Great topic sheikh Nur. I wonder where you got the idea. Sacrifice implies giving up something of value for the sake of something else of greater value. Well, that greater value is one's sanity and the well being of his wife and children. It's tempting to succumb to one's desires but to resist and fix what is broken in your own home is infinitely more satisfying than, say, getting a new family and a new home. The same disfunctional attitude many have in their first marriages, they will only carry over to a new family and risk ruining more than just one home. Those who delay gratification are the most successful in this life and the hereafter. Sticking with my minwayn (and my children) is of much greater value than finding a hot and young new minyar.

Originally posted by Northerner: "They have become illegal residents and so they can't work legally because if they register with immigration, they'll be deported but there is no state to return to," Sharif said. With brothers and friends like these, who needs enemies? To deport a Somali from any western country means they would have to be a violent criminal, caught red-handed lying to immigration or have abondonded their cases and later caught. Even then, they spend years in legal battles (while being able to work or study) and if that fails, they're rarely deported to Somalia but to a third, save haven, country. But no, not our Arab friends. They're too busy sucking European and American as$ than to give amnesty to Somalis. From UAE, to Yemen to Saudi, you name it and they treat Somalis like dirt. Forget sharing Islam, to them, we don't even share humanity. Everytime I read about this I wonder what I will do or say to someone from there when I run into them. But then I remember the average A-rab is being stiffed by that same government.

^ The two of you (and SB) make quite the couple on SOL. A healthy back and forth indeed. Keep it up. Milosevic, whether died in his sleep, killed himself or was taken out, didn't pay for his sins here. We believe his payback in the hereafter has begun but I personally prefer justice prevail on earth as well. Most of us were adults when the Srebrenica massacre occured and we won't have to be told about it. I won't pray for his soul to rest in peace and neither will I shed a tear for him. Good riddance.

^ :rolleyes: . Just how many nicks does Jaylani have around here? AF, they're both very talented indeed. And what better place to grow that talent than in Atlanta. If these guys went to American Idol, they'd sweep. I'd buy their music if it were sold on iTunes.

For those of you who didn't get the "joke" above, it is a reference to the Mammogram. A process of X-raying a woman's breast for early detection of breast cancer. Apparently, it is a most painful and humiliating experience. And to add insult to previous injury, Mammography has been shown to be, essentially, ineffective in detecting the cancer.

Hate him or love him, Nur is doing something most of us are either unwilling or unable to do. And for that, he demands our respect and admiration. He may not always be right but he's a righteous nomad.

Black like us Establishing their identity in a male-dominated world is a particular challenge for women of colour At 10 years old, Naima Ahmad had already decided she wanted to be circumcised. A child of professional parents who lived in a an upper-middle-class neighbourhood in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, she couldn't understand why her mother said no, when all her friends were getting ready to line up for the big day that would usher them into womanhood. "It was almost like a status thing — now your chastity has been protected," Ahmad recalls. Today, she is 26, living in Toronto with two daughters of her own and grateful for her mother's stand so many years ago. Even so, Somali culture is a defining element of her identity. I, too, am a woman of colour living in Toronto, and I set out to show the struggle women of colour share in expressing our identity in a society that is predominantly white and controlled largely by men. I thought I would tell this story through the experience of four diverse women: Ahmad; Breanna Ellis, a Brampton high-school student; Afua Cooper, a University of Toronto historian and opera star Measha Brueggergosman. My roots are in Jamaica like Cooper and Ellis, who was born in Canada. What I found was four interesting, articulate women who, if they struggle at all, are fighting very different battles — but there are some intersecting lines. For Ellis, it's the black culture's embrace of gangsta rap and its denigration of women. For Cooper, it's the failure of blacks to appreciate their own history and culture. For Ahmad, it's not only the male-dominant assumptions of the expatriate Somali community, but also — and much more central to how she sees herself in the world — the negative view many in Canadian society have of Muslims. And for Brueggergosman, well, there is no black-specific conflict. But this 27-year-old New Brunswicker, whose Afro-Canadian roots go back four generations, does believe that women have a responsibility to be more supportive of each other if they want to change stereotypical and negative perceptions. "We're surprised when there is a woman pilot. We are surprised when there is a female cab driver and we are surprised when there is a female president .... We are so pleasantly uplifted by the fact that there is a female president anywhere," she says. "Then, at the same time, we vilify any woman who wants the job." Statistics reflect the problem. Very few women, regardless of race, lead their countries, despite the fact there are far more women in the world than men. Of the 191 United Nations member countries, only 12 — or less than 7 per cent — are run by women, two who came to power only within the last couple of months, and one in recent weeks. Brueggergosman feels if women vilified each other less, they could accomplish more. "Women can say they love to be women but they don't love other women," she says. The others echo her concern. Ellis, who is 17 and in her final year at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, says she sees this unpleasant side of women in bullying. A close friend was a particular target. "When she just came to school, a lot of girls would hate her and make fun of her just because she had light skin and `good' hair and because more guys would talk to her than the other black girls." Cooper, a 48-year-old professor of black Canadian history and Canadian studies at U of T, believes the anger and frustration we see in young black women is tied to an absence of black female role models, an ignorance about the history of black women's contributions to society and an unconscious assimilation of white western cultural biases that limit the development of a robust black female identity. "Even in terms of beauty, we're too fat, our nose is too big, our hair is not long enough, we're not light enough," she says. An immigrant from Jamaica when she was 22, she says no such negative messages warped her upbringing. "My aunts, my grandmother, the elders, provided a road for me to follow. The way they spoke, the meals they prepared, the stories they told us, the kind of life they gave us, said you are important, you're special, you're worth something, you are a valuable person. The kind of life created for us built our self-esteem and gave us a platform we could jump off of and make a place for ourselves in the world." Ellis feels black girls are getting a very different message because of the all-pervasive rap culture. "It's negative. They don't treat black girls as beautiful people. They treat them like `*****es and hos.'" she says. Other images of young black people in the media are similarly negative. "In the news, you only hear about us if someone got shot. In the media, they don't show enough positive things. We are the ones in jail, we are the ones raping, and we're the ones getting pregnant at 14 years old .... "I don't smoke weed, I don't skip class .... I take college and university classes," says Ellis, who works part-time and wants to be a writer. "I am serious about life." Ahmad, too, worries about the overwhelming negative image of blacks in the media. "Sex, violence and crime sells and we are losing a whole generation because we are selling too much of this crap to them." An administrator at the Somali Immigrant Aid Organization in Toronto, she spends her volunteer hours helping Somali women deal with the conflicts they face trying to hold on to their cultural identities in a society where western culture dominates. She is grateful to Western women who have worked hard to fight the practice of genital mutilation, now illegal, but says being stuck between the two cultures is very hard for many Somali women. Her work with immigrant women and her experiences growing up in a predominantly Afro-Caribbean neighbourhood in Toronto's west end have taught her about how black Canadian women view their cultural identity. She is happy about the advances women have made in Canada but, like many, is disturbed by the stereotypes that taint people's opinion of black women. "We need to see educated black women on TV. We need to see more of Oprah. Where are the black women with PhDs? Why are they not on television? And the mothers who struggled and got educated after they had their children, why are they not on TV? "We are not seeing the best part of reality, just focusing on the negative." But Ahmad is even more preoccupied by a different negative image: the view many have that equates Islam with terrorism. She wears traditional dress, including a headscarf, and feels she is viewed negatively because of it. "Since 9/11, the whole world issue of terrorism is at our doorstep. People think if you wear a hijab, you are a Muslim and you must be involved in terrorism. I have nothing to do with terrorism. Neither do the (other) Muslims here. I feel we are reluctant to trust western culture again." For Ahmad, the stereotyping of Muslim women is particularly painful. She immigrated to Canada when she was 10, adopted western dress and went to high school and university in Toronto. Once she had children, Ahmad began to rediscover her culture and her faith. The attacks in 2001 changed everything. "It is now so scary that we're going to be harassed because we are Muslim. It's a big fear that I have, but it will not stop me from celebrating or enjoying my religion or my culture." The challenge for Ahmad bringing up her daughters in Toronto centres more on their faith than the colour of their skin. The cultural trappings of their dress, their language, and their names are like ominous clouds following them wherever they go, she says. "By just giving your name, employers know you are Muslim and you may not get the opportunity," she says. And then there are the constraints that come from within Toronto's Somali community. "We are from a very patriarchal society. As a Somali feminist, I want to have a relationship where my husband and I are equal, where I stand beside him and not behind him. It has got me into trouble a lot of times, but I want to live in a relationship where I am a partner with my husband, not someone my husband has to take care of. "Most Somali men have a problem with that." Even so, she sees attitudes changing. "A number of the men who have been educated here want women as partners, too, so they can help pay off the mortgage quicker." Just as Ahmad is addressing the problem of black identity by working with immigrant women and being strong in her faith, Cooper is using her academic career to fight ignorance about Canada's black history. Her most recent book is The Hanging of Angelique (Harper Collins), the story of the execution of a rebellious black female slave. We're Rooted here and They Can't Pull Us Up: Essays in African Canadian Women's History (University of Toronto Press) is one of the first books she co-authored. "That book was written out of frustration because (the) black women in terms of (her) role in history was not there," she says. "We asked questions and we were told there wasn't much documentation and that wasn't true. We went and found the documentation and wrote it, to put black women's voices out there. "It is very painful to watch yourself being erased even as you are living." Cooper says all women need to work together and find those commonalities that help to define a more global and less race-defined women's culture. "Women all over the world still suffer from certain forms of oppression because of being female. I don't see my womanhood solely in terms of the oppression. I want to see it as something I celebrate." Source

Question: I was wondering if you could possibly help me resolve some conflicting issues. If God is All-Powerful, He must be able to prevent evil. If God is All-Good, He must want to prevent evil. But evil and suffering exist. How is it possible for God to be both All-Powerful and All-Good and still allow a world in which evil and suffering exist? I would greatly appreciate a response. Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. Dear brother, in Islam, thanks for the question you posed, it’s very interesting, and that is why we also try our best to furnish you with appropriate answer. In response to your question, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County and President of the Islamic Society of North America, states: “Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things (`ala kull sha’in qadir). The Qur’an has mentioned this hundreds of times. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah is the Creator and He is the Best Creator. “Glory be to Allah, the best Creator.†(Al-Mu’minun: 14) But then the question comes why do pain and sufferings exist in the world. We find sickness, old age and death. We see things that are ugly, people who are insane and foolish. There are storms, earthquakes, floods, draught and famine. We also see people commit sins, show disloyalty, unfaithfulness, greed and insincerity. We see people commit rapes, murders; they fight and make wars. We know all these and many more problems. There are evils caused by human beings and there are natural disasters. There are suffering for individuals and there are those that involve a large number of people. But we also know that this is not the whole story. Besides all these negative things, we also see beauty, health, prosperity, life, birth, wisdom, intelligence, growth and progress. We also see goodness among people, faith, sincerity, charity, love and the spirit of sacrifice. We also see a lot of virtue and piety. It is wrong to see one side of the coin and not to see the other side. Any philosophy that concentrates on one aspect of the creation and denies or ignores the other side is partially true and partial truths are no truth at all. It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well than those who starve. There are more that lead decent life than those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly. But then the question is why does Allah allow these exceptions to the rules? Let us ask this question to understand Allah’s ways in His creation. The Qur’an tells us that good, evil and whatever happens in this world happens by Allah’s Will (mashi’at Allah). Only Allah knows fully His Will. We finite beings cannot grasp fully His infinite Will and Wisdom. He runs His universe the way He deems fit. The Qur’an tells us that Allah is Wise and everything that Allah does is right, just, good and fair. We must submit and surrender to His Will. The Qur’an has not given us all the details about Allah’s Will, but it has enlightened us with the guidance that is useful and sufficient for us. There are several points that we should keep in our mind to understand this issue: 1. First of all, Allah did not make this world a permanent world. This is a temporary world and everything here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption. 2. Allah has placed a physical law and a moral law in this universe. Allah allows suffering to occur when one or more of these laws are broken. The physical law is based on cause and effect. Sickness comes if one does not take care of one’s health or is exposed to infections. A car accident occurs when one is not alert, or drives in a careless manner, or if the cars are not checked, roads and freeways are not made and kept in right shape, or the traffic laws are not right or not properly enforced. Study of causes and effects is very important to facilitate safeguards. Even here we should keep in mind that Allah often saves us and He does not let us suffer from every negligence. How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says: “(Allah) Most Gracious! It is He Who has taught the Qur’an. He has created man: He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; and the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), in order that you may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures." (Ar-Rahman:1-10) The way we exceed the measures set by Allah and violate His laws of cause and effect is incredible. It is really the mercy of Allah that we are saved. Strictly speaking, the question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence. The Qur’an says: “If Allah were to punish people according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His sight all His servants." (Fatir:45) But sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral. The Qur’an tells us that many nations and communities were destroyed because of their sinful lifestyles: “If they treat thy (mission) as false, so did the Peoples before them (with their Prophets), the People of Noah, and Ad and Thamud. Those of Abraham and Lut; and the Companions of the Madyan people; and Moses was rejected (in the same way). But I granted respite to the Unbelievers, and (only) after that did I punish them: but how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong-doing! They tumbled down on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected, and castles lofty and well-built?" (Al-Hajj: 42-45) 3. Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer. Prophet Ayyub is mentioned in the Qur’an as a Prophet who was very patient. Good people sometimes suffer but their sufferings heal others and bring goodness to their communities. People learn lessons from their good examples. Martyrs die for their faith, soldiers give their lives for their nations and this brings liberation and freedom for their people. 4. Allah sometimes allows some people to suffer to test others, how they react to them. When you see a person who is sick, poor and needy, then you are tested by Allah. Allah is there with that suffering person to test your charity and your faith. In a very moving Hadith Qudsi (Divine Hadith) the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Allah will say on the Day of Judgment, ‘O son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will say, ‘O my Lord, how could I visit You, when you are the Lord of the Worlds.’ Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was sick and you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me there?’ Allah will say, ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not.’ He shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I feed you and you are the Lord of the Worlds?’ And Allah will say, ‘Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was in need of food and you did not feed him? Did you not know that if you had fed him, you would have found that to have been for Me?’ ‘O son of Adam, I asked you for water and you did not give Me to drink.’ The man shall say, ‘O my Lord, how could I give You water, when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ Allah will say, ‘My servant so-and-so asked you for water and you did not give him to drink water. Did you not know that if you had given him to drink, you would have found that to have been for Me.’ (Muslim, Hadith no. 4661) Prophet `Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, is also reported to have said something similar. (See Matthew 25: 35-45) So to summarize, we can say that sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws. It is sometimes to punish those who violate Allah’s natural or moral laws. It is to test our faith in Allah and to test our commitment to human values and charity. Whenever we encounter suffering we should ask ourselves, “Have we broken any law of Allah?†Let us study the cause of the problem and use the corrective methods. “Could it be a punishment?†Let us repent and ask forgiveness and reform our ways. “Could it be a test and trial for us?†Let us work hard to pass this test. Believers face the sufferings with prayers, repentance and good deeds. The non-believers face the sufferings with doubts and confusions. They blame Allah or make arguments against Him. May Allah keep us on the right path, Amen! Allah Almighty knows best. Source: IslamOnline

^ Walmart. :rolleyes: Originally posted by the-urban-hang-suite: subxanallah just imagine if each one of them donated £1m to erase poverty in places like africa and south america... Africans (men) don't want to work (the older ones anyway). Focus on the young. Help those if you can.

LX, weren't you the one who, in response to Ahura, wrote the nonsense below? ...Aduunya-geddoon! Dumar baa maanta inoo hanjabaya! [smile] Saaxib, to say the least, there's a disturbing pattern in your words when it comes to women.

War ileen balaayo. So their raison d'etre is not their expressed mandate but to continue to exist? What about the people in whose name they collect all this money?

^ Got a Danyer-size helmet son? Yes? Wear it.

Somalia is indeed heaven-on-earth for NGO's. With all this "help", you'd think we'd be in better shape than we are, right? What if all of these organizations disappeared today? Would we perish? Would we thrive? I don't know but with this many organizations on the ground, they must not be very good at what they do since the shit looks like it's permenantely on the fan.

Danyer, forums are as good as those who contribute to it. It's not something we pay for and therefore we can't really ask for much. The way I look at it is I'm here to socialize with and learn from my fellow nomads. You know, people whom I share many things with. I'm also a bit of a troll ( ) and may see things differently. If anyone comes here for "stimulation" (mentally or otherwise) all the time, then they're up for a rude awakening. This a dynamic place where people come and go. Furthermore, and though there's a risk of topic and discussion saturation, events don't occur fast enough in the world to be constantly scrutinized here. So enjoy it while it's here but if it's not turning you on anymore, there's always Somalinet.

^ Don't be a moron. Your attitude is commensurate with your ignorance so hush.

They're supported in part by SOAP (The Somaliland Orphanage Assistance Program). Also the Amoud Foundation is involved. What a noble cause this is. Helping an orphaned person is the height of charity in Islam. The unnamed people who do this work deserve our utmost respect and admiration and if we can, our help. Edit: it seems Somaliland has many organizations working in education, health and other necessities. Does anyone know of similar organizations in southern and central Somalia? I'm wondering about coverage (and overlap), so to speak.

I'd lose the Women's section but only to do away with all the Polygamy adverts.

^ I agree with you but then how do you reconcile this with your admiration for Bin Laden?

Originally posted by Mr. Jibis: Dood Wadaag would have to be the least interesting to me, cuz it's all af-Soomaali....... You and 42% of the residents on this forum Mr. Jibis. Apparently, you're not the only foreigner around here.

It's not w3c compliant. Who is?

^ I remember that story too. I laughed my head off when I read about it. I think the lion killed him too. Obviously he was mentally unstable but it's interesting that you'd remember that story reading this satirical piece. Are you saying religious fanaticism is akin to madness?

^ I've not be "enticed" into supporting my kids. I'm doing it out of my own free will.

^ Well isn't that nice. Glad I could be of service. Dhank you, come again.

Originally posted by naden: Not at all. I mistakenly thought you meant 'sexual freedom within a marriage was haram'. That is what I meant. You were mocking me. :mad: