“To those who have lost hope”

[Malika]

Aye Ghanima, I was one of those who partially shared Red Sea sentiment, although I did not literally give up hope, which would have contradicted my belief in God and his Mightiness. I think it took to see the hypocrisy of our people when in fact they portrayed themselves as Muslims but yet they continued to harbour extremely hostile thoughts and had sustained away of thinking which a contradiction to Islam is and being a Muslim. In reality it is a long way to go to bring the society back together, to co exist without having to resort to the extremes we had seen over the years. I didn’t grow up in Somalia and is of those whom were lucky enough not to have been subjected to the cruel reality of war, especially the kind of war that Somalis were subjected to. One where your neighbour turns against you, an uncle turns against his niece and so forth.

 

I grew up holding Somalis to being the most wonderful people; filled with false pride I paraded my Somaliness where ever I go. Only to have the bubbles busted, my pink tinted glasses smashed. To see the ugly truth had been hard to swallow, avoiding them wasn’t the answer, how is one to avoid one self eey!

The constant negativity that we seem to be living in is a painful thing to observe.

 

How is one to help a whole community rehabilitate? One thing we all agree on is Islam, but do our people really understand what it takes to be came an Al- Muumin? What does it mean to believe, to live by and die by?

 

I had struggled with the community for many years, until of recent where I handed my notice to several organisations. I often think we are like a sinking boat, despite of a few trying hard to bucket the water out, it just seems like the water comes back two folds. BUT regardless it’s the right boat to be in. I am not handing over my Somaliness yet, am just taking a breather. Enjoying my new British status..Lol. I know I can never jump ship all together I just need to find another way to reach out and also support those like minded people within the community that are doing good for the people.

 

So should we start our own organisation, one that promotes brotherhood and sisterhood despite the difference of clan, region?

 

That’s my rant for 2007…

[-Serenity-]

Ghamina, I think there comes a time when one has to evaluate their life and what they hope to get out of it. Unfortunately for some of us in the west, that path in life doesn't include spending humongous amount of time and energy in a country, where the daily reality doesn't effect us in the least, especially when one has to live their own life and have their own personal/family ambitions to fulfill, and the people who live there do not wish to be their own vanguards. In most of the examples you cited, the people who the status quo effected directly became pioneers for change. Its less motivating to do something for our people more than the monthly allowance we send back, simply because Somalis in the west have their own reality of life in the west to deal with. What can one really do externally for people who don't buy humanity or reason? And whose greatest strength is reserved for bringing down all thats progressive? Come on! You know this is an inherent Somali quality.

 

Where Somalia is concerned, there is little Somalis in the west can do, unless they are willing to move lock stock and barrel and become part of reality on the ground. I've yet to see many volunteers on that front. But it seems a lot of people sleep better by convincing themselves they are ready to do something.

[Jacpher]

A mu'min is supposed to turn any situation to his advantage and never gives up hope on his creator.

 

Speaking of hope in Somalia and its people, the analogy of the hadith of the double deck boat sailing in high waters comes to mind. If the upper deck were to provide water for their counterparts in the basement and they refuse to do so. The lower deck crew would go ahead and poke a hole in the floor, thus flooding the boat and sinking them all in the end.

 

All good things said about Somalis; they fall short on Amr bil-macruuf Wa-nah canil Munkar. Regardless the circumstance or place, qabiil takes precedence over the common good & welfare of the society and deen. Allah doesn't change people until they do.

[Ibtisam]

The problem with writing long threads, is you have to be willing to follow it up. I was high (on sugar!) when I wrote all that, my god!.

 

Blessed why the name change, what happened to Syria? And Oh thanks Don’t mind Ngonge, I expected nothing less from him.

 

Ngonge, :rolleyes: what is so dirty about being nice to Ghanima? I think it suits you, try it now, and then.!

 

Farah Brown Lool, HAHA. That’s all kuulaah, I will ask Ngonge to give you a few sessions.

 

Pujah Lool, well for you safety I hope you get your Ookiyaael soon.

 

Urban I’m going to look around and send you something inshallah.

 

Che and J11 :rolleyes: seriously, you too are so miserable! And of course misery loves company

 

JB you are always online, how can you not have time to read? I assume you read everything!

 

Bob, Dabshid, Red Sea, Dhulqarnayn -alSumaale You are more than welcome.

 

Val I think she gave you the wrong information my dear, I did not gang up on her with anyone. The two each went off on a rant and ignored me for two hrs, while they tried to reason with each other, every time I tried to speak, they cut me off, ieeyaaga uubaa iisuu muuqaade! But they were not listening to each other so each one was sulking after. P.s. can you be a little positive

 

Khaina Right on, the kind of response I was hoping for, and don’t worry everyone takes a break from madness, but do let us know when you are back.

 

 

Nephy Yes, I understand and I fully agree that “Silence means acceptance” both of their rule and their actions. That is the idea, now send the idea into the masses, what methods to use to get the message there does not matter, it just matters that it gets there…soon.

 

Serenity and Jimcaale I will write you a response when I feel cheerful and my brain is working.

[Blessed]

^^^I've missed this nick.

 

Syria in 6days... *dreams*

 

p.s You won't beleive where I'll be staying at in Palmyra..

[NGONGE]

^^ When you arrive at the airport make sure you give the officer that will stamp your passport no more than a hundred liras (if he's a colonel you may want to increase it a little).

 

Nice place, nice people.

[Blessed]

^LOL. I was hoping that saying 'meeax, kateer' to everything would get me by.

 

How much is hundred liras in dollars?

[Ibtisam]

Ngonge she has to pay $35 regardless of who it is colonel or not and exchange $30. Ngonge "hundred?" I think you mean "thousands"

 

Blessed, I hope you know you will be robbed and over charged for everything, from tea to toothbrush. Now stop hijacking my thread!

[Blessed]

^Sorry! Lets go to Sharmaarkes.

[Cara.]

Nicely written Ghanima. Just remember, some people have it and some don't. You obviously have it. Me, I'm going to vote for you

 

Ngonge, talk about damning with faint praise. But you got it completely wrong this time.

[Urban]

~Blessed~, 100 liras is 2 dollars/a quid.. take ngonge advice and pay up.. 200 Liras should do the trick tho.. otherwise they'll send you to 5 different offices, or worse, tell you to just 'wait there' and fill useless forms. And if you're goin to tsay for more than 2 weeks, extend your visa from emirates.. you don't wanna go to 'jawazaat' trust me.

 

Thanks for the link too, i think i've seen the work before, but i just didn't know who the artist was.

 

~Ghanima~ What kind of stuff are you gonna look for? Please send them anyway.

[Kashafa]

There's a scene in the movie Braveheart where the rag-tag Scottish army is facing off against the superior forces of the English on the plains of Stirling. Once they see the English armoured horses(equivalent of modern-day tanks) and their endless numbers, the Scots get demoralised and start to leave, one by one. Enter William Wallace, who delivers a thundering speech and rallies the Scots to "stand and die" rather than "run and live"

 

The kooky Irishman then tells him(comically): "Fine speech. Now what do we do?"

 

Marka, Ghanima, the question of the hour waxaa waaye: Great speech. Now what do we do?

 

How many Somali conferences are held year after year in the Hiltons and the Marriots of the world that purport to 'Save Somalia' ? The outcome ? Hathal. Words. Booto. Kalaam Kateer. We've gotta get past the hypothetical, the verbal, and the theoretical and embark on a course of action that will get things done. On the individual level. On the group level. On the national level.

 

And it can be done. Action is what is required.

 

17 years of fake conferences and 'wada-hadal' produced two disastrously failed entities, the TNG and TFG. During those 17 years, hundreds of million of dollars were spent, consumed, given, and stolen in bribery, theft, and corruption, all in the name of 'dawlad-nimo' and 'qaran-nimo'. Tuugo oo weligood xalaal arkin ayaa wadankee loo dheebay. Compare and contrast to the vanguard of the Islamic Courts of Somalia, who managed to accomplish in the span of 6 months, what all those tuugo(statesmen,warlords, traditional power structure) couldn't get done in 2 decades.

 

You ask for a vanguard ? They are already on the ground. They wait not for 'unity' and 'consensus' or the apparatus of a government. They are acting, while others talk. They fight and frustrate the occupying enemy, while others call for surrender and capitulation.

 

All must join in this effort and each must contribute according to their capabilities. The actual fighting is just one facet of the campaign to liberate Somalia. We need technocrats capable of mapping and executing ambitious plans that would provide jobs and develop our natural resources. We need effective and articulate P.R. people to convey our message and platform to the world. We need negotiators. We need nomads with the technical know-how. And the list goes on.

 

It is my conviction that my generation is up for this challenge. That the salvation of the Somali people and the resurrection of the Somali state will be at our hands, Allah willing. No longer will we cede ground to the morally-depraved traditional power structure who have turned my country and my people into their playgrounds, carving out lil clan fiefdoms, printing money like copy paper causing rampant inflation, and selling away our ports and our natural resources as if they owned it.

 

No more. This is our time.

[Kashafa]

Some practical points nomads can do to effect change on the individual level:

 

 

--Dig a well for a village: I did some basic research and the cost of digging a water well is under $2K. Better yet, invest in a portable well-digging machine, which can then go from drought-stricken village to drought-stricken village and access deeper water reservoirs that traditional wells can't.

 

-Sponsor an Orphan/Family: $100-$200 will provide for the food, clothing, and education of an entire family for a month. Say you sponser an family with no bread-winner. 100-200 bucks is nothing and can be blown away in 5 seconds on a night out. The key tho is to sponser them over the long-term, not just a month here and there. Consitency aa la rabaa.

 

-Educate and inform your elected representative about the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa. Tell them about the occupation, the genocide, and the resulting IDPs who are cut off from food and water thanks to His Vileness Abdul-Zenawi Yusuf.

 

-Study a field where you can actually contribute your knowledge and skills back home, whenever an opportunity to serve presents itself. This rules out majors like performance arts and space technology. Urban design/planning, Engineering(all types), and Agriculture for example, would be very very beneficial.

 

And there's alot more. One thing we should not do is become cynical skeptics or take a fatalistic 'Woe is me, what can one person do' attitude.

 

Somalia has turned the corner and there's no going back.

[-Nomadique-]

Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. - Chinese Proverb.

 

 

Good stuff Ghanima.

[-Lily-]

Interesting.

 

I think we shouldn't forget that a huge chunk of the Somali population lives on the kindess and genorosity of their brethen abroad who send them money every month. It was only last year I read that in Minneapolis alone $75 million was sent to Somalia over a 5 year period.