Salamu Alaikum Warahma, Couple weeks ago, articles with hatred and ignorance filled surfaced in this thread with my name stamped on it. The articles in question were posted under my NAME SOPHIST. My attention has been drawn to these issues when I came back to England from………., I regret my alias to be used by such a vile humans who went out their way to defile this dazzling name of a SOPHIST . I hoped and still cling to that hope; the chaps and chicks that frequent here would indeed see the difference style of writing between those articles and my habitual postings (though the person I suspect is indeed a Solicitor- SHAME ON YOU IF YOU ARE READING)nevertheles, that should not be a deterent. I hope the matter is elucidated as I was asked my close fraternities requested me to do. Sophist

Salaams, Akhii there is good book written with the same title by not so favourite of mine Muslim philosopher with the name of Ibn Rushd FAITH AND REASON IN ISLAM. or perhaps Magnum opus of Alghazali would do greatly in the matter Tahafutul Falasifa- The Incoherence of Philosophers. I hope these would help.

Salaams, As aloof as it may sound to some of us, this is an enchanting topic which begs a profound scholarship. I have indeed contemplated this issue more than dozens of times but due to my lack of great comprehension in Philosophy I have become beniguifed alas the whole thing seems nothing short of foolhardy!. Jamaal, walahi my fellow it would be great if some of us paid the required attention to this mater. Insha Allah, when I get back to Univ this Oct I shall endeavor to investigate the matter/. Sophist .

Simply delish! Thanks Siman.

What is written below is nothing short of one's sheer fabrication; nothing that resembles reality; indulge yourselves. ---------- I wept in my Room,Tears flowed from my Dry cheeks, Dry Cheeks are good, a sign of a healthy heart, I streched myself and Plucked the sky, Plucked sky is blue, a blue coat to wear. My weeping was painful, the Pain of my soul, Pain can be edured, edurance is what I Need Neediness has made me confused, confusion is my Guide; Guiding is what I desire, Desire is what burns me I sowed my seed, the Seed of my Sprit Sinful seed is red, Red as a guilty blood (I am soacked with guilt, the guilt of concious) But Soon soon will be gone, gone with the Wind And the wind the vehickle, the Vehicle of eternal life. ------------------------- Love's Procession is moving, Beauty is waving her banner, Youth is playing the trumpet of joy, Distrub not my contrition; My advicer Let me walk; for the path is rich with roses and mint and the air Is scented with cleaness Relate neither the tales of Bopodhari Nor the bashful culture of the Somalihood The bounty and the great is with God's glory Speak not of peoples and customs. not the musclinity of the Somaliness For I with vigour love my thee Go from me you impious of love, you are taking away life giving rep[entence and bringin needless words.

This must be average earnings, cause I know a New York Lawyer (Clifs and Chance—excuse the messed up name) earns nearly twice as the above mentioned figure; and guess what he has been practicing 3 years only.

Welcome to Hiiraan Online, Today is Saturday, August 2, 2003 © CRD Kenya's Special Envoy Mr Bethuel A Kiplagat. Issued in Nairobi 1st AUGUST 2003 Ladies and gentlemen of the Media, first I would like to thank all of you for coming to this Press Conference. I would also like to commend you for your sustained coverage of the Somali peace process, which is a good indicator of how you rightly view and evaluate the seriousness of the matters at hand. Similarly, I would like to convey my thanks to members of the IGAD Technical Committee and our international partners in the Somali National Peace and Reconciliation process for making themselves available. They are here in order to speak on any relevant and pertinent issues that may be better addressed by them as representatives of international organizations and governments who have played a critical role over the past nine months in seeking peace and reconciliation for Somalia. The IGAD frontline states - which were mandated to seek a solution for Somalia and the international community - have exhibited total support to the process. Indeed, the level of commitment by the international community in the provision of diplomatic and political support; and the provision of resources to fund the Conference is highly commendable. I believe that all these well-wishers of Somalia will continue to support the process until the objectives set out early last year by the IGAD Heads of State Summit in Khartoum, and endorsed by the international community - are realised. Aim of briefing: We are on course... The aim of this press briefing is to inform you about progress and gains so far made by the Conference and to highlight key stages of the process before we embark on the formation here in Kenya of a transitional, broad-based, all-inclusive, government. We are confident in our efforts that the government formed here will obtain prompt international acceptance and diplomatic recognition. Where are we now? We are almost at the end of the most critical phase of the conference - that is Phase II. I say this with some trepidation though with equal justification. In this lap, five working reports for the future government have been completed and adopted. These reports deal with the key issues which must be dealt with by the future government. They are: Demobilization, disarmament and reintegration; land and property rights; economic reconstruction, institution-building and resource mobilization; regional and international relations; and conflict resolution and reconciliation. Their completion and adoption is a major milestone by itself. These reports provide for the future government, almost instantly, with useful and handy tools to deal with the main and immediate tasks ahead. A huge amount of time, talent and financial resources were expended to delineate the plans and to formulate the programmes. I am glad to report that there is general agreement among the Somali delegates and other informed partners that the recommendations, which were approved by plenary sessions, represent a concrete and sensible approach to the tasks which were initially identified in Phase One and the priority areas. The Charter The sixth report- which actually was considered by Committee One is the Charter. I must report that it was and is the most contentious. It has caused some delay in respect of the Conference timetable. In a process of reconciliation, where it is essential to take on board opposing views, more time for reflection and reconsideration was needed. I am glad to report that we have distributed today the Final Draft Version of the Charter which will be submitted formally to the delegates tomorrow - Saturday. I believe you need a bit of background to this. The Charter committee came up with two versions. The IGAD Technical Committee in turn submitted the two versions to the Somali leaders committee for reconsideration with a view to obtaining a harmonized compromise version. After numerous meetings and consultations, the sticky points were identified and resolved. This provided for the historic breakthrough of the 5th July 2003, where all the Charter disagreements were ironed out. It was resolved that the selection of the members of parliament would be done by the political leaders - signatories to the Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities signed in Eldoret on 27th October 2002 - and politicians who were originally and officially invited by the IGAD Technical Committee in consultation with traditional leaders. I am glad to say that all invited leaders are here. There are two who have not arrived and they are on there way here. Similarly, 73 Ugases (traditional leaders) have arrived. I must emphasize here that all the stakeholders fully participated in all the deliberations. In fact, it was after all the concerns were addressed that agreement was reached. Now the stage is set for the Plenary to discuss and debate the Draft Charter. Some misunderstanding In the public domain, there are some incorrect reports which I suppose arise from oversight or misreading or lack of information on the Draft Charter. These need to be corrected. It has been broached that the issue of religion is not addressed. The Draft Charter in Chapter Two Article 10 proclaims: "1. Islam shall be the religion of Somalia. 2. The Islamic Sharia shall be the basic source for national legislation." A unified Somali State In a similar vein, there are suggestions that the Draft Charter is encouraging dismemberment of Somalia. Such an act is obviously in contravention of the UN Charter and repeated pronouncements of the Security Council; it is also the stance of the AU and the Arab League. In fact, the matter of a unified Somalia is proclaimed in the mandate given by IGAD Summit to the Technical Committee. This is what the Draft Charter says on this issue in Chapter One Article 2.0: "1. The unity, territorial integrity, political independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Somalia shall be independent, sacred, inviolable and indivisible. "2. The territorial sovereignty shall extend to the land, the islands, territorial sea, the sub-soil, the airspace above and the continental shelf. "3. Boundaries: The Republic of Somalia shall have the following boundaries. a. North - Gulf of Aden; b. Northwest - Republic of Djibouti; c.West - Federal Republic of Ethiopia; d. South-Southwest - Republic of Kenya; e. East - Indian Ocean." That is what the Draft Charter says. As you can see the boundaries are not only specified but are also defined. The primacy of the Somali language The language issue has also been embellished beyond belief. Suggestions abound that the Arabic language has been relegated or even worse in some reports - has been dropped totally. Here are the facts. The Draft Charter proclaims in Chapter Two Article 9: "The official languages of the Republic of Somalia shall be the Somali language (Maay and Maxaatiri) and Arabic. 2 The second official language of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia shall be English." Let me reiterate here, that the Conference is about the Republic of Somalia and not a section of it. And that is what my colleagues and myself are mandated to fulfill. Efforts have been made in the past to ensure that all parts of the country is fully represented in the conference. And as I speak, we have not relented or given up on seeking the participation of all parts, groups or representation of all shades of opinion. The parliament formed will be made up of all clans. On the issue of Ugases (Sultan, traditional leaders), 73 are already here in the Conference. The security issue is of paramount importance for Somalia and a major concern for her neighbours and the international community. The country cannot be allowed to continue to bleed. On this front, a committee - with the full support of the AU and the UN - is working tirelessly on security matters. Finally, ladies and gentlemen we are all looking forward to the formation of a transitional Somali government very soon which, with the help of the international community, will have the capacity to seize the enormous opportunities and goodwill under offer; and will wrench the country from the present state of despair and devastation. Ultimately the Somali people will determine their destiny through free and fair polls after the expiry of the interim dispensation which will be formed here. I hope as we enter the third phase - which will principally be about power-sharing - we shall have more press conferences of this kind so that we share in the joy of breaking good tidings to Somalis, Africans and the World. Now I invite any questions from you. Thank you.

Hey exceptional by nature (quite an assuming name), don’t let these foolhardy boys boil you up and binch up your big bouncy bloom. Though perfection is something that has ceased to exist in our mankind, but assuredly the above requirements are not something that can not be met. With sense of certainty I can assuredly tell you that there chaps who fill quite boldly in this description of yours- quite a pity both are emotionally pre-occupied. Yes I know, perhaps you might be thinking he allowed to marry four in Islam! With great assurance their loved one’s will go inanely insane if such ideas are entertained with their knowledge!. Now, let us what option is left! I believe what the old Somalis use to call Qudbosiro! And the vibes I am getting between the lines from your verses is that you would not fancy such a thing! So there you have it! The search must go on! Don’t falter, you will gain your desired companion that is if you fit the above descriptions yourself—alter the masculine attributes to feminine; have you got them? If yes then you shall attain your match if not then re consider it. Sophist Ps: I know you are kidding, so am I

Simply mouthwatering my fellow, you have far too long famished us your famous verses; I have enjoyed this one mate. Keep them pouring from that vertile mind of yours; though I must warn you no verbal condom in poetical intercourse!. Love baby Love Let the emotions guide you Wail baby wail Wail for the famished family Cry baby cry Crying is your only care Comely comfort has gone Ponder baby ponder For people have perished The pool of the souls is pealing Nothing short of pounce Grow baby grow Grow to be great Guide baby guide Guide all the lost groups

I am a chap not a chick; anyhow thanks the beautiful words ladies!.

What you give me-- Beautiful soft spoken words, that touch the very essence of my soul. Embracing my private fantasies, transforming them into reality. Finding and releasing my hidden passions, leaving my skin yearning for your touch. Impassioned eyes, that sear into my soul, and melt the world away. Bestowing upon me a love, that with every fiber of my being, I have longed for. Filling this void, this emptiness, with your everlasting presence. Looking beyond the physical, and seeing into the core of my spiritual being. Amiable, loving memories that I locked into my heart, to which you hold the only key. This dear is what you have given me. But now shall I sail to ever wondering land? Starting life with hopeful promise without you? The green postures full of life and wonder Finding peace and longing for pleasure Breaking this bond is insidious pain But pain is temporal and shall leave with no wound Relationship without love is like boat on a desert But love is chemical that can be re-engaged! This is what I tell myself for my daily prayers But you are the only one who can tell me OTHERWISE NOW Shall I choose the path which leads to our separation? Or shall I stay and swallow my pride in hopeful spirit? This my darling is decision you have to make!

Salaams, Good evening Samurai, My old chap, this anomalous but (to some) sacrosanct hostility tended to drive the good willing generation of federalist into alliance with the advocacy of this 'sacred' entity would only breed more obscure verbal condom in social intercourse that I am sure many would find it fervently intimate; thus my decision to observe from the above balcony and to witness the blood soaked virgin -intellectual virginity. As able red blooded man with immense ability, no help would be required from my part to break the feeble outer shell of such frail composition. My old boy, I am sure you will be riding the waves of logic only to COME on the mountain of elation with your satiated ferocity. My old chap, don’t stop to enchant us with you wit and logical ascethesim. Sophist

With delight I have read both of your arguments! Samaruai, my old chat, your retort is one that makes an utter senseI wonder where Mr oodweyne would join this circus! it should be an enchanting to read more of your arguments.

Zaylici! i laughed so hard reading your last post!i it reminded my state after just completing my class on Morality!. Brother, such an outragous remark dances on the fence of Islam! perhaps you don't think about the consequence!. I advice you to retreat or otherwise the sword of Mujahid will touch your flesh.

Divorce is an ugly thing; the most despised Halal thing on earth; unfortunately it is becoming an east thing to do within our society. We should treat the etiology not the symptoms!.

Socrates, i would oblige though i doubt many would find these thoughts agreable. Shaqsi, my fellow i hear your thoroughly.

With with whimsicality I humour you man!

Ninba Ceesaantii Ceelkeen. I think Ceergaabo should be the Capital city of Somalia. Sababaha aan ku doortey waa sabab layaqaano; nin ragina waa yaqaan doqonna waa moogyahay.

The New Saviour: Federalism- Or is it? The eagerly anticipated first child comes with divination defects; the childless parents accept it with much elation for they have got rid off their lament of not being equal to their other nomads. Conversely, the future of the child is bleak for they live in tenuously harsh environment that requires much of their attention. Attention that they can not afford to give as their nomadic nature dictates, hence within years, the very baby that they much wished to have becomes an economic burden. Such is parallel to this ill-thought Federal System. An idea because of its alien nature appeals to many of the Somalis who have gathered at the thirteenth Somali Peace Initiative in Kenya. One wonders briefly in hilarity (just before despondency gets its seat and is compelled with poignant pity) how such idea can be thought about and expected to work without much forethought in regards to Somali ‘political’ stature. Are we in the same position to those parents? The answer that comes promptly to my fervent mind is CERTAINLY we are; but almost as these positive words follow from my lips, the mind conjures up a question that beguiles it and induces to ask: Can we nurture such a child and give its most sought element which will sustain him? As a young man without much knowledge of this intricate issue, I shall dive into this controversial subject invoking the intellectual sentiment of the Somali Ruugcadaa (White kneed), with assurance they shall come with their sharp swords leaving me with great injury but without death; only to come back with finer ferocity.. In this brief and hastily written piece, I will reflect the federalism and perhaps shed light to its murky alleyways in order those for who walks after shall come to no harm. It is argued Somalia with its tribal (and the new division) and linguistic divisions that substantially coincide with territorial boundaries confront especial problems making effective unitary government to work. It is vulnerable to intense inter-group conflict, which leads hideously ghastly violence which in turn summons up some secessionist tendencies; the case of North-Western people of Somalia comes to mind. One institutional device intended to mitigate such injurious tendencies is Federalism. Of course, federalism has (and should have) other important goals and consequences and thus it have to be studied from variety of economic, social and political perspectives. Surprisingly, little research has been done on the effects of federalism in managing its effects particularly those third world countries. More so, the exact working of this system is little known amongst many Somalis who are currently rallying behind it. Thus, it is advisable to give it much needed definitions be fore we proceed into the main bulk of this piece. The root of the word federal lie in the Latin term foedus- Meaning convent or compact. Interesting root one might say considering the fact that a convent have to be voluntary. As Daniel Elazar explained more than a decade ago (exploring federalism, 1987) the federal process requires a “sense of partnership” and such sense cannot be imposed. This gives the partners concerned a sense of justice (I shy away equality which indeed quite problematic in political economy). Perhaps this is what Somalis need now. The current suspicions that are engraved within the respective tribes in Somalia might be resolved by federalisation; that is if the right institutions are at place. Now let us glance briefly at Federalism versus Centralism. Federalism versus Centralism Nancy Bermeo who is one of the few Political Scientists who gave the deserved attention to this phenomena argues that “Federal systems provide more layers of government and thus more settings for peaceful bargaining” Furthermore, they also provide at bare minimum the assurance of regional elites getting their hands on a greater stake in forthcoming political institutions; this is perhaps the driving force behind these pathologically power hungry bunch for their want of this system. With these political inducements one would expect fewer armed rebellions in federal states. This assurance tames the intense insecurity that that many of local warlords feel in their respective regions in Somalia. The minimum civil war within in federal states is illustrated below with comparison to that of centralist (unitary) states. . (Source: Ted Robert Gurr. Minorities at Risk: A global View of Ethnopolitical Conflicts, Washington, Institute of Peace Press, 1993) Table 1 - Measures of Accommodation Measures of All States Dictatorships Democracies Accommodation Federal Unitary Federal Unitary Federal Unitary Armed Rebellion 1.13 3.14 0.92 4.36 1.59 1.20 Political Discrimination 1.54 1.95 1.42 2.05 1.67 1.88 Economic Discrimination 1.33 2.00 1.00 1.79 1.61 2.24 Political Grievances 1.67 3.11 1.08 3.16 2.29 2.92 Economic Grievances 1.87 2.56 1.00 2.14 2.72 3.28 Cultural Grievances 1.96 2.32 1.73 2.41 2.28 2.20 The incidence of ethnic (tribal) rebellion is more than four times greater in centralist dictatorships than in federal dictatorship. The fear that there would be another dictator springing up somewhere in Mogadishu and coercing people of Hargeisa would seem quite farfetched in federal state according to the findings of the above MAR report. This is obviously one of the advantages federal state would provide and coiling mechanism towards such fear. But one wonders whether such fears can be assuaged without federalism. Can’t we introduce a governing system that would not invest all its powers in the capital but would delegate certain authority to its local states? Would such state be much preferable to federalism which has become the prime catchall term in Somali recent politics? I say recent because this ill-thought system was devised in Sodare by that arch enemy of Somalia. Would such initiator hope to restore the glory of Somalia? The forthcoming answer is filled with invective emotionalism of which many would find it a mere diatribe. The Role of Federal System The role of the forthcoming government seems quite murky. Thus perhaps it would be wise to consider the following questions that are yet to be answered clearly. Does the national government have primary authority over the local economy? Does it have the authority to police the common market? Do all authorities of the land, especially sub-national ones, face hard budget constraints How about the institutionalized control; is the allocation of political authority institutionalized? There are pacts of weakness (Federal State of Somalia), who is going to draw the map of the state borders, and what are their jurisdictions? What is the role of federal government? What is the role of these states? This system is going to be a source of all troubles. As you know this pact advances those groups that have established local administrations. What about those who haven't organized themselves or established their own clan administration? What does this pact say about them? Who decides, who is the state, and their borders/jurisdictions? These are some of the basic questions that any given state is obliged to consider prior to embracing the federal system. It seems such hastily prepared system neglects those fundamental questions with dismal excellence. The last question would have an incitingly inflammatory political and tribal conflict Is this the Choice of Somalis or is it Imposed upon them? History warns us the dangers of imposed federalism and indeed such warning merit a close attention. How can one reconcile the dour reviews of federalism in post-communist states with the decidedly more positive assessments elsewhere; United States comes to mind? Despite the economic structure of the comparatively different federal systems; one of the few commentators in this subject diligently argues that the origins of the two sister systems laid their eggs in different baskets. He points out that “in each of post-communist cases, failed federalism was the legacy of imposed rule and of a past shaped by dictatorial party”. The countries that broke away from the former Soviet Union has their federal status imposed upon them by the very “odd empire” (the latter word can be analogous to certain neighbour country with similar legacy) cantered in Moscow at the End of World War II (Putting together Federalism, Alfered Stephan, Oxford, 2001). Almost all the federal systems that split apart or turned toward centralism were imposed by an outsider influencing the domestic political structure of the given country. Like the systems that collapsed in post-communist Europe ( other countries that come to mind are: Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Libya, Malaysia-Singapore) these failed federal cases are all examples of a subtype that the Somalis can learn from. These empirical evidences give strong finality that federal agreements must be based on domestic covenants if they are to survive. These failed cases also reveal a gruesome commonality. Each failed federal state that gave birth to secessionist civil war was either outright dictatorship or an inchoate regime led by unwise leader. Throughout of the modern political history there were no violent separatist movements that have ever succeeded in federal system based on covenant. Although that there is much that remains unknown about federalism and its effects in third world, it is clear that the successful management of territorial cleavages in Somalia has a great deal to do with political institutions. The necessary institutional supports that are needed are both wise and federal. But this is just the beginning of the answer. There are great institutional variations within federal systems that can make the difference between failure and success, including (but not confined to) such technical and political issues as the design of the electoral laws, the timing of the election, the drawing of the state boundaries, this later issue would be a politically seditious. If this federal system that is proposed is going to be based on tribal territories where are we going to draw the boundaries? Since there are regions that are inhabited by different clans (Sanaag and Mudug, to mention couple where the capital cities of these two regions are divided to two different clans) how such a proposal going to divide these regions? It seems that these leaders are venturing into unknown waters, I wonder if this goes wrong what would be the consequence. Nigeria got its institutions wrong the first time and lost more than one million people to civil war as a result. But in Nigeria’s wise leaders then took a resounding action to reform institutions; meaning federalism has done more to relieve or contain secessionist pressures than to stimulate them. If these ‘political leaders’ are to adopt federalism voluntarily, they will have to know which institutional variations suits Somalia best. This is where one legitimate question comes to mind; that is whether the Somali people have been given the choice? With clarity, that is not the case. This whole thing had been propagated by the Somali’s historical arch-enemy. This does not mean federalism in its puritanical anatomy with wise governing can not work, why adopt a system that is stemmed from one country that desire your destruction. Concluding Thoughts The federalisation system that is proposed for Somalia is not a panacea and federalism is not guarantee of peace or of anything else fort this matter. However, there are undoubtedly situations in which such options should be spurned. Yet it is important not to reject federalism for spurious reasons, and it is historically inaccurate to argue that it brings on separatism and disunites the country. But one has to question it is applicability in Somalia even though, this piece briefly illustrated federalism can work; I am persuaded that it can work in Somalia with right institutions. However, I am left sceptical of the potential complications of this present proposal. A painful experience teaches us that anything that is not thought about fully fails. Skill and forethought are two elements that need to be cultivated before such a mammoth task is to be undertaken. I suspect the existences of both these elements are in paucity state. Once more, we the younger generation shall await and see whether that defected child is taken out of his parent’s environment to better place where he can grow healthy and lead promising life or whether he is bound by fate!.

Xaliimo, My darling innately everyone loves thier family, tribe. So there is no reason why should not love your tribe.

MMA@lol

I just woke up, and experience educates me that I normally conjure up murky statements which the reader find it mystifying to say the least- so I shall beg your pardon for anything that might need elucidation. Oodweyne, Assumption is the result of acidy brain and as such I just leave those comments which you draw above to be nothing short of what tickled your fancy. Maykey, Brother, I have the highest regard for the riverine people; I have concur (to an extent) with your argument that the nomadic environment makes Maxaa tiri people warlike. But one wonders whether this is oversimplification? You argue that I have brushed May people off as insignificant! That is really made me livid (a sentiment which I seldom get) because it is entirely untrue. Any tribe that resides in Somalia is equally significant to the rest of the gang. My premise was that language difference will give rise to more divisions amongst our people. Besides, I am still not convinced that May is not Somali. If I generated any misunderstandings, I beg your pardon; it was not my intention to procure any hostilities from your camp. With finer ferocity I give my apology. Sophist NB: Being fluent in English is not measure of one’s knowledge, it is just a language; it just currently happens to be the language of education. Besides, yours is cut above; don’t be dreary my boy; enjoy the ride. Illimatic, my forcoming article will be dealing with the issue of Federalism.

Salamu Alaikum Admin Walaalayaal waad kumahadsan tihiin inaad fulisaan sharciga bini aadameed ee aad udejiseen wesbsite-kan. Laakin waxaan aad ula yaabanahay in ey idin dhibto marka aan isticmaalo Garre (maha qabiiilka laftiisa) luqad ahaan. Xusuusteyda ayaa ilaha hartey markaan kahadlayey arinkan oo aan si tixraaceed u isticmaaley garre luqad ahaan, marka qabiilka iyo luqadiisa waa isku mid. Sidaas daraareed ayaan u isticmaaley magaca qabiileed ee aad igu heysataan. Mahadsanidi marlabaad. Sophist

not convienced today and tommorow as long as I am missing my land.