes nor does it plunder Somali lives the way the Woyane army does. It is not Eritrea that invaded Somalia, killed thousands of Somalis and detained in the ghost prisons. It is not Eritrea that hunts Somali clerics all over the Somali territoris. Yes there are issues with the Muslims of Eritrea. And Walahi we love them just as we love the Muslims of Somalia. However, There is no point for A Somali considering fighting Eritrea when his own Capital City is occupied by Woyane. Lastly, if the I.C.U is an Eritrean tool does this mean the Oromo, Ocaden, Afar, Sidamo and other are just meer Eritrean tools? Or does it mean that they are people who are united against a common expansionist enemy? I leave with this poem from Sayid Muhamad Abdullah Hassan. A man who knew tool the threat posed against the Somali people by the expansionist Abysnians and their Crusader Allies. Anaa diiday degel inaan la galo daalim ii col ahe Dalka ma lihid anigaa ku idhi dooraweynaha'e Anaa diiday nabddiisa aan daacad noqonayne Anaa diiday deeqdiisa ay naari daba taale Anaa diiday maantuu lahaa duunyo iga hooye Markay duusho gaaladu anaan daabbadda u qabane Kolka ay dareeraan anaan duud xammaal noqone Durdurrda firdowsaad anaa doontay oo raba'e Diintayda anigaan ku gadan dabaqii naareede Anigaan dariiqada Alliyo diinta caasiyine

Originally posted by ThePoint: quote:Originally posted by Fatah_Al_Soomaal: quote: Originally posted by ThePoint: ^If it really was them - then there would be no talk of Somaliland army or Somaliland troops. And our friends from Somaliland would not be expressing the joy and boasting we've seen on SOL. Be serious. Believe me my good friend, I am more informed and more aware of what is going on than most. The Somaliland militia are local subclans miltia. Anyone who trys to tell me any different doesnt know what he is talking. And I dont mean to come across as an arrogant man when I say this. Spare me the sophistry. The vast majority of Las Aond folks and the SSC folks don't support Somaliland and its secession bid. They want nothing to do with it. So there should not be any funding or incitement of any folks against the city of Las Anod or its inhabitants. In any normal context such actions would be hostile and tantamount to a declaration of war. End of story. Firstly,my good friend I am not supporting the bid of Somaliland against the city of Lasanod. However, I am telling you that there are clear subclan differences in Lasanod. One must be reasonable and analyse why these differences developed. Crying and pointing the finger at Somaliland will not change anything. Somaliland has a goal and it will achieve it by any means. Somaliland has long eyed this goal and now it has landed its allied militias inside Lasanod. There is no pointed in crying about this, when they aimed to do this for the last 4 years. In other words Somaliland exploited the weakness of Puntland. Puntland under Cadde Muse has become a center of clanism, despotism, corruption and all the ills associated with it. Puntland is going through a political, economic and social crisis, therefore, thus Somaliland took a clear advantage of this. As I said before some subclan militias have sided and took their weapons from Somaliland. They do not neccesarily support the seccessionist ideology, rather they want to get one over some other subclans that they percieved as dominating them from Puntland militia. You cant tell me these differences dont exist because I have seen them even in London. These clanish folks are really interested in Puntland or Somaliland but which side will benefit their subclans in the long run. Now was the best time for Somalilad to make its move. Because for the first time it had the support of a a few subclan militias. Secondly, Somaliland has the more superior armoury and troops as Puntland sent most of their troops to join Zenawis crusade. What it all comes down to is that a peaceful city has been turned into one of warlordism, corruption and general anarchy. Most of the militia leaders from Somaliland and Puntland are pure Ethiopian stooges, la praying-beer drinkers, whom only seek to benefit their own pockets. They dont stand for Islam, Justice, Secularism nor democracy. The people of L.A must decide whether they want to become indepdent of these monkeys called Somaliland and Puntland or become the hosts and theater of war.

lol at Bosaso. If they did we would probably see the most brutal clan war in Norhtern Somalia and believe it would spread all the way to the Ethiopian occupied regions.

Originally posted by ThePoint: ^If it really was them - then there would be no talk of Somaliland army or Somaliland troops. And our friends from Somaliland would not be expressing the joy and boasting we've seen on SOL. Be serious. Believe me my good friend, I am more informed and more aware of what is going on than most. The Somaliland militia are local subclans miltia. Anyone who trys to tell me any different doesnt know what he is talking. And I dont mean to come across as an arrogant man when I say this.

quote.For Somaliland, will see to it - by any means to hand - to recovered every inch of her land, regardless of how many years and months it takes to do so. Dare I ask how Somaliland came to acquire the legal rights to this land?mmm....let me guess...ooh yess...it must be the divine colonial line drawn by the her majesty. Your case is just more absurd than the PLs that are claiming it on behalf of belonging to their subclan.

Forget the Mafia prominent Somali politicians and warlords played the greater role in this. In any case I dont think the U.N is going to bring the head of the mafia to an international tribunal.

Saxiib, if you want to be a cheerleader for Zenawis war against Islam, the shariah and his assault on Somali populations, then by all means be my guest. But let us not use "Christian Eritrea" as an execuse.

It is very sad that that some individuals seek glory and justification in two cousins from the same subclans throwing bullets at each other in a peaceful city. Which will probably create endless hatred and perpetual violence. All for two monkey states and two see which subclans rules the city. Who is worser, the ****** that bring other peoples wars to their peaceful city or the educated young men who hail this as a success from their pcs in the west.

I told you I will answer once he-she explains the logistics and reasoning behind taking such a decision.

Originally posted by The Duke: Cano-Geel. What would you have us do adeer, your attempt at being so neutral is becoming quite boring and somewhat immoral. Take a stand, you support either the locals or Somaliland. What If I told you it was the locals who took over the city?

I fail to see how this question is irrelevant. But before I answer, I have requested from you to explain the reasoning and logics behind such a decision.

This is something i found! MOON SIGHTING FOR THE MONTH OF RAMADAN By Shaikh M. Ibrahim Memon One only has to say Ramadan and you envisage many things. The first of them moonsighting, and then the altercations, and the incessant squabbling that resound in the masajid and the communities throughout the beginning and the end of the month of Ramadan. In the issue of moonsighting there are two roles. The first role is that of the eminent scholars who have always been the well-wishers of the ummah. They aspired to take out confrontation and sectarianism from the concept of moonsighting. They make efforts every year to bring this matter to a consensus and to unify the communities and masajid on one decision. We have seen, though, that their efforts have fallen on deaf ears with little to no difference on the outcome of each coming Ramadan. The second role is played by those who put aside intellect and judge matters based on their emotions. The result: they remain stubborn on their personal opinion though it may clearly contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah. People are forced to follow their opinion to the extent that one who disagrees with it becomes a social pariah. There is no accountability if these emotional people backbite him, falsely accuse him, or swear at him as if it is permissible. Sometimes it goes to the extent of physically abuse for his difference of opinion and worse, the one who beat him actually thinks he is performing a good deed. In essence, a purely juristical Islamic issue becomes the playground of a few people who try to solve and settle it with emotions and fieriness. It is relegated from an Islamic issue to a personal one. Differing with an opinion translates to an attack on the individual who holds that opinion. The result of this is self-evident. A day of one of the most sacred worships in Islam and two days of celebration of the ummah are transformed (by Shaytan) into three days of disunity and chaos. This is why it is important to analyze this issue of moonsighting through the Qur’an and Sunnah. That way, every Muslim can establish his position according to the Qur’an and Sunnah and likewise know the position of others based on the evidences used to support their position. Following are a few points that are discussed that will help us reflect on this issue and will alleviate, if not eliminate, the schisms and simmering tensions between both parties and most importantly, help us open our minds to the opinions of others. And this is not difficult for Allah . One thing we can all agree on is that the months of the Islamic calendar are based on the moon. There is also no disagreement that an Islamic month will be either 29 or 30 days; it can neither be less than 29 days nor more than 30 days. The question here is: How do we determine the beginning and end of the month? The following are the various opinions of how and when to begin a new month: 1) Some people follow astronomical calculations. They say that the birth of the new moon determined by the astronomical calculations will determine the beginning of the new moon. 2) Some people are of the view that the moon sighted anywhere in the world will initiate the beginning of the month for all Muslims. 3) Some people follow the moonsighting of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the moon sighted elsewhere, in their view, will not determine the beginning of the new month. This has created a nationalistic tendency amongst Muslims of different ethnic backgrounds. A Pakistani may say I will only follow the moonsighting from Pakistan or from a person of Pakistani descent or a Turkish may say I will only accept the moonsighting of a turkish or the beginning of the new month when it is officially declared in Turkey. 4) Some people believe in following Saudi Arabia for the month of Zil-Hajjah only and local moonsighting for the remaining eleven months. 5) Some people believe in local moonsighting which means that the the new month will not begin in their area until the moon is sighted in their own or surrounding areas even if the moon is sighted elsewhere in the world. 1. Astronomical Calculations Determining the beginning and the end of a new month through astronomical calculations is unfounded in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The standard in the shari’ah for discerning the beginning of a new month and the end of the last month is based on actual moonsighting. Which means that if the moon is not sighted, the month will be completed with thirty days. In the ahadith, the Blessed Prophet incessantly put emphasis on this: Do not fast unless you see the moon, do not break your fast until you see the moon. (Bukhari H.1773, Muslim H.1795, Nasai H.2093, Abu-Dawood H.1976, Muatta Malik H.557) Meaning that if you do not see the moon, then do not begin the month of Ramadan and likewise, do not celebrate the Eid until you sight the moon. In another hadith the Blessed Prophet clearly prohibited the use of calculations. He said: We are an illiterate nation. We do not write or calculate months. He said it is like this, this, or this. So saying, the Blessed Prophet lifted his hands three times with all fingers spread the first two times and the thumb hidden the third time to indicate 29 days. Then he said the month is like this, this, and this and again lifted his hands three times, this time all fingers spread out each time to indicate 30 days. (Muslim H.1806, Bukhari H.1780, Nasai H.2111, Abu-Dawood H.1975) In this hadith, The Blessed Prophet certainly doesn’t mean to say that this is an ummah of illiterates, but rather he is emphasising their simplicity of not being educated in the subject which we are discussing. The purpose behind this is to declare that we do not know calculations nor are we going to use this method to figure our months. This is a universal religion. Anyone from anywhere can follow it wherever he may be. If the system was based on calculations, the decision of millions of people would be in the hands of the few who would decide when the month begins and when it ends. Instead, Islam based the lunar calendar on moonsighting so that even bedouins, who are out of touch with most modern sciences and technologies, could sight the moon and know when the month begins and ends. This may raise a question in the mind of many that if Islam is all about simplicity, then why do we use time tables for salah and depend on the calculations which produce those time tables. This is an important question because the answer to it will prove how Islam is indeed a universal religion and will also reveal the most fascinating miracle of the Blessed Prophet . To understand this we need to remember that in Islam, the beginning and end of the month rely on the sighting of the moon while the salah timings are based on the movement of the sun. Calculations to this day have not been able to inform us of when the moon can first be sighted; the only thing known to us from the calculations is when the moon is born. And we as humans cannot see the moon immediately after its birth. How many hours does it take before the moon can be seen? Sometimes it can be seen after 14 hours and at other times it cannot be sighted even after 20 hours. This is because there are many different factors which contribute to the sighting of the moon. The sun is different. During the day, the sun is very easily seen every day except for when the skies are overcast. This is one difference between the sun and moon. Another big difference between the two is that the sun runs on a set path that is the same each and every year. For example, if one measures the time of the rising and setting of the sun on the first of January, 2005 he will find that is no different from the time of the rising and setting of the sun on the same date, one year before or after. And if one measures the time of the rising and setting of the sun on the same date ten years later it will still be no different from the time the sun rose and set on January 1, 2005. So if one person notes the movement of the sun one whole year and makes a time table out of his observations he could continue using that time table for the rest of his life. And in reality this is exactly how the time table for the salawat was made. Once this time table was produced, there was no need to repeat the process of observing of the sun. The moon in this aspect is a very different case. If Ramadan was 30 days this year, it won’t necessarily be 30 days the next year or the year after that. And this highlights the miracle of the Blessed Prophet that he prohibited the use of calculations and formulas to determine the birth of the moon (nor do we write nor do we make calculations), but didn’t include under this order the movement of the sun. How was the Blessed Prophet to know 1,400 years ago of the consistency that was in the movement of the sun and that, despite the latest breakthroughs in astronomical data and calculations, no one would ever be able to read the exact time of the sighting of the new moon. In summary, it is not possible nor has the Shari’ah allowed the Islamic lunar calendar to be based on calculations. This has never been permitted and has been the consensus of the Ummah. Though, this much can be said that Islam does allow using astronomical calculations to aid in moonsighting. For example, it can be helpful in providing us the approximate timings to when the moon will be most likely visible, or the age of the moon at the time of the setting of the sun, or at what time the moon will set. 2. Universal Moonsighting The second opinion is that wherever the moon is sighted in the world, whether it be for the beginning or the end of the month, all Muslims are obligated to accept that moonsighting for the beginning (or end) of the new month. If we review the ahadith, we find it certainly accepts the possibility of this opinion. For example, it says in the ahadith: Upon seeing the moon, begin your fast and upon seeing the moon, end your fast (meaning, make your next day the day of Eid). (Bukhari H.1776, Muslim H.1809, Tirmizi H.620, Nasai H.2088) It could be said that this means that wherever the moon is sighted, Muslims all over the world will begin or end the month. Thus, many people of this opinion use these type of ahadith to support their claim that wherever the moon is sighted, every Muslim around the world should begin the new month. But if we look at this practically and realistically we see that few actually act upon this opinion because those who do follow this opinion use it as back-up evidence to prove that we should only follow Saudi Arabia. When news of moonsighting reaches them from any other part of the world, they do not accept it. Secondly, this opinion is very impractical. Who is going to keep constant watch on 200+ countries around the world, receive incoming reports of moonsighting, and filter the false reports from the true reports? For this reason, none of the Islamic countries follow this opinion. Even Saudi Arabia does not accept reports of moonsighting from other countries. Therefore, it is impractical for many reasons. A few years back, when Morrocco reported moonsighting before Saudi Arabia, I asked some of our brothers who were of this opinion to accept this announcement. They said: We are going to wait for the moonsighting announcement from Saudi Arabia. No one gave any consideration to the moonsighting announcement in Morrocco. Even some years before that, there were official moonisghting reports from Italy. Nobody gave this report any serious thought. Instead, they waited for the announcement to come from Saudi Arabia. Similar was the case with Libya whose sighting was also rejected in lieu of Saudia Arabia’s moonsighting announcement. This clarifies the point that this opinion is not in practice. Nobody has actually ever attempted even a single time to establish that everyone should start the new month because of a moonsighting somewhere else in the world. 3. Following Saudi Arabia The third opinion is that we should follow Saudi Arabia. From the Shari’ah point of view, there is no evidence for this in the Qur’an and Sunnah. There is only the emotional argument put up by some that: Since Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam or it is where the Blessed Prophet lived therefore it should be recognized as the prime decision maker in such important matters. Aside from having no basis in Shari’ah, this opinion is problematic in another way too. What if the moon is sighted elsewhere before it is sighted in Saudi Arabia? What are the Muslims of that region suppose to do? If they wait for the announcement to come in from Saudi Arabia, they would be violating the directives of the ahadith which clearly state that fasting and breaking the fast should begin from the moosighting. On the other hand, if they follow their own moonsighting, they would then be ignoring Saudi Arabia, whether it is for Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Adha. Therefore, to follow along with the moonsighting of Saudi Arabia is incorrect. Since the promulgation of this opinion, Muslims from other countries have sought to do the same. For example, Pakistan performs their own local moonsighting. They may argue that since Saudi Arabia goes acording to its moonsighting then we will also go with our own moonsighting, we don’t need to follow any other country. Who is to tell them there is no proof for their opinion or for your opinion. Many of those who follow the moonsighting of Saudi Arabia also say that the Hajj takes place in Saudi Arabia; therefore, we should follow their moonsighting. This type of argument has no evidence in the Shari’ah either. If somebody does base the body of their claim on this evidence then prays his salah according to the timings of Saudi Arabia, everyone would understand the extent of the waywardness of this daleel. Again, the main problem that rises in this viewpoint is that if the moon is sighted elsewhere before it is seen in Saudi Arabia then what are they to do? The Saudi’s for sure will not follow their moonsighing; therefore, that is completely out of the question. This opinion is centered around the argument that the day of Arafah is followed by the day of Eid. Therefore, all Muslims of the world should celebrate the Eid following the day of Arafah in Saudi Arabia. This argument is not only bereft of any evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah but, in fact, evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah is to the contrary. Eid-ul-Adha was established in Islam in the 2nd year of hijra and the first Hajj in the Islamic calendar was performed in the 9th year of hijra. This means that for nearly seven years the Sahabah celebrated Eid and slaughtered their animals even though the Hajj had not yet begun. If the day of Eid was associated with the day of Arafah the way some think it is, then both would have been brought into the Shari’ah at the same time. Never in the history of Islam has any Islamic country tried to follow the moonsighting of Saudi Arabia based on the idea that their Eid should follow the day of Arafah, except only very recently. Even more surprising than this is that the Blessed Prophet performed the Hajj only once after it was made compulsory. After that he remained alive for only three months. During that time, the moonsighting of Makkah and Medina were differing (for details, see the appendix in the end). In brief, Hajj and Eid are separate and distinct from each other and aside from that they were introduced into Islam at different times. The Muslims who celebrate Eid, are not pilgrims and the ones who are, do not celebrate the Eid. The fuqaha (jurists), muhaditheen, mufasireen, and mujtahedeen have never tried to associate the two together the way some are trying to in our times. 4. Following Saudia for Zhil-Hijjah only The fourth opinion is that we follow Saudi Arabia for the month of Zhil-Hijjah and local moonsighting for the remaining eleven months. The problems with this opinion are as mentioned above. In addition, this opinion has no evidence (daleel) from the Qur’an and Sunnah that some months should start in a certain way while the remainder months start in a different way. Another problem that arises with this viewpoint is that sometimes the month of Zil-Qaddah has ended with 28 days which is a clear rejection of the ahadith (it has actually occurred in the previous years). Islamic months can only be 29 days or 30 days. 5. Local Moonsighting for All Months The fifth opinion is that we follow the local moonsighting alone. This was the predominant method in the time of the Blessed Prophet and continued to be the only method used throughout the history of Islam. A narration of Ibn Abbas in Sahih Muslim indicates that this was the prevailing method in the time of the Blessed Prophet and was a part of the teachings of the Blessed Prophet to the Sahabah . The narration goes like this: Kuraib narrates that Umm al-Fadhl sent him to Muawiya in Sham for something. Kuraib says I went to Sham and finished the job. I was in Sham when the month of Ramadan began and we saw the moon the night of Friday. When I reached Medina at the end of the blessed month, Ibn Abbas asked me about Sham. (After answering him) He then asked me when we saw the moon. I said: We saw the moon the night of juma. He said: did you see it as well. I said: Yes, I saw it too and many others saw it and we all kept fast and so did Muawiya (that is according to that moonsighting). Ibn Abbas said: But we saw the moon on Saturday night, therefore, we will keep thirty days fast according to that unless we sight the moon on the 29th. I said: You don’t think the moonsighting of Muawiya and his fasting is enough for you. Ibn Abbas replied: No, this is how the Blessed Prophet taught us. (Muslim H.1819, Tirmizi H.629, Nasai H.2084, Abu-Dawood H.1985, Musnad Ahmad H.2653 Dar-qutni H.2234) This hadith is clear evidence. When Ibn Abbas was informed by the person who himself sighting the moon that the people of Sham had begun Ramadan one day before, he responded that it was not only his opinion, but also the teachings of the Blessed Prophet that the moonsighting of another locality was not compulsory upon them. Conclusion: In summary, of the five viewpoints that have just been mentioned, only two are compliant with the Shari’ah. 1) One is the viewpoint that wherever the moon is sighted in the world, it is compulsory on all the Muslims in the world to follow it. The only condition to this is that the moonsighting cannot be limited to any one country. For example, it cannot be said that we will only accept moonsighting from this and this country and not other countries. This is regardless of whether the country is a Muslim or non Muslim so as long as those who sight the moon are Muslims. But as we mentioned before, nobody in our times has put this viewpoint into practice and the burdens of putting it into practice have also been mentioned. 2) The second viewpoint is that we follow local moonsighting. Not only is this way easy, but it is actually a continuation of the tradition of the Blessed Prophet and of the people after him throughout the history of Islam. APPENDIX: During the time of the Prophet , moon sighting was always conducted locally and the people of Makkah and Medina maintained their own Islamic calendars. One of the proofs for this can be found by carefully analyzing the seerah. When Rasulullah performed his one and only Hajj, the 9th of Zhil-Hijjah was a Friday. He passed away three months later in Medina on Monday, the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal. These historical facts are established through hadith. However, when one tries to reconstruct the Islamic calendar given those days, the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal does not fall on a Monday, any which way you try. Based on the local Makkan moon sighting, if every month was 29 Days, 12th of Rabi al-Awwal would fall on Thursday. Based on the local Makkan moon sighting, if every month was 30 days, 12th of Rabi al-Awwal would fall on Sunday. The first calendar shows the least possible days for those 3 months, which would make the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal a Thursday. The second calendar shows the most possible days for those 3 months, which would make the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal a Sunday. All combinations of 29 or 30 days can only fall between the minimum and maximum limits, which means the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal can only be between Thursday and Sunday. However, the fact that Rasulullah passed away on a Monday simply means during that time, the calendar of Makkah was different from the calendar of Medina.

I need some serious information about this....please post fatawas, articles and even your thoughts on this issue. Jzk.

This so called development includes the sale of Somali oil rights to Ethiopia and China, the kidnapping of Ulema to C.I.A etc and Ethiopia, the arrest of thousands of Somalis in the ******. It also includes the authorities of Somaliland, Puntland and T.F.G handing over any Somalis wanted by Ethiopia without any judicial process. Fighting and hunting O.N.L.F members is one thing but the above is a different story!

Salams and Eid Mubaraks to all. Have you ever had the feeling of a close friend or a family member perhaps moving away to a different town or a country?Imagine if this friend was always there for you and stood by you through both the good times and the bad times. Imagine if this friend was mashallah a good brother or sister whom always reminded you of the good of Al Islam. So much so that when you remembered them in your thoughts you heart longed to experience these bonds of friendship, faith and Iman. Logically after a while you will start to miss this friend and you will regularly speak to them on the phone, you will probably even be more happy and joyful when you actually meet this brother or sister again. Well, Allah swt provided for us a far greater friend then this every single year without fail. Unlike other friends this friend has the ability to cure a person of his illnesses. No, this friend is not a local doctor, nurse and it certainly isnt a African or Somali Mingis healer. This month is Ramadan,a month wherein there are great medicinal benefits available to those who take the medicine offered on prescription and use it correctly. Allah swt says in the Quran "O, you who believe fasting is prescribed to you and Allah (SWT) states: "Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to humanity and as a clear sign for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So anyone of you who witnesses the month should spend it in fasting..." (Al-Qur'an, 2:185) . When a doctor prescribes something to a patient and it doesnt work this means that either it is the wrong medicine or the patient isnt using it correctly, therefore, the doctor prescribes another medicine or instructs the patient to use it correctly. But Allah swt is no doctor. Allah swt is the Creator, the King, the most Forgiving, the most merciful and the ones who knows what is contained in our hearts and souls. If this prescribed medicine and healing of Ramdan doesnt work or has no effect then Allah swt is not to blame for this. The medicine and the cure is there, but it is our faults as we have not made good use of it. The fact that this prescription works is that in Ramadan you will see people who never prayed praying salah;you will see people standing for Qiyamu Layal and Taraweeh, you will see people giving readily in the path of Allah swt; and you will witness a general atmosphere of brotherhood, love and respect amongst the Muslims. As Allah swt said : The Month of Ramadan in which the Quran was sent down, as a guidance for mankind and clear signs for guidance and the distinction. If this month is neglected, this will eventually lead to a moral crisis in a society and the people will move far and far from the Deen of Allah swt as occured with the prior nations to us. Allah swt says O, you who believe fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you that you may acquire self-restraint." (Al-Qur'an 2:183) The nations of old were also given this prescription and the medicinal benefits that come with it. However they neglected this and a result missed out this opportunity. In a hadith it is reported by Daghfal Imam Hanzalah (raa) that the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "The Christians used to fast one month. So when a man fell ill amongst them, they vowed if Allah cured him, they would increase ten more days to their fasting. He was cured, and the fast became forty days. Then another man ate meat; his mouth pained him. They vowed again if Allah cured him, they would add seven more days. He was cured and the fast increased to forty-seven days. However, this great a month requires great effort and sincerity. If one is to attain self restraint as Allah swt mentioned this means that he must sacrifice a great deal for his his heart and body to be healed. Ramadan requires abstinence from sexual intercourse with ones spouses; abstinence from eating and drinking; abstinence from backbiting, swearing and bickering; and most importantly sincerity to become a Mujahid for Allah swt sake only. Hence why Prophet saw said: There is many a fasting person who gets nothing from his fasting but hunger" Ibn Majah. This is similar to the traditional tribes that draw natural honey from tall trees. The hunter must use a great deal of effort to climb the tree in the first place, then he must place his hand inside the actual tree with danger of being beaten by Bees. Most often the hunter will come out successful and the few bites from the Bees mean nothing compared to his achievement. The honey is like the Iman one gains. One must endure a alot difficulty and be steadfeast, patient and resilient, in order to taste the Honey of true Iman. Or you can use the example of a marathon runner whom endures a great deal of stress and pain to reach finishing line. My brothers and sisters Ramadan is gone, but Allah still exists,He is the everlasting King of Kings. The same Allah who gave you the mercy of Ramadan is still here. The same Allah that you stood up for all those nights of taraweeh and extra prayers is still your Lord. The same Allah swt watches you everyday single month,year and day and instructs his angels to record your deeds. The same Allah that you worshipped so hard in Ramdan is the same one that you will stand infront of in the day of reckoning. Now that Ramadan is over will you stop your night prayers? Will you return to music and backbiting? Will you abandon the Fajr prayer? Or will you pray the Fajr when the sunshine is out? When your alarm rings for Fajr, will you set the alarm to another half an our so you can get a little more sleep? Will you abandon praying in the Masjid with the congregation? Ikhwani, Ramadan is a chance to recharge our batteries and put life and enery in out hearts and soul. Ramdan is a our World cup of Iman, but the other months should be our training and qualifying rounds of Iman. So that we can score plenty of goals in the big one. Will you get in stay in touch with your dear friend after this month? Eid Mubarak to all the Muslims and their families. May Allah purify us of our sins! May Allah correct our errors and mistakes which our as wide as the seas. May Allah give knowledge in abundance! May Allah have mercy on our homelands and establish safety. Ameen. Geel_Jire 12!

Originally posted by Seekknowledge: My understanding is that the ICU said they will invade Ethiopia in seven days hence gave an excuse Ethiopia to invade Somalia leaving the youth to fight them and go to heaven quickly while giving themselves time to escape even negotiate with the Americans to spare their lives. If this "Abu Mansur" wants to fight against christians then why is he not fighting is own master (Christian Eritrea)? At least the TFG is not denying that the Ethiopians are helping them (which by the way is wrong). No one is fighting for Islam here. All sides are interested only POWER and if this means using Islam as a weapon they have no hesitiation about it. Somalia doesn't need TFG or ICU what they need is a real leadership that cares about the people. The Alshabab and their associates boycotted the meeting in Asmara.Therefore you have no proof that Eritrea is the master of him or any others. As for fighting against Eritrea, I believe you didnt think carefully when you said this. I will leave you think about the logics and reasoning of that. After that we will have a proper discussion! Lastly, the I.C.U didnt say they would invade Ethiopia in eight days. Nor did they ever make any declrations of war against Ethiopia, when there was no Ethiopians on Somali soil. Did you see them make declrations of war against Ethiopia when they where fighting the Somali warlords? The answer is no! Thus, when they made their declarations of war against her, She had sent thousands of troops to Somalia. In other words Ethiopia invaded Somalia and they called the people to resist them as Islam calls to. This is the sunnah of the Prophet saw, his companions and the consensus of the Ulema.

My camels are on the old colonel to outsmart the youngun. But will he and his supporters go down without a fight?

Originally posted by Hunguri: quote:Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar: [QB] Xiinfaniin, the xaaraan ku naax clan occupying militia from that village of Cabuudwaaq know inay ku daaheynin that blessed city of Kismaayo [QB]. This is what MMA wrote about the certain clan of Aabudwaaq region. Saxiib, he didnt say anything about a clan. It says " clan occupying militia". He has signalled out a clan milita not the entire clan. I still fail to see what is wrong with this.Perhaps it hit a nerve with those that support the actions of these militias? There is nothin wrong with sayin a clan occupying militia from Muqdisho, Hargeysa or any other city for that matter.

SOL ancient historians, the floor is yours. Who and what were these people?