Another masterpiece from the one and the only Amiin Caamir.

An excellent, waaw video on shirqool.com. It is the Oromo's equivalent of our Tubeec, I guess, because the shower of dhunkasho, jilibqabasho, showering of lacagta the singer is receiving makes qof laga dambeeyo. The girl singing too, who looks amazingly Saado Cali yaranteed. She looks cute on that dirac and goorgorad. Oromos, our cousins, are slowly adapting our dirac. Nice seeing our culture adapted, instead of other ways some Soomaalis seem to appreciate. Also the jilbaqabsashada and showering of lacagta ancient Soomaali dhaqan ayaan moodi jiray, so Oromos [soomaali Aboow] share that with us too, aha? Not surprised since what we mutually share, including the basis of language family and other ancient hido iyo dhaqan, is slowly coming out. Perhaps some of you are surprised, but in the old days, jilbaha ayaa waalidiinta [parents and other elders] la qabsan jiray, in form of affection and honour. Soomaalida hadda waa ku yartahay doing that, so you might not have experienced seeing it, only the phrase garka iyo jilbaha ayaa ku heystaa ka hartay. What is the first words of elder singing horta? Kaalay, kaalay, kaalay? And who can master those moves of his? Nice music too.

This thread is closed, and the clan names will be edited. The site has rules, plain rules, clearly against deliberately mentioning clan names, let alone again and again masqueraded as individual names.

Wasiirka Caafimaadka Dowladda KMG Marwo Qamar... Ar Qamar Aaden Cali wasiir ku sheegaas maa laga dhigay. Iyadoo xildhibaan ahayd aa igu dambeysay. Xamar aa daris ku ahayn iyada iyo familkeeda; their house and ours was right next to one another. Qof London waa hore soo galay ee ahayd, iyada iyo reerkeeda, siiba walaalaheeda. Dhuub, Shooble, Wardheere iyo Xuseen Afeey oo London '80s soo galay.

War iminka aanu ka helnay Xafiis kamid ah Xafiisyada Dowladda Maqaar saarka ah ee Magaalada Muqdisho... Maqaarsaarka. The word really did crack me up.

Originally posted by David_Letterman: The Cambridge history of Africa: from c. 1790 to c. 1870 - Page 88 Mogadishu, on the other hand, was really controlled by the sultan of the Geledi, and minor ports were in the hands of members of other clans You can find that book through on Google Books, though where the book deals about Soomaalida and other Horn of Africa peoples' history is, unfortunately, labelled 'not part of this book review,' obviously intended to sidestep on copyright issues. The Soomaali's, along with other Horn people, history page starts on page 51, which you can find. You can also find page 53, 55 and 56, which specifically deals Soomaalida. On page 53, there is an interesting ancient map. NB: You may need a legitimate gmail account to access some pages.

Prof. Dalxa oo hadaba banaanka laga geeyey howlihii baarlaamanka tan iyo intii uu dalka ku soo laabtay la doonayo in kursigaasi laga qaado, waxaana taas ugu wacan markii uu Boqore sheegay inuusan ka hoos shaqeyneynin nin jareer ah , ayaana Xamar guddoomiye ku-xigeen looga dhigay...” ayuu yiri Xildhibaan Saleebaan Colaad Rooble oo isagoo ku sugan magaalada Asmara ee dalka Eritreya... Xigasho Poor Dalxa. Awalba qashinkaas inaad ku dhex jirtid ma ahayn oo iska casishid ayaa kaagaga fiicneed. However, the farce from this treacherous, qabyaalad-based dowlad ku sheeg, led by the Stooge qabyaaladist treasonous maafiya killer, is getting ever more ridiculous.

As Uganda loaded its militaryware into a ship in Mombasa, destined for the Somali capital, Mogadishu, some two weeks ago, a Somali Moslem preacher kept taunting officials supervising the exercise. Accusing Uganda of sending its troops to spread HIV/Aids, and rape their women and daughters as “they once did” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the preacher delivered a chilling message; Uganda would find a huge grave inside his country. After two days of discomforting taunting, Ugandans called Kenyan police and the preacher was arrested. But a day after the arrest, Ugandan troops landed into Mogadishu Airport to a welcome of deafening mortar fire. A 'preacher' and his taunts ayee u adkeysan waayeen, taloow madaafiic roob camal ugu noqdo see ugu adkeysan doonaan, mise they think booliiska Keenyaatiga in ay Xamar joogaan too?

Inay waxaan qirtaan maaka filaneysay? Kamoon! Diyaaradaas inay badda ku dhacdo ayee ahayd. Laakiin I can see tijaabo waaye tan, oo tan kale lala heli doonaa. I am not even sure that plane's owners' insurance company will allow them to fly to Xamar again. Ugaandha meel aan looga baahneen iyaga iskeenay, colaad ma naga dhaxeynin. Waa dad soo qaldamay, and soon, they will see qaladkooda mar ay dhamaadaan; maalintaas ayee ka shaleyn doonaan. Soo joog ninkii laga waayo, soo jiif aa laga helaa uu Awkoombe ku celcelin jiray.

P.S. You might have point about Somalis leaving their religion. I was watching Ayan Hirsi on Colbert Report. I didn't know to laugh or feel pity on her. She seemed so out of place. Che, waxaan ka hadlaaye waa the people like Ayaan Xirsi Magan. [Magacaas, ayaan, quruxda iyo micnaha badan heybada ka dishay.] Soomaalinimo iyo diinta Islaamka ka baxnimo isma raacaan. Waligeedna isma raacin, oo isku meel ma galin. Forget about that purported man claiming to be Yahuud and still living in Xamar. I don't believe him, even if he is not Soomaali by ethnicity. There are a lot of inconsistencies on his blog -- such as claiming Xamar having a Yahuud xabaal and his heritage of 'Shaanshiyo' being Yahuud. I do not believe an iota on his blog, and his absurd claim blogging from Xamar itself now looks ridiculous, for technical and problamatic reasons. Anyway, the point was not about this purported man and his wild claims. It is about the Soomaalida and diinta. Same like Malays in Malaysia, who cannot be at the same time a Malay and non-Muslim. The day a Malay denounces his Islaanimo is the day he ceases to exist as a Malay. It is in the constitutional law of Malaysia. The other group I had given as an illustration is Bashtun of Afgaanistaan and Bakistaan, who are the largest tribal group in the world. [They are not clans, but tribes, and more numerous, numbering around 40 million, than the clans of Soomaalis.] To Bashtuns, Islaam is part and parcel of their identity, sida ay anagana noogu tahay, sidee Malayga ugu tahay in Malaysia. Others are Bosnian Muslims [bosniaks], whose very identity as a group depends on Islaanimo and its foundation. The other group is Uyghur in occupied East Turkistan [Xinjiang] of Shiinaha. As you can see, Soomaalida are not unique in this matter. My final point intaa ka bixin this thread: Diinta Islaamka is intrinsically, inherently interconnected Soomaalida and their unique culture. In a nutshell, what makes us Soomaali is part of Islaanimo, cannot be separated. It has nothing to do with later-comers of surwaalgaab or reer seeflabood. Nothing. Should one decide follow another way of life, s/he can easily forfeit their Soomaalinimo as well; their Soomaalinimo as well becoming void and null, i.e. Ayaan and whoever wants to join her is welcome, as long as ay faraha ka qaadaan Soomaalinimo.

Xaniifa, walaashiis, salaan sare marka koowaad. Noo sheeg, odeyga muxuu sheegay oo ka wareesatay. He is a die-hard Soomaali daljecel, a nationalist, waana intaa kaliya ula jiro.

Intaas waxaa ka hadlaaye. Soomaalinimo iyo Islaanimo ma kala haraan. Any sane Soomaali person diintiisa/teeda ka baxay/baxday, in my mind, automatically as well can forfeit his/her Soomaalinimo. Che, surwaalgaabnimo ma'aha, waana i ogtahay aniga iyo reer surwaalgaab inaa isku meel istaageynin, xaalka waxaa waaye qof Soomaali sheeganaaya, hadana diintiisa ama teeda ka baxay/baxday, xaq uma laha Soomaalinimo iyo Soomaaliya in uu xaalkeeda ka hadlo. Never. Soomaalinimo iyo Islaanimo is [i cannot call 'are' since one yihiin] intrinsically connected one another. Maba dhici karto wax kale. Dalkeena diinta Islaamka universal ka ahayd, still ka tahay. I have some respect for Maykal Maryama, daljecel, a nationalist Soomaali as such, though Muslim ma ahayn; the reason has to do, as I pointed on that prior post, diinta Islaamka kuma dhalan, oo kama bixin. Kuwa kibirka ugu baxay diinta, ku jisaaray -- kuwaas is another story. Soomaalis are hardly peculiar when it comes this. Malays in Malaysia follow this; to them, being Malay and Muslim waa one and the same. So are with Bashtus in Afgaanistaan. Just to give a two examples.

Circle aad ku wareegsaneysaa, Roobloow, ee ha isdaalin mar labaad. Hal erey iyo laba sheey aad kasoo maqashay an atheist professor waxba kuma heleysid, only getting more confusion. Eebbe haddaa aamisantahay, the theory -- which intaanan iloowin let's remind us one another again is only a theory, nothing substantial proven or otherwise -- of evolution dadka aamisan Eebbe ma aaminsano badankooda. They do not believe a Higher Being that designed and controlls this world; a Being that still involves how our universe works. Your average common believer in theory of evolution does not believe that. Haddee dhab kaa tahay, Haaruun Yaxye [Cadnaan Oqtar] buuggaagtiis aqri. I have had a book of his since 2000, called The Evolution Deceit. Buuggaas aqri, oo kala dhigdhigaayo beenta iyo waxa ka buuxo. I kindly suggest you read that book since I personally do not like to engage in debates that never end.

Awalba hilib doonfaar maxaa ka sugeysay? Qashin socda waaye bahalkaas. Eebbe u mahad celi maadaama uu noogu digay. Xataa gaaladda dad badan ayaa shaqsi ahaan u cunin doonfaarka qashinka uu ku noolyahay iyo qashinka ka buuxo daradiis.

Maxaa waaye this 'faggot' and 'gay' meesha ka socoto? This forum is moderated, folks. Hala isdhaamo, baliis. Ceeb waxaas.

This thread -- a thread that achieves nothing but inflaming this already burning section -- is closed.

Galaal wax kale ku eedeey, Abwaanka, laakiin haku eedeyn dagaaladdii fooshaxumaa ee sokeeye uu ka qeyb qaatay. Waligiis ma galin. Ciidamadda militariga Iskoolbuluusiyo loogu tagay Xamar ayuu maamulaaye tan iyo wixii ka dambeeye dowlad la'aanta, oo asaga ayaa shilimaanta uu ugu soo helo dibadaha ku quudin jiray. Xataa Caydiid damcay in uu la safto, oo dhankiisa ula jiro markee Cali Mahdi hilfaha isku qaadeyeen, Xamarna dhulka dhigeen, Galaal ka diiday. Ani Galaal oo dagaal sokeeye ka qeybqaadanaayo meelna maku arkin. Haddaa heysid wax cadeyn eh, noo sheeg.

To me, evolution exists and directs me toward the prove of one creator, which is Allah. How? Sidee camal? Quraanka says Nabi Aaden iyo Xaawo [naxariistii Eebbe korkooda ha ahaatee] ayaa kasoo faractanay, all of us, while the so-called theory of evolution objects, instead outlandishly claiming dad kasoo jeedo daanyeerada ilaa hoos laga gaaraayo malaayga? Doesn't that itself simply and basically contradict waxa ku qoran Quraanka Kariimka oo Eebbe yiri? Evolution is a just another theory, among of many. It has no evidence whatsoever, only conjuring up wild thoughts of mad scientists, badankoodana Eebbe aaminsanayn. And I cannot believe we Muslims inaa dhexgalno waxaan shaqadeyna ahayn. We have Quraanka, qadarkiisana nagu filan. Only confused ayaa ku jahwareero meeshee life kasoo faractantay even while it is clear meeshaa kasoo jeedno oo ku qorantahay Quraanka. Markuu Quraanka leeyahay wax walba, every living creature laga abuuray 'biyo,' qof ogaa ma lahayn. Markuu Quraanka leeyahay Eebbe 'cleft asunder' the Heavens and Earth, what they now call 'Big Bang' theory, anaga waa aaminsanayn. Ha isku mashquulin wax aadan faa'ido ka heleynin, oo cadeys lahayn.

Shirkii iyo waxyaabihii kasoo baxay aqoonyahanada Soomaaliyeed ee Waqooyiga Ameerika laguna qabtay Columbus, Oohaayo [Ohio], bisha markee ahayd Maarso 10-11 ee sanadkaan. Xal u helidda Dhibaatada ka Taagan Soomaaliya hadda Shirkii Jaaliyada Dibada ee Waqooyiga Ameerika Waxaa maanta (Maarso 10, 2007) ka bilowday Gobol Ohio ee Dalka Maraykanka Shir xambaar sanaa cinwaan kaas kore loogana hadlayey arimaha hada ka taagan Soomaaliya iyo sidii xal loogu heli lahaa. Waxaa kasoo qayb galay shirkaan dad si khaasa loogu casumay oo ka koobnaa Culimo owdiin, Aqoon yaho iyo siyaasiyiin. Tirada dadka ayaa ahaa in ku dhow 150 qofood oo ka kala socday Waqooyiga America. Shirka ayaa lagu furay inaan cidgooni ah soo qaban qaabin magac ururna aan lagu qaban ee uu yahay dadaal iyo is xilqaan ay wadaan Jaaliyada ku nool Waqooyiga Ameerika, ayna sababtay ka damqasho ay ka xanuun sanayaan xalaada ay ku sugan tahay Soomaaliya xiligan xaadirka ah. Shirka ayaa ahaa mid aad loosoo agaasimay laguna qabtay goob loogu tala galay shirarka. Furitaankii iyo soo dhawayntii shirka ka dib, waxaa miiska lasoo saaray ajandihii shirka loo qabtay, kaasoo ka koobnaa 4 qodob. Itoobiya waa inay Soomaaliya uga baxdaa si dagdag ah . Waa in lagu badalaa Ciidamadda Itoobiya kuwo dhexdhexaad ah, oo ka kala yimid Africa iyo wadamadda Islaamka. In la qorsheeyo diyaarinta shir dibu heshiisiineed wax ku ool ah, oo u dhexeeya dhamaan qaybaha Soomaaliya. In lamideeyo lana qorsheeyo codka Soomaalida Qurbaha si dhinaca wanaagsan wax loogu badelo Soomaaliya. Shirkaan waa ka duwanaa shirarka Soomaalida ee inta badan ka dhaca meelo kala duwan, maxaa yeelay ma jirin dad iyaga kaliya la dhagaysanayey ee waxaa la isu qaybiyey kooxo kooxo aan ku salaysnayn is aqoon iyo in isku magaalo laga wadda yimid sida; Columbus ama Toronto oo kale. Waxaa dhacaysay dhowr iyo tobon qof oo aan cidna iska aqoon ama mid ama laba uun is garanayaan. Isbarasho kadib waxaa laguda galay in mid mid loo qaadaa dhigayo qodobada kore. Tusaale ahaan sidee Itoobiyaanka loo saarayaa? yaa keenay markoodii hore? maxay tahay dhibaatada ay keeni karaan ee loosaarayo iyo kuwo kaloo badan. sidoo kale Ciidamada nabad ilaalinta iyo doorkooda, kuwa ay noqonayaan, haday dhibaato keenaan maxaa laga yeelayaa. Shirka dibu heshiisiintu muxuu yahay? yaa la heshiisiinayaa? ma isku midbaa midka April laqabanayo? ugu danbaytii waxaa laga hadlay Jaaliyadaha dibada sida loo midayno iyo danta ku jirta midayn tooda iyo kaalintay ka ciyaari karaan xaalada calowsan ee ka taagan Soomaaliya. Dood Cilmiyeed iyo falan qayn dheer kadib, waxaa lasoo gaaray gabagabadii shirka iyo in koox kasta laga dhagayso nuxurkii doodii oo kooban. kadibna waxaa lagu kala hoyday arimahaas oo dhan uruurintooda iyo isu gayntooda in loo saaray gudi soo kooba waxaana loo dib dhigay qaybta bari (Axad Maarso 11, 2007) ee shirka hadii alle idmo. Kalasoco SomaliTalk shirkaas iyo meesha uu biyo dhigo. More info Sawiradda aqoonyahanadii kasoo qeybgalay. Cali Khaliif Galeyr Dhaqtar Xuseen

Originally posted by abu ansaar17: It was reuters, and ethiopians dont have helmets, they can't afford it.

Originally posted by abu ansaar17: It was reuters, and ethiopians dont have helmets, they can't afford it.

Originally posted by abu ansaar17: It was reuters, and ethiopians dont have helmets, they can't afford it.

Hiiraan iyo markacadeey.com ayaa ugu roon, duqa. They may not be perfect, laakiin labadaas shabako ayaa ugu roon markee timaado wararka Soomaalida. Idaacad ahaana idaacadda Banaadir ayaa ugu roon, oo radiobanadir.com laga heli karo. Midnimo.com oo laga leeyahay same company leh Idaacadda Banaadir, ayaa iyadana kistoo dhaami jirtay, inkastoo sidii dowlad ku sheegii Geedi loo dhisay, u janjeertay dhankaas. Saas ee tahayna shabakaddo badan ayee dhaantaa. Old ones like banadir.com and somalitalk.com wey roonaan jireen iyagana, inkastoo somalitalk.com dhanka wadaadada u janjeertaa, sida Maxkamadaha, right iyo wrong. Banadir.com long time aa igu dambeysay, uma maleeyi see ahaan jirtay inay tahay. Off topic, I always wondered how come the top quality online sites are all based in Kanada. Hiiraan.com [Ottawa-based], somalitalk.com [London, Ontario-based], markacadeey.com [another Ottawa-based] and even banadir.com [a Koronto-based one]. Even that infamous somalinet.com was a Koronto one; heck this very site, SOL, has a Kanada connection.

Sababta ninka fariinta noo soo gubdiye weerar culus loogu haayo ayaan kasi la'yahay. Muxuu galabsaday ka ahayn his right to voice dalkiisa iyo dadkiisa oo shisheeye ka ilaalinaayo. Soomaaliya goormee dal 'multicultural' noqotay? Mise dalalkii Galbeedka aan ku raagnay ayaa been noo sheegtay? Warka meesha la keenay aan usoo noqdee. Warkaan aniga ma aaminsani, mana u dhawo credibility wax ah, oo Yahuud maanta Xamar degan ayaaba iska yar. You want a little proof? Read below. He speaks nostalgically of back when “the government used to have control” of the Islamic courts, and daydreams sometimes about returning to Yemen — where there are at least “more Jewish people”. But he knows, he could never leave his mother (presumably, alone) in Mogadishu. They, and along with that purported person, write this. Soomaaliya does not have a central government for almost 17 years, yet they said the purported guy is a 19-year-old who longs and dreams "the government used to have control of Islamic courts." So, markuu dagaala dhacaaye, this purported man was only, we assume, two or three years old toddler. How can he long "nostalgically" the days of the government? Beenta meesha ka socoto ayaaba igu daran maalin caddeey. And intee Maxkamadaha iyo dowladaas Kacaanka isku arkeen? Mise waxee ka wadaan dowladaas used to control, spy on some wadaado waagaas jiray? And if this 'government' laga wado dowlad ku sheega Baydhabo deganayd, they never controlled anybody, not themselves. There are a few, one or two, sites out there that claim to represent Soomaalis who diinta ka baxay as well; none ever produce names iyo wax la xaqiijin karo, marka this is just another hoax oo run ahayn. Xataa -- which I absolutely do not believe -- haddee run tahay this purported man to exist, ma'aha in uu Yahuudnimadiis iyo wax loo joogin lasoo shirtago maadaama uu asagaba qirtay in uu Soomaali ahayn. Soomaaliya iyo Soomaalida degan dalkeena 100% Muslim ayee ahayeen, walina yihiin. Few fara ku tiris that live in West diintana ka baxay, Eebbe ku caasiyeeye have no right to claim Soomaalinimo. They should forfeit Soomaalinimo as they denounced diintooda suuban ee Islaamka. Muslinimo iyo Soomaalinimo ma kala haraan. Diinta maka baxeen, Soomaaliya ha iska iloowaan, ha iska joogaan dalalkee ku noolyihiin. I, however, had no problem men like Maykal Maryamo diin aan diinta Islaamka ahayn ku dhashay, oo eed ma laha ninkaas camal. Midka ugu xun waa kan ama tan diintiisa/teeda ku dhalatay ka baxday kibirnimo, jaahilnimo iyo waxmagaradnimo, oo Eebbahooda abuurtay kibir ugu jisaaray kuna caasiyoobay because Galbeekda ee deganyihiin ayee a little macmacaan ku arkeen, oo noloshii la macaanaatay. Kuwaas xaq uma laha Soomaalinimo iyo sheegashadeeda. See diinta ugu caasiyoobeen ayeena bari ugu caasiyoobayaan Soomaalinimo.

That was a year ago; another year later, another newspaper features waxaa qarsan jirnay. Tiffany Corrine Dow Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune March 03, 2007 In gathering spots worldwide, Somalis catch up on news of home and engage in generally good-natured "fighting while squatting. " Yassin Issa lives in London, but when he first visited his wife and daughter in St. Paul last fall, he soon was drawn to a coffee shop at 25th and Riverside Avs. in Minneapolis that he'd heard about an ocean away. Word among Somalis was that the Riverside Starbucks captures the spirit of gathering spots across Western Europe and North America where Somalis forced to leave their war-torn country exchange news and views of their native land and connect with each other across continents. Issa, 45, an officer with London's Metropolitan Police and a native of northern Somalia, said Somalis in Minnesota are less volatile than those who frequent the cafeterias he patrols in Central London. "Here it's more liberal. People, they talk and they discuss and they laugh," said Issa, who was separated from his wife during resettlement. In Great Britain, he said, it is better to be quiet if you disagree with something a speaker is saying. But in Minnesota, the speakers are "not waging any conflict at all." The main attraction at the Riverside Starbucks is lively debate about culture and politics. They meet to discuss centuries-old clan rivalries that run deep as bone marrow and to maintain an oral tradition of exchanging information. Every day, 20 to 40 Somali men play a game of musical chairs, grouping around tables and snatching open seats, as they shuffle in and out of the Riverside Starbucks from opening until closing. They say their daily prayers in a hallway between the coffee shop and the adjacent Bruegger's Bagels. A sign at the end of the hall warns them to be careful because the door opens frequently. Omar Jamal, 35, is a vocal supporter of Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf and a fixture in the local Somali community who goes to Starbucks every day -- even though other men provoke him into "crossfire" by attacking his political positions. This is known as "fadhi ku dirir," or "fighting while squatting," Jamal said Americans have a similar practice: It's called talk radio. Somalis present their opinions as if on a debate team, said former Somali Prime Minister Ali Galaydh, who was a visiting professor at the Humphrey Institute in Minneapolis. Somalis have an oral culture, said Galaydh -- they had no written language until 1972. "Your point will be most persuasive the more allusions [it has] in terms of poetry, in terms of story and anecdotal stuff," Galaydh said. Yusef Yusef, also known as Liban DJ, discovered Somali gathering spots throughout the United States and Canada while promoting his film, "Flight 13," a comic documentary on Somali refugees. " They're building a government every morning, and before they leave the table they destroy it [ ]," said Liban DJ, a Minneapolis resident who frequents the Riverside Starbucks. Varying interpretations of an unwritten history fuel unrelenting debates between Somalis from different clans, sub-clans and ideologies, Galaydh said. For a half-century, two clans in Somalia, the ***** and the ******, have been swapping power, he said. "You are told your genealogy, just like in the Old Testament: 'So-and-so begat so-and-so,' " said Galaydh. "If you are 5 or 6 years old ... you are told your genealogy, and you commit it to memory." Ali Isse, 41, often drives to the Starbucks from his home in Shoreview or after his workday ends at UCare Minnesota. Isse's mother and father are from rival clans, he said. To him the "fadhi ku dirir" is not about clan rivalry, but about venting as a form of therapy. "Say what you have to say now. Don't take anything home to your family," Isse said. Because Isse has a relative in every city in Somalia, he is one of many information brokers on current events at Starbucks, he said. He calls family members several times a week. "In the morning, first I check what happened on the Internet," Isse said. "So, I see, 'OK, there's an attack happening here. How many people got killed?' and then you make the decision to call based on that." He compares information from Somali, Western, African and Arab media sources. But Somalis get their definitive answers by calling home, Isse said, and gathering in groups to share what they've learned. Missing from the Starbucks debates are women. Amino Abdi, Ali Isse's wife, said women don't have time to socialize because they are busy with children and jobs. Every weekend there is a wedding, Abdi said, typically attended by only the Somali women; the events provide a way for women to exchange information and dress lightly. Galaydh gets daily calls from friends, relatives and political affiliates in Somalia, and says he goes to the Starbucks only for the New York Times. Many Somalis who frequent the shop are avid supporters of President Yusuf, a rival of Galaydh. Neither Isse nor Galaydh has taught his children a genealogy. When Galaydh's son, then 14, was questioned about clan affiliation by an uncle in Somalia, Warsame Galaydh responded that his father was a Democrat [sax. I too do not know, and never did my old man or hooyo ever tried to. I am glad haddaaba magaca afaraad dhaafsiin karin.] Abdi Omer, 40, an engineer for the city of St. Paul, goes to Starbucks because of its history and good drinks, he said. When the first Somalis immigrated to Minneapolis, this Starbucks was the only place on Riverside to meet, Omer said. As more Somalis came and started businesses, the clans began supporting their respective family-owned restaurants at mealtime, reconvening at the Starbucks afterward. Galaydh said older Somalis are not learning from exposure to "open society, competitive politics, and peaceful dialogue" in America. The crossfire doesn't typically become physical, although Jake Miller, a full-time Starbucks employee, has witnessed a few coffees fly and one fistfight in the parking lot . But no non-Somali customers have complained about the Somali gatherings. " A lot of non-Somalis just sort of look around in awe," he said. "We just say this is like their bar ."