^The base closure is fine - it's that the UAE is abusing Canada with the new visa rules. And the Canadian government shouldn't take it lying down. Time for retaliation. As MMA says - Air Canada sucks. Why protect a carrier that offers poor service and high costs?You would assume a Conservative government would be pro free markets and competition but strangely enough not. This Conservative government seems hapless on the foreign policy front. A little while ago they got slapped down at the UN and lost a Security Council seat for the first time. Experts are blaming Canada's failure to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council on its foreign policy, not political division, a day after Tuesday's surprise loss in New York. Paul Heinbecker, Canada's former ambassador to the UN and a leading critic of the government's foreign policy, said many of Canada's decisions -- including decreased African aid, its support of Israel, and its stance on climate change and peacekeeping -- are unpopular with the international community. Still, Heinbecker said, it is a painful loss. "It's a big disappointment, and it's a shock," he said. Stephen Harper's government faced criticism early on for not having a cohesive foreign policy. In 2006, Harper attempted to bolster his foreign policy credentials, boasting "Canada's back, as a vital player on the global stage." Ngonge - at least in a democratic country - you would get a little debate, even behind closed doors. Government officials in the Arab world seem to make many decisions on whim and tantrum.

^I believe the Kenya thing was because 4 members of the royal family got stopped at the airport and detained because of terrorism suspicions. And then a little while later comes the decision to restrict Kenyans' entry into UAE. That's what happens when a country is governed by decree.

Time to get tough on those hairy ba$tards. Recall the ambassador! The too nice, don't ruffle any feathers Canadian way has been seriously abused. Man up Canada.

UAE imposes new visa requirements on Canadians Gloria Galloway Globe and Mail Update Posted on Monday, November 8, 2010 4:30PM EST The United Arab Emirates will soon require visas from Canadian visitors – a move that appears to be the latest salvo in a dispute between Canada and the wealthy union of Persian Gulf sheikdoms. A notice posted Monday on the website of the UAE embassy in Ottawa says: “Effective January 02, 2011 Canadian Passport holders will need a visa.” Currently, Canadians and travellers from 30 other countries including the United States, Australia, France, and Japan may enter the UAE with nothing more than a passport. The UAE embassy could not confirm Monday whether Canadians had been singled out for the visa requirement. But Canada has been engaged with the UAE in a dispute over landing rights at domestic airports that has cost this country its secret military supply base in Dubai. Canadian troops were forced to pull out of Camp Mirage last week in retaliation for the federal government’s refusal to allow UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways to land more often at Canadian airports. A Conservative official has confirmed that the closure of the base will cost an estimated $300-million and the Canadian government is still trying to find a replacement for the hub that was the main supply point for the military mission in Afghanistan. “The Conservative government’s incompetence has turned minor problems in Canada-UAE relations into a crisis,” said Paul Dewar, the Foreign Affairs critic for the NDP. “This is an unprecedented step that will have a major impact on travel and business between Canada and the UAE. Last week, it cost our military $300-million to scramble out of our base in the UAE – now this. The government has to be held accountable for its failure to maintain what used to be a strong relationship between Canada and UAE.” Fen Hampson, the director, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said the fight between the two countries has gotten out of hand. “This is unwarranted escalation of a low-grade trade dispute,” Dr. Hampson said. The UAE is trying to make Dubai a global hub and is using the state-owned carriers to take on the competition, he said. Likewise, he said, Air Canada, which opposed granting more landing slots to the UAE planes, enjoys various forms of indirect subsidies. “This is a battle of national champions in that our government is defending the interests of Air Canada and the UAE is trying to take on Air Canada in what are potentially very lucrative routes to its part of the world,” Dr. Hampson said. But the UAE may have shot itself in the foot if the visa requirement deters Canadian visitors, he said, because whenever a country engages in retaliatory actions it should ask if it will hurt its own interests more than those of its opponent. “Dubai is suffering as a tourist destination,” Dr. Hampson said. “The economy is not doing well there. A lot of investment is leaving. So it’s a place that’s on the ropes. And, if you have differences with Canada on this issue, you should keep negotiating. You don’t resort to linkage tactics of the kind that they did with the airbase.” The Canadian government had been using the base for free for nine years. But leaving is complicated – there are huge logistical issues including moving equipment and now having to factor in fuel costs for the longer routes between Afghanistan and the alternative bases in Germany and Cyprus. Link

All of this Sayid manshallah is premature. Unless he has kids who are 14 and above (which I suspect not) - and they're good - he doesn't yet warrant all this praise Back to the topic - I think even if you had bad parents after a certain age (ie 18/20) - you have choices to make and you do that as an individual. Unless you are mentally deficient you generally know what the right choices are. Parents are to blame for several things though: 1- Lack of father figures and broken families. Even if the family is not broken the fathers are strangely absent and unaware about their kids especially boys who are much of where the problem lies. 2- Choosing to live in bad nieghbourhoods. This is not due to poverty - it is a choice. You have families on welfare and the govt will give them welfare in small towns where there is less crime, gangs, drugs and where schools are likely in better shape. Why do so many Somalis live in Toronto when they can their welfare check in Muskoka? I don't understand that. Why not go to a better environment for the sake of your kids? 3- Absence of the tough parenting required in this permissive society. Parents need to be much more involved in their kids lives otherwise society and the environment where we live will lead them down the wrong path. You have to push your kids to do well, you have to get them to occupy their free time in positive things etc. It's wierd the choices so many Somali young adults make. We all know gaalo ppl who smoked and drank and were sexually active in university or college but they seem to know what their priorities are ie education, job, apartment. Why do young Somalis seem to smoke, drink, whore around and also get no education, get shot or killed or go to jail?

^It's a different case. It's a war zone. Many of these things are to be expected. This is America - land of riches and the American Dream etc. You don't need to do that. And the article says that most of their money was made from credit card fraud etc. So the whole prostitution/trafficking thing was for fun/to be gangsta.

I don't know what happens in Boston - likely a haven of licentiousness! But selling a 13 year old girl from your community over and over to old perverts for pocket change is shocking to regular ppl.

^Have you not seen in many families - one or more kids succeeding and one or more kids failing or in jail. Why is that if they have the same parents? After a certain age - an individual determines his or her own path in life.

^Seriously? You're blaming parents for a grown azz person accepting 'free' tickets from her drug dealer 'friend'. If she cared what her parents thought she would've told them. Instead she hid the whole thing from them. Seriously! Come on now.

I bet they thought -- it's weed ; it's Jamaica mon

Some family members openly questioned why some of the suspects were arrested at all. With community activist Omar Jamal as his translator, the father of one defendant vehemently denied the charges. "The kids have initially been intimidated through aggressive interrogation by police in St. Paul," said the man who identified himself as the father of Abdullahi **** Afyare. "As religious people, we don't believe in engaging in sex trade The brother-in-law of another defendant said he was shocked to hear of the charges against his relative. "What I believe is he didn't do nothing," the brother-in-law said. "I don't know where this came from." Outside the courtroom where his pregnant sister, Bibi Ahmed Said, had just made her first appearance, Abdi Said denied his sister's involvement in a sex trafficking ring. Bibi Said is charged with attempting to influence the testimony of somebody who was going to testify to the grand jury. Whenever things like that come to the front - the denial always pops up from family members and other ppl in the community. It's too hilarious.

It's amazing to me what the 'servant' chose to subject himself to for money/prestige. What kind of human being willingly does that. I hate how a large portion of Arabs, particularly Gulf Arabs, bow and scrape before 'royalty'. Dulli.

I think this ruling was a mistake for the precedent it sets. There is a difference between being technically within the legal limits and missing the spirit of the whole body of Islamic law. As far as we know, this man didn't seek help from friends, family, imams, professional counsellors etc before resorting to hitting his wife for the purposes of 'discipline'. Allowing an easy route of 'discipline' by hitting, even where it leaves no mark, is not within the spirit of the Prophet's [PBUH] teachings. While it may be sensationalized to mention that people will think up new ways of beating their wives without leaving a mark - in theory you have left that door open and angry/sadistic people don't necessarily have limited imaginations.

Should start a Somali Crime Watch thread where all this stuff can be posted. I think it is best not to blame the 'community' for this. If individuals who knew this was going on chose not to report these crimes - the fault lies with them. Why blame a community, some of whom probably had no idea, for this? Community is an easy scapegoat that masks one's avoidance of personal responsiblity.

^Agreed. I wonder at the nonsensical cliches of pride, accomplishment and service bandied about. And it's not as if those folks had no choices - they chose to join an entity that wages war on Muslims. Though sometimes these 'kids' are hopelessly naive... I was taking an Arabic class a few years ago and there was a semester end party - and then a 19 year kid revealed he was in the reserves and was looking forward to going to Afghanistan. Then I asked why he was taking an Arabic class - he thought they spoke Arabic there and didn't find out until halfway through that is was not the case.

The Colony The tsunami of Chinese commerce is sparking tension and even violence in some parts of Africa. The past decade has seen Chinese economic growth explode across the world and the Chinese economic miracle seems to reach into every imaginable area of manufacturing and natural resources. Filmmakers Brent Huffman and Xiaoli Zhou traveled to Senegal in West Africa to explore the onslaught of Chinese economic might and its impact on long-standing African traditions. In the following account, Huffman describes the making of their film The Colony and the issues behind it. In pursuit of personal profit and less competition, large numbers of Chinese are migrating to Africa - which they perceive to be a land of untapped opportunity and potential. In Dakar, Senegal's capital, small Chinese businesses are flourishing in a rapidly expanding Chinatown. With The Colony, I aspired to tell a completely personal story from both key perspectives, the Chinese and the Senegalese, and to look at two seemingly opposite cultures thrown together by economic opportunity. I also wanted to see how Chinese immigrants were making Africa "home" and how this process was changing the unique landscape of the continent. But neither side wanted to speak to me on camera at first. I was an outsider to both cultures being a white American with limited Mandarin language skills and no French or Wolof ability. After several frustrating days of searching Dakar, we found Khadim Mbengue, a young, well-connected small business owner. He turned out to be very vocal and angry about the Chinese encroaching on his retail business with their cheap low-quality goods. He is also a local head of UNACOIS-JAPPO, one of the biggest Senegalese retail business associations. Khadim not only became a charismatic main character, but also led us to other voices representing the Senegalese perspective. Access to the Chinese community was seemingly impossible on that initial trip. The overseas Chinese in general are very distrustful of all foreign media. No international news stories I had seen before were able to do any extensive interview on camera with a Chinese worker or business owner in Africa. In these stories Chinese were usually seen in wide shots from far away. Due to the distrust of the Chinese, I was forced to come back a second time with a Chinese fixer. By then Xiaoli, after dozens of international phone calls, had secured endorsement from the Chinese embassy in Dakar. Once this official door was open, I was able to gradually reach farther into the community. I felt very lucky to be able to film intimate scenes with some of the Chinese living in Senegal. Through capturing their way of life and mingling with them off camera, I saw a vibrant group of people who are determined and flexible enough to compete anywhere in the world. Conquering a new world Small Chinese businesses have been expanding and growing rapidly across the African continent. Upon arriving in Dakar and more recently Liberia, I was shocked at how visible the Chinese presence in these African countries is. Many African nations are mired in hopeless economic prospects, yet in these places the economy was booming for the Chinese. With the Chinese, unthinkable growth was possible even in countries long abandoned by the West. Cranes, enormous dump trucks, and construction equipment of all kinds baring Chinese logos and imported from China could be seen feverishly building late into the night. And workers brought over from China can be seen overseeing all aspects of construction. There are Chinese restaurants serving genuine Chinese cuisine everywhere. During my second trip to the country I lived on authentic steamed fish and dumplings. Chinese goods like cars, motorcycles, pots and pans, shoes, pesticide, clothing, plastic toys, etc., are very popular among local consumers. Everywhere I looked I saw evidence of Chinese activity in Dakar from large-scale fishing companies and stadiums to toothbrushes and cheap jewellery sold on the street. Once I was able to gain access to this community, much of what drives them was revealed to me. The Chinese let me in to their homes and their lives. I was able to disappear into their world. What surprised me most was the Wild West kind of vibe shown in the attitudes of the Chinese in Senegal. This was the new frontier for them and they were the new cowboys conquering this new world. These young pioneering men and woman threw caution to the wind in their bold adventure. This young vibrant Chinese community was reminiscent of the fiction films of Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhang Ke like Unknown Pleasures and Platform. These were not the conservative shy people of my wife's generation in China. These were outspoken, rebellious, and ambitious youths proudly displaying their brightly dyed hair and trendy low cut clothing. These young twenty-somethings drink, smoke, and sing loud karaoke as they complain about the day's events. Suspicion and hostility Although there is communication between the two sides at a certain level, it is rather limited. Despite various differences in language, culture, and work ethics, the Chinese are not making enough of an effort to integrate into Senegalese society. Although the Chinese businesses have brought some benefits to the local low-income consumers, their overall presence is viewed with suspicion and hostility by many Senegalese. In Dakar, there seems to be relative peace between the two groups and a kind of reciprocal economic relationship, though most of the money made is on the Chinese side. I fear that if the hostile backlash in the business community keeps growing, a violent inciting incident, like the murder seen in our film but on a larger scale, might occur. Such an event would further polarise the two communities and could potentially end friendly collaboration. I foresee the Chinese will have to eventually ramp up private security, a practice already in place in some African nations, in order to protect their investments. Link

Originally posted by Geel_jire: ^ marka hora is deji walaal part of my post was in response to you and part was to prevous posters. first of all the things you claim that the 'west' has done for you .. are all material things and I think you are exagerating a little bit or you need to work on your self confidence. anigu waan idin la yaabanahay but it must be because we have different backgrounds I did not grow up here nor was I educated here except for grad school which I paid for so I have a different perspective. waxaad cuni lahayd iyo meeshaad mari lahayd are all written before you were born .. and shukr is due to Allah & none else. I dont know about you but I am a contributing member of society I pay taxes, thus the education, safety and services you refer are things I am entitled to and I dont feel I should be grateful to receive. I chose to live here, but I could have taken my edcuation, knowledge and considerable skills elsewhere. nothing has been given to me on a silver platter. what I own or have accomplished are due to the graces of allah and my hardwork and I dont owe the west or anybody else my first born just because I live here. anyway this discussion has gone in an entirely different direction than intended and it is the last 10 of ramadan .. marka hadalka badan aan macno lahayn ma wanaagsana sidaas darteed anigu sheekadan waan ka baxay sidaa iyo nabad gelyo For the topic at hand - Ngonge has said all that needs to be said. What I don't understand is the line of thinking above. Walaal - all thanks is due to Allah first and foremost but there is a hadith along the lines of ~ one who is not thankful for the kindness of his fellow man is not truly thankful for Allah's blessings. It seems to me notwithstanding all your hard work - you were offered the opportunity to realize the fruits of your hard work here. What countries in the Muslim world take up refugees and immigrants on a regular basis, allow them full rights as citizens and let them pursue the economic opportunities available and let them freely practice their religion? I am thankful to the system these 'gaalo' set up(and implicitly the 'gaalo' themselves) that is closer to justice and kindness than what passes for it in the vast vast majority of Muslim countries. And that has given me and countless other Muslims opportunities that 'fellow' Muslim countries denied.

Ramadan Kareem everyone. Anyone fasting on Wednesday in North America? Apparently the moon is not sighted here in NA and in my city the official word is Thursday is the first day of the fast.

There was an article about this in the NY Times a while back: A fatwa free-for-all in the Islamic world By Michael Slackman Published: Monday, June 11, 2007 CAIRO — First came the breast-feeding fatwa: It declared that the Islamic restriction on unmarried men and women being together could be lifted at work if the woman breast-fed her male colleagues five times. Then came the urine fatwa: It said that drinking the urine of the Prophet Muhammad was deemed a blessing. For the past few weeks, the breast-feeding and urine fatwas have proved a source of national embarrassment in Egypt, not least because they were issued by representatives of the highest religious authorities in the land. For many Muslims, fatwas, or religious edicts, are the bridge between the principles of their faith and modern life. They are supposed to be issued by religious scholars who look to the Koran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad for guidance. While the more sensational pronouncements grab attention, the bulk of the fatwas involve the routine of daily life. In Egypt alone, thousands are issued every month. The controversy in Cairo has been more than just embarrassing. It comes at a time when religious and political leaders say there is a crisis in Islam because too many fatwas are being issued and many rely on ideology more than learning. Link

^Ultimately it doesn't matter if one agrees or not - since the scholarly consensus is what should be the guide. Personally - I think he's more right than wrong. If you have someone who is Muslim in name only and performs none of the acts of worship - why should they be treated differently from one who officially leaves the religion and apostasizes? It would make sense in the case of treason only.

Seriously it would be nice if there was a letup if no ban - dadka qanjiradoda ma daalan miyaa.

^There is no 'solution' to not getting comments like this. But there is a way to respond to comments like this so as to curtail them. You can keep a cool head and not tolerate nonsense. That was what I was advocating. Many times platitudes are given in response which only leads to more questions like this. Additionally - in a town hall like this - you have to do the prep work beforehand. You have to talk to sympathetic civic groups and encourage them to attend; you have to speak to nieghbours and friends who know you and the Muslim community and will come to support you; you have to make sure your own community turns out and intervenes with on point questions when some want to disrupt the proceedings. And you as the organizer and leader of the town hall must have the skills to keep the conversation on track and must be able to say if needed: I won't respond to the question because it has no bearing on the matter at hand because etc. At some point you have to recognize that prejudice can't be debunked - you simply don't tolerate or respond to statements of prejudice. Period, fullstop. Hope this sufficiently clarifies my position to you.

^LOL. Serves them right. Edeb daranaa.

Funny thread.