Originally posted by xiinfaniin: Facts may slow him down or truth and the actualities on the ground may rudely intrude once more, but the man, Waraabe that is, is playing his cards right in this pre-election maneuverings… Even so, such call won't toughen the idealogy of the seperatists, if that is his aim, toughening their stance or inflating their balloon.

N/A and Paragon, there has already been an armed confrontation between the two groups. Thus, it appears reinforcements were sent because 4 of the Puntland militia were already killed in the first clash, but now elders have immediately intervened after assessing the gravity of the situation and the peace that is at stake. The Dhahar and Qardho locals have been on their throats since many years in the past. Although this is a naked aggression against Dhaharians, still there is an ample room left to put out the stoking fire.

Sometimes people might think that discussions on the issues of the separatist adventures is the weakest link of the people of Sool and Sanaag, whom, according to their "bankrupt mindsets", support the TFG under the auspices of Ethiopia, . That not speaking out of the aggression of the invaders is tantamount to consensus gentium and giving Ethiopia a new but constant lease of life. That raising topics of immense importance is not worthy serious consideration at all if it "preserves" the territorial integrity of Somalia and guards the north eastern regions against their perceived arch enemy's interest- that benumbs our thinking and paralyzes our physical wellbeing. The author of this topic has his logical tentacle wrapped up on us; it palpitates our conscience, measures our intellect, and tastes our dignity and pride. All that Mansa Munsa did was to expose these gay rights activists who have been hired by the secessionists as Public relations agents to advance their case, and the fact that they are either in Somalia or have been to the North West is a concern we must assert, debate on its negative impact on our children and society, and trade on ideas and solutions. Without further placing artificial barriers underneath the subtle prejudices that colours our view points, we have to ask what led the warlords in Hargeesa to invite such agents to our hometown? Why did they commission them to speak on their behalf and lobby for the dismemberment of our country? As Muslims, we should be outraged by such actions and send shock waves to those who might follow suit in a similar fashion.

Call to Genocide: Utterance of a mad man! By Said A. Salah May 27, . 2007 In a recent debating program aired by SL TV, a privately owned televison station that operates in Somaliland (a self declared independent region of Somalia), Mr. Feysal Ali Warabe, a leader of the opposition UCID party (justice & welfare party) angrily and vehemently declared his party’s intention of committing XASUUQ- Somali term for genocide or ethnic cleansing -to fellow Somali people of the SOOL and SANAAG regions. ( Somaliland.org ). SL TV moderator asked panelists (Warabe, Silaanyo, Dualeh) the question: can you envision a way in which the traditional leaders of Sool and Sanaag could be kept in our (secessionist) fold or to hinder them from the scheduled Somali reconciliation meetings to be held in Mogadishu? Mr. Warabe said, and quotes: “Our policy of inaction made us loose these regions and Lasanood long time ago. If we are worrying about committing genocide to these people we will never be able to realize our goal to become a state”, adding furthermore “on one level we are reluctant to secure our eastern borders, and at the same time we do not want to kill and maim. How can we claim to be a nation if we are hesitant to shed others blood or afraid to sacrifice our blood, like we did before?” By publicly uttering such remarks at this age and time where the whole world is wary about extremist ideologies and the shady men behind it, Mr. Warabe may think of himself a “nationalist” and catering to his supporters, but for SOOL and SANAAG and many God fearing people on earth it is a show of inciting hatred and a call for action to commit pogrom. It is a ‘fatwa’ of a sort. Especially when you take in to account the tribal (clan) connotations his words carry and the political climate of the region. The people of SOOL and SANAAG view Mr. Wraabe’s sanguine remarks not simply rhetoric but an imminent threat to innocent people’s life. The likes of Mr. Warabe who are bent to harm women and children for no other reason but to secede from Somalia are plenty and could possibly find a way for staging their diabolic intentions one day or the other. We ought to be pretty much concerned of the safety of another fellow Somali brothers and sisters. We ought to alert the peace loving of the world to the terror and dangers that can come from this mad man and his cohorts. At any instant Ina Warabe invectives and nefarious utterances must be condemned. It is ironic that Mr. Warabe hails from Northwestern part of Somalia. A region that has witnessed enough suffering and bloodshed committed in the name of “protecting” a state, while the only protection happening was shedding the blood of the innocent and people freeing themselves from the clutches of dictatorship. If it was wrong then to break up people’s will of resisting compulsion and political hegemony what makes it right now. There are those of us who believe that Somali problems arise more so of ignorance and leadership deficiency than allegiance to clan. This is the same understanding of our forefathers when they were resisting the colonial masters. They sidestepped the notion of interweaving genealogical lineages by applying phantom formulas like 4.5, instead; they put more emphasis on building the right leadership that strives for the common good. They showed prudence in seeing that clan cooperation maximizes when the circle is wide enough to include all the components and no subdivisions. That is why they succeeded in reversing colonial deceptions and forged southern part of the land with the northern part. It is sad that contemporary generations did not fully grasp the ideals of the independence generation and why it is so important to be united under one Somali state in the Horn of Africa. Our problem is not when clan X is the president clan Y suffers or vice versa. Our problem is having leaders the likes of Ali Warabe. Presidents can go, deposed or overthrown, there is a political mechanism to deal with and should be in place, but bad leaders poison the young and the fertile mind. As it appears we have lost the ability to be united and stand tall and dignified among the twenty second century nations competing for the millennium developmental goals. We have made ourselves fools and laughing stock of the world. We have come to a point where even Ethiopia (no pun intended) came to our rescue (from one another). Whether Ethiopia sees this opportunity as an invitation for an invasion and an expression of hegemonic grandstanding, time will tell. If tempted, I don’t doubt that Ethiopian suzerainty will be short lived. In any case, it is our fault that Ethiopian tanks are rolling our streets. As of now, it is of no use to lament the past or conveniently blame others for our shortcomings. This should be the time for introspection and showing humility and to collectively start rebuilding our nation by forgiving one another and clasping hands for the sake of peace and posterity. Or else, we still remain divided by imaginary boundary lines, selfish mafia like businessmen, marauding militias and irresponsible ignorant leaders like Ali Warabe etcetera. Where is the fecund leadership? May Allah show us the right path? Said A. Salah Sterling, VA E-Mail:sasa21c@aol.com Source: http://wardheernews.com/articles_07/may_07/27_call_to_genocide_Said_Salah.html

The Admin should permit the use of OG as a land but not as a clan. It is not fair that the people of Hargeisa bombard us with their daily seperatists rhetoric while we stifle the real voice that is screaming for justice. -------------------- Stop the OG-ADEN Genocide! Mercilessly conducted by ‘Ethiopian’ Dictator Meles Zenawi, the ****** Genocide helps only the further radicalization of the peaceful and tolerant ******i nation that for many long decades has been inhumanly oppressed within tyrannical Abyssinia. ******is were never asked about their – most hateful and most inhuman – inclusion in the most repugnant African tyranny. Expressing unprecedented brutality, Abyssinian army and militias have committed another appalling crime yesterday in ******, burning an entire town, Laasdoole, inhumanly massacring the former Chairman of the Town Council Mr. Duulane Guuleed Carab, and many other people. All Laasdoole houses and the properties of the inhabitants have been burned, and the survivors have been left without shelter, belongings, water and food in the whereabouts. As the odious events took some time to be completed, the rest of the population, mainly consisting of children, women and elders, who were facing unjustifiable charges and extrajudicial killings, were saved thanks to the arrival of the ****** National Liberation Army (ONLA), the military wing of the ****** National Liberation Front that gathers total support among all the ******is, as it embodies every hope for Independence, Self-Determination, Freedom, Democracy, Tolerance, and Progress. Abyssinian dictator Zenawi controls less than 50% of ****** As the news broke in the mountains and plains around Laasdoole, the ****** National Liberation Army came immediately to counterattack Meles Zenawi’s thuggish gangsters, and successfully exploded two transportation trucks, engaged in battle with the dictatorial military, and annihilated most of them, pursuing the rest. The events consist in clear indication of two important developments: 1. Tyrant Zenawi loses territorial control over his country. By now he probably controls less than 50% of ******. His untrained, unprepared, tribal and ailing army collapses in Somalia, and inside their tyrannical abode. Perspicaciously examining the recent developments, one should ask the question: - Was the US advise (Albright’s December 2006 visit) for an adventure in Somalia the US trick that would finally trigger the end of Fake Ethiopia? Only a mendacious ‘friend’ would advise a country to undertake a project that is not up to that country’s potentialities, and that can only bring forth that country’s unavoidable end. UN to organize Referendum for ******’s Independence! In view of the recent events in Somalia, and the expansion of the anti-Abyssinian reaction among nations of all backgrounds and religions, and in order to avoid one more genocide on African soil, the UN Security Council should immediately call for a Referendum to be organized throughout ******, ensured by UN forces’ presence, whereby the ******i population would express their willingness to live in an independent country. For what would be the purpose of ******is achieving independence after radicalization, escalation of the genocide, wars, casualties, extremism, and help received from al Qaeda? We republish here the news as first published in ****** Online. Ethiopian Miltary Burns Down the town of Laasdoole May 17, 2007 Reports reaching our service desk from ****** confirm the burning down of the entire town of Laasdoole by a contingent of Ethiopian military and an associated militia. It is reported that all the meager resources owned by the local citizenry burned down as well. It is reported that there were also human casualties, including the former chairman of the town council Mr. Duulane Guuleed Carab. Also some of the names of the dead civilians who have been extra judicially killed include Adan Mohamed Canshuur and Jaacuur Fataax. ****** Online reporter in the city of Wardheer reports that the displaced civilians from Laasdoole are now squatting outside the town with no access to shelter, food and drinking water. In related news, ****** National Liberation Army, ONLA, is said to have responded to the extra judicial killings and mass civilian displacement carried out by the Ethiopian military. Eyewitnesses confirm that heavily armed contingent of ONLA attacked the Ethiopians who carried out the mass murder. After a heavy firefight between ONLA and the Ethiopian military around Laasdoole, it is reported that two transport trucks were destroyed by ONLA. Both of these trucks were transporting army personnel as well as military supplies, which is said to have been destroyed. Eyewitnesses from this firefight confirm that the Ethiopians who burned down Laasdoole have totally been annihilated by ONLA. Few who escaped from this firefights are said to have been pursued by ONLA in the surrounding vicinity.

Mohamoud H. Ali: A Successful Real Estate Agent or A Somali Celebrity? Faisal Roble May 17 , 2007 His story is one of from “rugs to riches;” he is an Inductee of the Master’s Club and a recipient of the most prestigious THE TOP SALESPERSON AWARD in real estate His mornings usually begin at 7:00 a.m. And that was the case on the morning of December 23rd, 2006, a day Mohamoud Haji Hassan Ali hosted me at his residence in Oakville, Virginia. As part of his routine, Ali (a man in his early 40s with an extremely youthful face) hops on the treadmill for 20 or so minutes, followed by a light breakfast of cereal and fruits, and a cup of coffee. Munching slowly and taking a measured leisure at each bite, “I completely overhauled my diet about five years ago,” says Ali, a successful Somali-American real estate agent in the greater Washington area. Still sitting in his large breakfast nook and only 30 minutes before leaving the house, he lists instructions to his efficient and tireless Indonesian house-keeper, who stayed with him for the last 10 years. No sooner did he complete what appeared to be a long list of daily chores than he jumped on answering his early morning business calls streaming into his blackberry, one of three cell phones. Before we walked out of the house, the bell rang, and a tall blond white woman walks in. She was, I learned, the driver of the school bus for his 8 year-old daughter (there are also 5 year-old son and 3 year-old daughter in the family) who is enrolled in an exclusive private girls’ academy. And with that, Ali is free to begin a grueling day’s work of negotiations, complex transactions and real estate exchange. As he talked to his clients (while driving) in multi languages [English, Somali and Arabic] with equal ease, I was reminded of the emerging “Cosmopolitan” and mosaic new citizen of America’s ever diversifying and colorful urban centers. The Ali phenomenon, rising immigrants which permeates all levels of social/political life in California, is where America’s future lies. The first thing you would notice at the encounter of Ali is his irresistible and infectious smile that immediately tells you one thing about him; he is the right person for the trade/business he is in. But you’re convinced more after he greets you and then overwhelms you with his bear hug, only to be followed by perceptive and purposely disjointed questions of “so, what type of job do you do…. And how many kids?” And in no time, he will engage in a spirited, yet comfortable discussion of options and upgrades of the house he would like to sell you. It is his inter-personal skills, sharpened by his “go-getter” attitude, an attribute Somalis posses as much as their American host, that made Ali a successful, world-class real estate agent licensed in the greater Washington Metro region. A winner of one of the most important and most prestigious real estate award, “THE TOP SALESPERSON AWARD,” this first generation Somali American, who immigrated to the US in 1982, had achieved a lot, an achievement that seems for many an unthinkable task. His success lies in convincing enough Americans of all sorts of background (Most of Ali’s clients are not even from his own immediate community) to spend and dispense over $30 million of their hard-earned money through him. The basis for this relationship is rooted in a simple six- letters word: trust. That is a great achievement by any standard! Ali’s impressive award, which he won this year, says it all. Mr. Ali sold more than $30 million in real estate. This, indeed, is not a small feat for a Somali boy born in the provincial town of Eragabo, who pulled himself up “by the boot-straps.” He is a leaving example of an attribute that Somalis are said to have possessed and often talked about by foreigners and Somalis alike, until their collective image was maligned by an unending civil strife: “entrepreneurial” ingenuity. Just like many Somalis did succeed in the world of competitive business, particularly in East Africa and the Middle East, Ali is a trailblazer, and he is in the forefront of a new Somali immigrant class bent to defy odds in the West, especially at this trying period of a wide-spread anti-Muslim sentiment. He has already defied the odds as shown by his wining of the top award in his industry: “In 2006, Mr. Ali sold more than $30 million in real estate - a significant achievement, as evidenced by his being awarded the title of TOP SALESPERSON for Long & Foster in 2006. Further, Mr. Ali is among the Top Twenty Producer by both Settled Units and by Gross Commission in the Virginia and West Virginia Region. Long & Foster has honored Mr. Ali by inducting him into the prestigious Master's Club. Let it be known, however, that Mr. Ali's recognition goes beyond the borders of Virginia and West Virginia. He is counted among the TOP ONE PRECENT of the Real Estate Agents in the United States - a significant achievement that sets him at the pinnacle of Realtors nationwide”. A Somali inducted into the prestigious Master’s Club, and he is among the TOP ONE PERCENT in the most competitive business in America? It is such a distinction and excellence for individuals that help repair the tarnished collective image. Ali’s story is a celebratory one and undoubtedly brings to all of us that little glimmer of hope to redo the often-tortured Somali image. He is finally rewarded too. Between his top of the line commission earnings (and figure out your own calculations to find out how much this agent earned in 2006) and his doctor wife’s (Dr. Amal) income, who owns and runs her own private [successful] dental practice in an upscale bustling commercial district in Chantilly, Virginia, the two are the closest the Somali Diaspora community can claim as their own celebrity family. One particular attribute of Mr. Ali’s and his family is their willingness to share their modest success with their community regardless of clan affiliation or political persuasions. They are known for contributions to social causes without any hesitation or conditions. Moreover, Ali is reported by those who know him well that he is kind and gives hand to those in the community who need a temporary help (qaadhaan bixinta aad buu ugu fiicanyahay). At any given holiday (religious or national), and one could bet on and win here, the Ali family hosts a feast a la Somali style (featuring roasted lamb meat and Basmati rice). They also throw these sorts of lavish [by Somali standard] parties to elders, political personalities and his close friends of about ten or so, who all live in the greater Washington Metro region. Those who so far visited and got entertained by the Ali family include prominent artists (Hudaidi, Gaarriye, Said Salah, Halane, Ahmed Ali Egal, Hassan A. Samatar, Saado, et al), and politicians from all the Somali speaking regions in the Horn of Africa. In all my visits to the Washington area, I, as many other notable politicians and professional Somalis, paid my own visits to Ali’s residence either for dinner or for an afternoon tea party. Like their former colonial ruler, Great Britain, or their neighboring Asians across the Indian Ocean, Somalis are big consumers of tea, often spicing theirs with cardamom and cinnamon. Given the foot traffic of the Ali residence, this family is already there and has emerged as an influential family in the affairs of the Somali Diaspora community. Last December, 2006, as I concluded a conference at the Center for International Strategic Studies, DC, I spent my last night at Mr. Ali’s residence in Oakville, an upscale suburb neighborhood, in Fairfax, Virginia. The morning he was driving me to the Ronald Regan Reagan International Airport, he was also picking up another host of his from a hotel. The other guest , who was about to fly out of the same airport back to his assignment in the Horn of Africa, wanted to be dropped for and left at the US Department of State, where the other guest was meeting with Jandayi Frazer, the highly influential Under Secretary for African Affairs. In the absence of any Somali government for the last 16 years, Ali has been the shadow ambassador of everyone. He has hosted and entertained leaders from Somaliland, Puntland, Mogadishu, Kismayo, Northern District of Kenya and the Somali region of Ethiopia. Somalia needs civic and business/professional leaders (mainly from the ranks of the young generation) with a proven track record to soften its image and to reintegrate it into the world community. So far, that is what Ali and his family stands for. Faisal Roble WardheerNews E-Mail: Fabroble@aol.com Source

I think the struggle of ONLF has the best chance of being recognized by the world if they consistently make surprise attacks by breaking the back of the enemy. The Ethiopian army has spread too thinly to mount an open confrontation with ONLF. Eritreans were successful in their struggle after Somalia recaptured its occupied territories in the mid of 1977.

We neither have oil to satiate Western hunger for fuel nor the correct creed to claim evangelical brotherhood One of the reasons Goth tallies as to why the International community has failed to know "Somaliland"!! Hidden behind this fascination is a powerful feelign of betrayal and a sad state of our people; and, If the correct creed is an assumed Christianity,(from how I understood him) is Bashir suggesting that the people of Hargeisa should embrace this creed if they are determined to cross the dark road ahead of them. He seems to be in self-delusion and a man of mission. I don't think even that he is genuine of his support to "Somaliland’s rudderless administration, but rather to beguile the secessionists and mislead them in their gather of momentum. I suppose Bashir is one of the hidden pro-union intellectuals we have because of his consistent update and commentary in articulating the ugly reality that even officials of the secessionists love to conceal and shrug off---doing what ever it takes to be noticed by the ‘’United Nations’’. I shall say too that his accolade will be reserved in the annals of our history, after all he came to the rescue of our real flag, which he loves so much.

It is indeed sad that we seek help from the most ruthless Somali enemy we have as a neighbour.

This is a great document you should read.THE ILLUSORY “SOMALILAND”: Setting the Record Straight Here is another article that would shed you light of the genesis of Puntland. Land of Punt: Grassroots factor to security and economic development approach. (Mohammed Elmi Dholey) Designated as the land of primal trading ties with the ancient civilization of Egypt, Land of Punt still keeps its distinctive characterization of trade in the Red Sea. Here in Sanaag and Bari regions of Somalia the Pharaohs used to come and purchase a variety of commodities such as frankincense and myrrh that were sold to them by the local dynasties. Until today, frankincense and myrrh yield more returns for the economic sector of Puntland state. Exports of livestock earnings, remittances, humanitarian aid, and small subsistence farming around Galgala district have also proved to be the principal sources of income. With its vibrant emporium, Bossaso, Puntand, in its de facto state power, has been able to raise taxes (Real Estate, and Private Businesses) and charge levies on imported goods thus swelling its reserve for the treasury. This has afforded it to create public services (limited only to few districts) and maintain instruments for security provision, thereby improving the relationship between the regional state and the people Though all of these developments from the region helped build reputable portrait for Abdillahi Yusuf during his tenure as a president of Puntland and so his quest for the head of Somalia, they also marked a time of much-needed democratization as there were genuine anticipations of upcoming state elections and easy transfer of power after Abdilahi Yusuf became the president of Somalia. These two elements of democratic process are somewhat alien to African Nations, at least most of them. Yet, they accorded Puntland, an illegitimate state, a national symbol similar to Somaliland’s “best kept secret”. However, recently we are witnessing a new direction and uncertain outlook as its cabinet ministers were reshuffled, but then the reshuffling process returned the same ministers to their former portfolios except the Planning Minister Farole whose termination turned out to be a violent battle at Garowe, the capital. Gun fires were exchanged in which two persons were killed and one person wounded. Ever since Gen. Adde came to power in Puntland, the region has been deteriorating in its political and economic developments as well as its cohesiveness. Prior to the establishment of the region as a regional autonomy, the goal was to revive the position of a certain group in the political arena. There were disintegration amongst clans, lack of central authority, and increased vulnerability to hostile attacks on its territories from Hargeisa administration in her attempt to secure artificial borders demarcated by the former colonial administration. Besides, a war of attrition and sporadic factional conflicts in Galkacyo from militias of Southern Mudug and Galgadud added to its growing insecurity. The whole region was in debacle and too weak in form to act a deterrence against fierce rivals from both Hargeisa and Mogadisho. So, the genesis or the basis of its creation emerged out of a strategic concern for security interests, preservation of a common identity from a possible separation, and to enhance both of its political and economic security. Hence, by accommodating all the divergent clans that make up the ***** sub-clan of *****, Puntland was formed as a sub-state mechanism that is entrenched in kinship networks. Creation of Puntland On Jan 1994, the first all-inclusive meeting of ***** clan was arranged in Garowe conference under the “UNISOM-sponsored peace conferences” (also known as the ***** conference). The Al-Hayat newspaper was said to have reported that, “"more than 250 clan leaders, traditional arbitrators of the regions and, ulama (religious leaders)” attended the conference. The risk embedded in this particular convention was that it divided politicians of Sool and Sanaag as “collaborationists” of Garowe conference and “antagonists” led by the two Garads of *********** section of *****. This latter group’s position supported the Borama meeting, which preceded the Garowe meeting , of which they were signatories. However, the “collaborationist” led by Awad Ahmad Ashara won legitimacy of who is to represent the Northern *****, and he was, therefore, recognized as the rightful representative of Sool and Sanaag constituency by UNISOM, under the chairmanship of the old U.S.P. This party of old standing was retrieved from a defunct status so as to “dispense justice and decide the rights of the subject”. The United Nation which has yet to give a green light to the “secessionists” was with this latter group, making an implicit support that no group is to misrepresent, claim, or employ arbitrary power over another group’s “liberty, land, and possession”. Thus, having received both financial and political backing, the deliberative process of the conference had gone uninterrupted with the consent and participation of the traditional elders, Garads, Sultans and Issims. It was not until 1998 that the state building formation of Puntland was officially announced and effectuated. Though, tribal territories overlap, Puntland state incorporates five regions as one. Moreover, a question of social need was raised as to how a bottom-up approach resolution to our strife-ridden society be established. For instance, a bottom-up approach to state building is a vision that underlay the fundamental reason for a “social contract” theory developed by Thomas Hobbes. As an alternative to their customary security arrangement, a society may decide to renounce its indigenous rights and delegate political authority figures to take over the responsibility of their land in exchange of “mutual vows and commitment” to one another. Al-Farabi, an Arab philosopher, explicates. ‘The unsatisfactory nature of this mode of existence eventually drives Man to join with others who find themselves in a similar predicament to seek a means of mutual protection………This voluntary renunciation of rights, taken in the form of mutual vows and commitments, constitutes a compact between the people and the sovereign that establishes the state.’ It seems a primary care was given to meet this fundamental condition of state formation and finally a mutual agreement of power-sharing system based on clan composition and territoriality was reached. However, as years have gone by, Puntland’s fair representation enshrined in its constitution was never taken into consideration by its top leader. Instead, nepotism, cronyism and all forms of corruption replaced its institutional foundation. The current president selectively singled out ministers highly qualified for their respective positions by supplanting their hold with members who belong to his own sub-clan. According to its constitution; this is a violation of the social contract between the state and its stakeholders. The president is obliged to appoint any elected MP to a public office based on a merit and acceptable background. http://www.wardheernews.com/Articles_06/march-06/16_land_of_punt.html

Long article that demands patience and astute attention to the details. Blowing the Horn By Prendergast, John $ Thomas-Jensen, Colin From the March/April 2007 issue of Foreign Affairs. Abstract: This article discusses the United States' political and social involvement in Africa in the 21st century. The Greater Horn of Africa, a region that includes Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda, is one of the greatest conflict zones in the world. In 2007, two clusters of conflicts continue to destabilize it. The first centers on the interlocking rebellions in Sudan, including those in Darfur and southern Sudan, and engulfs northern Uganda, eastern Chad, and northeastern Central African Republic. The second cluster links the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea with the power struggle of Somalia, which involves the fledging secular government, antigovernment clan militias, Islamist militants, and anti-Islamist warlords. Source: NYtimes

I read that book on its first week of sale. I just came across while I was visiting the Barnes and Nobles book store in my area. Great book. Paragon, but why is China's economy is speeding up at a high rate. This happened after the Republic of China loosened its economic system by allowing private companies to invest in there. It has even privitized some of its own MN corporations. But, long-term impact on the environment hasn't been considered.

But Kahin said hopes were boosted by Swedish moves. "The Swedish have taken one step forward. They said we will treat Somaliland as a separate government entity," he said. Katarina Zinn, a counsellor at the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, said Stockholm's guidelines on aid to Somalia recognised Somaliland as a self-governing area for development issues. Do you see how Mr. Riyale twists and distorts the Stockholm's guidelines in favor of his narrow moves to secure diplomatic recognition of "Somaliland", an entity that only controls three north western regions of Somalia? Officials of this region are still repeating the same pattern of their tired lines with enthusiasm and vigor to show us that there is a positive signal of a new political trend. Somaliland officials say the territory has maintained relative peace and stability while Mogadishu has descended into violence and chaos. It repeats these lines as to imbed it within the longer term vision of Somalia that Mogadisho will remain choas and lawless, but on a practical approach to Somalia's post-civil war analysis, Puntland has achieved noticeable progress in its Recovery Process, peace, and development of civil society institutions that is now flourishing in the region. Sweden has recognized the area for development issues. The German Agro Action group, an agency extremely subsidized by its government, once recognized Sanaag region as a self-governing area on development issues. Regions as far as Mudug used to get a distribution of AID from Las Khorey port. Berlin Seitang

The long silence and the refusal even now to announce measures that might arrest this slaughter mark the lowest point in the big powers' abdication of the "Responsibility to Protect" mandate - adopted, with British leadership, at a summit-level meeting of the security council two years ago. The world's most impoverished people are now being ripped to shreds with no effort whatsoever to get the perpetrators to desist. A huge campaign must be launched to press western governments to end this slaughter, which is almost entirely the work of those in control of the country. The European Union warned a month ago that war crimes might have been committed in an assault on the capital last month - in which the EU could be complicit because of its large-scale support for those accused of the crimes. Human Rights Watch has documented how Kenya and Ethiopia had turned this region into Africa's own version of Guantánamo Bay, replete with kidnappings, extraordinary renditions, secret prisons and large numbers of "disappeared": a project that carries the Made in America label. Allowing free rein to such comprehensive lawlessness is a stain on all those who might have, at a minimum, curtailed it. Work must begin to derail the astounding proposal from the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, which is to be discussed by the security council in mid-June. He would like to mount a UN-sanctioned "coalition of the willing" to enforce peace and restore order in Somalia - in other words, the UN would help Ethiopia and the United States achieve what their own illegal military interventions have failed to accomplish: the entrenchment of a client regime that lacks any popular support. Such an operation is unlikely to succeed in any event, but it could further threaten the turbulent Horn of Africa, which is already teetering on the brink of chaos. The Somali government is busy crying "al-Qaida" at every turn and offering lucrative deals to oil companies, in a bid to entice greater western support. But this war was lost long ago. In turning to the arch enemy Ethiopia, the transitional government's fate was sealed: the nation will not abide an Ethiopian-US occupation. Only a political solution will resolve this crisis. Africa must step up to the plate and show spine and leadership in a drive to protect its civilians, and work with Europe and the UN to convince the US to swiftly terminate its latest destabilising adventure. [emphasis added] Specific and right to the point, Mr. Salim visits the plight in Somaila , I would say, with keen reasoning and accuracy.

Inside Africa's Guantánamo The only way the US can prop up its client regime in Somalia is through lawlessness and slaughter Salim Lone Saturday April 28, 2007 The Guardian This is the most lawless war of our generation. All wars of aggression lack legitimacy, but no conflict in recent memory has witnessed such mounting layers of illegality as the current one in Somalia. Violations of the UN charter and of international humanitarian law are regrettably commonplace in our age, and they abound in the carnage that the world is allowing to unfold in Mogadishu, but this war has in addition explicitly violated two UN security council resolutions. To complete the picture, one of these resolutions contravenes the charter itself. Continue reading Lots of Non-Somali people have responded to this article by Salim Lone, most of them concerned world citizens. Salaim used to be a spokesman for the U.N Mission in Iraq. He is now a columnist for the Daily Nation. His article also prompted the underhanded Ethiopian Embassy to respond. http://allafrica.com/stories/200705010596.html Thanks Salim.

Islamic Extremism May Save Western Civilization by Mark Glenn It would shock and probably offend most Americans to learn the truth that the reason they are here, their power, their affluence and position in the world is directly because of the Islamic religion and the Arab culture. That’s right, the very "ragheads" and "Hajis" (as Limbaugh, Liddy, and some of the others often call them) that the US is now fighting are directly responsible for the preeminence and power of not just the United States, but of the entire Western world in general. Besides the fact that Western Civilization began in the area of the Fertile Crescent, also known as Mesopotamia (present day Iraq), it is as well an historical fact beyond dispute that it was the learning and sophistication of the Arab culture that led to many of the scientific developments that would later make Europe the cradle of science, learning, and advancement. After the institutionalization of the Islamic religion throughout the Mediterranean region, the extent of Arab learning and culture was such that European Kings, Christian Kings, would send their sons and daughters to be educated in Moslem places such as Cordova and Toledo. Christian Crusaders coming back from the Middle East told of the richness of Arab culture, leading to Europeans’ desire for Arab goods, which in turn led to trade routes between Europe and the Middle East. The resulting wealth created from that trade with the Arabs led to the ascendancy of power for European city-states such as Venice and Florence, which became the birthplaces of the Renaissance in Europe. Arab advancements in navigation, from the Astrolabe to the compass to the fast sailing ship known as the Caravel made possible the arrival in the New World of the Europeans. Let’s not forget, Spain and Portugal, those two powers who held a virtual monopoly on exploration in the New World for quite a while, were, for 700 years, held by the Arabs. What will gall Americans even more, especially those who call themselves Christian, is the idea that it may be the Arab and Muslim culture that will be not only the birthplace of Western Civilization, but the savior of it as well. As evidenced by the nightly news right now, there is a war going on. Superficially, it is about things like "terrorism" and "freedom." There are some who go a step further and blame oil and banking, not to mention "lebensraum" for Israel. And while all these things do play a part, some greater than others, the real war here is between two world views. During the debates that took place in the UN between the internationalist cabal led by France, Germany, Russia, Belgium, and China on one side and the nationalists led by the United States, Great Britain, (and behind the scenes, Israel,) there was this "tossing around" of phrases in coded language. The nationalist crowd, represented in the debates by Colin Powell, spoke of "Old Europe" in a castigating attempt to portray those opposing the war against Iraq as somehow backwards in their thinking, as opposed to those in the New World, who were enlightened and were here to save all humanity against dangerous men and dangerous ideas. And although we know that the reasons for the internationalist crowd opposing the war against Iraq had little to do with anything other than protecting their own business interests as well as staving off US hegemony in the world in favor of internationalist hegemony, it did illustrate that there is, at least on the part of the "coalition of the willing" a desire to do away with that ethos held by the Old World (meaning the Middle-East) that serves as an obstacle in building that New World Order that Bush the Elder discussed more than a decade ago, even if it means seeing the US leading it rather than the UN. To the "New World," and by default the New World Order, the Arab/Muslim world is backwards in its values. It prohibits abortion and birth control. They have large families, as opposed to the West, where the average family has only 2 children. It prohibits usury banking, to which the West credits its own economic superiority. Theirs is a "closed" society (read into this no sodomy, pornography, gay lifestyle, et al) Theirs is a "cruel" society (read into this-they do not have people on death row for 20 years) And finally, they will not play the game the way the market wants it played, meaning, they want a just price for their only real source of wealth, their oil, instead of giving it away to the West for a fraction of its worth. In other words, the picture that has just been painted here is, the Muslim world is now what the Christian world once was and should be. One can already hear the roar coming out of the mouths of many who have not been thinking of this in a critical way, particularly those well-paid mouthpieces on TV and radio masquerading themselves as Christians. "The religion of Mohammed is better than the religion of Jesus Christ?!" No, rather, what is meant here is that the religion of Islam resembles Christianity more than does the Christianity of the West today, because the Christianity of the West today isn’t Christianity at all, but a watered-down amalgamation of New Ageism mixed with certain common spiritual attributes that, although called Christian, can be found in almost every known religion. Through decades of destructive influence and propaganda through media and academia, mainstream Christianity in the West has been reduced to one remaining commandment, vague and hard to pin-point which is "be nice." The fact of the matter is, putting aside all the other reasons surrounding this war that were enumerated at the beginning of this essay, what exists in the Middle East, or in The Old World, as some would call it, is a culture that is still devoted to principles concerning basic moral values, values that have not yet surrendered to the corrupting influence of Western media or Western money. Within the last 50 years, every culture has fallen before this corrupting power that seeks to enslave all men in such a way that the individual is reduced to the value of what he produces and what he consumes, and in pursuit of that method, the individuals behind this program have quietly but decisively removed every obstacle in their way, be it religion, culture, morals, tradition, or world view, through the methods of media, academia, and finance; that is, except the culture encapsulated in the Islamic/Arabic World. By the description "Arabic/Islamic," it should not be understood as solely a "Muslim" thing. The culture existing in the Arab world is held by both Christian and Muslim alike. There are millions of Christians, who have in essence the same culture with their Muslim counterparts in much the same way as most Americans, regardless of religion, have the same culture. It is those Christians and Muslims alike who reject these "modern" notions such as abortion, birth control, sodomy, pornography, usury banking, and "market value" of services and resources. They still view the family, the traditional family, with all its traditional roles, as the most important building block of their society, and they take very seriously anything that threatens it. They recognize the value of their children, and how dangerous the moral relativism of the West has become, threatening the stability of society directly. They recognize that if their children and society as a whole are subjected to ideas that promote moral decay for an extended period of time, what will eventually and unavoidably be produced is national decay. One should consider the fact that the New World Order has used and is using all its resources and influence to emasculate and neutralize all opposition to its agenda in the world. The Catholic Church, once a political power to be feared by presidents and prime ministers the world over, has been rendered obsolete. Through mouthpieces such as John Paul II, the New World Order has been openly embraced, and if at times the church gets a little rambunctious and steps out of line, well, the NWO crowd merely runs new stories revealing allegations of pedophilia and abuse. The mainstream Protestant groups, led by influential people on the television and radio, may talk of the dangers of the NWO and the secularization of the West, yet still openly embrace Bush when he pushes through various pieces of legislation that rob us of our freedoms under the guise of protection from terrorism, as well as the practice of conveniently "forgetting" about Bush’s caving in to the pro-abortion lobby in various instances. So, with the exception of a few pockets of token resistance, there is no one left standing in the way of the NWO except the Arab/Muslim World. If by some miracle the Arab/Muslim world is victorious against this onslaught, and the secular/atheistic influence of the NWO agenda is reduced to such a level as to allow the Christian West to regain its foothold where it once stood, it will be necessary to credit the religion of Islam and the Arab world for not buckling under in the face of extermination. And it will be we, the Christian West and Western Civilization, who will be the beneficiaries of "Islamic Extremism." Mark Glenn is an American and former high school teacher turned writer / commentator. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN). Source: Media Monitors network

Independent Islamic Entity: A Threat or a Blessing April 23, 2007 by Abid Ullah Jan One of the myths consolidated by Islamophobes is that an independent Islamic entity will follow 'the salafist extreme faction that would impose the strictest interpretation of Islamic law similar to the Taliban in Afghanistan.' They present the image of a 12 year old boy cutting the head off of a bound man while he chants God is Great. “The State of Islam is not intended for political administration only nor for the fulfilment through it of the collective will of any particular set of people; rather, Islam places a high ideal before the state for the achievement of which it must use all the means at its disposal. And this purpose is that the qualities of purity, beauty, goodness, virtue, success and prosperity which God wants to flourish in the life of His people should be engendered and developed and that all kinds of exploitation, injustice and disorder which, in the sight of God, are ruinous for the world and detrimental to the life of His creatures, are suppressed and prevented.”[245] BESIDES THE nauseous compliance of the media and academia, capitalism’s puppets on the highest levels of a political offensive are, under the guise of a threat from Islam, actively engaged in promoting a new colonialism. This, in effect, denies Muslims the right to self-determination and true independence. In an historic speech on October 6, 2005, Bush expressed this in words of fear when he discussed the objectives of the war in these words: “Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism. Whatever it is called, this ideology is very different from the religion of Islam. This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent, political vision: the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom. These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Jews—and also against Muslims from other traditions, whom they regard as heretics.” British Home Secretary Charles Clarke repeated the same fear of Khilafah on October 5, 2005: “What drive these people on are ideas. And unlike the liberation movements of the post World War II era in many parts of the world, these are not in pursuit of political ideas like national independence from colonial rule, or equality for all citizens without regard for race or creed, or freedom of expression without totalitarian repression. Such ambitions are, at least in principle, negotiable and in many cases have actually been negotiated. However there can be no negotiation about the re-creation of the Caliphate; there can be no negotiation about the imposition of Shari’ah law; there can be no negotiation about the suppression of equality between the sexes; there can be no negotiation about the ending of free speech. These values are fundamental to our civilizations and are simply not up for negotiation.”[246] On September 30, 2005, Rumsfeld said: “Those voters are demonstrating again today that there exists no conflict between Western values and Muslim values. What exists is a conflict within the Muslim faith—between majorities in every country who desire freedom, and a lethal minority intent on denying freedom to others and re-establishing a caliphate.” Rumsfeld has been constantly repeating this idea for quite some time by using the word ‘caliphate.’ In an interview with Der Spiegel, he repeated the same theme on October 31, 2005,[247] and specifically mentioned it in his briefing before the Department of Defense on November 1, 2005.[248 ]On November 20, he said on CNN’s Late Edition, “Think of that country being turned over to the Zarqawis, the people who behead people, the people who kill innocent men, women and children, the people who are determined to reestablish a caliphate around the world.”[249] Therefore, the only justification left for the United States’ invasions and occupation of Muslim countries is to save humanity from the curse of Khilafah. Is the United States only now awakening to the ‘curse’ of Khilafah after invading and occupying Afghanistan and Iraq under other hollow pretexts? No, it has only now become obvious that waging a war on Khilafah was always the primary motives of the power-brokers in the West, particularly the United States. This led to the demonization of the Taliban and engaging in pre-9/11 planning for the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan because the Taliban’s presence and policies were considered a threat to the world order envisioned by totalitarians interested only in safeguarding their economic interests. To counter the exaggerated threat about the emergence of an Islamic entity we need to understand the objectives of an Islamic state to illustrate two points: first, that a true Islamic entity is not going to be a threat to world peace and secondly that Muslims already have a blue-print for comprehensive governance. It is the people who have subjugated themselves to the dying capitalist system who have to think of an alternative. The existing capitalist order is the direct result of the colonial powers’ joining hands for systematically controlling their people at home and a continued exploitation of the former colonies abroad. The façade of democracy has already unraveled. It is just a matter of time before the exploitative system and order that worked behind this façade collapses. The non-Muslim world must brace itself for that collapse. Part of this preparation is to understand an Islamic alternative which will save Muslims from total chaos and confusion. There are some basic differences between the objectives of a state along the lines of Western thought and the purpose of social, political and economic organization (Khilafah) in Islam. Once the basic concepts are clear it is not difficult to understand the requirements and outcomes of the two different governing mechanisms and their respective threat levels to global peace and security. It is clear to almost everyone without any doubt that Islam has a value-system applicable to government and politics. This raises opposition from the West due to its own historical experience of the Reformation and Renaissance when State and Church were painfully separated. However, human experience with different forms of governance shows that there are a number of valid reasons which compel the world today to consider Islam as the most appropriate source of guidance for liberating humanity from a bloodsoaked capitalist system and for refining social, political and economic systems for an exploitation-free regulation of human life. Islam’s Unitarian principle is not limited to the oneness of the Creator alone. According to Islam’s philosophy, the existence of life in a classless, oppression and discrimination-free society is the same program of worship in various fields—economics, politics, etc—covering aspects, private and public. Therefore, Unitarianism is the fundamental principle that explains almost every aspect of doctrinal and practical Islam, leaving no room for oppression, empire building and endless exploitation for infinite growth. Human nature, however, tends to cross moral limits. According to the Qur’an, there is always a tendency for human beings to bifurcate and restrain religion in the sense that they pick whatever supports their whim and caprice and reject what is considered as a barrier in fulfilling their animal instincts and material greed. The Western form of government is the product of an attitude of human mind whereby people become oblivious to the spiritual dimension of existence and concentrate on the material world for ever more material gains. On the other hand, the philosophy of life in Islam does not allow the various pursuits of life to become autonomous, totally independent, and to become separate from the ultimate Divine end. This nips the evil bud of the poor becoming poorer and the rich becoming ever richer. Relations between Islam and the West have been shaped by two concepts of the State, each with different constitutional assumptions, irreconcilably opposed to each other for the above-mentioned reasons. Besides its roots in mercantilism as described in earlier chapters, the battle cry for the Western position is “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.”[250] Islam responds with the slogan: Din way Dewlap (Islam is religion and State). Even if this formula is not found in the Qur’an in those exact words, the entire Qur’anic revelation is integrative in that it sees Muslims as moral beings who should think and act in a theocentric manner at all times, i.e. in their capacity as members of a society as well as State citizens. Islam takes hold of man in his entirety. Indeed, it is a much-researched question whether there exists at all a definitive Islamic theory of State.[251] German orientalists, such as Gustav von Grunebaum[252] and Tilman Nagel,[253] tend to confirm this. In fact, the Qur’an does not refer to a State in the contemporary sense at all. Rather it assumes a moral community, the Islamic Ummah, which guarantees the right physical and spiritual environment for the successful implementation of its principles and norms, leading towards a just social, political and economic order--free from exploitation and discrimination of all sorts. The reason that the focus of the Qur’an is more on individual and family life--the basic unit of a society--than governance is simply because Allah does not want human beings to pursue mere economic life, just seeking profit, material well-being and to ignore the Divine purpose of their creation.[254] Under the well-developed Western set up of governance, power becomes the end in itself and people are dedicated to political power rather than its use in the service of a greater objective. Contrary to Islam’s basic philosophy of life sectors of Western society are distanced, even alienated, from each other. Along with its Western champions many Muslims have embraced secularism as a basic component of governance. Many have joined ranks to impose it on Muslim societies by force. Muslims are reminded of the Western experience whereby there was a bifurcation and then a confrontation between Church and State, each vying for supremacy and for ultimate legitimacy. Ultimately, religion was kicked out of the ring and relegated to private life. Economics was emancipated, sciences and politics followed. However, behind all this remained the real forces which consolidated monopoly capitalism in the absence of any alternative standards and norms. Islam does not separate the secular from the spiritual. In this comprehensive way of life everyone is accountable for his words and deeds both in the secular and spiritual spheres of life. To this effect, it provides man with theoretical and practical guidance covering all aspects of life in which the political aspect is but one. The world, in its view, is a place for the preparation of the soul for the Hereafter and that this preparation fulfills the purpose of man’s creation. One cannot therefore consider parts of worldly life as having no meaning with regard to that final purpose. Based on the above-mentioned principle, the Qur’an explicitly says that the government has an important role in governing according to what Allah has revealed and law making subject to the Shari’ah. There is not much to do except develop flexible systems according to revealed values and principles. The Qur’an considers all those who do not govern with the revealed standards for ensuring social and economic justice as oppressors and transgressors .255 Such rulers become authoritarian and autocratic despite their extravagant claims of being democratic with a concern for human rights. The majority of Islamic injunctions apply to the Islamic Ummah[256] rather than the individual. The importance of society and laws governing social interaction in Islam therefore becomes obvious. The governance of such a society requires Islam to provide guidelines for the establishment of a just government. The broad lines of the civil, military, criminal, political and social legislation of Islam, evident in hundreds of the Qur’anic verses and in numerous authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), are there for implementation. The rules of Islam require the existence of an organized nucleus, the State, with the authority to manage the myriad of relationships that characterize a society and the resources for producing a favorable environment for the Ummah to live their lives to fulfill the overall objective of human creation. These values and principles and the spiritual aspect of governance were effectively implemented in the lifetimes of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the times of the orthodox Caliphs, as well as some Muslim rulers who came after them. Establishing the Deen--Islam as a way of life--in every single aspect of life is an obligation proven through authentic and conclusive evidences. Achieving this objective is only possible if a governing mechanism based on the revealed principles and values is in place. Therefore, in this context, the principle of fiqh states: “Verily any action which is necessary to accomplish a duty becomes in itself a duty.”[257] Islam does not limit belief (Aqeedah) to a set of philosophical ideas or consider the five pillars of the utmost priority at the expense of the rest of the principles and values enunciated by the Qur’an and Sunnah. Aqeedah is, in fact, the basis, the engine that runs the Islamic social, political and economic entity. Therefore, all injunctions of the Qur’an along with the Sunnah need simultaneous implementation without any discrimination. Thus, the role of the State revolves around the implementation of the Qur’an in all aspect of individual and collective life. Al-Mawardi maintains that the establishment of the Khilafah is a religious obligation for Muslims, because its main object is the defense of the Faith and the preservation of order in the world through the implementation of Revealed Law. In support of his argument, he quotes the Qur’an in which Prophet David was appointed Khalifah on Earth by Allah (Al Qur’an 38:27). He is of the view that a secular State is based on the principles derived through human reasoning and therefore it promotes only the material advancement of its citizens. However, since the Khilafah is based on Revealed Law, it promotes the material as well as the spiritual advancement of the people.[258] As for the responsibility of establishing the Deen, an “Islamic State seeks to mould every aspect of life and activity in consonance with its moral norms and program of social reform. In such a State no one can regard any field of his affairs as personal and private.”[259] However, this concept does not make the Islamic entity an authoritarian or fascist regime because, “despite its all-inclusiveness, it is something vastly and basically different from the modern totalitarian and authoritarian states.”[260] Maudoodi further elaborates: “Individual liberty is not suppressed under it nor is there any trace of dictatorship in it. It presents the middle course and embodies the best that the human society has ever evolved.”261 Unfortunately, many Muslim and non-Muslim scholars are bent on proving that the establishment of an Islamic government would unleash the worst kind of nightmare on humanity. Are their motives those of deception or do they honestly have a different understanding of the concept of Muslims governing their lives according to Islam? If it is the second then there is great misconception that needs to be dealt with and disposed of. Contrary to the prevailing misconception that the ruler and the government are unaccountable in an Islamic entity, what we have in recorded history is the fact that an Islamic government is limited not only in function but in power too. There can never be an absolute government because the Shari’ah is always there above. There can never be monopoly or pressure groups and corporate interests pushing their agenda from behind the scenes through bribes of different sorts. The misconception of unaccountability under an Islamic system is widely held in the West today. There, accountability is known as the separation of powers referring to the fact that the founders of the U.S. constitution scattered each type of national power (legislative, judicial, and executive) among the various branches of government. For example, the President has the legislative power of the veto (Article I, Section 7), the Senate has the executive power of confirming certain appointments made by the President (Article II, Section 2), and the Congress and President are checked by judicial review (Article III, Section 2).[262] The separation of powers under a democratic set up accomplishes several things. First, we see that it is a continuation of checks. Some of the checks are upon the other branches as well. One reason for this is that the founders, as elites within the private economy, sought mainly to protect their individual freedom as property owners from state intrusion. Therefore, they checked the legislative branch as well as the other branches through the separation of powers to ensure protection from a ‘misguided’ executive (which might well be an executive responding to the demands of the people). The point is that as the national government was purposely made inefficient, it would leave private power or the power of business or corporate elites untouched. As Charles Beard points out, “None of the powers conferred by the Constitution on Congress permits a direct attack on property.” Thus Madison argued in Federalist No. 51, “The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other—that the private interest of every individual may be a sentinel over the public rights.”[263] According to Jerry Fresia: “The check upon the executive branch by the legislative branch is not like the check by the other branches upon the legislative. It is not distrust or an indictment of the virtue and wisdom of a class of poor people. It is a simple distrust of the government or public power and a belief that private or what we today would call corporate power or business is virtuous. Clearly, fear of the ability of common people to work their way through the legislature was far greater than the potential tyranny of the President.”[264] In contrast, it is the right of the common people to censure the head of the State and all the officials and governors under an Islamic form of governance. It is an important function of the shura to ensure that the ruler conforms to the Book of Allah. The nation must remain conscious that it has to obey Allah, not the whims and fancies of the men in top positions. The essential dictum being that there is “no loyalty unto the created which involves disloyalty unto the Creator” (Bukhari). This is personified in the behavior of the Caliphs (Khulufa)’. Abu Bakr in his first speech as the Caliph (Khalifah) said: “If I behave well support me, if I falter straighten me.” Umar ibn al Khattab, in his capacity as Khilafah, said, “Those of you who see in me crookedness must straighten it.” One amongst the audience replied, “By God, if we see in you crookedness, we will straighten it with our swords.” Umar said, “Thank God, He has created someone in the community of Muhammad who can straighten Omar with his sword.” Caliph Umar later appointed the same man to the court for addressing the cases of injustice, called “mahkamat ul-madhalim,” as a qadi (judge). It clearly indicates the existence of a certain reciprocity in the relation between rulers and ruled. Abu Bakr’s successor, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was always concerned about overstepping his authority. Salman said that Umar asked him, “Am I a king or a khalifah?” Salman answered, “If you have taxed the lands of the Muslims one dirham, or more or less, and applied it to unlawful purposes, then you are a king, not a khalifah.” And Umar wept.[265] It shows there is no room for empire building, kingdoms or autocracies in Islam. There is no basis for taxing the masses and to use that money for expanding the empire, engaging in illegitimate wars and killing thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians. It is natural to think that Allah’s sovereignty and obedience to the Prophet leaves no room for freedom and human legislation in an Islamic entity. In fact, Islam “does not totally exclude human legislation. It only limits its scope and guides it on right lines.”[266] In an Islamic model of governance, a priestly class exercising unchecked domination and enforcing laws of its own making in the name of God is satanic rather than Divine. The government built up by Islam “is not ruled by any particular religious class but by the whole community of Muslims including the rank and file. The entire Muslim population runs the State in accordance with the Book of Allah and the practice of His Prophet.”[267] Muslim governments were de-Islamized, when Muslims were deprived of the Shari’ah under colonial rule. For the first time, Muslims were exposed to absolutism for the first time because prior to that the Shari’ah provided an absolute limitation on government. That is why in Islamic history, despite deviations from the basic principles and transformation into monarchies, because governments were limited one does not find so many oppressive governments and human rights abuses as we witness today under the label of democracy. Moreover, the judiciary remained very powerful. It could evoke the Shari’ah directly and check government. The Shari’ah protected people, and governments were limited. However, under colonialism the Shari’ah was restricted and Muslims were left with materialist laws that removed the limitations set on government. Post-independence governments became very absolute. Even the so-called democracies have actually become democracies of the elite. Just like the democracy of the French Revolution, it is a democracy of one class of people who decide issues amongst themselves and, although there are formal elections, the people are actually not represented in any sense. They are completely left out. In short, the purpose of government in Islam is the facilitation of worship which in Islam encompasses all deeds that are defined as good, thus affecting man’s salvation and producing a morally upright God-fearing society. Only such a society clearly and effectively engenders a just government in a symbiotic relationship. The philosophy of Islam does not view government or its themes as ends in themselves. Although Islamic entity is opposed to popular sovereignty, it has within it many of the themes of real democracy. However, there is a far greater emphasis on human duties than human rights, public and communal welfare over individualism and morality is far more integrated into law than in the prevailing secular states. The basis of just government in Islam is its ethics. Islam persistently demands its followers to observe the principles of morality at all costs in all walks of life and the administration at the top is not exempt. Hence, it lays down an unalterable policy for the State to base its politics on justice, truth, and honesty. It is not prepared, under any circumstances whatsoever, to tolerate fraud, falsehood and injustice for the sake of any political, administrative or national expediency as we witness in the words and deeds of the mock-democracies in the world today. Whether it is relations between the rulers and the ruled within the Islamic entity, or the relations of the entity with other states, truth, honesty and justice always take precedence over material considerations. Islamic philosophy further imposes similar obligations on the government (state) and the individual. They have to respect all contracts and obligations irrespective of the strength or weakness of the other party. Irrespective of any justification to the contrary, Islam does not allow its adherents to bow down unconditionally to “with us or against us” threats from the powerful. Islam does not allow aggression against other people or states on the basis of lies and deceptions. It does not allow torture and detentions without any recourse to justice and fairness. States as well as individuals are obliged to have uniform standards for dealings, such as remembering duties along with rights; using power and authority for the establishment of justice (not for the perpetration of injustice as we witness in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq, etc.); and using power with the belief that one has to render an account of one’s actions to God in the Hereafter. According to Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Monarchy preserves liberty far better than does democracy. Other classical liberals, such as Murray Rothbard, have gone to the extent of looking at the State with suspicion and wish to do away with it altogether based on convincing arguments for private-property anarchism. In Hoppe’s view, democracy has led to the increase in State power that: “I will explain the rapid growth of state power in the twentieth century lamented by Mises and Rothbard as the systematic outcome of democracy and the democratic mindset, i.e. the (erroneous) belief in the efficiency and/or justice of public property and popular (majority) rule.” Though Mises and Rothbard “were aware of the economic and ethical deficiencies of democracy,” they “had a soft spot for democracy and tended to view the transition from monarchy to democracy as progress.”[268] Proponents of democracy may argue that a king rules to benefit himself and that he is accountable to no one. By contrast, people can replace a democratic government if they are not satisfied with it. They may ask: does the knowledge that people can turn it out at the next election not act to restrain the government in power? Probably the greatest commonly held misconception of the last two centuries is that the fear of getting thrown out in the next election restrains the government in power. The way presidents have acted in the second term in the United States in particular is enough to dispel this myth. Public opinion is worth only for making a decision about who has to rule. Once that decision is made, the people’s will loses its worth. They are hardly consulted or their opinion is hardly respected when it is time for lying and the launching of further wars of aggression. Furthermore, a short collective memory and the corporate media’s daily obscuring of the truth and facts are other factors that leave people totally bewildered and unable to make the right decision. Undoubtedly, a king or a life long Khalifah regards the government as his personal possession, but this is exactly what David Gordon believes will induce him to act with good judgment.269 Rather than squandering his nation’s resources a king would manage them prudently and all the more so if he expects to pass on the realm to his heirs. “Assuming no more than self-interest, the ruler tries to maximize his total wealth, i.e. the present value of his estate and his current income. He would not want to increase current income at the expense of a more than proportional drop in the present value of his assets.”[270] The pro-sham-democracy elite might argue that this argument proves too little. The ruler may well conserve his own estate; but what about the rest of the country? What stops him from plundering the property of his subjects? To this, Hoppe has an ingenious response. A prosperous and secure society will raise the value of the king’s estate; hence, the ruler will have a strong incentive to limit his depredations on the public. “[T]o preserve or even enhance the value of his personal property, he [the king] would systematically restrain himself in his taxing policies, for the lower the degree of taxation, the more productive the subject population will be, and the more productive the population, the higher the value of the ruler’s parasitic monopoly of expropriation will be.”[271] This logic makes more sense when looked at from the perspective of Islamic values, basic principles and responsibilities of the ruler and the ruled. Islam eliminates the likelihood of the rulers’ tendency to transfer as much as possible to his private estate. There is no possibility of direct seizure by the Islamic head of State. Imagine the extent of limited government in an Islamic model when Hoppe has shown a powerful incentive that limits the growth of government in a monarchy. Even Jean Bodin, the great French theorist of absolutism, maintained that the king should, if possible, support himself entirely from his own estates. History shows that earlier Khulufa refused or took less than their actual requirement of basic necessities from the bait-ul-mal (an Islamic treasury intended for the benefit of the Muslims and the Islamic state and not for the leaders or the wealthy). By contrast, in the sham democracies around us today the government grabs as much as it can without regard to the future. Precisely because the holders of power do not own the government they lack the incentive to look to the long run. “A democratic ruler can use the government apparatus to his personal advantage, but he does not own it . . . [h]e owns the current use of government resources, but not their capital value. In distinct contrast to a king, a president will want to maximize not total government wealth (capital values and current income), but current income (regardless and at the expense of capital values).”[272] Gordon further explains the argument in response to this observation. Of course, people will remove a democratic government if it does not perform well. Fear of removal, undoubtedly is a check on the government’s predation. However, a sham-democratic government can render the supposed check inoperative. The rulers buy votes by promising to the poor extravagant welfare benefits. The rich pay the price for these but their dissatisfaction cannot overturn the government. They number but a few compared with the poor whom the government enlists in its support. Thus, predation proceeds unhindered to the government’s own advantage. It is interesting to note that Hoppe admits in the beginning of his book that the choice between monarchy and democracy “concerns a choice between two defective social orders.”[273] In an interview, Professor Hoppe concluded: “More importantly, however, theory contradicts this interpretation; whereas both monarchies and democracies are deficient as states, democracy is worse than monarchy.”[274] Similarly, Gordon also asks, “What about systems that combine monarchical and democratic features?”[275] Here again Islam comes to the rescue. The only condition is to understand the core of its philosophy and the real objectives behind its values and principles. It is very unfortunate that too many forces are out there determined to limit Islam and the Qur’an to mere “sources of morality and ethics.” They believe that the “laws of the state should be based on rational deliberation and reformed and corrected in light of growing knowledge about the social and natural worlds”276 and that Islam should not play any role in politics. On the subjects of philosophy of the Islamic governance and politics Professor Yusuf al Qaradawi writes: “According to Al-Mawardi from his book Al-Ahkam Al-Sultaniyyah, it is hirasatud din wa siasatud dunya--to uphold the religion and administer the world. Politics is not munkar--is not a depravity--real politics is noble virtuous because it administers the affairs of all creatures, bringing man closer to good and away from fasad--evil. According to Ibn al-Qayyim, politics is really the justice of Allah the Almighty and His Prophet (peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him). It became common to label and describe committed Muslims as ‘political’ so that they are regarded warily and wickedly for the purpose of disassociating and furthering apart the people from them, intending that society will shun and hate what is called ‘political Islam’. It is a blatant lie for those who say that there is no religion in politics and that there is no politics in religion.”[277] Islam provides an integrated homogenous whole. Once one understands its basic concepts, objectives and framework, one cannot but conclude that it is capable of creating a humane and just society, a peace and a blessing for humankind. Difficulties only arise when critics try to measure the ocean of Divine knowledge, wisdom and justice with their own thimble of pedestrian criteria and standards. Note: The above is an exerpt from "The Ultimate Tragedy: Colonialists rushing to global war to save the crumbling empire."

Originally posted by Mansa Munsa: Mudane Hunguri , the way I conceived the piece of Mr. Geeldoon is very profound and is calling whether Mr. Silanyo got the guts to avert this looming war or not, if he doesn't God forbid, mark my word, peace will be a highly yearned thing after so much destruction of material wealth and human life accrued on both parties. "Inta nabadu joogtaa ninba laba nin le'eg yahay" Time will tell if he has the guts or not?

Castro, I don't know if you paid attention to the long debate between Prof. Samatar and Silanyo on VOA. The Prof. posed a challenging request to the leaders in Hargeisa who relenlessly advance the case for secession. He said in reference to Hargaysa "your reconstruction and peace efforts of the region will be valuable once you work with the rest of the country and help them overcome the obstacles....Why have they never spoken out against the Ethiopian aggression or why have they never condemned the imperialist actions of the Ethiopians?" I highly beleive that the so called leaders in Hargeisa are as liable to the crimes in Mogadish as those pictures you have in your signature. You have to be genuine and manifest actions that is contrary to the "double standard" that Me and others accuse you of. Besides, secession is as destructive as the occupation in Mogadisho is to our unity and dignity. What is your personal stand on this ?

Great work by the ONLF. Their dream will come true sooner or later.

Dear Mansa, to the Somalis, they view every thing at its generic value without looking into the context and the implication of any geogriphical term. According to the above illustration, it is how "eastern Sanag" fits the term, not like settlements close to the border just like how the seperatists want to present their divisive case to the world. It is like the people of Buhodle is to Togdheer that the people of Bur'o is to Sanaag. They settle exclusively one district out of the 5 major districts of Sanaag.

Nabadshe, According to the adminstrative arrangement of the United Nation, here is what it writes. "Background and context of eastern Sanaag The land of the eastern Sanaag community of Somalia extends between the cities of Bossasso - the capital of the Bari region and Erigavo, the capital of the Sanaag region - in an east-west direction. Under the last government, the administrative jurisdiction over this area was divided between the districts of Laskoreh, Badhan and DHahar and the districts of Erigavo and Bossasso. Despite this administrative division, the people of Badhan, Laskoreh and DHahar and some of those to the east of Erigavo and the West of Bossasso belong to the same sub-lineage entity. (********) This lineage-conscious sense of belonging has become ever so important in all parts of Somalia since the beginning of the political strife in Somalia and the ensuing dissolution of civil society, marked by the collapse of government in January 1991. The reason can be explained." Gaildon is aware of this, and his letters's crucial message transcends Mr.Silanyo. That land mass is over 70% of Sanaag. I, however, believe that the people of "eastern Sanaag" reaches as far as Ceelafwayn and the application of this term is not legitimate and factual in general, except in particular situations of genuine dialogue, according to the above illustration. Renegade, Riyale has morphed into a clan dictator. His election has no legitimacy and is therefore not in par with the election results of legitimate states. What you have in Hargeisa is a clan state led by elites of the former regime. Jacaylbaro, I see you are wallowing in delusional state. If you think your clan can close the border, we will see, but my advice to you is to be consistent and rational of your clannish interests. Otherwise, you have no argument that would convince your audience.

Feature Article from the perspective of the seperatists: Wasiirkii hore ee Gaashaandhigga oo shir jaraa'id kaga jawaabey eedihii Rayaale u jeediyey Abdirazak M. Dubbad Somaliland.org Hargeysa April 21, 2007 Hargeysa – Wasiirkii Gaashaandhigga Somaliland ee xilka laga qaaday Mudane Aadan Mire Waqaf ayaa markii u horreysey faahfaahin iyo sharraxaad ka bixiyey hawlgalkii ciidanka Qaranka ee degmada Dhahar. Kaas oo sababay in xilka laga qaado, isla markaana jawaab ka bixiyey eedaymihii Madaxweyne Riyaale dusha ka saaray Mudane Waqaf. Wasiirkii hore ee Difaaca Mudane Aadan Mire Waqaf, waxa uu Madaxweyne Riyaale si kedis ah xilka uga qaaday Axaddii Toddobaadkii hore, maalin kadib markii ciidanka Somaliland iyo kuwa maamul goboleedka Puntland dagaal kululi ku dhexmaray degmada Dhahar oo saaran xuduudka dhinaca Bari ee Somaliland, isaga oo ku eedeeyey Wasiirka inuu bixiyey Awaamiir jaahwareer abuuray iyo in uu ciidanka Somaliland ka soo saaray deegaanka Dhahar ka dib dagaalka. Mudane Waqaf oo Saaka shir jaraa'id ku qabtay Hotel Hadhwanaag ee Magaalada Hargeysa, waxa uu waxa ku tilmaamay wax qaadan waa ah iyo bahdil lagu karaama ridayey warsaxaafadeedyo ka soo baxay Madaxtooyada oo ku saabsanaa xil ka qaadistiisa, kuwaas oo xambaarsanaa eedaymo uu ku tilmaamay kuwo waxba kama jiraan ah. Waxana uu shirkaa jaraa'id ka akhriyey mudane Waqaf hadal qoraal ah oo u dhigan sidan: "Waxaan aad iyo aad ula yaabay oo fajiciso igu noqotay laba warsaxaafadeed oo Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadd Somaliland soo saaray oo sheegaya xilka qaadis iyo eri oo ku sababaysan sidan: Amarro khaldan oo dhabar jebin iyo jaho wareer ku ah Qaranimada Somaliland. Isgaadhsiin la xidhay oo xidhiidhkii lumay Ciidan la dhaqaajiyay amar la'aan Waxaan umadda Somaliland u soo bandhigayaa xaqiiqada dhabta ah maadama karaamadaydii, sharaftaydii iyo muwaadinimadaydii meel lagaga dhacay, aniga oo hawl qaran ku maqan oo weliba jooga goob dagaal, masuuliyad culusna qaranka u hayay ayaa iyada oo aan xaaladda dhabta ah ee jirta la ogaan lana sugin warbixinteeda xaaladda abuurantay, in si sahlan oo karaama beel ah loo yidhaahdo waxa ku qoran labadaa warsaxaafadeed ee ka fog xaqiiqada dhabta ah ee ka abuurantay goobtaas oo si loogu buunbuuniyay warbaahinta. Ma jecli in aan waxaan jirin sheego kana waramo sir ciidan oo aan u gudbiyo warbaahinta, balse qaabka bah dilka ah ee loogu talo galay in lagu dhaawaco sharaftayda oo laga leexiyo meeshii lahayd wixii halkaa ka dhacay oo aan indhaha laga qarsan karin, ahaydna in la sugo warbixinteedii. Haddaba iswaydiintu waxay tahay maxaa dhacay? Sideese wax u dhaceen? Ujeedaduse maxay ahayd? Waxaan rabaa in aan ummadda u iftiimiyo qaabka loo dhigay oo ah ciidanka halkaa tegey oo aan la socday in uu yahay kii sugayay xuduudaha Jamhuuriyaddda Somaliland in aanu ahayn, balse uu xilkiisu ahaa hawlgal xadidan oo ku jahaysnaa hawl kooban. Marka aynu ka hadlayno difaaca xuduudaha iyo sugitaankoda waxa ay ila tahay in ay ka balaadhan tahay sidan loo dhigay oo ay leedahay istaraajiyad qeexan oo leh qorshaheeda, sugideeda iyo meel marinteeda oo aan ahayn wax afka laga yidhaahdo ee u baahan waxyaalo farabadan si loo gaadho yoolkaas oo isla markaas ay jirto siyaasad cad oo ku wajahan fidinta maamulka gobolada bariga Sanaag iyo Sool. Haddii aan dib ugu noqdo iswaydiintii wixii dhacay, waxa noo yimid Dhahar wefti ballaadhan oo wasiirro ah oo ay la socdaan haya'do oo markay magaalada Dhahar soo galeen lagu dejiyay hudheel, haddana muddo ka bacdi qaar ka mid ah wefdigii loo soo raray guri uu leeyahay Wasiirka Ciyaaraha. Iyada oo sidaa lagu suganyahay, ayaa goor ay tahay Saddexdii iyo dheeraad ee galabnimo ayaa waxa nagu bilaabmay dagaal ah saddex jiho oo nalaga soo weeraray. Ciidankeena oo si fiican u diyaar garoobay ayaa weerakaas difaacay, jebiyayna sadexdii goobood ee cadowgu naga soo weeraray, khasaara ballaadhana u gaystay cadowga. Dagaalkaasi waxa u soconayay muddo 3:30 badh saacadood ah oo aan kala go lahayn. Intii dagaalku socday waxa noo suurta gashay in wasiirradii iyo martidii kale ee la socotay aanu meel isugu keeno magaalada ka mida makhribka hortiina u daadgurayno wasiiradaas iyo wixii la socdayba gaadiid iyo dadba bartii taliska ciidanka dagaalka ku jira. Intaa ka bacdi, markii aanu si hor dhac ah u qiimaynay xaalada abuurantay, khasaaraha na soo gaadhay oo ah 1 dhimasho iyo 3 dhaawac ah oo mid halis yahay. Ciidankii deegaanka ee difaaca xagga hore kaga jiray kana tirsanaa ciidanka Qaranka ayaa intay tuutihii iska bixiyeen qaarkood la soo safteen cadowgii intii kalena ku dhex milmeen magaaladii oo isu bedeshay goob dagaal oo khatarteeda lahayd. Waxaan goor habeennimo ah wasiirradii ku sugnaa barta taliska kulan kula yeeshay aniga oo u sheegay xaaladda abuurantay oo ay dheerayd isgaadhsiintii oo dhan ee xiligaas oo la jaray tii raadiyaha caadiga ahaydna uu ismaqalkeedii xumaaday roob awgeed. Isla markaas, dood ka bacdi, waxaanu isla qaadanay wasiirradii aag bedelasho anaga oo sababaynay waxa kelifay oo ah sidan hoos u qoran: Cimilada xilligaas halkaas oo ahayd roob dhinac kasta iska soo qabsaday dhulkuna ahaa meel aan gaadiidku ka hawgeli karin xilliga roobka. Taakulaynta ciidanka oo aad uga fogaatay. Hawl muhiim u ah ciidamada oo ahayd in ay goobta ku sugnaadaan si ay u fududayso hawlgalkooda oo sidii la rabay u dhici wayday. Cadowga oo isu habar wacday kuna muusannaabay qaab beelaysan oo abaabulkiisa leh oo ay kelliftay xaaladdii jabka iyo halaagga ee uu kala kulmay dagaalka. Ciidankii degaanka iyo kuwii magaalada qaar ka mida oo la soo halwgalay cadowga. Culayska amniga wasiirrada, gaadiidka iyo dadka la socday oo nooga baahday ilaalin iyo badbaadin dheeraad ah. Taakulaynta cadawga iyo gurmadkooda oo ka imanaysay goob jirta 32Km. oo keliya. Wasiirkii degaanka ka socday iyo odayaashiisii oo xaaladu markay abuurantay waxba ka qabanwaayey oo weliba jaha wareerna geliyay xaaladii oo hanan kari waayay dadkoodii Waxaas oo duruufa ah iyo qaar kaleba markay ka dhalatay xaaladda taagnayd waxaanu go'aansanay in aag bedelasho la sameeyo si loo badbaadiyo guulihii la gaadhay iyo naf iyo qalabba wixii goobta ku sugnaa. Waxa aan u soo jeedinayaa ammaan iyo bogaadin ciidanka Qaranka Somaliland ee ku sugnaa goobta dagaalku ka dhacay sida geesinimada iyo waddaniyadda leh ee ay u difaaceen dalkooda una jebiyeen cadawgii sida kediska ahayd u soo weeraray. Waxaan si gaar ah u xusayaa Mujaahid Korneel Maxamed Cabdi (Shiine) oo si hawlkarnimo ah oo amaanteeda iyo abaal marinteeda leh uga hawlgalay midho dhalka guushaas iyo hogaaminteeda. Waxaan ummadda reer Somaliland xasuusinayaa in u halwgalkani ahaa kii ugu horreeyay ee noociisa ah ee ciidanka Somaliland xuduudiisa isku dul taago. Aniga oo Wasiirkii Gaashaandhiga ahaa oo la jooga ciidankiisa dagaalna qabsaday, waxa igu waajib ahaa in aan sameeyo wixii xeel dagaal ah iyo la jaan qaadka xaaladda abuurantay ee duruufaha kor ku xusani keeneen iyada oo la tebeyay ciddii ciidan ahaan ay tooska u khusyanaysay, gaar ahaan iyo guud ahaanba. Markaanu tallaabooyinkaasi qaadaynay waxaanu isu arkaynay dad sameeyay badbaado ciidan, qalab, gaadiid Iyo guud ahaan Qaranimadii Somaliland. Waxase ayaan darro ah in iyada oo aanu warbixin ka soo dirray xaaladdii iyo duruufihii abuurmay in haddana muddo saacado yar ka dib ah aanu ka maqallo Idaacada BBC-da war saxaafadeedkii koowaad isla galabnimadii oo xanbaarsanaa eedo aan meesha qabanin oo u muuqanayay arrin lagu deg degay. Mar labaad anaga oo aad uga xun eedahaas aanan geyin, ehella u ahayn, igana suurta gelin ayaa waxaan u bandhigayaa in ay ka garsooraan cid kasta oo aqoon u leh xaaladdaha Milateriga oo duruufahan oo kale ay keenaan iyo ummadaydu inay ka garsoorto dhacdadaas ku koobnayd hawshaas cidda guusha soo hoysey iyo cidda dhabar jabka ku ah Qaranimada Somaliland. Waxaan ummadayda Somaliland u soo jeedinayaa in ay ilaashadaan nabadgelyadood, midnimadooda iyo wada jirkooda qarannimo oo ku fara adaygaan qaabka dowladnimo ee aynu dhisanay. Waxaan ciidanka Qaranka u rajaynayaa guul, isku duubni, kala danbayn oo lagu gaadho mid tayo, tababar taakulayn iyo u diyaargarow difaac qaranimada oo ah xirfada hogaamineed ee ciidan looga baahnaa". Intaas kadib waxa way weriyayaashu weydiiyeen mudane Waqaf su;aalo door ah oo la xidhiidha mawduucan. Xigasho:Somaliland.org Copyright © 2006 Wardheernews.com

An Impressive open letter!! An Open Letter to Silanyo Mohamoud Ali Gaildon Dear Sir: Please accept my sincere apology for using your nickname in the title of this missive to you. Tradition dictates that I, a man many years your junior, address you in a manner that befits your grand stature among Somalis of all clans and your seniority in age to me. That you can relate to how I feel and, thus, commiserate with me in my discomfiture at having to use your nickname I am sure. I was born and bred in Aden, the town that presented you to the Somali nation; and I spent most of my schooling in Erigavo, Dayaha and Sheikh, a region that you hail from. It is, therefore, in the grand spirit of the manners fed to both of us since childhood that I apologize to you. You have never heard of me; but you may have seen me, a tiny figure among many, in Dayaha boarding school, many years ago. You spoke to us as we sat cross-legged on the dirt under an umbrella-shaped tree at the center of the School’s garden. Such size and shade of an acacia tree I have never seen! Like so much of Sanag region, the tree was legendary. The Sayyid himself used to tether his horse to this majestic tree, we heard. (Unbeknownst to you, you may have actually stood on the very spot where more than half a century earlier the Sayyid may have delivered one of his epic poems.) Now, however, and for this one day, you were our Sayyid. With a smooth and deft blend of vigor and tenderness, you spoke. Motivational themes of advice and guidance spouted forth and held captive serious and eager kids many a mile from kith and kin. Dayaha, I should emphasize, was a desolate valley surrounded by hills. If not for the brook and the books and each other, the students would have felt in a prison of sorts. Unlike today’s boys with guns, we fell in love with the books. And for some of us, that romantic affair continues to this day unabated. It could have never been otherwise, could it, with the likes of Hurre, Dalab, Dhegaweyne, Abdi Hussein Mattan, and Ismail Dualeh Qambi as educators. Such were the days when Somali boys from the countryside and the remotest villages could hope and dream. Such were the halcyon days of yore! Dayaha, however, has fallen on hard times, as has Somalia as a whole. Gone are the days when a Somali child could laugh and play in peace or hold a book and have a dream. Gone are the days when we could think of ourselves as a nation and not as clans. Gone are the days when an Ethiopian boot on our sacred soil was a national shame. And so have the days when a leading Somali of the highest educational and professional standing could travel to an out-of-the-way boarding school and, like an enlightened parent, gather young, promising boys around himself and inspire them and challenge them and point the way to a bright future—a future that to most, it pains me to say, never arrived. I have got carried away; for these are times not to daydream but rather to rise to the challenge and face the dreadful reality before us. Sir, the former North East Region of Somalia (now, Togdheer, Sanag, and Sol), an area we both hail from, is in grave peril of being swept by currents well beyond the control of its people. Careworn locals stand at risk of being dragged one way or another and the peace and security they have enjoyed for over a decade and a half are about to slip away. What do you think your role should be? Is it a time to grandstand and follow the frenzied mob, or a time to be the voice of reason and save the people from the looming inferno? You will agree with me that your dutiful pupil, albeit for one day, is entitled to ask questions, which I hope you will take as questions deferred from that shining moment of years ago. As my former teachers will tell you, never did I let a question slip away. With you, however, my inquisitive mind chose to relax and relish the moment. References to Ibn Khaldoun and Sheikh Zubeir, obscure to me at the time, I put away in the back of my head for retrieval at a later date. That later date has now arrived. The drums of war sound ominously as dark clouds gather over Sanag. It is spring. The earth is soft and verdant. The scent of blossom wafts over the air, and the twitter of the birds mingle with the piercing chirps of various insects coming back to life in the rainy season. It is time for milk and honey, time to sing and dance, time to wed and mate, throughout good old Sanag, the mythical mother of the Somali nation. It is the sacred land of proud Sanag with its tradition in the east, vibrant energy in the center, pluck and grit in the west, coming together in harmony and a prefect blend. And the clock ticks away to mark the hour when the guns begin to roar. And yet, and yet, it need not be, if we could only use our minds right. The origin of the conflict is not whether Sol and Eastern Sanag belong to Puntland or Somaliland but rather Somaliland’s irrational policy to separate all of the former North from the former South. Somaliland’s attempt to secure the “border,” inherently a vicious act of violence, is a threat to peace for many people of different clans and different regions; for to reach the “border,” Somaliland forces will have to stomp over a local populace determined to remain part of Somalia. On Somaliland, therefore, lies the burden of choice: Respect the will of the people of Sol and Eastern Sanag, who pose no threat to anyone, or start a war that can benefit no one. Should, God forbid, the choice be war, how many more lives of every age and from all clans, East and West, will go in flames? It is not for me to give advice to Somaliland’s leaders, as I am one who adamantly holds onto Somali unity. Yet, places like Eil Afwein, Erigavo, Dayaha, Burao, Sheikh, Berbera, Hargeisa, Borama, Amoud, and the many wonderful people I have known over the years since childhood beckon to me. Nostalgia overwhelms me. So, let me say it is my earnest hope that Somaliland will not throw caution to the wind. This is a venture fraught with tremendous risks, both militarily and politically. Will and valor, always in high supply to the sons and daughters of Somaliland, cannot the place of wisdom take. Raw emotion dulls the mind. Single-mindedness can so easily lead to simple-mindedness. Miscalculation is a recipe for disaster. Why am I writing to you? I really do not know. Is it the frustration of a middle-aged man, unwilling to let youth slip away? Is it the babble of a lunatic? Or the musings of the roving, restless mind that has been my affliction since childhood? Perhaps, perhaps not. At any rate, let me say to you THANK YOU for the moment you granted me and many others so long ago—a moment that for me continues to shine through the fog of time. Respectfully Yours, Mohamoud Ali Gaildon E-Mail: mgaildon@aol.com Source: Wardheernews

Castro, a bigger task awaits them. The Mogadisho war is another nail in the coffin for the TFG.