nice! I also couln't find the lady but I got new challange for you all, » Find this Plate Number: 46-OT-DN I'll give you a hint: it is a sports car Amani.

» Asalamu Alaykum, I dedicate this thread to Somalia, Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya, Kashmir, Afghanistan, and to all those living in Struggle. please take part and post your poems. I think it is appropriate to start with Tawfiq Zayyad's All I Have I never carried a rifle On my shoulder Or pulled a trigger. All I have Is a flute's melody A brush to paint my dreams, A bottle of ink. All I have Is unshakeable faith And an infinite love For my people in pain. Amani

A file photo of Spanish Muslims performing prayers in a Madrid mosque. By Al-Amin Andalusi, IOL Correspondent MADRID, January 12 (IslamOnline.net) - Teaching Islam in Spanish schools has finally found its way to implementation after almost a decade of delays and obstacles. Since coming to power in the European country, Spain's new Socialist government under Jose Rodriguez Zapatero has made a host of good gestures toward the Muslim community in the country, the most remarkable of which was a decision to allow the teaching of Islamic subjects at public schools of major cities with significant Muslim presence. The long-awaited development saw the light early January, 2005. The government decision on teaching Islam only stipulates giving definition lessons on Islam. But Spanish rightist parties lashed out at the decision, launching a severe campaign against the Muslim community in the country, seeking to put strains that would make the decision void of its meaning. Teaching Islam was part of an agreement reached in the early 1990s between the former Socialist government and a number of the Islamic bodies in Spain. However, the agreement was shelved for eight years after former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's People's Party assumed power. Spain has a Muslim community of about 600,000 people out of a total population of 40 million. Some 94 percent of its population are Christian Catholics. The country has recognized Islam through the law of religious freedom, issued in July 1967. Definition Lessons The Spanish decision stipulates teaching the Islamic subjects in the Spanish schools in a number of Spanish cities that have high Muslim population such as Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia. The Spanish official for religious affairs had said Islamic subjects would be taught in a number of major Spanish cities by early January, 2005. Teaching Islamic subjects was only allowed since 2000 in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in which Muslims of Moroccan origin make up the majority of population. Ceuta and Melilla are located in northern Morocco under the Spanish control. Teachers of the Islamic subjects in the two cities were only seven, teaching some 1,900 students in the preliminary education, however, the experience was seen as an encouraging step to be copied in other Spanish cities. Visiting a number of schools in the city of Melilla, the Spanish official for religious affairs said the experience of teaching Islamic subjects in the city was driving factor for the Spanish government to follow suit in other Spanish cities. The decision to teach Islam stipulates giving simple definition lessons on the Islamic pillars to students at Spanish schools. The Spanish socialist government and the Union of the Islamic Associations have agreed that the Islamic subjects would be limited to teaching introductory lessons on the pillars of Islam to Spanish students. The association has been intensifying efforts to correct misconceptions on Islam among the Spanish people. The association secretary general urged to extend the teaching of the Islamic subjects to other Spanish cities in light of the increasing numbers of Muslim immigrants in the European country. Neighboring Morocco is expected to play a role in the issue as the Moroccan education ministry will prepare the curricula of the Islamic subjects, similarly to the situation in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Opposition But the government's decision to teach Islam drew ire from rightist and pro-Catholic church parties which oppose the rising numbers of Muslim immigrants in Spain. The rightist opposition campaign led by the People's Party and pro-church parties resulted in imposing more restrictions on implementing the law. These included the Islamic subjects to be taught only in areas that have high Muslim population, to have at least ten students or parents presenting a request and that the Islamic subjects don't contradict with the by-laws of the government and private schools in Spain. The Spanish rightist parties, however, failed to place other restrictions, such as allowing only Spanish teachers to teach the Islamic subjects. The proposal was rebuffed by the Spanish government as unrealistic and similar to the idea of Muslim teachers teaching Catholicism. The Spanish rightist parties believe the government decision to teach Islam is doomed to failure due to the poor number of the Islamic subject teachers, even in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla which have only 20 teachers. However, the Spanish government is attempting to solve the problem by reaching an agreement with Morocco on seeking Spanish-speaking teachers from the neighboring Arab country, similarly to a deal between Morocco and Italy under which Morocco sent 30 teachers to teach Arabic to the Moroccan immigrants in the European country. Anti-Islam Drive The Spanish move on teaching Islamic subjects, however, has stirred anti-Islam parties and their media mouthpieces to launch a scathing attack on Islam and Muslims. The rightist La Razon daily, known for its links with the church and army circles, launched vile campaigns against the Muslim community, accusing them of inability to integrate into the western societies. The Spanish daily also claimed that the Noble Qur'an forbids Muslims from easily integrating into the western societies. The anti-Muslim campaigns in the European country reflected differences between the rightist parties and the Catholic church on one hand, and the leftist parties led by the ruling Socialist party on the other, according to observers. Since he assumed power, Zapatero has cancelled a host of privileges enjoyed by the Catholic church during the rule of the People's Party, including a halt of finances to the church-sponsored schools and religious centers. Such a decision, naturally, drew criticism campaigns from the Catholic circles, accusing the Socialist Party of adopting a policy of “secular extremismâ€. The Zapatero government, however, stressed it only applies secular policies that stipulate equality among the different faiths in the country. It also noted that the decision on teaching Islam was a part of the secular polices adopted by the government. Observers also believe the decision to teach Islam aims to control the widespread Islamic private schools in the country to avoid any future “terrorist†acts similar to the Madrid bombings. http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2005-01/12/article05.shtml

In God's creation of man, I ponder, Why is reality a one man's domain. Some wake in reality they create, Some wake in another man's reality. Since refusal of is in your choice, Chose your reality and your death. ------------- ^^ Truly Inspiring! Jamaal, can you tell us, what inspired you to write this poem? true-understanding is in the root of causality.

Originally posted by Libaax-Sankataabte: old news. old lies. well said.

did I heard Andalusia? don't make me weap. sorry, I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it, but I just wanted to add that on top of the list of my dreams/goals, is to Insha'Allah one day Travel accross Andalusia and pray inside the great mosque of cordoba! I'm now reading, The Story of Islamic Spain - by Syed Azizur Rahman, and also I have been doing research on Muslim Andalusia for sometime now, looking at sites of major battles, palaces, mosques,... I think to enjoy the journey even more, one must know were he/she is going!

Kosovan, Ukrainian Pilgrims Head to Makkah By Hani Saleh, IOL Correspondent PRISTINA, January 7 (IslamOnline.net) – The first batch of Kosovan pilgrims left home for Saudi Arabia to perform hajj, as some 40 Ukrainians are readying themselves for the soul-searching journey. Some 355 Kosovan pilgrims left Pristina airport Thursday, January 6, for the Saudi lands to perform hajj, according to the RYK television. More groups of Kosovan pilgrims were expected to leave the capital Pristina Friday, January 7, and Saturday, to catch up with the over two million Muslims from across the globe, to perform the fifth pillar of Islam, it added. As an annual tradition, Kosovan pilgrims are used to converging on the Mohamed Al-Fateh mosque in Pristina to bid farewell to relatives and friends before heading for the airport, en route, to Muslims’ holiest sites in Saudi Arabia. In 2004, some 600 Kosovan pilgrims have performed hajj. Saudi authorities used to host around 300 Kosovan pilgrims to perform the fifth pillar of Islam at the expense of the Saudi Monarch, Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz. The hajj journey costs around 1900 euros (2,500 US dollars) per person, for Kosovans, who make up to 90% of Kosovo population. Kosovo has a population of 3 million people, mostly from Albanian origin. Kosovo was placed under UN-led administration in June 1999 after NATO's 11-week bombing campaign forced President Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his troops. Its Albanians demand full independence. Ukrainian Pilgrims In Ukraine , only 40 pilgrims are readying themselves to perform hajj this year. The limited number of Ukrainian pilgrims is mainly attributed to high costs which hit around 1,600 US dollars, said Farouq Ashour, the chairman of the Federation of Social Organizations (Arraid), the largest Islamic group in Ukraine . Ukrainian Muslims live under poor financial potentials, with no bodies to offer financial facilities to the them to perform hajj, he added. “In addition, Saudi Arabia has no official representation in Ukraine , forcing Ukrainian Muslims to seek hajj visas through travel agencies in Moscow .†Saudi authorities used to offer annual grants to around 100 Ukrainian pilgrims to perform hajj. Such grants, however, were suddenly stopped over the past two years for unknown reasons. The Federation of Social Organizations (Arraid) groups 10 Islamic organizations and three Islamic centers dotted in 10 Ukrainian cities. There are two million Muslims in Ukraine , making up 4% of the overall 48-million population. Hajj is one of the “five pillars†of Islam, and thus an essential part of Muslims’ faith and practice under the condition of physical and financial ability. It consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.

kor u bood! Insha'Allah, ka faa'iidaysta intaan laydiinku Tukan!

rudy - I had that happen to me too. I don't know whats up with ethiopians? they get too physical for africans! danaanish! danaanish! :confused: did you just had onions?

Jazakallahu Khayr brother Nur

bal horta maskaxda ku fura - Halxidhaa - IDAAJAA

Asalaamu Alaykum dhamaantiin!! kaalay, aaway googaalyska iyo Halxidhaaga ragoodii? dee nimanyahow maad noo bilowdaan aan maskaxda maalnee? macasalaamah.

Salaams 2 All~~ check this out: lols ONLINE NIKKAH

Sxb unless you got 4, your still in Business and a dangerous Competitor!

'I'm the happiest man in the world,' says Saleh al-Sayeri. By Hasan Jamali, AP USFAN, Saudi Arabia (AP) — In 50 years, he says, he has married 58 women and has forgotten the names of most of them. He knows he has had 10 sons, but ask about daughters and he counts on his fingers: 22. No, no, 28. No, that's too many. He settles on 25. Saleh al-Sayeri, a 64-year-old shepherd-turned-businessman, says his marital adventures have cost him more than $1.6 million in wedding expenses and settlements for divorced wives. But the man who remembers being forced into his first marriage at age 14 says he'd do it a million times over. "Marriage doesn't bore me," he said, relaxing on cushions at a carpeted, open-air reception area in his 22-horse stable in Usfan, in the desert 500 miles west of Riyadh. "I'm the happiest man in the world." Al-Sayeri's story might seem a bizarre curiosity, but it touches a nerve in Saudi Arabia, the status of whose women is a matter of international controversy. When it surfaced in Saudi media in March, some readers reacted angrily. A woman who identified herself as Maryam, a convert to Islam, wrote to the Arab News, an English-language daily, that al-Sayeri's story "really sent me over the edge." "What kind of a family structure is this? What is divorce doing to the psychologies of the ex-wives and children? How can this man devote any quality time to his children — teaching them about Islam and being a constant role model?" She wrote. Sayyidaty magazine, which interviewed al-Sayeri, also spoke to psychiatrist Mona al-Sawwaf who said al-Sayeri does not treat a wife as a human being "but as a piece of clothing he can change whenever he pleases or an object." "The biggest blame lies with the parents" who let their daughters enter such marriages, she said. Al-Sayeri dismisses such critics as "crazy," insisting he is not breaching Islamic laws, which permit a man to have four wives at a time. "I have a clear conscience," he said. None of Al-Sayeri's ex-wives could be reached. He said many have remarried, but to reveal their identity would be a gross violation of Saudi custom. One of his sons said his mother has remarried, but refused to give details. Divorce has become quite common in the kingdom, with press reports saying half of all marriages break up. But the fate of a divorced woman depends on her parents' frame of mind. If they oppose the divorce, they likely will confine her to the house and monitor her movements. She will be barred from dating or working without family permission. The notion of a single career woman barely exists here. Women cannot even drive. They cannot get an education, travel or check into a hotel without a male guardian's permission. Some parents, on the other hand, are modern-minded enough to let their daughters finish their schooling or go out to work. And although Islamic laws permit a man to have four wives at a time, most Muslim men today take one wife, because it has become the cultural norm and polygamy is costly. Money is not an issue for al-Sayeri, who says he has made a fortune trading in cars and property. He is a dark, medium-built man with black mustache and goatee who heads the Sayer, a southern Bedouin tribe. He also raises camels and horses. He has had 10 sons, one of whom died. Two sons who were at the stable while their father was being interviewed rolled their eyes whenever the subject of marriages came up. They said they had come to accept that their dad is "mizwaj," a man who likes to marry often. Fahd al-Sayeri, who inherited his father's passion for horses, recalled a desert hunting trip some 15 years ago in the remote Empty Quarter. He and his friends had gone in search of gasoline when they heard celebratory gunshots coming from a tent. They had come across a wedding. "Out of politeness, we asked who's wedding it was," Fahd said. "The guests responded with my father's name. I was shocked," he added. It's not that the elder al-Sayeri hides his marriages. He just doesn't always bother to spread the word. He said two of his daughters learned they were sisters and two sons they were brothers at school. Some wives even attend his weddings and bring the bride gifts. But he said he keeps each wife in a separate villa and sometimes even in a different town to keep the peace, and assures each that she's his favorite. Son Fahd, a 32-year-old bachelor, is adamant he won't follow in his father's footsteps. "No, no, no," he said. "One will be enough for me." Al-Sayeri said he has married first cousins and women from about 30 tribes all over the kingdom. "As a leader of a tribe, I can't marry just anybody," he said. He said three of his four current wives have been with him 18 to 40 years. The fourth seems to be the one who usually gets replaced. "It's the one for renewal," said al-Sayeri, sipping cardamom-flavored coffee after a dinner of spicy lamb and rice. "I like to change my fourth wife every year." His latest marriage — and at 10,000 guests his most sumptuous — was to a 14-year-old girl nine months ago. She was the perfect age, he said. When he heard about her, he sent his niece to check her out. She came back with a favorable report. Then he visited her family. When the girl came into the living room to offer him refreshments — an excuse for him to see her face — he asked her if she would marry him. "She was shy at first and didn't answer but then she said yes," al-Sayeri recalled. "Now, we're such good friends it feels we've known each other 40 years." A Saudi woman will usually marry whomever her family chooses, and marriage is considered acceptable from the onset of puberty. Al-Sayeri claims he has never forced a woman to marry him, and has never been turned down. His ex-wives get a divorce settlement set out in a prenuptial agreement and he supports the children, he said. He said all his divorces are documented with court-issued papers that usually follow this declaration to his wife: "You are divorced." He said today's women are "more pleasant to have around." "They take better care of themselves, use makeup and do not run away every time I want to touch them," he said. Al-Sayeri said he will keep on marrying until the number of wives he has acquired equals the number of years he has lived. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-01-01-saudi-polygamy_x.htm

» Xafuun From Space:

» http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37597-2004Dec30.html » http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4135157.stm do you think he will make any difference?

I think they will make the playoffs, but they won't last. they should have fired Tice and his coaching staff. :mad:

Baashi - that program was on last week on PBS. did you catch it? it was breath-taking!

Originally posted by BOB: Brothers, what are you doing in here, i said Ladies not Gents so sshhshh step out, right now. sxb, ma shukaansi kudirir baad keentay?

lols war ileen niyadana waa laga qoslaa

very interesting post Viking. I have also spent many sleepless nights trying to understand this. Hence Neo's statement to the Architect: "The Problem is Choice!" ps. you may enjoy this link: MATTER: The Other Name for Illusion

LOOLZ shah weeye shaah! lools » SEE CIGAAL RUN

» Asalamu Alaykum when you know someone well - there are four possible results: 1) you like that someone, he/she passed the Emotional, Intelectual and Moral test. (hence these test are personal ones) + You also passed the other's personal test. Thus, You two can face a ten meter high Tsunami waves together. (this is the house we are trying to build) 1a) That someone has passed your test, but he/she feels you didn't pass his/her test. Thus, you two are not compatible. 2) you dislike that someone, because he/she failed your test + But that someone likes you and thinks your his match. 2a) The last possible result is that you two are totally oppisite and not compatible. from this we can conclude that the challange we are facing is very great indeed. how can we build a house in which both the Faarax and the Xaliimo are compatible (know eachother well)? and not end up with a house that is built on the other 3 results? My solution is: 1. we must never build a house in the dark. we must first turn on the Faynuus. the two believers must know eachother well. they must both feel compatible and willing to build a Muslim house. » challange: how can they know eachother so well without breaking the Sharia? I believe the only answer to this is: » build a healthy and strong Iman in all of our youths. » the family must be also be Islamic and healthy. » the community must also be Islamic and healthy. » the peers must also be Islamic and healthy. = this shows you how all things are connected in Islam. you can't say I'm going to build an Healthy and Strong Family, without building an healthy and strong Iman. You can't build an Islamic Civilizations without building an Islamic Heart, Family, Community, ect... In another words, you can't build a house without a roof, and you can't put on a roof without strong pillars. personaly, I think there is no one right answer to this question. all marriages don't have the right seeds to produce a healthy Love that flows both ways and down to the offsprings. and we can't also say love is always a precursor for a good marriage, because in most situations, this love is blind, meaning it is not based on full knowledge of eachother. It is said, you don't really know someone unless you fought them! q__|__| | (swt) knows best!

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