Do these characteristics missing in Somali leadership today? Missing, they wouldn't understand those characteristics even if they did PHD's on leadership. Is there any one who is capable of making difference and taking actions instead of position? Nope. Maybe if they give the Sheikhs a break but most of the good men aren'y interested in shouldering that type of responsibility, so we have to make due with what we have noe . Are Somali leaders really far from the people? No. But I think that the people can change that- but only if we have a complete sociological make over. If our people stoped being followers and became revolutionaries, our position would have been better. Will Somalia have a true leader and who do you think that will be? I dunno! I do know a few students of politics who have great thoughts on the politics of Somalia. I really hope that they do follow their aspirations and don't lose themselves on qabyaalad. I mean we can't have it worse the it already is, can we? in sha Allah, khair as the saying goes.

^^^^ is using 'femininity' as means of insulting others very wise? As a female, I am really offended that you chose to diss the brothers the way you did - I'd expect that from a chavenistic man but a sis.. never This is pure qabyaalad, walaahi. Your all talking about Cigaal and Others (some painting them as the devils incarnate and others as a saint-depeding on wether his their qabiil / not :rolleyes: ). But, ya'll seem t over look a minor detail, he is dead and his judgment is with Allah and pretty soon ya'll will be in the same position.. do you really think that your doing yourselves any justice by constantly advocating for qabyaalad, regionalism and xaaraam BS? There is a hadith about those who strive for, fight for and get angry for nationalism, tribalism and the like - they die the death of jahiliya and will be punished accordingly. Sheydaanka iska naara, man.. this shidh is so wack :eek: :rolleyes: As for the letter, if he did do it Shame on Him, if he didn't then shame on those who resort to the use of cheap propaganda. However, I will say that the actions of politicians do not represent the thoughts of their people. When did Somalias leaders start doing anything right? Anyway, I get the feeling that guraad posted this to further the enmity between the people of Sland and Puntland (you seem to enjoy advocating for war between the two regions) - And the responses - so predictable :eek: :rolleyes: :mad: When are ya'll gonna retire from being propaganda ploys?

Originally posted by BARWAAQO: U think all we are doing is complaining? Really UD? I thought we were only defending our gender from all sorts of accusations from urs. It seems as if we cant do anything right nowadays. I myself thought it was the guys who were full of complaints..."too westernised", "dhaqan is only for the females", "responsible for high divorce", "basically evil" and similar tripe, but I could be wrong, of course. Useful topics you say? Maybe like safety and "self-defence tips for women"? Hmmmmm...I wonder what's been happening to that topic of late? Education? Oh no, disaster!...by discussing the importance of education, what if we all decide to delay marriages and in the process become spinisters by 26? No, education is definitely bad (altho almost 70% of the population is illiterate)...maybe we should leave education alone. Well, what about business, I hear you ask? Hmmm...could be tricky as well. As u are aware, Somali women are quite obsessive about having careers and talking about business may...well, may make us want to...actually GET JOBS! :eek: ...A cardinal sin, I believe. Sure, let us have some useful topics. It should be interesting to see how long we would be able to explore issues together before u start blaming and knocking us back. Have a nice day. Loooooooooooooooool sweetie. Afkaaga a fine mug of PG tips lagu qabay I couldn't have said it better. Underdog, your post is not just contradictory, it is also disrespectful. You seem to think that you have a posion in guiding us and to tell us what is appropriate to discuss. If certain threads arn't your flavor, ignore them and if something is on your mind .. then post it, simple as. There is no need to snub peoples topics because it doesn't suit you :rolleyes:

Libaax, Thank for posting the article. Jabarti, walaal you really are an inspiration, I agree with you fully, if we don't help our own.. who will? Keep up the good work and may Allah grant you every success. In sha Allah, the rest of us will follow your footsteps

Guys, check this out.... Politics in Islam I also, wanted to get your thoughts on this... I was talking to a friend about Somalia’s messed up political situation the other day. Personaly, I hold the conviction that Islam is our only solution and that the Shariciyah has a workable political system of economics etc... My friend reckons that’s naive. What thinks you and why?

Salaams, guys thank you for keeping this thread going. It is really beneficial walahi. 'Umar bin Hafs narrated to us; my father narrated to us; al-A'mash narrated to us; I heard Abu Salih [saying]; from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said (SAW), Allah, the Exalted says, 'I am just as My slave believes me to be and I am with him when He remembers Me. So if he remembers Me within himself, I too remember him within Myself. If he remembers Me in a group of people then I remember him in a group that is better than them. If he comes one span nearer to Me then I go one cubit nearer to him; if he comes one cubit nearer to Me then I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking then I go to him running.' Transmitted by Bukhari.

Opinionated, that was great. And I am alos a progressive, which I thought was a good analyses of me cos I am pretty (shamefully) lax with my deen. I don't like the term progressive though, it is negative you know, your short comings in Islam are considered progressive- i don't like that, I prefer being a fundamentalist, even if the gaalo give it a negative conotation. I think as muslims we should be fundamentaly passionate about our Islam. and now, i don't mean joining Al-Qaeda :rolleyes: :eek: I loved the article of interest as well - somethings we can definately discuss. Thanx gal...!

Originally posted by Opinionated: I would casterate myself *wink* or have a sex change! loooooooooool. Come to the land of Araweelos and we'll take care of business for you, at a small cost This thread reminds me of Freuds' 'penis envy' theory. I always questioned its validity till now.... hmmmmmm :eek:

Muslim sis.. love the avater I have to agree with Tamina.. and I also think its cute

The number one person, I used to admire (and still do) my Habo (ilahay ha unaxriisto. She was the sweetest person I have ever come across, but at the same time she had a strong character, people either loved her or never dared mess with her out of extreme respect. My Mum, is really good natured, man sha Allah, people just love her. Aisha, (ra) Biggest Scholar of Islam. She sorts of kills all the myths people have about islam and she did so much. and a great many other saxaabi women.. too many to list. Modern women, I'd say, Maya Angelou for her wisedom and energy (I am civil rights mad- so from that angle) Huda Khattab- she is a muslim writer - always puts the feminists rights and I find that she presents islam in a lovable way, she doesn't preach but relates to sisters - which I think is good when dealing with islam- would love to meet her. Edna Aden- She built a well needed hospital for Somalis as well as demonstrating that sisters can part-take in important roles within society. Saado Ali- not only can she sing but she uses it effectively. I still can't get over the fact that she stood in front of Siyad barre and told him about himselve... Brave is an understatement :eek: many more... me needs to bounce though.

^^ Thank you sweetie Kool Kat, Saxib ma nooshahay? Thank you girl, I don't mind repititions, espcially when I am spoken about nicely.... in fact I thibk ya'll should post a topic about how great me and Lady B are, lets say once a month? how is that? Originally posted by Instinct-Poet: Here is mY late Congratz...Ladiez..I know you will. And I hope ya'll remmember who this is... If you don't..Well hey... Quik, Clue..Libaax'z Wedding..In London.. Anyway,, Hope you Except My late Congratz.. looooooooooool waryaaa! I was wondering where you got to looooool. he gone and change his nick on us :rolleyes: :rolleyes: oooh, justed remembered that lil something you promised me? i guess thats why u was hiding, aye? Lakkad, four words for ya I love you too my evil brother

Siman walaalo, thank you so much for posting that. Not only is that song my favorit it has become somewhat of an outlook for me. so great to see it in English... nice one babes,

Al-Sameec - Hearer (of all things)

Al-Aakhir - The Final

lol ^^^ easy luv, no one is watching your bizniz for ya. You think you is dapper, then is all good... no need to be picking bone with xaliimos, get me I like to inaan xidigaha tiriyo, basically goof around with my mates. And, I am a self confessed shopa-phona-holic Life would be dull otherwise :rolleyes:

More ignorant then the rest. The war lords currupt, the elders don't care (as long as the war lords give them their due) and the youth follow fight (to survive). Allah, help them... I guess the only thing you can do is go back and educate the ppl back at home or live your confortable life in Europe, let they solve their own ... It is interesting to note that this topic was ignored by the forumers - I guess, we don't like talking :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Fly, Intiution rayana. Your welcomes. Originally posted by MIZZ-UNIQUE: seriously i think its just another reminder to those who dont wear their hijaab and want to be sexual objects and those that have doubts their hijaab....masha allah Lol.. Cheecky I am not making excuses, but hijab is quite hard to start and keep up in this society, but I guess you'd get more ajer for it. And knowing it is for our benefit does help... !!

^^^^ Loool girl, smoothly does it Nefertiti, since you used the Ayeeyo line on me, you can be the delivery chick or something I thought, $20 was perfect since we family and all.

Originally posted by Nefertiti: Flying still, Barwaaqo,Juxa and Athena - tanag yuu fery fery much . Sisters I adore your views and opinions aswell. Well done and keep up the good work!! VIVA SOMALI WOMEN!! lol, I second that girl. I really do Also, wardi make that two brothers, or ama share Nefertities lol Magnoona, I respect your view sis, in fact I think it is ideal but society doesn't always allow it. I was just really shocked by the don't have babies at all remark :eek: It is all good though, I understand where you were coming from now

Man Sha Allah, Great topic Darman Al Awal - The First

Originally posted by Athena: Did any1 notice all the guys advocating marriage at the earliest and on a 1st come 1st serve basis.. and of course the ladies asking her to hold out for the true knight in shining khamiis? Now, whats this say? LOOL Athena, you know, me was asking myself that same question :confused: I am starting to think that brothers are pre-programmed to disagree with the ladies, even when doing so defies logic. Men of SOL! I think your reading us all wrong :rolleyes: We are not telling the sister to not get married, nor are we suggesting that a sister should always wait till she is old. Our arguement is that marriage is not something to you go into merely because one feels pressurised to do so (as that leads to failure) but that it is better to wait until you find the right person to share the rest of your life with ..... waxaas ma wax laga murmaa? Would you honestly, advice your blood sisters to marry the first Ali or Jamac that purposes to her, just so that she doesn't become old? Didn't think so Also, ya'll are forgetting that in the western hemisphere; most Somali lads between the ages of 21-35 are commitment phobic and would rather run around with every caasha, xaliimo and Jackie that is willing, instead of settling down and starting a family ...!! That is a fact that canot be refuted, now ask yourselves, where does that leave the sisters? Balsam Thank you for starting this interesting topic

Salaams sisters, this article is just amazing, in the sense that our blessings (which we ignore to follow) are being appreaciated by people other then us. It is long but woth reading! Hijabed Like Me, by Kathy Chin- A Chinese American I walked down the street in my long white dress and inch-long, black hair one afternoon, and truck drivers whistled and shouted obscenities at me. I felt defeated. I had just stepped out of a hair salon. I had cut my hair short, telling the hairdresser to trim it as she would a cut a man's hair. I sat numbly as my hairdresser skillfully sheared into my shoulder-length hair with her scissors, asking me with every inch she cut off if; I was freaking out yet. I wasn't freaking out, but I felt self-mutilated. I WAS OBLITERATING MY FEMININITY It wasn't just another haircut. It meant so much more. I was trying to appear androgynous by cutting my hair. I wanted to obliterate by femininity. Yet that did not prevent some men from treating me as a sex object. I was mistaken. It was not my femininity that was problematic, but my sexuality, or rather the sexuality that some men had ascribed to me based on my biological sex. They reacted to me as they saw me and not as I truly am. Why should it even matter how they see me, as long as I know who I am? But it does. I believe that men who see women as only sexual beings often commit violence against them, such as rape and battery. Sexual abuse and assault are not only my fears, but my reality. I was molested and raped. My experiences with men who violated me have made me angry and frustrated. How do I stop the violence? How do I prevent men from seeing me as an object rather than a female? How do I stop them from equating the two? How do I proceed with life after experiencing what others only dread? The experiences have left me with questions about my identity. Am I just another Chinese-American female? I used to think that I have to arrive at a conclusion about who I am, but now I realize that my identity is constantly evolving. MY EXPERIENCE OF BEING “HIJABED” One experience that was particularly educational was when I “dressed up” as a Muslim woman for a drive along Crenshaw Boulevard with three Muslim men as part of a newsmagazine project. I wore a white, long-sleeved cotton shirt, and a flowery silk scarf that covered my head, which I borrowed from a Muslim woman. Not only did I look the part, I believed I felt the part. Of course, I wouldn't really know what it feels like to be Hijabed-I coined this word for the lack of a better term-everyday, because I was not raised with Islamic teachings. However, people perceived me as a Muslim woman and did not treat me as a sexual being by making cruel remarks. I noticed that men's eyes did not glide over my body as has happened when I wasn't Hijabed. I was fully clothed, exposing only my face. I remembered walking into an Islamic center and an African-American gentleman inside addressed me as “sister”, and asked where I came from. I told him I was originally from China. That didn't seem to matter. He respected me and assumed I was Muslim. I didn't know how to break the news to him because I wasn't sure if I was or not. I walked into the store that sold African jewelry and furniture and another gentleman asked me as I was walking out if I was Muslim. I looked at him and smiled, not knowing how to respond. I chose not to answer. BEING HIJABED CHANGED OTHERS' PERCEPTION OF ME Outside the store, I asked one of the Muslim men I was with, “Am I Muslim?” He explained that everything that breathes and submits is. I have concluded that I may be and just don't know it. I haven't labeled myself as such yet. I don't know enough about Islam to assert that I am Muslim. HIJAB AS OPPRESSION: A SUPERFICIAL AND MISGUIDED VIEW I consciously chose to be Hijabed because I was searching for respect from men. Initially, as both a Women's Studies major and a thinking female, I bought into the Western view that the wearing of a scarf is oppressive. After this experience and much reflection, I have arrived at the conclusion that such a view is superficial and misguided. THE MOST LIBERATING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE I covered up that day out of choice, and it was the most liberating experience of my life. I now see alternatives to being a woman. I discovered that the way I dress dictated others' reaction towards me. It saddens me that this is a reality. It is a reality that I have accepted, and chose to conquer rather than be conquered by it. It was my sexuality that I covered, not my femininity. The covering of the former allowed the liberation of the latter. by Kathy Chin This article was originally published in Al-Talib, the newsmagazine of the Muslim Students' Association of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in October 1994. At the time of its publication, Kathy Chin was a senior at UCLA majoring in Psychobiology and Women's Studies. Source: soundvision Courtesy: www.everymuslim.com -------------------- Before you criticise a person walk a mile in their shoes. You'll be a mile away and you'd have their shoes :-D

She wanted to study, to work if possible, to socialise and join in with the new culture. Ali, a devoutly religious man, felt differently. Like most other Somali men, he firmly believed that women should remain at home, provide meals and raise the children. You know what, I think this was the sole purpose of this article. To attack Islam and the Somali culture and idolise the european way of life. This silly xaliimo got used. Qouting Magnoona... i just have one lil advice for them ladies who think she wanna work and all that blah blah. don't get married easy as dat.. and most importantly don't have kids please. That is a tad bit harsh don't you think? There is nothing wrong with a working mother sis, sometimes it is actually a neccesity and can be benefitial for the marriage, the children and ease finanicial burdens. My mother worked when we were kids and we were looked after by my habo, I couldn't have asked for a better upbringing. And now, my hooyo looks after my sisters children when she is at work. There is an increasing number of working Somali mothers and childcare is susually provided by close relatives. I think it is really benefitial for a child to have so many carers and to live with a large family network, that is how culture and religion and family vales are maintained. As long as we keep our tradional extended family network being a wroking mother is cool.

Originally posted by Balsam: I really didn’t appreciate that joke sis Ameenah, you have severely misunderstood my intention of posting this topic. I just wanted to share a word of wisdom with my younger sisters…. That’s all. I am sorry for offending walaal, it was only a joke, nothing more. Sorry!

^^ My sentiments exactly. Walaal, you also have to question your motives for getting married, bordome and wanting to be part of the married crowd is not really good enough. If it is the case that your ready to start a family etc, then maybe you can make it be known - As a side note, we do have some lovely bachelors in Sol *joke* But end of the day, Amarku waa xaga Ilaahay, enjoy your life in the mean time.