Unfortunately during the early morning hours after midnight on August 8th 2003, I received one of those inevitable yet shocking calls we all avoid. My cousin was shot twice and killed as he made is last fare as a taxi driver. Cabdriver slain in south Minneapolis Cabdriver Mohammed Ahmed Salah A cabdriver was shot to death Friday morning in south Minneapolis, less than a month after another cabbie was slain on the city's North Side. The cabbie was found when police responded to a report of a car accident. The cab had been driven into Phillips Park and stopped at a fence near the basketball court. Related content Cabdrivers gather at City Hall Friday to voice safety concerns As his shift was about to end early Friday, Mohamed Salah called his pregnant wife to tell her he had several suspicious passengers in his cab. Moments later he was shot to death. Salah, 28, is the second cabdriver to be slain in Minneapolis in the past month. The shootings have jump-started the cabdriving community's debate over safety issues. While most cabbies agree that partitions between driver and passengers aren't the answer, the president of a newly formed cabdrivers association that has several hundred members is asking city leaders to subsidize surveillance cameras. A group of about 50 cabdrivers met with Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief Robert Olson on Friday afternoon. While he said he was sympathetic to their needs, Rybak made it clear that public money wouldn't be provided for private businesses. "I understand what they are going through because my parents owned a small business and they were robbed several times at gunpoint," he said. "I'm open to looking into new safety regulations as part of ongoing conversations with companies in the cabdriving community." In 2000, New York City began requiring all cabs to have a camera or a bullet-resistant partition. That same year, following the murders of two cabdrivers, the Toronto city council required taxicabs to be equipped with emergency lights and a security camera or technology that allows a computer to locate the car. Salah, who had worked for Red and White Taxi for two years, had recently told relatives he wanted to put a partition in his cab. Pat White, manager of the cab company, said that his heart went out to Salah's family, and that he hoped the incident would expedite any action that might make taxicabs safer. Salah, of Minneapolis, was shot in the head about 1:30 a.m. at the intersection of 24th St. and 18th Av. S. in the Phillips neighborhood. The cab's momentum took it into a fence across the street in Phillips Park. The impact of the airbag pushed Salah's body to the back seat. What appeared to be nearly a dozen bloody tennis shoe prints could be seen leading away from the cab. Relatives of Salah said they were told that there were three people in the cab. Beulah McConnell, who lives across the street from the park, said she heard three shots and "then a boom and crash." As she tended to some flowers, she wondered why cabdrivers are being shot. She said it was sad to see a large group of Somalis gather at the park Friday morning. Salah was shot at close range, but police Lt. Mike Carlson said it was unclear whether he was shot from inside or outside the cab. Investigators are pursuing a dispatch call Salah received after midnight, he said. "We feel we have strong leads," he said. Nearly 60 Somalis, including Salah's wife and mother, gathered in front of the Hennepin County medical examiner's office Friday afternoon. They were joined by City Council Member Dean Zimmermann, who lives about a half-block from where Salah died. He said he had talked to police and was confident that whoever was responsible for the shooting would be arrested within 24 hours. Salah's death follows the July 10 shooting death of Ahmed Ahmed, 38, who was killed near 11th and Penn Avs. N. A man who was wanted for failing a court-ordered drug test, Sylvester L. Scott, 20, has been charged with first-and second-degree murder. "The death of Ahmed could be seen as an aberration, but now you've had two within a month," Zimmermann said. "I think this will now shift the mood for people to look at new safety options." Salah's wife of six months, Rukia Osman, was too distraught to talk about the shooting. She had a relative read a statement, which described how Salah worked 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. five days a week to try his best to provide for his family. She described the final call from Salah and how he said the men asked him to drive them to different places. "I'm asking all of Minnesota to help catch the person who did this heinous crime," she said. "I am numb." Salah came to the United States in 1993 and became a citizen in 2002. He had told his mother he had made enough money to move the family to a different neighborhood. "I can't control my emotions," said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center. "I don't know what to tell the family so they can make sense of it."

Inlaws most of the time are the deciding factors when it comes to choosing a mate. I personally pray for a man who doesn't come from a large family of females. I personally know first hand the tragedy of knowing a mother in-law who butts in too much and sister-inlaws who don't know when to mind their own business. It seems that for the longest time my father's side could never except my mother. They did everything they could possibly do to express their hate for her, and because they can't except her they don't except us, her kids. I don't know my father's side from didly squat although they live in the same city as us, nor do i ever want to get to know them. By simply going out their way to reuin my parent's marriage and slander my mother I don't have an ounce of care or respect for any one of them. Sometimes inlaws can have lasting affects on a marriage. I'm living proof of these affects

And so it continues...... The wait it near it's final destination, the act of pro-creation and tense stimulation when the mind body and soul is ready for that sexual elevation WAIT -- am I being to blunt with my words, if not i can go on with some verbs that describe this act, this natural,physical, man and woman pact. You ask is this love?...I ask is it love that takes this virginity away? Or is it just a word that sends the heart astray Wandering into zones of pure pleasure and pain See love can bring pain And leave the heart in vain But this act is simple and plain It's really quite truthful The book says replenish and be fruitful Virginity is an unwritten song waiting to be sung with one stroke of an instrument it's done written

Listen to White man's confession after years of oppresion His words just flowing like a poetry session Wondering whether he'll step into my loxion and see all the rot and corruption brought by his racial selection But I doubt whether he'll go in without protection and view his systems creation and see starving childrens reactions and widowed wives condition after decades of racial segregation I doubt whether he'll have the conviction to do more than give a donation with money for his racist condition of mining Africa's rich tradition and killing it's pride and passion But it doesn't matter about his selection it won't change my minds direction to clear my life of his racist pollution and see my people's dreams come to fruition and rebuild my Africa after years of mental erosion And I'm tired of every politician suddenly caring when it's time for election but not taking the time for connection with the people who suffered the devestation They say the black man must prove he suffered slavery They say the black man must prove he needs their money but he doesn't have to prove it to that man he doesn't have to prove it to that white man nor to the American or the European He doesn't have to prove it man Because He knows there's such thing as the strong black man

I used to like this poem and Elizabeth Barrett till i read some poetry by her husband, Robert Browning, that man had a deathly twist to his writing. "Porphyria's Lover" is one of my favourites by him.. can you imagine being strangled by your own hair....what a way to go

Chaos errupts and the nightly concert of gun fire begins We all dash bewildered, atleast trying to gather the last of out things To where we go, at first we don't know Just continous steps as we walk, we only stop to go A new place a new beginning a new plot at times This akward land this awkward place with people held only before in our minds we think, More knowledge, more wisdom, more confusion And with the confused mind comes confused ideas Of an identity we think we still have An identity that was long ago stolen An identity we strive for everyday, searching, reaching, yearning Yearning to belong, to be included, to be labelled So what happends when we come to this new place We don't understand that we don't fit in a new people a new statistic a new race Young, Black and African we proudly procliam OUr labels, so dear we hold them African, with an American shirt African, with an Islamic name African, with straightened hair African, so proud to be...African but are we?

SARS, bars! my black object of rump shaking! All I know is dual-citizenship really does come in handy. Let's just hope the T-dot gets cleared up, or atleast gains a tight control on this SARS epidemic before Caribana, can't let SARS win over tradition.

I admire Me Myself and Irene. You all haven't met Irene yet but when you do you'll be addicted to her like a single mother on crack!

Female..i wonder if you're trying to hold some sort of character scheme..The "i don't give a F**k persona" I mean it's one thing to say, what she did was wrong, but another to be content with the death of another human being, whether she took her own life or not. Instead we and you should be praying that Allah(swt) forgives her of her sins. And that this doesn't happen to another young person.

Female..i wonder if you're trying to hold some sort of character scheme..The "i don't give a F**k persona" I mean it's one thing to say, what she did was wrong, but another to be content with the death of another human being, whether she took her own life or not. Instead we and you should be praying that Allah(swt) forgives her of her sins. And that this doesn't happen to another young person.

oops my bad, i figured old girl that wrote the xxxx's right across..was the letter X...

Chaos errupts and the nightly concert of gun fire begins We all dash bewildered, atleast trying to gather the last of out things To where we go, at first we don't know Just continous steps as we walk, we only stop to go A new place a new beginning a new plot at times This akward land this awkward place with people held only before in our minds we think, More knowledge, more wisdom, more confusion And with the confused mind comes confused ideas Of an identity we think we still have An identity that was long ago stolen An identity we strive for everyday, searching, reaching, yearning Yearning to belong, to be included, to be labelled So what happends when we come to this new place We don't understand that we don't fit in a new people a new statistic a new race Young, Black and African we proudly procliam OUr labels, so dear we hold them African, with an American shirt African, with an Islamic name African, with straightened hair African, so proud to be...African but are we?

Listen to White man's confession after years of oppresion His words just flowing like a poetry session Wondering whether he'll step into my loxion and see all the rot and corruption brought by his racial selection But I doubt whether he'll go in without protection and view his systems creation and see starving childrens reactions and widowed wives condition after decades of racial segregation I doubt whether he'll have the conviction to do more than give a donation with money for his racist condition of mining Africa's rich tradition and killing it's pride and passion But it doesn't matter about his selection it won't change my minds direction to clear my life of his racist pollution and see my people's dreams come to fruition and rebuild my Africa after years of mental erosion And I'm tired of every politician suddenly caring when it's time for election but not taking the time for connection with the people who suffered the devestation They say the black man must prove he suffered slavery They say the black man must prove he needs their money but he doesn't have to prove it to that man he doesn't have to prove it to that white man nor to the American or the European He doesn't have to prove it man Because He knows there's such thing as the strong black WOman

You say I'm free but to shackles i am still attached You call this the land of the free, so why don't i feel relaxed? You've conqured all to the Yucatan and back You've speard diseases and hate, and we don't know how to act? You love it when we entertain you, getting tickets by the numbers Yet with all this money, you can't aid world hunger? You consider my words militant, sometimes calling them belligerent Yet you've done this with out any restitution, did you forget?, you call this country free under the Declaration and the Constitution You call me a daughter of this land Yet it's tear gas and jail when i take a stand You call this place the the biggest world power Yet you bombed out a country without finding the culprits that blew the World towers You must understand, Oh Great Red White and Blue You almost forgot that the only infection to this ailing world is no one else but YOU

That was some work. I couldn't get into the link so I had to find this article through the NewYork Times. It seems to me that this woman is cleary not educated enough to make the remarks that she has made. Her words are based on case-scenarios of Women that have suffered from Cultural autrocities. None of what she said were linked to religion in her cases. She has tied her feminist fews against men, to feminist views against Muslim men. What she needs to do is get a better understanding and grasp of the Islam religion and base her words on facts that she can link to Islam. Incest, Genital Mutilation, has nothing to do with Islam, if anything it has a lot to do with culture. The Dutch on the other hand, remind me alot of the Mayor of Lewiston, Maine. The influx of refugees caught both of guard. The Dutch have had the pleasure of someone veiling them from the idea that that they are not the "insensitive racist" that have to speak up against. It makes life a bit easier for them to know that an immigrant has spoken out against the influx of refugee, there the invitation by the Dutch Liberal party to be a candidate for parliment. Why not have an immigrant speak against strengthening immigration policies. As for the death threats and hate mail. It's clearly uncalled for, instead people should pray for her and hope that she will one day seek the education she needs to back up her statements that "Islam is Backwards".

Dhaqan Celis?? Is that what they call it? I call it a far away daycare where parents dump the children they couldn't control. Taking someone against their free will to a country they know little about, family they have never met, and an enviornment unseen to them before is more like bad parenting then anything. I myself have never been to Somalia and I'm not planning to go anytime soon. Growing up in daycare and being babysat by television while my parents were gone is the only culture I really know. It gets me really ticked when I hear folks say Somali children in the western world lost their culture etc. when we really didn't have a culture to begin with. Those of us that were born and raised out here only know this way of life. Our parents were never really around, and we befriended those who grew up with us. It really isn't our fault. So should we be penelized for being born and raised in the "wrong" place?? Dumping your children off to a place they know nothing of is just plain wrong. If and when they want to go to their country of origin, it should be their SOUL choice!

Didn't know folks took the time out of their day to find out the names of Shakira's brothers and sisters. I know I wouldn't. But anyway, don't know if you all know but, Robert Novak from CNN's "Cross Fire" is also of Arab decent. Don't know what it is. Maybe i'm just a huge racist, but I can't stand Arabs. Can't quite put my finger on it. Oh well!

It wasn't the people. I just didn't like it. It really wasn't my cup of tea at all. Just can't see myself going back. Seems as though the whole city is in a major state of confusion.

Been there done that...don't want to go back again. I personally didn't enjoy going to Minnieapolis at all. It wasn't a pleasant trip for me atleast. Maybe I'm just too use to Toronto..and that city is just BEAUTIFUL. God Bless Dixon

Okay, so the question boils down to, should we side with the U.S or the Arabs?!. Personally I side with neither, what it all comes down to in both cases regardless of religion that we Somalis are just BLACK!.. If you look at it one way, we are the biggest targets of the United States, being that we are both black and muslim, so either way we will only be looked upon as a threat. Just because we're here in the United States doesn't really mean that they could care less about us. Look at it this way, a statistic shows that the United States sends $3000/capita a year to Isreal, with every Isreali man woman and child receives $3000 a year from the United States; while at the same time they send 99cents/capita a year to the enitre African continent. That means that roughly 3000 blacks are equal to one Isreali. And we should be proud of this country? As for the Arabs, i believe they are among the biggest hypocrits in the world. Arabs are always the first ones up and running to you in their time of need, pleading the case that we are all brothers and sisters in Islam. But if the scenario was reversed we are just another bunch of niggers to them. During and before the civil war in Somalia, Arabs were the first ones to send thousands of Somalis back home in make-shift ships in the most awfull circumstances. I say we let them fight it out and worry about it. Neither of the two groups could care less about our situtation!

Well I'll be damned. Congrats girl..

Hey: I agree, hope Taqwa doesn't see this. My advice to you is to advise your mother, let her know that you getting married doesn't have anything to do with her afterlife. As far as your situation, I say be totally honest and truthful with him, thats the only way you can be atleast heard if not forgiven. But if not you got to understand that you sort of set yourself up for it. To the next female, that said something about going to Victoria Secret and all. Now honestly speaking what does reinacting a R.Kelly song help with this situation. If i were a man, i would simply look at it as a booty call.

Hey: I agree, hope Taqwa doesn't see this. My advice to you is to advise your mother, let her know that you getting married doesn't have anything to do with her afterlife. As far as your situation, I say be totally honest and truthful with him, thats the only way you can be atleast heard if not forgiven. But if not you got to understand that you sort of set yourself up for it. To the next female, that said something about going to Victoria Secret and all. Now honestly speaking what does reinacting a R.Kelly song help with this situation. If i were a man, i would simply look at it as a booty call.

Hey: I agree, hope Taqwa doesn't see this. My advice to you is to advise your mother, let her know that you getting married doesn't have anything to do with her afterlife. As far as your situation, I say be totally honest and truthful with him, thats the only way you can be atleast heard if not forgiven. But if not you got to understand that you sort of set yourself up for it. To the next female, that said something about going to Victoria Secret and all. Now honestly speaking what does reinacting a R.Kelly song help with this situation. If i were a man, i would simply look at it as a booty call.

Hey: I agree, hope Taqwa doesn't see this. My advice to you is to advise your mother, let her know that you getting married doesn't have anything to do with her afterlife. As far as your situation, I say be totally honest and truthful with him, thats the only way you can be atleast heard if not forgiven. But if not you got to understand that you sort of set yourself up for it. To the next female, that said something about going to Victoria Secret and all. Now honestly speaking what does reinacting a R.Kelly song help with this situation. If i were a man, i would simply look at it as a booty call.