^I think he is mostly right but I found 2 quotes rather ridiculous: There is no African, myself included, who does not appreciate the help of the wider world, but we do question whether aid is genuine or given in the spirit of affirming one's cultural superiority. Please! Those in need of help don't give a damn at the motives - just that they are getting help. Such esoterics are frequently the domain of the black elites rather than the ordinary folks. Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth. 'Fair'?? As in special concessions which then perpetuate what he lambasted as an effort to 'save' Africa. No - his prescription is faulty. Africa needs good and decent leaders who have the well being of their societies at heart.

Stop Trying To 'Save' Africa By Uzodinma Iweala Sunday, July 15, 2007; Page B07 Washingon Post Last fall, shortly after I returned from Nigeria, I was accosted by a perky blond college student whose blue eyes seemed to match the "African" beads around her wrists. "Save Darfur!" she shouted from behind a table covered with pamphlets urging students to TAKE ACTION NOW! STOP GENOCIDE IN DARFUR! My aversion to college kids jumping onto fashionable social causes nearly caused me to walk on, but her next shout stopped me. "Don't you want to help us save Africa?" she yelled. It seems that these days, wracked by guilt at the humanitarian crisis it has created in the Middle East, the West has turned to Africa for redemption. Idealistic college students, celebrities such as Bob Geldof and politicians such as Tony Blair have all made bringing light to the dark continent their mission. They fly in for internships and fact-finding missions or to pick out children to adopt in much the same way my friends and I in New York take the subway to the pound to adopt stray dogs. This is the West's new image of itself: a sexy, politically active generation whose preferred means of spreading the word are magazine spreads with celebrities pictured in the foreground, forlorn Africans in the back. Never mind that the stars sent to bring succor to the natives often are, willingly, as emaciated as those they want to help. Perhaps most interesting is the language used to describe the Africa being saved. For example, the Keep a Child Alive/" I am African" ad campaign features portraits of primarily white, Western celebrities with painted "tribal markings" on their faces above "I AM AFRICAN" in bold letters. Below, smaller print says, "help us stop the dying." Such campaigns, however well intentioned, promote the stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death. News reports constantly focus on the continent's corrupt leaders, warlords, "tribal" conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation. These descriptions run under headlines like "Can Bono Save Africa?" or "Will Brangelina Save Africa?" The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization." There is no African, myself included, who does not appreciate the help of the wider world, but we do question whether aid is genuine or given in the spirit of affirming one's cultural superiority. My mood is dampened every time I attend a benefit whose host runs through a litany of African disasters before presenting a (usually) wealthy, white person, who often proceeds to list the things he or she has done for the poor, starving Africans. Every time a well-meaning college student speaks of villagers dancing because they were so grateful for her help, I cringe. Every time a Hollywood director shoots a film about Africa that features a Western protagonist, I shake my head -- because Africans, real people though we may be, are used as props in the West's fantasy of itself. And not only do such depictions tend to ignore the West's prominent role in creating many of the unfortunate situations on the continent, they also ignore the incredible work Africans have done and continue to do to fix those problems. Why do the media frequently refer to African countries as having been "granted independence from their colonial masters," as opposed to having fought and shed blood for their freedom? Why do Angelina Jolie and Bono receive overwhelming attention for their work in Africa while Nwankwo Kanu or Dikembe Mutombo, Africans both, are hardly ever mentioned? How is it that a former mid-level U.S. diplomat receives more attention for his cowboy antics in Sudan than do the numerous African Union countries that have sent food and troops and spent countless hours trying to negotiate a settlement among all parties in that crisis? Two years ago I worked in a camp for internally displaced people in Nigeria, survivors of an uprising that killed about 1,000 people and displaced 200,000. True to form, the Western media reported on the violence but not on the humanitarian work the state and local governments -- without much international help -- did for the survivors. Social workers spent their time and in many cases their own salaries to care for their compatriots. These are the people saving Africa, and others like them across the continent get no credit for their work. Last month the Group of Eight industrialized nations and a host of celebrities met in Germany to discuss, among other things, how to save Africa. Before the next such summit, I hope people will realize Africa doesn't want to be saved. Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth. Uzodinma Iweala is the author of "Beasts of No Nation," a novel about child soldiers.

Originally posted by Naden: what is the goal behind matching verses about creation with ongoing scientific research that may or may not be refuted? People who believe in the Quran don't need twisting of verses to the point of breaking to believe it is from God. What if some knowledge in embryology, physiology, astronomy, physics, etc...is refuted (as it surely will be), what happens to the Quranic verse that allegedly revealed this knowledge 1400 or 2400 years before? This need to constantly show that the Quran is not a hocky book, written by a long-dead Arab man, is pathological and fraudulent. Believers read the Quran receiving comfort and guidance; seldom do they need one more shaky, pseudoscientific interpretation to validate their belief. It's not a case of matching. It's a case of pointing out after scientific research has proved certain phenemena that there are unusually striking similarities to verses that have been revealed in the Quran many centuries ago. And we are taught that the signs of God are everywhere around us even in his holy book the Quran. The Quran is a book of guidance as well as knowledge. Its scope should not be restricted to the purely spiritual as your post seems to imply. As to what will be refuted or not - most cases of 'science' in the Quran I've seen are after the fact as I've stated. And as a Muslim - I believe nothing in the Quran will ever be refuted. I thought that was a rather straight forward part of the deal when one signs up for this course offering

Originally posted by Naden: what is the goal behind matching verses about creation with ongoing scientific research that may or may not be refuted? People who believe in the Quran don't need twisting of verses to the point of breaking to believe it is from God. What if some knowledge in embryology, physiology, astronomy, physics, etc...is refuted (as it surely will be), what happens to the Quranic verse that allegedly revealed this knowledge 1400 or 2400 years before? This need to constantly show that the Quran is not a hocky book, written by a long-dead Arab man, is pathological and fraudulent. Believers read the Quran receiving comfort and guidance; seldom do they need one more shaky, pseudoscientific interpretation to validate their belief. It's not a case of matching. It's a case of pointing out after scientific research has proved certain phenemena that there are unusually striking similarities to verses that have been revealed in the Quran many centuries ago. And we are taught that the signs of God are everywhere around us even in his holy book the Quran. The Quran is a book of guidance as well as knowledge. Its scope should not be restricted to the purely spiritual as your post seems to imply. As to what will be refuted or not - most cases of 'science' in the Quran I've seen are after the fact as I've stated. And as a Muslim - I believe nothing in the Quran will ever be refuted. I thought that was a rather straight forward part of the deal when one signs up for this course offering

^Ina adeer Somalidu waa rude. That's the way we were born. It's time to accept our great culture as it is, warts and warts. PS - Af Somali waa kaabadiya. Mandhey is qabo.

^Sure sure Aaliyah. You know the deal homes.[insert some more incomprehensible Rudy talk signifying you're down wit it]. PS - Singelinimo was a bait and switch - CC wanted some attention - and now that ppl have - her wicked soul is laughing.

M - we don't work - we collect welfare checks big time. It's what we're famous for. It is 3 pm here - no one is getting back from work - what little of it we do that is.

^GJ - you've got to work out the quote thing - it's hard to follow what's happening up there.

^War hedhe - ya waxaas ku weydiyey? I'm sure you have a picture of a smiling A/Y hidden under your bed just in case

^Oh my! Some knows their way around the NCR. Na hedhe maa shegtid - you're in O-town. As for my Italian - I have an how you say, flair, for languages. I will have to sprinkle in my Spanish, Arabic and Japanese.

^I am dear - Go on - Spill it. Get it off your chest

Kids are a bovver - send them off at the earliest possiblity I say. Boarding school at age 8 I say.

^LOL - I concur with that. Was speaking to a girl who was out in Regina - and she kept bigging up the place with comments like - Sareenta ugu badan Kanada ayey soo saraan etc.

^Merci FB - mainetenant je comprehends

I think I get it - Rideau as in the Shopping mall? Is that rite? And if so - modo is Italian not French. And I'll have you know my French is far from caato. You just concentrate on differentiating French from Italian Damn one is a disadvatage when people know where you are and you don't know where they are.

Now it's my turn: "Ridue" hoosteda kuu baratey :confused:

^I don't think so. It's not long enough :cool:

^And did you see this conspicous white light KK? Only 10% of cases report this phenemonon. Not sure what to make of it. Muslims have a definite view of what happens at death. Near death is something that is not mentioned.

^LOL FB - how can you know not know? You are truly behind the fashion. Modo = a fashion modo-da = the fashion

Africans and their predeliction for cults of personality. I think there is a direct inverse correlation between the number of pictures of the head of state one sees in a particular country and the state of its people.

P - how about a charming ode or some wieghty words of wisdom from moi? Can one expect anymore worthwhile gift than that really?

^Don't listen to FB - modo-da runta ma yaqaan. CC - stik to that VCR - don't give into the man.

^You must be rich. Why don't you buy two and let me have one

^Don't take it so personally - selective memory is a given with Somalis.

^Well speak of the devil I guess you're too busy building those networks these days.