Thanx sis... Its so sad. Ilaahay ha u naxariisto. North England is becoming quite the gangland getto, isn't it? :eek:

Originally posted by Shabelle: I dont think a guy should have the choice to choose. He and she, and the pregnant one-night-stand should be both stoned to death. That is the only way to erase the major sin that was committed. That is the only way to enter heaven. I dont care if this is the west, go to an islamic city and get killed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hello sis, Fornication is a sin, but not one punishable by death. That would be adultery, i.e. if one or both were married to other ppl when they slept together. In this senario, both culprits are unwed. Thats how I understood it anyways. Only certain crimes are punishable by death. We can't be stoning ppl to death wily nily.

Mansha'Allah...keep Mariah out! Originally posted by G0ldenchild: Hey opinionated is missing from this topic to defend Mariah’s behave in this case. (jks) no pun intended….don’t Persecute me for this.. No one is targeting u (as much as u thinks) Not nice. Joke or no joke, lets not go there please.

Originally posted by Ameenah: Gabar! I just recieved a Message from the Queen. You have been authorised to start the mission Ana maqas weyn baan soo qaadi hehehe...well I'm not ready, but if the queen says so...ina wadi. On the real though- these gender wars are from shaydaan- lets not lose ourselves in them - but work together as the Quraan comands us to. The sad thing is that we (Somalis) have adopted these wars and the only thing that our men and women discuss these days are based on hate and disrespect. True true...but I can't help taking the mickey sometimes.

LoL @ Chipis and biinis! WoW tweety, sounds like it went brilliantly. I didn't make it to the sunday one and I wasnt aware there was a second event. Tell us more? Please?

Oh my goodness...I haven't heard anything about a somali boy being shot. Thierry/AL...where did it happen? When? do u know by who? Has anyone been arrested for the murder? May Allah have mercy on his soul. samir iyo iimaan. Condolences to his family and friends.

Ouch...you're not the only one having trouble sis. Lots of nomads are probably in the same boat. I can't say I kno anything about that subject, but my general advice would be dont let assigments pile up...do them as soon as u get each one and try to organise and manage your time efficiently. Good luck dear.

Nice recipes...too bad I cant cook using them. Cooking progms are much better...I need to see everything being done first b4 I even try, that way qiyaasteydu wont be off and I wont forget it easily. But do carry on. Originally posted by Lakkad: Ingredients: Labo UKUN Dooro(nt other ukuns!) LoL...like what other ukuns are there? Good luck North...

Wa salaam sis...welcome to SOL.

LoL @ ^^...Nice recipe. Will try it I'A.

Sophist, Waa ku sidee walaalo, waa maxay waxaad dadka ku sameyneysid? You have to conclude the story, for I have no intention of butchering your beautiful composition. Abadan! Anyways, so far I only know that hearbreak awaits Mukhtar/Makhtal. I have no idea what you want to do with the other characters. Markaa, I kindly bow out. Good luck with your exams darling. Salut

Originally posted by underdog: Yo, that's funny, Amazon. inta aa bootada naguwadid bastada hagubato, you know Faarax won't see the humor there UD, Hehehehe... Very fortunate then, that faarax isn't fussy. MMA.. LoL...waxba ha biqin walaalo, nothin will happen to you. You'll be under my protection.

Ewwwww! Guys...if you're gonna eat out, a marginally better option would be to eat out at a nice halaal restaurant where they cook the food in front of you, rather than settling for that garbage. Sue... LoL...Are you saying there's something wrong with London tap-water?

Welcome Yasmine. Huda... I believe Gediid works at af-cadceedis.com...a very nice job indeed.

The international debt crisis of the 1980s: A brief overview One of the main issues of the last half of the 20th century has been the international debt crisis. What is the debt crisis? This is described as ‘the situation existing since 1982 in which the Third World has been burdened with an amount of debt which clearly cannot be paid and which has produced and threatened major financial, economic and social upheaval’ [Dictionary of Third World Terms, 1993]. The debt crisis was at first seen only as a problem affecting banks and other financial institutions. However, thanks to international campaigns such as Jubilee 2000, there has been an increase in public awareness and action regarding the detrimental effects of the crisis on the poor populations of highly indebted countries. Factors leading up to the crisis External factors Flows of Capital in the 1970s The main factor behind the international debt crisis is believed to be the sharp rise in crude-oil prices in 1973/74 and then again in 1979/80 by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Less developed countries needed to borrow to finance the marked increase in the price of oil imports [Altvater et al, 1988, pp.6-9]. At the same time, the new-found wealth of OPEC members, especially the Gulf States, flooded US and European banks with Petrodollars, the deposits in US dollars of oil-producing countries held in Western banks [Hadjor, 1993]. The commercial banks were under obligation to lend the excess money. Subsequently, by the 1960s-70s, Western banks had become major sources of finance for the Third World. Potential debtors were able to obtain favourable terms from private banks. Thus, because of largely unconditional credit, commercial banks became major lenders to Less Developed Countries [Altvater et al, 1988, pp.8-9]. A hike in interest rates in industrialised countries was another factor. This was mainly to finance an increase in military spending in the United States at the time. Almost simultaneously, the price of Third World exports, mainly raw materials, also began to fall due to slowed growth in industrial Countries. [Altvater et al, 1988, pp.20-21; Todaro, 1997, pp.513]. Capital Flight Capital flight, whereby large quantities of money were slipped out of indebted countries and deposited in Western banks, was another serious problem, mainly because much of the money-transfers involved were unrecorded and illegal [George, 1998, pp.19]. Between 1976 and 1985, about $200 billion is estimated to have escaped highly indebted countries. This problem was most acute in Latin America, where capital flight was considered to be responsible for half of the debt in the 1980s. It is estimated that 62% of Argentina’s and 71% of Mexico’s debt growth resulted from capital flight. As a result, when banks made a loan, a large portion of it almost immediately returned to the bank as deposit due to government corruption [Todaro, 1997, pp.513; George, 1998, pp.19]. Other external factors included inadequate economic policies, such as unsuitable exchange rates, in debtor countries, which put pressure on balance of payments and weakened LDCs capacity to service their debt [bird, 1989, pp.118]. Internal Factors These included the mismanagement of the loan itself or mismanagement of the economy through inappropriate government policies, such as spending loans entirely on current consumption or social investment, which didn’t offer adequate revenue for loan repayment. Government corruption, as shown by the capital flight problem, and increased military spending were also important factors. The poorest countries, especially those in Africa, were the ones who spent most heavily on arms. Also dictatorships in countries such as Chile and Argentina used external loans for the expansion of the military and police. [bird, 1989, pp.6-7; George, 1988, pp.21-23; Altvater et al, 1988, pp.9]. After large volumes of loans have been compiled, the conditions of indebtedness changed for the worse. A combination of the increase in real interest rates and the decrease in the price of exported raw materials contributed to the problem. Soon after, the accumulated debt became so overwhelming that starting with Mexico in August 1982, the indebted countries indicated they could not pay what was due and needed some form of renegotiation of their debt [Altvater et al, 1988, pp.20-27]. International response The IMF, World Bank and commercial banks immediately began restructuring and rescheduling LDCs debts, so as to avoid potential defaults on payments and an international banking crisis. Debt reduction packages for Argentina and Brazil and the implementation of enhanced concessions in rescheduling for low-income countries were steps in a series of innovations aimed at facilitating the resolution of debt servicing problems for countries carrying out strong adjustment and reform programs [Clark and Kalter, 1996, pp.250]. Debt management strategies from the early 1980s to 1990s have included the Baker Plan (1985), the Brady Plan (1989) and the Paris Club (1996). Baker Plan The Baker Plan involved new capital flows to indebted countries and co-operation between the main international financiers (IMF, World Bank and private banks). In return, LDCs were expected to open up their markets to foreign competition. Brady Plan In 1989, US Treasury Secretary Brady proposed that official support be granted to countries to finance the restructuring of debt through packages involving a ‘menu’ of market-based debt and debt-service reduction options. One of the conditions for this support was the implementation of a ‘strong set of adjustment and reform policies’ by the debtor countries. Among the options, buybacks allowed banks to exit by selling claims back to borrowers at a discount and the repayment period on remaining debts were extended, reaching up to 30 years [Clark and Kalter, 1996, pp.250-251]. By 1994 the foreign debt problem was mostly resolved for middle-income countries. However, there were still about 41 heavily indebted countries that needed help. A debt relief plan was set up for these countries in 1996. Paris Club The Paris Club was an informal body made up of government representatives, set-up to negotiate with debtor nations and forgive 80 per cent of the poorest countries’ foreign debt [Clark and Kalter, 1996, pp.253-254]. Is the debt crisis over? Almost 80 per cent of outstanding debt owed by the most highly indebted countries has been restructured. However, some analysts argue that foreign debt is still a serious problem for many countries. In addition, most of the poorest countries have seen little, if any, debt relief. LDCs still pay 15% to 20% of their exports in debt servicing. This figure is too high for states, where most of the population are undernourished and facing starvation. Debt servicing has led to the neglect of public services, which in turn has led to a subsequent decline in living standards in developing countries [Todaro, 1997, pp.518-520]. At the end of 1998, annual debt service payments from sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s poorest region, to the richest countries in the developed world amounted to $15.2 billion or 15 per cent of exports. This is an enormous amount of resources being transferred from the Third World to the First World. In many countries, up to 40 per cent of government revenue is being allocated to servicing foreign debt to the cost of health, education and other essential social services (Jubilee 2000 report). We can, therefore, argue that the debt crisis is most definitely not over for most developing countries. ~~~~~~~~ Bibliography Todaro, M (1997) Economic Development, Addison Wesley Longman. Clark J and Kalter E (1996) ‘Recent Innovations in Debt Restructuring’ in Jameson and Wilber, The Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment, McGraw-Hill Inc. Hadjor KB (1993) Dictionary of Third World Terms, Penguin. Altvater, Hubnek, Lorentzen and Rojas, (1988) The Poverty of Nations:a guide to the debt crisis - from Argentina to Zaire, Zed George, Susan (1988) A Fate Worse than Debt, Penguin Bird, Graham (1989) Third World Debt: The Search for a Solution, Aldershot:Elgar

Haniif... Waa runtaa...the male species is under attack from "vicious, Venomous, godless feminists", and whats more, as soon as we have harvested and safely frozen all the sperm needed for future reproduction...we will hunt you all down and electrocute you one by one. Mwahahahahahahahahahaha.....

Tolow maxaa ku dhacay wadaadadii Muqdisho? I would have thought they would come to her assistance.

After years of failed rains, a quarter of the 1.1m population need food aid. Swaziland also has one of the world's highest rates of HIV infection - 33%. Two years ago, the normally docile parliament rejected his request to buy a $45m royal jet. King Mswati reportedly wanted the money to redecorate his three existing palaces and build eight new ones. :eek: ...Doqonimo wey ka badantahay taasi.

Raxmah, I completely agree with you. So much comes under tradition, from the most amazing to the most ridiculous, that its probably best for each person to evaluate how they feel about each aspect as and when they come into contact with it. Also, it is quite true that the spotlight always seems to be on the girls, yet the boys are also affected in exactly the same way, if not worse at times. I do believe that the males are in more dire need than the females. Contrary to popular belief, most of the Somali girls in the diaspora are still firmly in the hands of their parents. Those who've scaped the yolk of their parents/guardians, abondoned their culture or become over-westernised are a small minority. Most females work hard to find some sort of balance between the West and the culture and traditions of being a 'somali' girl. And its not very easy. Bulo, "but what i'm saying is that somali culture as a culture it self is oriented towards men, and almost against women"... Well, what do you expect darling? Somalia is and has always been a strongly patriachal society. But having said that, I do believe that nomadic women have always enjoyed more freedom than their city-dwelling counterparts. Am sure this was probably due more to circumstance (the hardships of life in the bush ) than anything else... But it still needs to be noted that even with some of the examples you gave regarding forced marriages and the inability to inherit, not only were women highly valued and protected in the rural areas but they also had a high level of mobility without any restrictions or safety fears. They even used to journey between cities by themselves if they so wished back in the day...I bet it aint the same today. WILDCAT, LoL...Get lost heathen!

LoL..'do' and not 'did'...ok got it. Sorry North...an oversight on my part. Along with Baashi, I still do think they contribute quite a lot. Leaving aside their position as the hub of education in the Islamic world, I would also say they contribute immensely to the global economy in terms of business, banking, investments and western stock markets. The Arab world provides a huge market for Western countries' exports. The UAE countries are now at the cutting edge of global business, banking and tourism with western multi-nationals in intense competition to get a piece of the pie. If I am not mistaken, I recall reading something about one of those Saudi millionaires investing an incredible amount of money in the Dow Jones stock exchange post-9/11...when the American economy hit rock-bottom.

^^ Yes dear, but your co-worker, or the guy down the street don't have the public's ear, do they? Kilroy showed an immense amount of mean-spirited ignorance. I would never have guessed that someone of his stature, a former MP no doubt, would show such a distinct lack of historical knowledge. Cue: "Apart from oil - which was discovered, is produced and is paid for by the West - what do they contribute? Can you think of anything? Anything really useful?... No, nor can I...". Maybe he can't, but I definitely can. I was sure even the most lowly-educated westerner would be aware of how much the Arab and Islamic civilisations contributed to the world in the fields of Science, astronomy, medicine, mathematics and agricultural & nautical technologies to name but a few. Amazing how a little fool like Kilroy would try to deny the Arabs their contribution to the world. "Apart from oil" indeed. What a ghastly individual. I for one hope the BBC get rid of him permanently. Probably won't happen tho...Public figures say whatever the hell they want these days and then just offer a little blatantly insincere apology and everything is good as new.

^^ Well put dear. My question would be what do my fellow sisters consider traditional? and is it because of the men that our girls seem to have such revultion for the tradition? Tradition (Dict definition: The unwritten or oral delivery of information, opinions, doctrines, practices, rites, and customs, from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any knowledge, opinions, or practice, from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials) is important to every community in the world. I don't suppose it is something we can live without. What do I consider traditional? That's a big question. How do you reduce the traditions of a whole culture into a few sentences? I'll get back to this question later. is it because of the men that our girls seem to have such revultion for the tradition? I wouldn't say so exactly. Going back to an earlier point, I don't believe we have a problem with the whole traditional way of doing things, but rather certain aspects and issues be believe disadvantage us, as Somali women. An obvious example would be female circumcision and infibulation. Also, I wouldn't go so far as to blame men for the way things are/used to be. Women also had and still have a hand in protecting and sustaining the traditions we all hate...

LoL @ "Help Save Grandma From Jail". Cyber begging is a damn good idea!

I think looks and physical attraction are two relatively different things. You may find somebody fantastically beautiful without feeling any attraction towards them or vice versa. Furthermore, what may be termed as 'good-looking' by me, will probably be termed as 'average or ugly' by the next girl. In that context, I would say in a potential partner, looks aren't very important but physical attraction (and a mental connection) are. Somewhat confusing but there you have it Darman.

^^ Thank you Sophist. I wasn't aware of that fact. Baashi, I suppose that would be the decent thing to do, but only an incredibly selfless and responsible individual would do it. How many of us are that responsible? Hmmm... Then again I suppose such a crisis could bring out hereto unknown qualities in a person. Qac Qaac hadaad i ag joogi leheed mar hore aan ku shiilan lahaay LoL @ Caramel...ii soo sheeg hadaad xawaash iyo milix u baahato. By Section6er : Whoever has an unprotected sex on a one nite stand need to be shot dead. Absolutely. Right between the eyes.