Are you still trying to cement down your ideas of reconciliation, surprised that they are reaching no where!

^Does that mean you agree with what the author has written?

JB - runta sheeg ninyohow, how do you know that it is, as you say, your birthDAY. Geed hoostiid baad ku dhalataye, bilaha iyo maalmaha baddooda intaad ka baxdid, runta iska sheegoo guga tirso. Abaarihii Dabadheer, hanfida iyo kulaylka la arkay, waa taad wax soo sahmin jirteye

Originally posted by LANDER: Secondly if you have no problem calling ppl qåldaan, than you should have no problem having ppl call you 'wålawayn' or 'Fåqash' or 'Midgån' or whatever. If you think these words don't equate, than perhaps you should step back and wonder if your being objective, as far I'm concerned they are all the same. If you don't agree I'd sure like to hear why. Lander, your assertion that the terms ******, ******* and Midgaan are all one and the same is ill-conceived to say the least. The earliest known use of the term ****** was during the reign of Barre’s regime whereby his soldiers were known by the name, be they of any clan, as some people have mentioned before. The reason this term is associated particularly with the Puntlanders and D-tribe is because of Barre. ******* is a term coined after the civil war erupted and people began to blend together and since the migrants from the south could not understand the Northerners, they called them ******* because of their dialect. Though both ******* and ****** are considered ‘pejorative’ terms now and used primarily by uninformed young people to describe Somalilanders and non-Somalilanders respectively, there is nothing offensive about both the terms. Another term also considered offensive and one which has been used throughout history (poetry) to describe Somaliland tribes has been ‘******’ – the reason and meaning of which some of you can enlighten us on. ‘Midgaan’ however is the name of a tribe which has been spitefully associated with some negative connotations, all of them unfounded and farcical. It has now become a swear word with an impression of contempt about its tones. ‘Midgaan’ is no more offensive than say H/Y, H/J or H/A. It is just another tribe.

Oodweyne, You must have heard of this Gabay. Bal inoo fasir, muxuu abwaanku ka hadlayaa ayaad is leedahay? Gabadh caana nuugoo Gugan maanta dhalatoo Dhul gurguurad mooyee Garanaynin socodkoo Gosha lagu xambaaroo Hayaanka iyo geeddiga Awr loo gureeyoo Gaadiid la saaroo Misna guudka dabatoo Garka aan furaynoo Debcinayn garayskoo Guurguurka noloshiyo Godadkii isdaba yiil Isku garab maraysoo Goormaan lammaanaan Ama lay gelbinayaa Taladeed ku gaw tidhi Waa xaal gurracanoo Gurranoo la yaablee Waxaan uga gol leeyahay Ruuxii gartow sheeg. Geel aan irmaan iyo Gabno iyo candhooliyo Madi guuto deeqdiyo Gaaniyo horweyn iyo Awr goola wadannoo Gaban daadahaynoo Gallad ciddi ku qabinoo Lala gelin hadhuubkoo Geedaha aqoonnoo Garow loo bisleeyoo Geeslow Biciidkiyo Garanuugta seenyoon Loo soo gabraaroo Misna guul-darraystow Ganac loo wardheeroo Cidi gaadhi weydoo Ninna goosan waayoo Dhaqankiisu gaar yahay Waa xaal gurracanoo Gurranoo la yaablee Waxaan uga gol leeyahay Ruuxii gartow sheeg. Waayeel godoodoo Gacalkii ku duuloo Guluf weerar saaroo Gamcihii dhiigii Gororshoo ku maydhoo Ma hadhooyin geystoo Misna loo garaaboo Godob reeb la siiyoo Inan loo guddoonshoo Gudbiyoo is dhaafshoo Gocor aan xil hanan iyo Nin labaad u guurshoo Ka gabbaati qaatoo Yidhi gaari maahayn Waa xaal gurracanoo Gurranoo la yaablee Waxaan uga gol leeyahay Ruuxii gartow sheeg.

GJ - Ina adeer, ma diin baan u dagaalna mise dhul? As for the captured territories, what can we, from here, do to help?

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: Labo X , to abandon the demands of shariicah implementation, for now, over a divided people in a failed state would be an easy compromise. To abandon qabil rivalry would be much, much harder in my mind. One is thing for certain though, as long we have the kind of mindset some brothers promoted in this thread, Ethiopia stands to prevail. Ethiopia does not stand to prevail – on the contrary it has everything to lose. Ninkii dhoof ku yimid bey geeridu dhibeysaa Yaa Xiin, your calls for reconciliation, though good, are not the only solutions to Somalia’s problems and certainly not achievable now. It is the final straw that is needed, but before reconciliation many ground-building googol-xaaris work needs to be done to pave the way for reconciliation. With the current state of affairs, reconciliation will not work for several reasons. First though, we must establish the dichotomy between what is practically possible and what is only plausible but impractical in theory. Reconciliation is possible, at the moment, only in theory. In practice, it would be nullified by lack of mutual understanding and reciprocated notion of what reconciliation actually entails. The greatest hindrance, as you have mentioned, is Qabiil. And the elimination of tribalism is something very much unlikely to happen in a society whose foundations lie with Qabiil. In assessing the person, a man will make all sorts of discrimination, consciously or unconsciously, based on his tribe, way of talking, marriage customs, and of course the prevailing perceptions. It is inevitable and mechanical. As soon as I speak, my birthplace is detected from my tone. As soon as a man from the far Duruqsi converses with one from Sheerbi each learns of the other’s lineage. They don’t have to tell each other – their dialect does it. One talking to a Southerner or a Northerner would automatically detect their origins. Dialect itself has become a sort of discriminatory feature. And it is this sort of discrimination, springing from language that is evident throughout Somalia and abroad. The basis of all tribal conflict is and has always been a case of ‘us’ against ‘them.’ The ‘them’ is an entity with multiple facets and variations, each depending on whose viewpoint is projected. A puntlander’s ‘them’ would be a Somalilander and vice versa; A Northerner would refer to ‘them’ to sort out their problems when questioned of the southerners; the Southerner will refer to ‘them’ when asked of secession. The discrimination doesn’t stop there, it is built up of a hierarchical structures delving deeper into clans, then sub-clans and sub-sub clans, each claiming legitimacy over the other. And it is these manifest differences that reconciliation alone cannot change. A new way of thinking is needed altogether. If reconciliation is to be achieved through unity, then what we need is a new Paradigm Shift – and that has to be a new set of perceptions to counter the old deeply-rooted notions of Qabyaalad, not merely the rectification of pre-existing perceptions. Unless this shift in perception is attained, the inevitability of tribal discrimination continuing to corrode the hearts of the coming generations cannot be overlooked. If you have stagnant sewage water forming a long puddle over a land, you cannot cut a small stream of pure water to cut across it. It will get polluted as they intermix. So let’s forget about the stagnant ideas and stagnated minds of late (the old perceptions) and dig up fresh streams, untainted by the impurities of Qabyaalad. Is that possible? Call me pessimistic, but reconciliation would simply not work under the current circumstances. We, as Somalis, are not prepared to see things they way they really are. We are looking but not seeing and that’s why this shift in perception is needed in order to allow us to see things more clearly. Underlying all this though is the fundamental issue of Islam and Islamic Shari’ah, which you argue we should compromise for the time being, until reconciliation is obtained. True, we cannot have secular governance functioning in parallel with Shari’ah law, just as we can’t have democratic governance alongside a dictatorial regime – exact opposite laws with equal validity cannot govern a country. So which one goes? In my view, from an Islamic perspective, to abandon, or even entertain the notion of abandoning, Islamic Shari’ah is flawed. And it is this that will see about the downfall of Somalia and depravity of her people, taking along with them the very last remnants of hope. What you say, good ol’ Xiin, is what we all know. “Something is wrong, let’s fix it.” How? ‘Reconciliation’. You have offered a solution that does not take into account the thinking process, the analysis process, the other alternatives and the procedures involved in bringing about that reconciliation. Every problem has a cause. Remove the cause and you eventually remove the problem. And since we all know that the root cause of all our problems is Qabiil, and you concede that it is much harder to root out, shouldn’t our efforts then be directed at finding ways to sort its problems first rather than outright pleas for reconciliation? Shouldn’t we employ a bottom-up approach to tackle the grassroots of the problem first than trying, in vain, to pioneer reconciliation?

Mufti condemns Israeli decision to demolish historic mosque near Jerusalem Jerusalem – Ma'an – The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein has condemned a decision by Israeli authorities to demolish the Al-Omari mosque in the village of Umm Tuba near Jerusalem under the pretext that the building had been built without a license on Sunday. Sheikh Hussein told Ma'an that the mosque was built more than 700 years go, and it was last restored in 1963. It is the only mosque in Umm Tuba. The Mufti claimed that Israeli authorities have been attempting to wipe out historic Islamic sites in Palestine which is violation of all religious values and international treaties. He warned of the repercussions and called on the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which is charged with protecting human cultural heritage around the world, and other international organizations to prevent the demolition of the mosque.

Originally posted by xiinfaniin: 1- If Ethiopians are staying in Somalia for another year, what approach should Somalis take? I.e. Should Somalis stop resistance for the time being as everyone is dying according to you? In the face of a united somalis, Ethiopias would be worrying about thier own stability and would not be insisting staying on our soil. That does not mean they wouldn't frustrate our efforts toward unity. But even if Ethiopians decide to continue thier occupation after somalis had politically reconciled then you would agree with me whatever somalis decide would be more effective than the half measaure strategy some are currently employing. [/b] Agree! Originally posted by xiinfaniin: 2- Should they unite first, reconcile and then fight the good fight against the occupiers? Yes. They should remove thier political differences through compromise, revive the organs of their state, and prepare themselves the regional challenges that await them. Ok. If implementation fo this is practically possible and Somalis can unite under one banner, then I am all for it. Originally posted by xiinfaniin: 3- Should Alshabab and I.C.U abandon demands for Shariah law and join and compromise with a secular government? Yes. Absulately. And I know Courts would compromise on this. I dont know about al shabaab though. ...Is this the Paradigm Shift you are advocating for brother Xiin - to abandon the demands for an implementation of shari'ah governance? A compromise with a secular government, you say, is the alternative? And are you aware of what you are compromising? And then you go on to say that: peace and stability (political and economic as well) are prerequisites for sharicah governance! Ok, and who do you suggest would be bringing about their existence and who would implement them? Yeey and his Ethiopian cronies or the Islamic fighters?

Originally posted by Isseh: I get so many 'ari boowe, soo Boosaaso ma aadan joogi jirin, mise walaalkaa!' hahaha! Ari boowe Bari laga raysay! Anyways, Indina Muro = Kool Kat Naema Baafo = Nephthys Faraah Faarax Faaraxow = Tuujiye Magacya xumaa dadku, miyaa laga iibiyey!

Waryaahe JBow Meesha ama join garey ama hana diirane na daayoo khadka nooga bax!

Aduunyoy Xaalkaa Ba'! Waar xolahayga ii daaya! Marc, i was expecting a video too sxb! The next suggestions for a video: - Generation gap between the young and Old in the Diaspora - raising educational awareness among the school children - The Somali Single mother phenomenon or even - Somali girls in London (this would be a hot topic, i tell ya!) I can almost envisage the reactions to the last suggestion (or even change it to "London Somali girls with Bidde Boys"), what do you think? Just a suggestion.

^ it's a pseudonymn ina adeer.

Soomaalidu waa Sunta hargaha ayuu shiinuhu yiri. As for me, none of my family (except for some distant relatives)has ever had a passport - not even Somali . They were never in want of a passport to traverse the wilderness of Sanaag, you see. I had an uncle who held a British passport during the 1940s/50s but that he relinquished as soon as Somalia became independent. He bought several hundred camels and retired in Somalia. Now it is my turn to do the same thing...

Adigu Lo'jir baad tahay JBow, Geeljire ma tihid hadde

For all those in the Diaspora who wish to learn about their heritage or the Geeljire's equipped with knowledge about the Somali customs, culture, traditions and heritage who would like to educate others about the Hiddiyo dhaqanka soomaaliyeed please join the Somali Nomads group. If you have any related photos/videos please post them too so we can all learn about our culture.

Too many SOLers are still hiding...

Masha-Allah Libaan. May Allah increase you in Cilm akhi and keep you firm on the straight path. I have truly enjoyed reading your story brother and look forward to the third part. Allahu Akbar!

^ dadka haku afuufin waxaa heedhe. Actually it was a great evening!

See you there tomorrow Insha-Allah! Here is the Facebook page.

Mr Marcus Smith beat me to it! Admin, Delete this please!

Somali Nomad

Originally posted by Nephthys: Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the name "****" the madhibaan's of Siyaad Barre's tribe? The term ***** refers to a group of people who predominantly reside in the areas between Baardheere and Gedo. No one knows for certain who they truly were/are. Theye originally used to be clased as the derogatory *****/Madhibaan. After the murder of Ugaas Maxamad Da'ud, from which every single *****-tribe took blood money from them, it was announced that all ties with them should be severed. And so it happened. It was only during Siyad Barre's rule, some hundred years later, that Mr. Barre himself declared that the **** in fact belonged to his tribe and were then re-instatd back into the society. As for Kismaayo, I think we all know who that degaan belongs to. The indigenous people of Kismayo were rooted out through a Sytematic Displacement Process of the natives. During the height of his power Jaalle Siyaad began the process of Displacement and planted his own seeds in the fertile lands of Kismaayo, thereby gradually replacing the inhabitants with his own. Mataanaha was his big foot standing firmly in kismaayo and his brother was in charge. History attests to that. The surrounding villages such as Buulo Xaaji, Xaliima Cadey and all surrounding villages and islands are all occupied by their native owners. After the civil war began, the Gedoans, along with the muscle of other tribes began spreading into Kismayo, making it their fortress. They've resided there and clinged to it, building their houses and businesses, and leaving Gedo in ruins in the process. [ February 02, 2008, 01:45 AM: Message edited by: Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar ]

Geed baa waa godin laamihiisa lagu goynayo u gabyey oo yiri,Godinyahay, gobolkay hadii aadan ahayn ima garaacdeene. Xaalada Soomaaliya maanta is not much different. Inagaa u yeeranay bey ila tahay. A famous Urdu poem goes something along the lines of: Mujhe to apno ne luta, gairo mein kahan dum tha, meri kashti dubi wahan, Jahan pani kam tha A rough translation of this would be: I have been defeated by my own where did the outsiders have courage? my boat has sunk there where the water was shallow

^ Paragon wuu qulqulay