Update: I've been pretty busy this weekend trying to knit something useful and it hasn't really worked out as I hoped. One piece of good news is I've finally got to grips with ribbing both 2x2 and 4x4 so I started knitting some fingerless gloves. However to my dismay the pattern is for someone with anorexic hands lol, although not all is lost as they'll make cute gloves for one of my nieces . As for my cowl I followed the pattern with what little skills I had so that means no garter stitch that was before I learnt how to switch stitches from purl to knit. Here's a picture of my 1st attempt at knitting a cowl.... Not a bad attempt though, if I do say so myself , but I am half tempted to unravel the whole thing and start again, with a garter stitch this time. I believe the garter stitch is what gives the cowl the much needed stretch it needs to fit over your head. So I haven't been able to graph the piece together due to it's stiffness. The plan is to continue with the other fingerless glove and adapt the pattern to fit my real size hands, I'll keep you all posted! Let me know how you all get on, I'm glad I've inspired you all to start knitting. I find knitting really gives you patience, focus and hopefully some trendy winter warmers.

I got home and started knitting something... what? I'm not entirely sure, so that wasn't a good start! After one attempt to use those damn circular needles I got in a muddle and gave up. But never fear I’ve managed to get on Youtube which is filled an infinite number of wondrous ‘How 2’ tutorials has spurred me on and I hope to begin the Slouchy hat over the weekend. So for now I’ll build my courage and continue with knitting the project I started which I think I can turn into a beautiful cowl , so not all is lost! Isn't it just amazing!

How about the he has no morals or decency reason? Sounds to me like some men are making lame excuses to help justify their own perverse conscious.

I'm determined to knit something of use, I taught myself to knit and a little crochet during the last Christmas holidays. I've managed to master two stitch types which is such an amazing achievement for me but I'm frustrated about not being able to make anything useful, other than a few ipod/phone covers which everyone loved. So I've got some more supplies and I've decided to make a hat of some sort and to keep a blog of it on SOL as motivation. I'm determined to take pictures of my project in progress and hopefully the final product. Anyone else who'd like to follow is welcomed to join in! Here is a link to get you started if you're a beginner like me. Learn 2 Knit The pattern I will be attempting to follow is... Slouchy Hat

These adverts only pick up themes of the threads, as soon as you all stop talking about getting married and match making the ads will change.

^^We need to stay away for a number of reasons; they want a reaction and would be giving them a reaction. Does a falling tree make a sound in forest when no ones around? Probably but no one heard it so who cares lol Plus we're fasting and we why would you what any fasting person to be provoked into anger? It's best to avoid it. In any rate the best protest was done month earlier when the protest was the approval stages. It was a petition explaining why the protest should not ago ahead. ----------- Defend Harrow Central Mosque against anti‑Muslim bigots on Friday 11 September Racist bigots including the English Defence League and “Stop the Islamisation of Europe” are planning on holding an anti-Muslim protest outside Harrow Central Mosque on the evening of Friday 11 September. Anti-racist activists in Harrow have drawn up the following statement which has been signed by local MPs, trade unionists and community activists: “We the undersigned strongly oppose plans by the ‘English Defence League’ – a group linked to the fascist BNP – to demonstrate against Harrow Central Mosque. The EDL is a racist group out to attack Asians. It is trying to provoke and intimidate Muslim people by organising its ‘protest’ on a Friday in the holy month of Ramadan. “Islamophobia – bigotry against Muslims – is as unacceptable as any other form of racism. Its aim is to divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s. “Today they threaten the mosque, tomorrow it could be a synagogue, temple or church. Today they threaten Muslims, tomorrow it could be Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, blacks, gays, travellers or Eastern Europeans. There is no place for Nazis, racists or the BNP in Harrow’s multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious community.” Signatories so far include: Tony McNulty, MP for Harrow East; Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North; Jo Lang, president of Harrow Teachers Association (NUT); Nick Grant, NUT national executive member for outer London; Martin Francis, Green Party candidate for Brent North; Abdul Omer Mohsin, union convenor for Unite at Harrow and Edgware bus garages; Raj Gill, branch secretary, GMB Harrow general branch (pc); Pete Firmin, president of Brent Trades Council; Alf Filer, UCU Harrow College; Indro Sen, UCU branch secretary, College of North West London; Milad Ahmed, Muslim Youth Helpline Brent & Harrow Unite Against Fascism has called a solidarity vigil to defend the mosque from racists and fascists. It starts at 1:30pm on Friday 11 September and will continue till the early evening, including a rally and speakers at 6pm. Assemble outside Harrow Civic Centre on Station Road just north of the junction with Rosslyn Crescent. -------------- I wouldn't recommend going personally. Here's an interesting read... THE POLICE HAVE APPROVED THIS STATIC DEMO AND WILL PROVIDE A FENCED OFF AREA FOR IT STOP ISLAMISATION demonstration outside of Harrow central mosque on Friday 11th September at 17.00. BANNED FROM PROTEST 1. As with previous SIOE demonstrations, political parties are banned. 2. Any racist chanting, banners and placards will result in immediate ejection of the perpetrators from the demo. 3. Totalitarian symbols such as nazi swastikas, communist hammer and sickles, Islamic star and crescent, UNLESS CLEARLY CROSSED OUT OR DEFACED WITH A STOP SIGN. APPROVED FOR PROTEST 1. Approved anti-sharia and anti-Islamisation chants, banners and placards will be permitted. 2. English, Welsh, Scottish, N. Irish, national flags, European national flags, certain other national flags will be permitted and encouraged. 3. Certain other flags representing communities struggling against Islamic colonisation such as Papua New Guinea and Biafra will be permitted. 4. Certain civil rights flags, banners and placards will be encouraged provided they are displayed within the no-sharia context of the demonstration. 5. ALL MUST BE APPROVED BY THE ORGANISERS BEFORE THE PROTEST Speakers using hand held megaphones will address the gathering. Names of speakers will be provided to the police prior to the demonstration. Speeches must be approved by the organisers. Approved groups such as the English Defence League, British Citizens Against Muslim Extremists, March for England, For a Democratic and Secular Iran, will join the demonstration and the police will be notified as to which groups will attend as soon as such participation has been confirmed. Stewards will be provided. Banners, placards and speeches will be shown to the police prior to the protest starting if requested. Demonstration finishes 19.00 11th September 2009 ------------- In all honesty I don't think any of those rules will be upheld.

Siren I think that's the whole "would you throw yourself into traffic" argument...Allah has given us free will giving that up is destructive at best. You wouldn't marry the first man you laid your eyes on simply because you need some sort of filter, and I say this with certainty that this marriage lottery must have had some filtering process, be it the smallest of requirements, i.e. he must be male and have limbs (or not even that). The course/ growth of a marriage maybe something only Allah knows but you can at least ensure that you have the basic requirements at the start. Like growing a plant, you choose what type of flower/plant seed you plant, where you plant in (is it in fertile land?), how often you water the plant etc... However in the case of Somali men who in my opinion properly deviate from all logic, you might have brought an apple plant and landed a lemon tree instead.

You're far to late! lol

Teenager's job are to rebel, you allow dating certain pre-approved boys and they just want the local bad boy. If any of you are interesting I can share some of my Family Links Parenting course material with you. It shines a whole new light on parenting and gives you some interesting practical tools you can use with children and even adults. The course is based on four main constructs... * Empathy * Positive Discipline * Self-awareness & Self-esteem * Appropriate expectations It's a 10 week course and focuses on the idea that you need to nature yourself as a parent in order to be able to give back to your family. Having said that, I think I'll start a thread dedicated to it with all the materials from the 10 week course. I always wanted to deliver this course to our community, especially younger parents. Thanks A.Z for the idea!

Shouldn't you be more concerned in taking full advantaged of this blessed month than crying yourself to sleep over a girl friend. And in all honesty Marx no intelligent girl would be interested in you after this whole thread, I think you just blew your already waning credit.

It's the chromosones that make you female, you don't have to bleed or have a womb.

Good point, I really hope no Muslims turn up in protest. Thank you!

It isn't about gender in all honesty. Abuse is committed by men and women alike, although the higher percentages of perpetrators are male.

Sorry to be a party pooper but...In comparison to the decades that men have been abusing women and till this day taking away their rights, I think I'd have to say it's not all the funny! Has anyone heard of the duluth wheel? It's really insightful, expecially when you think that so many woman see Domestic Violence as just abuse in the physical form. You can find out more on the Duluth website. http://www.theduluth model.org code:

Well Ngonge that was then, I've turning into a fuddy-duddy since. I don't know what it is, maybe it's all sunk in over the years but I can read Somali now without too much trouble and it's surprisingly a nice feeling. I suppose I felt a little excluded before but I won't celebrate until I can reply in Somali.

I'm nervous about welcoming you simply because I'm waiting to see what type of nomad you turn out to be, but who cares what's the worst that can happen? Hello and welcome!

Ngonge why are you always taunting me? Juxa you wouldn't be advising me to flex any muscles if you knew what the situation was like, it might just cost me a job.

The words..."How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb" comes to mind. Is resistance really futile?

Yep I saw that on the Metro today, I hope Allah makes it easier on them all.

Oh well that's comforting lol. If I ever saw a advert against marriage that is it Nin-Yaaban. As long as you don't kill each other... that's a good enough!

^^ My sentiments exactly, it's a pot luck regardless of how long you've known each other. I think the true test is nothing short of living together. Just trust in Allah.

What was that old Somali saying again?

Oh so now you notice little old me?

Here are a few tips... 1. Like Blessed said treating savings like a bill, that's the best advice anyone can give you. 2. Plan for big and small costs alike, you'll feel so much better about going on a holiday with money you put aside purposely for that then if you did it all on your credit card. Or £40 a month might seem like nothing but it could be a good little bi-annual shopping spree. 3. Like my mother always says money that isn't Barakasan won't go far, give Zaakat and have good rewards in this world and the next. 4. Be thrifty, look for the best deals with holidays, clothes and food. 5. Going out doesn't need to stop, just be more out going with your choices... there's tonnes of cheap or even free things to do. 6. Make the hard times easier, If you have a large extended family considering saving collectively for those unexpected costs.

The National archives is a little goldmine! I stumbled across a number of interesting documents released by the UK Foreign Office in the freedom of information Act. The documented label secret were mostly around the time Somalia was colonised and the period leading up to what they referred to the "Unified Somalia Project" and how they were negotiating the handing over of some of the Somali territories as a bid to have Ethiopian favour. It's definitely made me see it all in a different light, thought I suspect that the document was altered to make it that more palatable it alarmed me to see the politics at work. The British Secretary of State were deciding over the fate of hundred of thousands of Africans without their knowledge with only the interest of the Empire in mind. Some of the document does refer to the consultation of the Somali people however I find it highly unlikely that if they were indeed consulted that they agreed to any of the decisions that inevitably followed as a result of the British rule leaving Somaliland. Segment from document... Other States, as well as the United Kingdom and Ethiopia will thus necessarily be involved in any final settlement. Nevertheless, we have a particular interest in seeing the question solved and a particular reason for favouring early action. The latter arises from the Anglo- Ethiopian Agreement of 1944, which is liable to expire on three months' notice as from December 1946. Our present occupation of the ****** and Reserved Area derives from this Agreement. Now that the war is over there are no grounds on which we could insist on a renewal, and it is most unlikely that the Ethiopian Government would agree to grant it. Once the ****** and Reserved Area had been returned to Ethiopian administration, it would be virtually impossible to detach them from Ethiopia to form part of a unified Somalia; yet without them, the unified Somalia project is unworkable. --- Another document dated 2nd June 1960 were cabinet minutes from a meeting held in 10 Downing Street discussed a range of issues including whether or not to include the Somali Republic in the Common Wealth and how this would effect a legions with neighbouring countries. The reason to refuse Somalia into the Common Wealth was surprisingly convoluted and was completely fixated on the possible Russian infiltration into Africa. However what astounded me the most was the method in which they chose to resolve matter in. The article detailed below is an extract from a document titled Conclusions. A meeting held at 10 Downing Street on 2nd June 1960. Agenda item 5. 5. The Cabinet had before them a memorandum by the Foreign Secretary (C. (60) 91) about the admission to membership of the Commonwealth of the new Somali Republic which was to come into being on 1st July, when Somaliland and Somalia united. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that the arguments against admission of the new Somali Republic to the Commonwealth were very strong. It would not for many years be a financially viable State but would be dependent on aid, not only from ourselves but also from the United States and Italy. Its admission to the Commonwealth would, moreover, antagonise the Ethiopians, the French and the Italians, the last of whom had made it clear that in that event they would discontinue their financial aid. While there was no evidence of any definite desire on the part of the Somalis to join the Commonwealth, it would be embarrassing to have to refuse a formal request if one should be made; and it was therefore proposed that the Consul-General at Mogadishu and the Governor of Hargeisa should be instructed to adopt a discouraging attitude if any informal approach were made to them.In discussion it was suggested that, while admission of the new Somali Republic to the Commonwealth might do something to counter Communist infiltration, the reactions of the Ethiopian Government, who were already deeply suspicious of our intentions, would be so hostile that they in turn would be likely to become more subject to Russian influence. In view of the attitude of France and Italy, the balance of advantage therefore lay on the side of discouraging any advances which the Somalis might make, and our intention to do so should be made clear in strict confidence to the other Governments concerned. The Cabinet—Approved the proposals in C. (60) 91. You can find the full documents and more on the National Archives website www.nationalarchives .gov.uk