Girl, u have to give us something to work with. Three people vacationing(ugh did I use that word) can be expensive even if u don't venture far from home. More details, pls. P.s: am moving this to General.

^think about this for a moment: negative comments about Islam or its tradition will not ever take away from Islam and its traditions. You, I and the rest can refute very comment made about Islam in the media or in politics but it will still not touch Islam. It touches the Muslims. Where an individual has no regard for certain Islamic principles, there is perhaps a beneficial purpose to engaging with them(a Muslim remember) who will however not benefit from intense responses belittling, condemning and poo-pooing. And that is pretty much what that individual would and does get on these forums. I know what sparked this and yet I don't remember anyone doing anything other than ignoring, condemning and dismissing a couple of individuals. So what right is there to complain when u haven't done anything constructive?? And what right to sensationalise? Frothing at the mouth for Islam and morals is still frothing at the mouth. We, women do not like to froth unecessarily most especially when there's a lot of xumbo floating around already. Also, the ladies are generally intense when demeaning and unIslamic suggestions are made in the name of their diin. A very definite line is drawn there. And it is at this line that I find men(fewer than the women) using the softly-softly approach and I am left wondering just where that gung-ho love for Islam lurks- the heart, the mind or the ego.

4 hours to end of day, now 3. It's 2mrw. I'll do my best, thanks.

Originally posted by Xoogsade: Sheherazade See how scarlet wasn't offended a bit by what Alle-ubaahne said and was sarcastic in reply. It would be nice if some of you girls put their swords back into their sheeths for a change. Anyhow, It is wrong to generalise, at the same time, being specific is wrong either. So I pose the question to you as you are one of the smartest girls around here, how does one go about addressing an issue that he/she deems important and wants to correct percieved ills without offending the female residents? Inadeer, one, since when did u join the AU appreciation society? Two, who says I'm offended? Three, Scarlet is not a moderator on this section the recent contents of which AU has issues with. Four, I have been at the receiving end of his side-ways references to mods and their capability/allegiance in the past as part of the do-gooders vs bad-doers battle and I'm not interested in entertaining or furthering his juvenile, banal pokes at me. However if he does insist, he will have to address me directly and I shall direct him to admin, someone whom he's had dealings with in the past most notably whilst getting himself banned times troi. If u're unaware of this pattern in his behaviour(and shame on u as his spokesman) do not dare to call into question my reaction to his consistent jabs at me, kapiche? As for extracting something viable from his drivel, I have better things to do than sift through the content of something that whiffs of trouble-making juvenility a kokab away. Kuu daayey. I hate bad smells.

What a miserbale bunch of people. Melike. Didn't get to study last night. Methinks am going to flunk spectacularly. I didn't say that..am supposed to be having positive thoughts today.. .. 4 hours to go..ugh.

Originally posted by Alle-ubaahne: What happen to those Moderators who only became watchful when they see us preaching good If u're referring to me address me directly, ma fahamtay, ya khawaaf? Saqajaanimo iyo sh*t-stirring ayaad wada. Find another means of entertainment, man.

Ditto on the backache. 14 hour-in-a-chair days this week. Woke up tired even though I had more than enough sleep. Left the moblie in bed(it's my alarm too) and I've been jealous of it all day. Got an interview on Friday: 1 hr of tell-me-about-you and a 1.5 hr tech. test. :rolleyes: 2 more nights of study- in bed mereckons, ze back iz kaput- have the Japanese invented a laptop holder for the horizontal user? My misery is loving your company, moreeee...

Wanna swap? Am quite comfortable presenting. U can be me as soon as I find my pulse. Cup of caffeine numero 3

Dying slowly.

Advise and help them instead of *****ing about them to us. A couple of them r yr family; u're stuck with them I'm afraid, however far they run(and I'not surprised they're running). :rolleyes: U do the right thing........

Namaste, u too, eh? LOL, never would have guessed. I didn't visit Nizamuddin, a shrine is it? Meelahaa waan ka fogaada if I can. Blessed, the Siddis have Muslims and Hindus. I'm trying to work out whether they are always untouchables as Hindus but am not certain that's the case. I understand that initially they were valued warriors and kings but later got relegated to the lowest strata of society. Very interesting links, do read. HABSHIS AND SIDDIS: AFRICAN DYNASTIES IN INDIA India also received its share of African bondsmen, of whom the most famous was the celebrated Malik Ambar (1550-1626). Ambar, like a number of Africans in medieval India, elevated himself to a position of great authority. Malik Ambar, whose original name was Shambu, was born around 1550 in Harar, Ethiopia. After his arrival in India Ambar was able to raise a formidable army and achieve great power in the west Indian realm of Ahmadnagar. Ambar was a brilliant diplomat and administrator. He encouraged manufactures and built canals and mosques. He gave pensions to poets and scholars, established a postal service, and ultimately became one of the most famous men in India. In a collective form, however, and in respect to long term influence, the African sailors known as Siddis stand out. Certainly, Siddi kingdoms were established in western India in Janjira and Jaffrabad as early as 1100 AD. After their conversion to Islam, the African freedmen of India, originally called Habshi from the Arabic, called themselves Sayyad (descendants of Muhammad) and were consequently called Siddis. Indeed, the island Janjira was formerly called Habshan, meaning Habshan's or African's land. Siddi signifies lord or prince. It is further said that Siddi is an expression of respectful address commonly used in North Africa, like Sahib in India. Specifically, it is said to be an honorific title given to the descendants of African natives in the west of India, some of whom were distinguished military officers and administrators of the Muslim princes of the Deccan. In the second decade of the sixteenth century a European traveler named Armando Cortesao noted that: "The people who govern the kingdom [bengal] are Abyssinians [Ethiopians]. These men are looked upon as knights; they are greatly esteemed; they wait on the kings in their apartments. The chief among them are eunuchs and these come to be kings and great lords in the kingdom. Those who are not eunuchs are the fighting men. After the king, it is to this people that the kingdom is obedient from fear." The Siddis were a tightly knit group, highly aggressive, and even ferocious in battle. They were employed largely as security forces for Muslim fleets in the Indian Ocean, a position they maintained for centuries. The Siddi commanders were titled Admirals of the Mughal Empire, and received an annual salary of 300,000 rupees. According to Ibn Battuta (1304-1377), the noted Muslim writer who journeyed through both Africa and Asia, the Siddis "are the guarantors of safety on the Indian Ocean; let there be but one of them on a ship and it will be avoided by the Indian pirates and idolaters." and...... INDIA'S MOST OPPRESSED PEOPLE The greatest victims of Hinduism have been the Untouchables. Indeed, probably the most substantial percentage of all the Black people of Asia can be identified among India's 160 million Untouchables. These people are the long-suffering descendants of Aryan-Sudra unions and native Black populations who retreated into the hinterlands of India in their efforts to escape the advancing Aryan sphere of influence to which they ultimately succumbed. India's Untouchables number more than the combined populations of England, France, Belgium and Spain. The existence of Untouchability has been justified within the context of Hindu religious thought as the ultimate and logical extensions of Karma and rebirth. Indus believe that persons are born Untouchables because of the accumulation of sins in previous lives. Hindu texts describe these people as foul and loathsome, and any physical contact with them was regarded as polluting. Untouchables were usually forced to live in pitiful little settlements on the outskirts of Hindu communities. During certain periods in Indian history Untouchables were only allowed to enter the adjoining Hindu communities at night. Indeed, the Untouchables' very shadows were considered polluting, and they were required to beat drums and make loud noises to announce their approach. Untouchables had to attach brooms to their backs to erase any evidence of their presence. Cups were tied around their necks to capture any spittle that might escape their lips and contaminate roads and streets. Their meals were taken from broken dishes. Their clothing was taking from corpses. They were forbidden to learn to read and write, and were prohibited from listening to any of the traditional Hindu texts. Untouchables were denied access to public wells. They could not use ornaments and were not allowed to enter Hindu temples. The primary work of Untouchables included scavenging and street sweeping, emptying toilets, the public execution of criminals, the disposal of dead animals and human corpses, and the clean-up of cremation grounds. The daily life of the Untouchable was filled with degradation, deprivation and humiliation. source

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Easy on the caps-lock when talking to her.

Originally posted by facklexm: I know most Somali girls in the West world smoke. Really? They must hide it well. If u can't quit, visit a ward where life-long smokers are suffering horribly- most of y'all Somali men are weak-stomached, that'll make u squirm. If you don't value yrself enough, think of others who breathe in your habit with you and what u're doing to them. Work out how much money a year u're burning away alongside your lungs; save it instead and start planning for something else to spend it on. There are healthy pleasures in life- seek them. Sucking on a cancer stick is not very smart. Poster, consider yourself a non-smoker now. Welcome to the unsmelling club.

Yo(all the yars r crawling out of the woodwork now ) Bharat(India) was beautiful and ugly by turns... Wildy, I am never sure I am Somali. The headphones and tape were available at the fort as a replacemnt to a guide. I much preferred this method. Glad u enjoyed it, I always write more than I should and it is only the speed of my typing that slows down the process. I would have continued tonight, only I am suffering from repetitive strain injury. Damn the day job. Oh, the blue, I think the Brahmins used it to stand out from the rest as they were(are) at the top of the caste system.

Wallis online mid-season sale now on. click me baby avec et The bag is only £5 (down from £23). If u're petite, their range is now half-price. Standard delivery charge £3.95.

I was thinking what the h does a blind man need a pair of sunglasses for! Then realised a lot of them do wear it. So am turning this baby OFF. Gaajo iyo daal aya i wada. Not to mention duh-nimo.

^Urdu was made for poetry although speakers may claim vice versa. Never been to Pakistan, never felt a pull. However, extremely well-travelled people have told me Pakistan rates as one of their fave places. Have you heard of the Siddi ? They are Indians and Pakistanis of African origin. Malaysia is a good choice- u name it, u'll find it- skyscrapers( ) , malls, beaches, jungle, history, food, mosques... Wear ear plugs- the men make dirty sucking sounds at foreign women. It's embarrassing when people who've been there mention it and there's nothing u can say to refute it cause u've heard it for yourself(and u know they're probably thinking it's beacuse they're Muslim). :rolleyes:

like in black and white, like in drawing a picture for you, like

so that's what they get up to. Bug*er-all. Hahaha.

Will the two of you cut it out and marry each other already? :rolleyes:

Hanuman, u're a troll. Zafir, Indian Shmindian. Listen yar, u and the rest.. I want to understand how Muslims don't recognise Muslim women in hijabs..don't recognise them for Muslims. Conversation at the supermarket till a couple of hours ago: Till-guy 1(Asian): sjhdskjadh Moi: sorry? TG 1: sorry about the queue Moi: it's OK TG 1: so where are you from? Moi: I am Somali TG1 : There are many Somalis in my country- Pakistan. Moi: really? Till-guy 2(also Asian and serving somebody else): Slaamu aleekuuuuum Moi: W/s Till-guy 1: so you are Muslim also?? Till-guy2(swinging around to TG1): OF COURSE!!! Moi(smiling): It isn't for the cold. TG1: Slaaamuu aleekum Moi:w/s TG1: do u want 2 bags? Moi: yes, please or I'll fall to one side TG1: yes, or u won't be able to carry it TG2(remembers his school days): keyfa xaaluka? Moi: bi khayr, alham.. TG2: shukran Moi: err, okay then see ya Tg2: slaamu aleekum, fi amanillah Moi: w/s Tg1: slaamu aleekum! Moi: w/s So what gives, I was covering my head in a standard way, why are some surprised???

Originally posted by Zafir: ^I am 10% Brazilian, my Indian Maharani. Easy on the my-o.

Originally posted by WaTerLily: Sheh, care to share the website? No, it's my secret! I like to have a few accessories nobody else does. Ahura!!! I had 2 cups of tea by 12 pm and by 2pm I was nearly falling into a coma and decided on a coffee.. Half way through the palpitations started and I remembered why I go easy on the caffeine- if it's not the insomnia, it's the heart-flips. Dib danbe...how do you do it!

^thanks. My strange affection for them disappeared within days of being there. India is not a tourist-friendly country and I spent a lot of time doing the touristy thing. Were I to write about my experience, the word friendly would not make an appearance. The 3 days with the family was only one of two positive interactions I had with the locals. Mostly they harassed me, lied, cheated, ordered/suggested I remove my hijab and called out Musalmaan when I walked by. I left in a state of agitation and in despair of human nature. If u want friendly go further east.

^well lets see u do better, dear. :cool: