Ngonge Congratulations with the coming of NGONGE jnr. Seems you dont want to experience the thrill of seeing a little being claiming his right to the world with his first Cry. They are so cute As for eating the placenta, it's very fashionable these days. ... She planned to invite her parents and in-laws to a "dinner" party after she gave birth. :eek: :eek: people have become cannibals now. Yuck. Wouldnt it better they contributed the placenta to have the multipotent progenitor cells stored for helping a leukaemic child or for research? :confused: :confused:

sax Q Personally been introducing friends from Somalinet to SOL. Well they maybe members here already, who knows as we all anonymous?. Anyway, the condition in Somalinet does need to be put in check.

waxaan is called paranoia Its called awareness and precaution.

Xisbi neva heard of these guys (ZIGWA) They are a tribe from Tanga we call them Wazigwa, my Abo told me their story. They were tricked by the Arabs as in they were going to be sent to fertile lands and took to sea. They were dropped off in Somalia and were never brought back. the website u gav sidasis for the somalibantu didn't work for me Surprisingly it doesnt work for me either. :confused: This is the Link I searched through google. http://www.google.com.tr/search?hl=tr&ie=UTF-8&q=wazigwa&btnG=Arama&meta= Click on the first article written INTRODUCTION.Its 58 Kb article. It will open to the link I had provided earlier.(which works :mad: )(http://www.somalibantu.com/Hist_Sombantu1.htm)And this will appear: Report Prepared By: OMAR A. ENO Subject:The Fifth Congress For Somali Studies In Boston Title: The Untold Apartheid In Somalia Imposed on Somali Bantu/Jareer People. ^^^^Regarding the Yibir and the Bantus what happened to them was quite inhumane.What a shame . Hope we can learn from the mistakes and keep it in the past,and adopt acceptance of diversity to change the future.

I don't know if this story is true or not but it really is not that important, is it?...... They'll be a minority in Somali Society Came across another minority group in the somalian society.I remember being told the story of the Zigwa people as they were taken from Tanga , Tanzania. http://www.somalibantu.com/Hist_Sombantu1.htm. Heres a page dedicated to the Baravanese. Doesnt have alot of info as in their origins, http://www.coding-zone.co.uk/bravanese/misc.shtml

Are the Banaadirs, the Barawas? They fit the description. http://www.yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=728&p=culture&a=1

Bilaal Just visited their website and seems its till exhibited http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=12229. They claim ...... featured a fictional character Queen Ayesha; it is possible that this is intended as a portrayal of her. One of the wives of the prophet Mohammad was also called Ayesha, though there is nothing in the painting to suggest this portrait was associated with her. For Prinsep, the single female figure subject provided a vehicle for his skilled drapery painting and sumptuous use of colour. (From the display caption February 2004) Allah YaAllam.

6/27/2004 - Religious - Article Ref: IC0406-2364 Number of comments: 4 Opinion Summary: Agree:4 Disagree:0 Neutral:0 By: Ibrahim N. Abusharif IslamiCity* - When describing Islam, the word "simple" frequently pops up for the very good reason that simplicity is one of the most sublime aspects of revealed religion. God wants us to know Him: we have no higher duty. All men and women are charged to realize their purpose as God's creatures, and because of this there is a solid degree of simplicity to religion such that theorists and farmhands have equal access to understanding the faith and should do so before they expire. This "Islam" that we take to is not the name of a land or a man, but the very knock on Heaven's door, the answerable call, and the sanctified description of a believer's relationship with God, the Pre-Eternal Creator, Lord, and Master of the Universe, who does as He wills, the One to whom we all are in a constant state of returning. With this understanding, then let's remember that "Islam" does not really demand much, though its blessings are plainly beyond measure. Its obligations are not many and the prohibitions are always in our best interests. Its essential principles are few and uncomplicated-no mystery, secret scrolls, or theologies suitable for a hall of mirrors. Its pillars are counted on one hand. Its rites of worship take minutes in a day. The opportunities to do good abound. Even a simple smile is recorded as a good deed-a bona fide act of righteousness. What it takes to become a Muslim is also simple. We say two statements with sincerity. We pay no entry fees, take no test, nor memorize long liturgy. We need not accept violence to qualify nor find solace in ethnocentric views of exclusiveness. We make a choice, the most powerful and distinguishing feature of the human creature. Then our actions follow. We are charged to worship God and to be excellent to our parents; generous with the needy; honorable with our neighbors; pleasant with strangers and acquaintances; hardworking in our jobs; caring of our brothers and sisters; nurturing of our children; in control of our tongues and tempers; loyal to our friends; good with our words; forgiving of insults; gentle with animals and nature; protecting of our eyes and limbs; conquerors of our egos; and a people who remember God often, letting such remembrance bring us calm in a time of complex confusion and the unseemly spread of Pharaonic complexes and unchecked sorties of human arrogance. We are grateful when good comes to us, patient when tested, and rewarded for any discomfort, be it a single prick of a thorn. Islam offers ease for those who newly enter, baby steps along the path. We are not asked to ignore logic. Islam is a religion of reason and intelligence. We do not fear science. We are eager for discovery. We must never lose our minds by choice, culture, or inebriation. We love metaphors that expand our understanding of creation and its Creator, but never metaphors that mask inexplicable doctrines authored by men of political sway. Moderation is our badge. Balance is our way of life, not because it's politically correct, but because it is the surest and more direct route to our ultimate objectives. God is closer to us than our jugular veins. He says, "Remember Me, and I will remember You." He says, "Ask of Me, and I shall answer." He says, "I am near; I answer the call of a caller when he calls upon Me." He says, "When My servant remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart." There's no need for a broker between God and us. This is His choice, His mercy, His security, His invincible power, and His unflagging love. God has names, "Mercy-Giving," "All-Forgiving," "Pardoner," "All-Loving," . . . When God reveals His names, then it's a good idea to pay attention. It has meaning far beyond our own names that are given to us for no inherent reasons usually. God is "All-Merciful," therefore He loves to shower His mercy, obliterate our sins, and cover our shameful deeds. All sins are eligible for forgiveness except this: deny God's existence (though we ourselves exist and never doubt it), attribute false things to Him (something offensive when applied to us), and then this grace is prohibited. Again, God is "All-Merciful," which means it is of His essence. He requires no event on earth to ratify it. Nothing ties His Hands. Nothing compels Him. We seek forgiveness because it is available, by God's leave. God's Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most beloved of human beings. He was the "chosen one," an orphan raised under God's eyes, and once a shepherd, the vocation of the prophets before him. Jesus and Moses told their people of Muhammad's coming, and in the Hereafter, all the prophets will point to the Chosen One as the intercessor for humanity. The Prophet Muhammad loved what was right and righteous, and disliked what offended God. The plots of his enemies did not anger him, only saddened him that they would choose intrigue and deviation over purity. He was blessed with enormous authority, but passed away will little worldly possessions. This was his choice: no grand monuments of earthly power, no palaces, no canopied beds; only a straw mat on the floor that left imprints on his blessed skin that covered his slender body. He bequeathed to humanity teachings that guide to all that is good in this world and to the best of outcomes in the Hereafter-Heaven: running rivers; fantastic lush gardens; the grandest trees; banquets of delectable food and drink; gold bracelets; endless estates and meadows; gushing springs; silk clothing; cushions of brocade; virtuous and pure companions; palaces fatiguing to the imagination; all that we ask for, even our most extreme desires. The Companions of the Garden (per the Quran) are people living forever without the nonsense, malice, insecurities, jealousy, lies, and envy that can insult, offend, and break hearts. Callousness, competition, backstabbing, insensitivity, oppression, and sheer stup*d*ty are not just gone, but impossible! Instead, there is profound intelligence, pure sensuality, no obligations, complete freedom, and closeness to God the Exalted, all of this without end, without aging, boredom, or any kind of burden, duty, work, pain, or sickness; all of this for the patient ones, those who are God-fearing in their very brief lives, those who love God and look forward to meeting Him in the Hereafter and receiving with hope His endless mercy. Islam does not lord over us, but raises us in degrees of rank in the sight of the Lord of the Worlds. When we perceive difficulty in religion, we need to be honest and realize that we have admitted something into our hearts: love of the worldly or spiritual laziness that drags us earthward; or we have accepted assumptions and insinuations that carry us away from worship and its joys and glow. We live in a time when corruption is subtle. It often slinks under the cover of innocence and sometimes even under the rubric "piety." We convince ourselves that our decisions are for the sake of God, while often they serve our egos and our relentless grab for attention, credit, and low victories. We don't have a long time to live. "Time flies" is a fraud: way too slow, as far as descriptions go. We worry about things that have no consequence; we guard our inflated sense of self-importance. We, the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, need to be careful. We need to constantly revive our sincerity, the arbiter of our deeds and portal to divine acceptance. Never does purity of heart or faith survive a passive process. We must always work to keep film from covering our eyes, a constant jihad that helps us distinguish the relevant from the trivial. The degree to which we may know God differs markedly between this life and the next. In the Hereafter, some of the "veils" between God and humanity are dropped, but, at that time, the scales of our deeds will have been filled. In this life, however, while things are still "live" and they "count," it is precisely these veils that we must endeavor to penetrate and achieve a degree of faith that is beyond the proofs of science and its fundamentalists. But we're not blind here or without a guide. Certain rites have been passed down through the agency of prophets, who received them from God. So we have no excuses, and none will be accepted, for we have been taught with utter clarity what me must do, and, again, it is not difficult. It is made known to us through revelation and conveyed to us via the scriptures and inspirations of the Prophets and Messengers. This is Islam, the primordial religion of humanity. Ibrahim N. Abusharif is the editor of Starlatch Press. He may be reached at starlatch@hotmail.com.

Chicken Stew Mchuzi ya Kuku Ingredients (for two): 1. Chicken breast - skinless (but with bones) 2. Curry powder and tumeric 3. Kothmeri (cilentro) 4. 2 tomatoes 5. one large-potato chopped 6. olive oil or cooking oil 7.two green chilies 8.little salt 9. one lemon 10.two eggs==(NB i DONT ADD IT-DONT LIKE IT) 11.Crushed tomato - 1/4 can 12.two medium onions 13. Garlic and ginger puree Procedure: 1. Fry finely chopped onions in olive oil until they get reddish. 2. Add cut tomatoes. Keep stirring. 3. Boil chicken separately ..(I like seasoning with blackpepper and salt at this stage) 4. Add potatoes with the onions and tomatoes.Keep stirring for 10 minutes 5. Now add cut green chillies, garlic and ginger, crushed tomatoes, little salt,curry powder and tumaric in the frying pen. And mix with onions and potatoes, and keep stirring for five minutes. 6. Transfer the onions, etc. to the pan where chicken should have been boiled. 7. Cover the sauce pen after stirring well. 8. Boil eggs seperately. Remove the shells and put the eggs in the chicken curry. Cover the sauce pan. 9. After 5 minutes, add kothmeri (cilentro) 10 Stir and the curry is ready to be eaten with rice.

Sorry double post >>>>Bon apetite.

For all the seafood lovers, Heres a swahili cuisine. Seafood in curried coconut sauce Ingredients For the Sauce 1tsp. olive or vegetable oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 small green chili peppers (fewer if less spice desired) 1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 1/2 - 2 cups coconut milk 1 tsp. Indian masala (red or yellow) 1 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. coriander powder 1/4 tsp. tumeric (optional for extra yellow-curry flavor) 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (optional for extra spice) Salt For the Seafood Any of the following fish will work in this recipe: 2 lbs. white fish; or 1 to 2 lbs. shelled prawns; or 2 lbs. fresh, cleaned squid; or 1 to 2 lbs. fresh, cleaned octopus Method If preparing white fish or squid, clean and marinate in lemon, salt and one chopped clove of garlic. Make the sauce by first frying the onion in oil until translucent. Add the chilies and garlic. Stir together until the chili edges begin to wilt. Note: Be careful about which chilies are used. Some very small chilies are wickedly hot, while others are mild. Add the chopped tomato. Cook on high until the color begins to fade (tomato is beginning to caramelize). Then, add coconut milk and spices. Simmer this mixture, stirring occasionally for at least 10 minutes or until it begins to thicken. For octopus: Prepare in advance by simmering in boiling water with a garlic clove for up to one hour. Octopus can be very tough if not cooked properly. Add the octopus with the coconut milk and simmer the entire mixture until it begins to thicken For prawns: Continue cooking the sauce and add prawns only a few minutes before serving. Shrimp are done when the flesh turns opaque. Be careful not to over-cook. For squid: Flash fry separately at high heat for one to two minutes. When done, the squid will become firm and begin to whiten. Add to sauce when ready to serve. Do not over cook, this will turn the squid very chewy. For white fish: Oil a baking pan, place fillets in pan and pour sauce over. Bake for 10 minutes,(or more depending on thickness of filets), in pre-heated 375 degree oven. Serve with rice, cooked plantains (fried or boiled) or fresh banana. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/php/recipes.php?dish=swahili/swahili_recipes_lo.html

Bro Ngonge, you crack me up. . Hey, congratulations Jumatatu, Asante with the leso. A windy day is a Khanga lady's enemy.

Men in Kanzus(White Islamic longshirts) reciting the Quraan in harmonius voices. Just takes my breath away. Jumatatu, what are gareys?

More than interesting. looking at the open jaws and the tongue, I was thinking man, Im I going to get plague??

Sahal Brother be patient. Inshallah he will answer.

Asalaam aleykum I dont want to take sides but guess its time to call a spade a spade. Its only normal if asked a qn it has to be answered, even if it annoying but need to be curteous. At the end we all brothers=Muslims and its our duty to remind each other and give nasiyah. Second came across this a new book been released on Ahlul Sunnat wal Jamaat written by Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-'Uthaymin's Notes on al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyah Translated By Shakiel Humayun Description From the back cover: This is Shaykh al-'Uthaymin's abridged version of his lengthy work, Sharh al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyah, which is a formidable explanation of al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyah. al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyah is the famous treatise written by Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah that clarifies the beliefs of ahl-us-sunnah wal-jama'ah. The renowned scholar Shaykh al-'Uthaymin explains this treatise and provides valuable points of benefit. It is a must for all those who are interested in learning about the Islamic 'aqidah in depth. For more information ahttp://thetruereligion.org/shakiel_aaw.php

Raula , asante dada Nimecheka sana mbavu zauma sana. LOOOOOOOOOOOOO Watu weupe wawili wankimbizana.>>>Taking in a deep breath, in out lllllooooooooooo asante. Raula zanzibar karibu lakini take care.Mambo ya wazanzibari makubwa.

Belated though Nakutakia baraka ya siku yako ya kuzaliwa. Mwenyezi Mungu akupe afya, fahamu na kila la kheri katika maisha yako.Amin

"O, you who beleive! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true ( in words and deeds)V.9;19. What is forbidden regarding lies; Narrated by Abdallah RA; The Prophet SAW said: Truthfullness leads to Al-Birr (righteousness)andAl-Birr leads to Paradise.And a man keeps on telling the truth till he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fujur (wickedness) and Al-Fujur leads to hell, and a man who keeps on telling lies until he is written among the liars." Sahih Bukhari Vol 8. HADITH 116 Narrated Abu Huraira RA; Allahs Prophet SAW said; " The signs of a hypocrite are three : Whenever he speaks, he lies; and whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is entrusted. he betrays" Sahih Bukhari Vol 8. HADITH 117 Narrated Samura bin Jundub; The Prophet SAW said: I saw(in a dream, two men came to me." Then the Prophet SAW narrated the story (saying)," They said:The person,the one whose cheek you saw being torn away(form the mouth to the ear) was a liar and used to tell lies and the people would report those lies on his authority till it spreads all over the world. So he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection". Sahih Bukhari Vol 8. HADITH 118

Thanks Viking, seems people will be pocketing some more.

Sahal Its true there are muslims trying to break the Islamic Unity(Doest really exist but can happen) and spread hatred amongst ourselves. Allah had forseen the division of the Muslim Ummah and His Prophet SAW stated the hadith that we as an Ummah will be divided into 73 groups. And this is whats happening. Though our Prophet gave us the answer as to how to be successful : to follow The QURAN and Hadith and not merrilly scholars and their thoughs as we also will be following the way of the Ahlul Kitab " They took their Rabbis and scholars to be their lords." May Allah protect us and guide us on our way.

Brain Dead That was so good. Tragic. Hope to read more of the ladies adventure.

First mobile phone virus discovered Wednesday 16 June 2004, 1:39 Makka Time, 22:39 GMT The virus propagates through the Bluetooth wireless technology Related: Nokia profits take a beating Mobile phones that matchmake Low amount of radiation in mobiles Tools: Email Article Print Article Send Your Feedback The first ever virus that can infect mobile phones has been discovered, anti-virus software developers have said, adding that up until now it has had no harmful effect. The French unit of the Russian security software developer Kaspersky Labs said on Tuesday that that virus - called Cabir - appears to have been developed by an international group specialising in creating viruses which try to show "that no technology is reliable and safe from their attacks". Cabir infects the Symbian operating system that is used in several makes of mobiles, notably the Nokia brand, and propagates through the Bluetooth wireless technology present in several new mobile phones. If the virus succeeds in penetrating the phone, it writes the inscription Caribe" on the screen and is activated every time the phone is turned on. Set to multiply It is able to scan for other phones using Bluetooth to send a copy of itself According to the anti-virus software developer F-Secure, the discovery of Cabir is proof that the technologies are now available to create viruses for mobile phones and that they are now known to the writers of computer viruses Anti-virus experts have been warning for months that mobile phone viruses are set to multiply, given the increasingly diverse uses of mobile phones. AFP [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The role of language in Arab reforms By Shaheen Chughtai Sunday 20 June 2004, 18:04 Makka Time, 15:04 GMT Arab governments are under pressure to change curricula Related: Scepticism over curricula review Arab schoolbooks reform face opposition Palestine textbooks under fire Tools: Email Article Print Article Send Your Feedback "The war is language," wrote American beat generation poet Allen Ginsberg, in his Wichita Vortex Sutra. "Language used like magic for power on the planet." Ginsberg's Vietnam-war-era concerns about the manipulation of language during times of conflict finds an echo in today's Middle East, where Arab governments have come under increasing pressure from Western centres of power to reform not only their political systems but their educational curricula. This pressure springs partly from a belief that the Middle East's schools and universities have nurtured a world view that helped motivate those responsible for the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US. Following those plane attacks, Saudi Arabia - home to 15 of the alleged hijackers - began a review of schoolbooks for evidence of extremism. About five per cent of the material has been deemed objectionable and purged. Some Arabs have welcomed such changes. The editor-in-chief of Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh, Turki al-Sudairi, recently blamed "our education system which does not stress tolerance of other faiths" for encouraging terrorism. During a recent Aljazeera interview US Secretary of State Colin Powell said he sensed that "the people of the Middle East are asking for reform. It's not just a question the United States wants it [sic]." But the notion of ideologically-driven reform of curricula has also stirred controversy and criticism. "Do you have a new religion you want to teach students? Is it the Western religion? Is it the new American religion?" demanded Islamist MP Abd Allah Okash during a Kuwaiti parliamentary debate last December after the government said it wanted to alter textbooks to promote tolerance. War of words For those who believe traditional curricula help to breed extremists, Arabic is a key culprit. In the battle for tongues and minds, English has been deployed as a weapon to counter the militancy allegedly fostered by Arabic-medium education. Saudi authorities announced last month that English will be taught as a core subject alongside Arabic and maths beginning this coming school year. English has become a core school subject in Saudi Arabia "After 9/11, there emerged a troubling view that teaching Arabic and Islam encouraged militant tendencies," says Sohail Karmani, an English language teaching (ELT) professional based in the UAE, "whereas English was seen as promoting the values of freedom, tolerance and democracy." Karmani is the founder of TESOL Islamia, an organisation based in Abu Dhabi that aims to raise ideological awareness of issues in English language education in Arab and Muslim countries and to promote ELT in ways that best serve the socio-political and socio-cultural interests of Arabs and Muslims. "Some Muslims will naturally feel that there is a conspiracy to destroy Arabic because of its obvious proximity to Islam," says Karmani. "But I think this is far too sophisticated for the Bush administration, although it probably does have this crude vision of Arabic as being somehow specially endowed in nurturing a militant mindset." Mujahidin training The Afghan experience may have helped shape these associations between education and behaviour. Islamist-oriented madrassas were encouraged to produce combat-minded mujahidin to fight the atheistic Soviet occupiers in the 1980s. "Afghanistan is a good example," says Karmani. "During the Soviet years, the US actively promoted a jihadist worldview through Dari and Pashto [the two main Afghan languages] along with US-produced school textbooks which contained explicit references to war and hatred. After 9/11, it seems to have reversed the paradigm, using English now to promote tolerance and democracy." Language was used to help create a generation of Afghan warrior But critics such as Karmani ridicule the premise that Arabic-medium and Islamic-oriented education act as some kind of cultural poison to susceptible students, for which English is the antidote. "It's an absurd idea," says Karmani, who has more than 15 years ELT experience in his native Britain, Italy and, for the last eight years, in the Gulf. "Usama bin Ladin, like most of the 19 hijackers [blamed for the 9/11 attacks], is probably well versed in English. In fact, the attacks would have been virtually impossible if the hijackers hadn't known English. In a sense, it was a crucial part of their cover." Nevertheless, the concept of English as a modern Trojan horse carrying a different set of beliefs and views into hostile territory has reared its head in Iraq, where ELT intertwined with missionary work has enjoyed a post-war surge. Mission Iraq American evangelical Christian organisations, including Voice of the Martyrs the Southern Baptist Convention and the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, have declared Muslims in Iraq as priority targets for proselytising. "Right now there are scores of rightwing Christian missionaries flooding into Iraq," says Karmani. "Many have no moral qualms about using English as a tool to reach Muslims often under the false pretence of offering free English lessons and thereby establishing intimate contact with local communities, particularly Muslim women." Iraqi pupils may find that some teachers have a hidden agenda Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham - both senior American Christian leaders who are close to the Bush administration - has planned a major proselytising operation in Iraq through his organisation Samaritan's Purse. Such US evangelicals see their mission in Iraq in the context of a clash between superior and inferior belief systems. The younger Graham has a history of anti-Islam comments, including his description of it as "a very evil and wicked religion" that encourages terrorism. Organisations such as the Billy Graham Center and Christian Educators in TESOL offer advice to Christians wishing to teach English to foreign unbelievers. And websites such as Missionfinder.org carry adverts for English-teaching missionaries in Iraq. Promoting English The US State Department promotes the spread of English overseas through the Office of English Language Programmes (OELP), which has 16 regional English language officers (RELOs) - four of them in the Middle East - as well project specialists and support staff. The OELP aims to create and support targeted English language projects "to promote mutual understanding between the United States and other countries" - drawing a clear link between English language and diplomacy. Secretary of State Colin Powell (L) has called for Arab reforms The OELP's work is administered through embassies and consulates and includes the development of English teaching curricula, textbooks, and teacher-training workshops. US embassies in Jordan, Syria and Yemen conduct their own English training programmes while those in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia give support to affiliated projects. The US aid agency USAID is also involved in English teacher training programmes, most notably in Egypt. In addition, Powell launched the Middle East Partnership Initiative at the end of 2002 to promote political, economic and educational reforms in the region. "The drive for reform is being increasingly stepped up by Washington," says Karmani. "And what's worrying is that there seems to be no moral debate about introducing secular reforms into the heart of the Arab-Muslim world." Regional reforms With or without that impetus, curricular reforms and the spread of English have continued apace in the Middle East, especially in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia has implemented well publicised changes but the regional pace-setter is Qatar, where a major revamp of school curricula, educational facilities and teaching methods is under way. This autumn, Carnegie Mellon University joins fellow American institutions Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University and Virginia Commonwealth University who have already set up English-medium branches in Qatar. "Students are learning more English and less Islam" Washington Post on US colleges setting up in Qatar But according to Cairo-based RELO Robert Lindsey, the US promotion of English has always been "extremely modest and peripheral to our mainstream public diplomacy and economic development policies". "If there is in fact a correlation between the spread and use of English and the spread of democratic values, then our public diplomacy has missed - and continues to miss - a big opportunity," Lindsey told Aljazeera.net. And Darwish al-Emadi, director of the Educational Institute at the Supreme Educational Council that oversees the reforms, dismisses suggestions that Qatar has succumbed to external pressure. The current reform campaign began three months before the 9/11 attacks took place, he says, and only serves educational purposes. Nevertheless, many Western observers view the relationship between imported subjects and native ones as essentially competitive. Writing in the Washington Post last year, journalist Susan Glasser said Qatar's educational reforms meant "students are learning more English and less Islam". Coexistence But are English and Arabic necessarily locked into a zero-sum contest? And does an English education not empower students in a world where that language dominates global commerce, travel, diplomacy and the internet? Karmani argues that the two can coexist but to meet students' needs, English might be taught as a foreign, not second, language. Countries such as France Japan and Iceland cope well without having to resort to English-medium education, he notes. Experts agree that students learn best in their native tongue "It is an indisputable fact that people learn better in their mother tongue, says Karmani. "But instead of being taught together, with English, Arabic has been grotesquely marginalised. "The result is that students leave universities with very poor levels of English. The Arab Human Development Report for 2003 has found that ... young people are leaving university with very poor language skills in both English and Arabic. So, in a sense, these people are being disempowered by an English-only approach to education." Lindsey says that the US has no official position "other than a general position in favour of freedom of choice: We would not like to see English as a foreign language banned or severely hampered, or English-medium schools closed." But he agrees that students normally learn better in their native tongues. The solution says Karmani, is "to promote more Arabic in ways that empower young people and to explore ways of adding English as a means of building on literacy in Arabic. "There is a desperate need for a debate on language policy issues in the Arab world, to determine just how much English we really need and why we need it along with a parallel debate on the role of classical, modern and demotic varieties of Arabic." Aljazeera [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sue what's your take on this? Uncertainity? Guilty conscious? I think the lady for once in her life thought she had it all. A husband, a child,, promises. But you later said that the husband didnt not live with her. Must of broken her heart tremendously. Im not for suicide, but on reading the peice I think the emptiness in her heart caused her to do so. Allah Ya llam.