Mario B;919441 wrote: Isn't this the problem? a geel jire and a Phd holder sharing the same world view. Shouldn't we be expecting the later to be an 'enlightened man/woman' who sees the nuanced part of existence and believes that reality isn't black and white! Bingo Mario- my point exactly. We really are in a sad state of affairs if our 'PhD holders' have the same thinking as our illiterate countrymen/women. NG- there is a clear difference between acknowledging that some of our people are only concerned with the interests of their clan and actually defending it and/or voicing that opinion yourself. I don't believe any Somali person who has been awake for the last 20 years will deny that there are suspicions and fears (not sure how it can be genuine on your couch in the West) but we should be focused on the treatment of it not exacerbating the symptoms. My hat is firmly placed but I'm just glad that the people back home are not so concerned with clan. Baashi- I've obviously missed a bit in my absence . I'd love to see my people put somalinimo ahead of clan, inshallah one day soon.

Aaliyah- aamiin and mahadsanid my sister.

^ Maybe she's never seen an elephant?lol To be honest i use it too but i think as of caawa- no more. On the topic though, i think Somalis have a warped view of beauty. Small waist, big hips, cankles and hair all over the body?

Very close, it was in a suburb only 20kms from the CBD- densely populated. It was touch and go earlier today, residents in that suburb plus surrounding suburbs were evacuated but they've now been allowed to return home- it seems to be under control alhamdullilah.

^ Anaaba is la yaabo sometimes- I'm convinced that faraha ayaan ka falanahay. I read some of the comments here and whilst i generally ignore those i can't take seriously i find myself feeling the need to re-educate and re-direct the PhD holders,lol. I'm failing obviously, they seem to be in cahoots, I've insulted the overarching doctrine.

^ I've decided that Somali men compare women to animals because once upon a time they thought they owned us- thanking the lord this is not the case anymore. Being called qalanjo by a man is insulting- elephants are bloody ugly.

There is a bushfire in Melbourne- ilaahay ha naga badbaadiyo.

NG, As i said i did think twice about responding, one reason was as you pointed out i was concerned that i would be accused of fighting for an agenda that i did not wish to be associated with. In saying that though i do believe that i have a track record which would dispel such accusations. Anyone who has been on SOL for more than a nanosecond would know that I have never supported any clan agenda and at one point or another I’ve been accused of belonging to several clans- i suspect you also believe that i belong to a clan that i don't because the general view of Somalis is that my subclan is antagonist to that of the presidents. So far I like this president and although I supported his predecessor I did not like him. That said though, why should any of this matter? I don’t believe that I have made any comments, which would suggest that I am unwittingly supporting my clan other than to state the facts. If I had voiced my opposition simply because some had demanded the returning of looted properties or to the lifting of the embargo, then yes that may be the case but what I objected to was the motivation that they made obvious (not perceived). What I find interesting is that you see the bias in Xiin's arguments, a bias which contributes to our problems and yet you legitimise it by calling it 'noise' and a 'cause'. We should call it what it is and confront all those who participate in it. You believe that i am genuine in my points yet you tell me to not participate in such discussions if i am to hold this view. That right there is the problem with the Somali political debates and most probably why we will not anytime in the near future reach a point where we can discuss issues as they pertain to the national interest rather than the interests of those who share the same 20th-great-grandfather. Should we leave the debates to people who only care for the interests of their clan? I am fully aware that Somali politics is a dirty affair maal mahaan but once again the idealist in me feels that it is about time this ended. Sure we will always have an element of it- it is our cudur but surely we can get to a point where the greater good of the country is paramount, SL seems to of have achieved it, I hope that we from Somalia can also achieve this. This constant distrust of one another and hatred has to stop. As for Baashi- I must respectfully disagree with you, he was the only one who actually made sense.

^ My uncle just came back and the report ain't so great- but then again he has been in the west since '81. Despite the booming construction he seems to be of the opinion that quality of the engineers is very poor- the buildings are supposedly poorly designed. Urban planners are also in dire need it seems.

oba hiloowlow;916511 wrote: So i found out the mayor of Jowhar hails from the Bantu Somali community. Kudos to reer Jowhar! Mashallah.

^Weird, i'm not feeling the colours- we need to revamp the colour scheme of the city.

NORF, Why don't you go back and work on the project yourself- the homeland needs skills like yours (I'm only assuming that you're in engineering from your posts above). Just came back from my uncles house and according to him there is a massive shortage of qualified and skilled engineers.

Horta, what is up with the salmon/pink buildings Oba? Is pink cheaper or something?

^God, i can't remember the last time i went out for cake and tea with the girls. One of these days i will move to Africa inshallah and have a proper work/life/family balance- i've concluded not possible in these countries. Anyway good morning from Oz- we are officially sizzling today, alhamdullilah for air conditioning.

I always find that there is an element of control when men reason why should my wife work if i can bring the bread home. If the woman makes this choice on her own accord- no problem, but if she does choose to work then it is a must that her husband do his share of the household chores. Motivations for working are numerous and money is not always the main objective. For some women i know they want to have a sense of personal achievement and independence. That said though having your own career and making your own dosh has the potential to equalise the marriage- 'traditional' roles are often unequal.

raula;918670 wrote: No wonder the somali women are running to other "cultures"/Ajnabi for companionship...some of our men just don't know how to give up...muran iyo maarona loo waa....tolow ya xiniinyahooda ku dhegen! wale cajaaib (just my rants..neva mind) , be careful my friend (you've obviously missed the very heated discussion on this). Yaan lagu cunin,lol.

Raula- that is so sweet mashallah. The day care lady of my munchkins is Somali so no valentines cards,lool, just eid ones. Saying that though i don't know what i would do without her- truly a saint. Malika- you're not alone, i also secretly bought the re-release of the Lion King for myself

NG, No, it was intentional and Baashi makes complete sense- one of only a few people here As for dealing with the title of the thread- I thought I did. Object to the lifting of the arms embargo if you wish (like I said I also object) but objection should be based on national interest and not regional/clan interests. If your objection is based on the latter (as is the case in the article) expect that people will call you out on your questionable motives. The author seems to be objecting to the arming of one clan militia, not the arming of any clan militias- why should the arming of any clan militia be acceptable? As for the national army, I would rather that it consist of people who are most suited for the role (including not having a militia background or affliation) and yes I would prefer it that it was made up of members from all regions of Somalia but not because I’m suspicious of other clans and therefore demand that mine be represented, but because it would mean that all Somalis can feel a sense of inclusion and nationhood. NG, i acknowledge i am an idealist in many ways- i would prefer to see a Somalia where ones qabiil (which is really what we are referring to here, region has simply become a substitution for qabiil) did not matter but they were rather judged on their merits. This is exactly why i preferred Baashi's response, his objection was based on national interest not regional/qabiil interest. I honestly don't know who Liqye is but Xiin- i expected so much more (and that’s probably why I was so harsh with him in the other post). Once upon a time you would never hear this kind of 'noise' from him- sadly it seems he appears to of have succumb to it- I hope that I am reading him all wrong but two topic so far and I’m getting a particular sense. Even if others are pressing his buttons the ‘noise’ is still not justified. If a person were to insult my clan/region I would be offended, not because it is mine specifically but because of the rubbish clannish mentality they are exhibiting and any responses to them would be along those lines. I believe that we should be just as insulted by the targeting of other clans/regions, as we would be by our own.

Inaalilaah wa inaa ilayhi raajicuun, AUN the shaykh- despite the sadness of it all he went in the best way. May Allah grant him jannatul firdows.

^ The questions are definitely getting harder.

BTW, i also agree that the lifting of the arms embargo could potentially be catastrophic at this stage. I object not because i believe that there is a master plan from one clan to annihilate another but because we are still in limbo and our government has more important tasks at hand such as developing the social infrastructure of the country.

NGONGE;918293 wrote: ^^ All that is good and well. It is even probably being done as we speak. However, here on SOL, we merely discuss the issues of the day in Somalia. With the Somali government requesting the lifting of the embargo, it is natural that people are going to ask questions and air suspicions. Also note that most of the questions are being asked by everyday people, the Imam did not speak yet. The style, delivery and angry tone of these questions is what is wrong here, not the questions themselves. Because of this Mr. NG. You seemed to be insinuating that people are objecting to the questions themselves, so i thought i'd highlight what genuine questioning and objection look like.

Today my four year old son asked me "what is dying hooyo?"

Good evening fellow nomads- TGIF alhamdullilah.

Baashi;918426 wrote: This young government has monumental challenge in front of it. There is little room for mistakes. We pray it makes the right decisions. Awoowayaal governing is very complicated business. And governing a broken society such as ours is a challenge with monumental proportions. How do you rebuild the state security apparatus, reclaim sovereignty and keep political opposition and their loyal constituencies on board? There are no simple answers to these questions. If Hassan's government wants to leave a lasting legacy it should reconsider unilateral moves regarding rearming one faction out of several competing interest groups. For those of you who think that this government is in a position to receive or manage a sizable military shipment need to focus on the government’s capacity to manage an institution as important as the military. Suppose arms embargo is lifted tomorrow. Western powers or Turkey agrees to sell the government arms on a discounted loan. Now suppose first shipment – let’s say the bill of material lists 12 tanks, three helicopters, 200 military trucks, uniforms for three divisions -- arrives at the port and the airport tomorrow. Suppose the loan is also for the salary of 12 thousand soldiers for three years. Now tell me what happens next. Anyone? The task is the logistics -- the storage and security of this important national asset! The second task is recruitment effort, the training, and the selection of the basis. The third task is the procurement of materials to build new or renovate existing facilities. The fourth task is the dispensation of the money, contract awards, etc. These are questions worth asking – try to think about them and see if this young government is prepared for the task or if it needs to take things in a piecemeal fashion and tackle them one at a time. Once it covers all the basis then it has every right and actually it’s the government duty to reconstitute the national army. The political issue is a whole can of worms. If I were in president shoes I would get the 1000 thousand police trained, indoctrinated, equipped and serving first before I overreach and risk getting political opposition all worked up. Again governing is a complicated business and this government, and in fact all admins throughout the country, are learning the trade on the job. NG, That is how one should raise the questions and any objections. Raising questions that have underlying connotations, especially those of a tribal nature will no doubt make people question your intentions- especially when you make the same underlying connotations on almost every topic of contention.