^^Hodmaneey kiro ma waarto and sooner or later kharashkaa kugu go'ayo hadaad afar-lugoodle usoo lease-gareysid. Marka waxaa loo baahan yahay mid laga nasan karo oo aan jaqjaq badnayn .

Lol@Shayma... Lol@[a] qaloocda . Very inventive af-soomaali wallee. Waxaadse iigu duceyneyso Allaha i barbar mariyo yarta. Mid waxaad iigu duceysaa habeenkii ila dul taagnaata koob caana ah while I serve SOL oo i tiraahda ...'walaale...waxay waxan aad qaruurada ku xarxariiqeyso' . Ana waxaa oran lahaa 'walaale...waa wax sida shaaha hablaha looga mamnuucey la idinkaga mamnuucay...hablaha wey ku indha beelaan iftiinka qaruurada ee walaale ka jeedso' . Nepthys...alloow balaayada na hareer marin. Tu igu tiraa gaw maleh illaa aad igu dallacdo 'afar-lugoodle-maxaashe' dhiig kar ayey keentaa

[There might be some spelling mistakes. Do forgive me. Written it in such a hurry] IN THE LAST seventeen years of the civil-war, Liban always hoped that somehow one faction would rise to power and would defeat all other competing factions, strongly subjecting them to law and order. When it was at first reported that the UIC had arisen to supremacy, and had taken over entire Mogadishu, he felt sure that law and order would finally reign. However, having realized the strength and commitment of some in their support for clan Warlords, he couldn’t help but feel slightly pessimistic about the UIC’s religious cause. Somalis by nature, he thought, strongly support clannish causes over all other causes, including and especially, religious causes. This was not only Liban’s deductive reasoning and his brief observation of his community, but was a fact that has a strong validity. And it was that he was previously not willing to admit. In his belief of natural goodness of human being, he optimistically convinced himself that the majority of Somalis were good deep down. When the tea kettle was readily boiled, instead of making his favourite cup of tea, Liban didn’t have any energy left in him to pour the hot water in the cup he held. Sluggishly, he left the kitchen and laboured towards the direction of his bedroom. Upon the standing beside the bed, he dropped himself on it and lay there with many thoughts whirling in his mind. Why, he asked himself, would my people hold such great enmity for their fellow members? Is seventeen years not enough to make them realize that clannishness is like sowing salt with no harvest to reap? These questioned repeatedly confronted him till thinking became painfully unbearable. Exhausted by burdening concerns for his people and country’s plight, he gently closed his eyes and dozed off into the oblivion of slumber. -- Nurraddin, after a contemplative walk, was now entering his home. He immediately went to his wife, who was in the kitchen, to kindly request not to be disturbed by anyone. He asked her to keep the children away from his study - as he has very important work to do. And as usual with Jamaad, she accepted her husband’s request. Nurraddin promptly went upstairs to his study and locked the door and settled on a chair facing the window. Down below the window in the middle of a suburban road, the neighbour’s older children innocently played football. He observed them kick and toss the ball energetically, celebrating whenever one team scored goals against the other. The more he observed, the more he visualized his two children happily playing football in that same road, when they grow old enough. To see them grown into happy individuals has been a fantasy he has always dreamt of. In a sudden consciousness, he suddenly stormed off the chair he was sitting on, screaming, ‘what on earth was I thinking?’ His scream was loud and violent that it startled his wife in the kitchen. ‘What happened honey’ screamed back, slightly petrified as ran up the stairs. He immediately rushed to the door of the study which directly faces the stairs and reassuringly shouted ‘oh nothing has happened, honey, nothing’s wrong’. By that time she was near the study’s door, ‘are you sure, honey, are you ok?’ she asked. ‘Yes honey, I am sure. It is nothing, trust me’ he told her and kissed her on the forehead, telling her to go back to the children. Before he could close the study’s door again, the phone starts to ring, but instead of answering it, he nervously paces to and fro between the table, on which the phone rested, and the window he was previously sitting near. He kept looking out of the window and to the road, where the children played football and again at the ringing phone. In that moment, it seemed as though the window and the ringing phone promised two entirely different futures, of which he wasn’t sure which one to choose. The phone rang for almost five minutes and each ringing felt as if it was piercing sharply and deeper into his brain, until he could no longer withstand it. Desiring the ringing to just seize, he yanked-up the handle by total impulse and placed it on his left ear. A brief ear comforting but yet nervous silence filled the atmosphere, which was broken by the caller’s hesitant ‘hello!’ ‘Yes, hello!’ responded Nurraddin asking ‘who is calling?’ ‘It is Abu-Zakaria calling from Mogadishu. May I ask who I am speaking to?’ returned the voice on the phone. ‘Nurraddin, you are speaking to Nurraddin sheikh’ confirmed Nurraddin. ‘Brother, as I informed you in our previous communication, I am calling you in reference to the recommendation of trusted brothers who’ve pointed out that you would of great asset to the noble cause we in which are involved. God-willing, we want you to play your role in the duty helping our people and country….’ Nurraddin, after hearing what Abu-Zakaria is suggesting interrupted him and asked ‘brother, I am flattered that the good sheikhs of the UIC think I am an asset to the cause, but to be honest with you, I don’t think I am well equipped to play any role in the struggle. I am sorry but that is the reality’ retorted Nurraddin. Abu-Zakaria paused for a while before responding to Nurraddin and started explaining ‘Oh Akhii, don’t under-estimate yourself like that. I am certain that, without a shadow of doubt, you are exactly the sort of brothers can make or break the cause. Brother, none were equipped to do what we did. It was simply necessity that brought us the victory we have today and each and every one of us has a religious and national duty to maintain it. So, brother, please tell me you are ready to become part of a victorious history in the making’ pleaded Abu-Zakaria. Nurraddin didn’t know how to reply to this but sputtered out a faintly voiced agreement. ‘Jazaakallah, brother, thank very much’ said Zakaria and urgently went into the details of duty to which Nurraddin has been assigned. ‘Listen now, my beloved bother, it has been decreed by our good sheikhs, due to the fact that you have been known to have a good reputation for being well-spoken and informed, that you become the UIC’s spokesman in the United Kingdom. We have thought about the consequences which this position would entail, and in order not to jeopardize you and your family’s life, we have determined that you would not face any dangers by becoming our spokesman in London’ narrated Abu-Zakaria and continued talking. All the while, Nurraddin nodded his head with an uneasy agreement. Already he was going into mental state of psychological readiness, and gathered together thoughts about how he would carry out the duty of being a spokesman. Although he was never been involved in direct political engagement such as the one expected of him by the UIC, his imagination was mapping out the responsibilities, challenges and expectations of the role to which he has been charged. ‘I need full information urgently, brother’ interjected Nurraddin, ‘pass me all the literature, manifestos or the mission statement of the UIC. I need that. How soon can you deliver such information to me, brother’ requested Nurraddin. But Abu-Zakaria did not respond quickly. It took him sometime to speak. ‘Nurraddin, brother, brother’ he stammered, ‘I am really sorry but we have no such information…none of us compiled anything close to the information you are requesting. All the time we were busy fighting not writing and we were hoping that you would help gather information and write literature for us. This is why we contacted you’ revealed Abu-Zakaria. This revelation came to Nurraddin as a shock. ‘What do you mean? You mean in the whole two months of your rule you have prepared no literature or information of any kind to educate the public and the International Community? You mean there isn’t even a single person who knows how to write?’ exclaimed Nurraddin with dismay. Abu-Zakaria frankly responded, ‘none amongst us is a man of letters in English, brother, we only write Arabic and we have ready information only in Arabic, Nurraddin. What we are in utmost need of now is English literature for Western educated brothers and sisters such as you.’ All of a sudden Nurraddin’s assigned role assumed a great importance and responsibility. Unable to find the right words to say to Abu-Zakaria, Nurraddin scratched his head and forced few sentences past his throat ‘Ahem, brother Abu-Zakaria, I didn’t imagine the role I have been assigned will entail such great seriousness and responsibility. By God, I don’t even know where to begin now. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say and to be honest; I would need some time to think through all you are asking me to do.!’ Realizing that Nurraddin is now feeling heavily burdened, Abu-Zakaria gently responded with ‘I am sorry, Akhii, I can imagine we’ve burdened you greatly but you are among the few people we can turn to. I hope Allah will reward for all your noble contribution, and now I will give you the time you need to think, for a week. Remember brother time is not on our side so please try your best.’ Nurraddin thanked Abu-Zakaria for calling and bid him good bye. This ends the first chapter Second chapter coming up soon...

Northerner, you might be aware but here is another short story I am entertaing in the blogosphere. Till tomorrow, Insha-Allah. Part 1 - Fleeting moments and confessions Part 2 - A play with emotions Part 3 - The punishment of missed chances ...and still continues ...

Lool, northerner. There certainly are more dreamers around. Didn't realize so many dreams could be interrupted by alarm clocks. You should sue the alarm clock manufacturers PS: 4th installment coming right up (tomorrow Insha-Allah).

^^Local politics, norf. Very boring stuff

Glad to see a Hayes (my old homestead) woman getting the award. Not that I would say I am in good terms with Fawzia - had a bit of a disagreement with her once but that doesn't negate her valuable work for the community. Heck she even came to my rescue one time when I had an academic beef with my former uni. Thanks Fawzia . Congrats to her and the crew in both Southall and Hayes branch, namely Ibrahim (mheshimiwa). If anyone deserves an award such as this then it is her, Fawzia.

Lol@Faarax Solidnimo ahaydaa? Ramadan Karim bro

Shayma, lol haygu saadin mid wax igu barata oo hadana iga badisa . Mindhaa kuwaa 'single-rose-ka' sita ayaa ii roon ayaad i leedahay... All the love they've expressed to themselves ..why didn't they use it to repair their marriage before? Hal bacaad lagu lisey dheh .

good for you Ms D&D ... all the best to future endeavours.

Kix kix kix ....a single rose kute ... looool this is why the baadiye girl without any internet access would be the safest bet Alloow ceebtaanaga astur ..waxbaan soo xusuustey

Originally posted by Caano Geel: [QB] Richard "name that prophet" Newman of the Uk Weger! He's even got the 'prophetic stick' .

Tahliil, it is all well and good to show gratitude to someone who has helped you. But such gratitude should only be expressed after the help is recieved and its benefits realized. In Somalis' case, they've just been given vital help, however, it is yet to materialize. Let us first see how important Eritrea's help has been in liberating the country from occupation and re-instate the Somali state. When that becomes a reality, we can't name any price we deem fitting in repaying Eritrea's favour for us. But until then let us not be hasty on this issue lest we make promises and fail to fulfill them later on. [ September 18, 2007, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Paragon ]

Somali troops raid radio station Shabelle has not been afraid to criticise the government Somali transitional government forces have opened fire on an independent radio station in Mogadishu, say staff. Shabelle reporters said soldiers deliberately targeted their office, firing shots through the windows. One of the radio administrators, Jaffar Muhammad Kuukay, is quoted as saying that bullets damaged equipment and injured at least one person. Government troops had previously raided Shabelle Radio and detained 18 journalists after a grenade was thrown. Both Shabelle and HornAfrik have been critical of the Ethiopian-backed transitional government and the Islamic militants who have been trying to topple the administration. Target "We do not know why they are targeting us," Mr Kukay said. "On Saturday, they said a grenade was thrown at them from the Shabelle building. But now I do not know what they want." Shabelle and two other independent outlets, HornAfrik and IQK Koranic Radio, were briefly banned and taken off air in January and in June, prompting criticism from press freedom watchdogs. Last month, the owner and a radio presenter of Horn Afrik were killed in separate attacks by unidentified gunmen. The Committee to Protect Journalists has accused the transitional government of intimidating and persecuting Somali reporters. Joel Simon, the CPJ's executive director, said in a statement: "We call on the government to stop this harassment and to move its forces away from the main gates of the Shabelle Media Network offices."

Ciidamada dowladda oo rasaas ku wada xarunta Shabelle, iyadoo rasaastaasi ay qasaaro geysatay Mogadishu 18, Sept. 07 ( Sh.M.Network) Ciidamada dowladda KMG ah ee Somalia ayaa ilaa iyo wali rasaas ku wada xarunta idaacadda Shabelle, iyadoo ay ku sugan yihiin qaar ka mid ah shaqaalaha idaacadda Shabelle oo gaaraya ilaa 25 ruux Ciidamada dowladda oo saakay isku gadaamay wadooyinka soo gala idaacadda Shabelle ayaa waxa ay wali ku wadaan rasaasta nuucyadeeda kala duwan. Ma jiraan wali wax dhaawacyo ah oo soo gaaray shaqaalaha idaacadda Shabelle, laakiin waxaa jira dhaawac soo gaaray mid ka mid ah shaqaalaha Global oo idaacada ay isku daar dagan yihiin, iyadoo u dhiig baxayo, mana suurto galeyso in uu helo gargaar caafimaad, xabadda oo wali ku socota xarunta idaacadda. Shaqaalaha Shabelle ayaa ku kala firdhaday xarunta idaacadda Shabelle, kuwaasi oo gabaad ka dhigtay miisaska hoostooda, iyadoo rasaasto ay ka soo galeyso daaqadaha iyo gidaarada idaacadda. Ciidamada dowladda ayaa ku gadaaman wali idaacada, kuwaasi oo rasaas ku ridaya daaqadaha xarunta. Sabtidii la soo dhaafay ayay aheyd markii cidamada dowladda ay kala baxeen xarunta idaacadda Shabelle 19 ka mid ah shaqaalaha idaacadda Shabelle oo muddo labo saac ah ay ku hayeen xaruntii hore ee baarista xisbiga, iyagoo ugu hanjabay in ay dilayaan. Wixii ku soo kordha kala soco shabelle.net Shabelle Media Network Somalia E-mail us: info@shabelle.net Email Us: news@shabelle.net

Somali cops surround radio station Mogadishu, Somalia 18 September 2007 12:00 Somali security forces surrounded the independent Shabelle radio station in Mogadishu on Tuesday after firing shots on the building, an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent reported. The incident came three days after police stormed the radio station, accusing one of its journalists of hurling a grenade at a police patrol and detaining 14 members of staff. "We are trapped inside the building because the government forces have sealed off the streets around the station. They are opening heavy fire on the building," a Shabelle journalist told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Everybody is lying on the floor. We cannot keep our heads up because of gunfire. They are asking us to open the gates and nobody is willing to do that. Most of the windows are shattered," he added. At least seven journalists have been killed in Somalia this year. Media watchdogs have urged all sides to ensure better protection for journalists, several of whom have also been wounded or robbed. Somalia is the second deadliest country in the world for journalists in 2007, after Iraq, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. The troubled Horn of Africa country has had no central authority since former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled in 1991 and has defied numerous attempts to restore stability. -- Sapa-AFP

'we dont know what to do ...er ..excuse me...' ' we dont know what the f&*&* to do with our oil...' lol i just love how he interrupts himself to spice up his language lol genious indeed!

As you may know, speakers corner in hyde park is the best place to go to see how mad the world we're living in is. For me, a sunday out to hyde park makes my day...and few days ago i was told of a passionate Iraqi gentleman whose debating skills are unforgatable lol. I saw him and I couldnt stop laughing..though he is serious himself. So here he is in action ... Lunatics central, I say. Conspiracy theories ensembled . [ September 17, 2007, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Paragon ]

Northerner, Lol. Sure it does, sure it does. Ghanima, thanks dear. I am glad you liked it - just few lines written in the 'in-between' times of boredom . Sorry about the details, it is a tendency I've developed over a long time . Kashafa, thank you very much. I can understand how you felt when the UIC became victorious sxb. The same spring in your steps were also making us jump for joy. I appreciate your suggestion and Insha-Allah I will take your suggestion on board. You see, I have started the piece as is clear in the first post but then I thought I should balance it with a personal accounts of how the victory of the UIC affected (for the better) the real lives of Somali individuals across the globe. Marka Insha-Allah I'll try to give more importance to the story and also emphasis how events have changed the characters in the story.

^^And I guess they've managed to iritate you then? No, I am not that kind of a technological modernist- I mean I am ideologically a modernist at heart. You know, embracing some modern ideas to flavour old ones. Mix and match...more like.

New York Times Video Report on ONLF http://youtube.com/watch?v=B2UsCzim6cc

^^Me mixing up things? What have I mixed up? Try to understand that I was clear about my usual suspects right from the start. So you are saying NGONGE is a traditionalist at heart? Well that is a revelation. Did you read the bit where he quoted the bible for me, that shocked Sheikh Kheyr? Well then I am a Modernist at heart too Anyway, I watched the show and I found most of the women fairly modest (in their dresscode and outlook). The 'elderly' lady who seemed somewhat confused about things is simply a special case. After all she is beyond late-modernity, I would presume. And to be quite fair to her she only has her priorities mixed-up.

^This is the mother of all meetings sxb and that would scare any stooge who knows the wrongs he's done

^^I thought you would point to NGONGE or someone as 'Thoroughly Modern' as him . You disappoint me, Valenteenah... Them are not the usual suspects. I find 'them' sincerely uninformed, atleast some of 'them'. They need in si qabow wax loogu sheego - no big deal really.