^^yeah thanks. A great night indeed! Was good seeing you and others there. Talking of the venue...here is one view...

^^Hmm! No. No such people seen in the event. Simply beautiul. The venue, the performances and the attendence....I would love to say more but not now. Later on, Insha-Allah. Took some photos...here's few of them... Sister Khomeira on the stage Xudeydi on some enjoyable Kaban songs...lovely The legend himself again, with this audience Mecca To Medina Trio Another Hiphop act Truthful Movement..

Originally posted by AYOUB_SHEIKH: Com'on boys, show a lil bit of respect to Somali Friend. He's only here to fight with Duke...I mean .. to give Duke free technical and logistical support. Amxaaro ninkii u habar-wacdey buu halaag sugi.

This coming from the Saudis should be considered a brave statement and stance. Who would've thought we would have 'Threatening Saudis' in the ME? I guess many orgs in the Muslim world are back in business. I am reminded of the late 1980s and early 90s when Saudi money funded a host of organisations. Now we can include other types of orgs into the list, soon as the Yankees leave Iraq.

^^^ Who is the dictator? The one who has killed over 200 peacefully protesting Ethiopians or Issaias? By the way, Somalifriend, if you have nothing to do, please don't it here. Back to the topic, I think it is a mistake to propose peace-keepers into Somalia and the right thing to do is to protest against it. Eretria seems to be doing that, albeit with their own motives.

Originally posted by somalipride: Wow, I knew before I even got on this site, the person that would most likely have posted the farooleonline article. This is what happened, the President went to the Police station and the bright guards went to see him talk, this resulted in prisoners with help from people on the outside escaping. Shots were fired and everything is fine. The official version, huh?

^Thats the million dollar question sxb. Just yesterday in Gaalkacyo, soldiers robbed a bank because they weren't paid their salaries. And considering today's incident, it seems Cade's corruption is catching up with him. Yesterday Gaalkacyo, today Garowe and tommorrow who knows!

Cadde oo lagu xabadeyay saldhiga Garowe Madaxwaynaha DGPL ayaa maanta mar uu booqasho ku marayay saldhiga Booliiska ee magalada Garowe ayaa waxa uu la kulmay ciidamada Booliiska oo aad u caraysan. Ciidamada Booliiska ayaa markii ay arkeen Cadde Muse oo soo galay xarunta Booliiska waxa ayay ooda ka qaadeen maxabiis ku xirnayd saldhiga iyaga oo ku muujinayay cabashadooda. Buuq iyo muran xoog leh oo goobta ka dhashay ayaa waxa uu sababay is-rasaasayn dhexmartay ilaalada Cadde Muse iyo ciidanka Booliiksa.Is-xabadeyntaas dhexmartay kooxahaan ayaan dhimasho iyo dhaawac midna gaysan balse sababtay in Cadde Muse goobta ka baxo isaga oo ay ka muuqato caro badan. Ciidamada DGPL ayaa maalintii shalay dhacay bangiga magaalada Galkacayo iyada oo lacagta la dhacay ay warar dambe sheegayaan in ay ka badneyd 70 Milyan sh.so ah, balse ay ahayd hal bilyan oo sh.so ah. Xukuumada Cadde Muse ayaa qarka u saaran in kufto madaama ay ka soo bixi wayday howlihii loo igmaday isla markaana awoodi kari wayday musuq maasuq dartiis in ay bixiso mushaharaadkii shaqaalaha iyo ciidamada. Garowe Online,Garowe READ ENGLISH VERSION --- Just a coincidence? Hmmm!

Marrying across Somalia's caste lines By Mohammed Olad Hassan BBC News, Mogadishu The family of Sahal Abdi-kafi no longer talk to him following his wedding to his long-time girlfriend Zamzam Ahmed, a member of Somalia's lower caste Yahar community. Despite his family's strong disapproval, the couple went ahead with their marriage, encouraged by an edict from the Islamist group which has taken control of the capital, Mogadishu, and much of southern Somalia this year after 15 years of lawlessness. Sahal and Zamzam had been seeing each other secretly for five years but neither ever really believed their romantic dream would end in marriage. "We were very different - in lifestyle, in thinking, in tastes," said Sahal, who runs a big electronics shop in Mogadishu's main Bakara Market and who comes from a prominent family of merchants. In contrast, Zamzam's father has died and her mother sells the popular stimulant khat. "Yet we fell in love, we expected the heavens to fall when my parents would come to know of our affair, we expected the worst and were prepared for the worst," Salal says. After centuries of deep divisions, cross caste weddings like Sahal and Zamzam's are now becoming more common. Prejudice Union of Islamic Courts leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed recently said Somalis should marry good Muslims, whatever caste they were from, in an effort to break down centuries of prejudice. "Islam recommends choosing your partner according to whether they follow their religion and whether they are of good character but not because of their social level," he said. Sometimes life is indeed like a Bollywood movie Beloved Sahal, 35, supports the Islamists and says Mr Ahmed's speech convinced him to go ahead with the wedding, despite his parents' opposition. Somalia's caste system is extremely complicated. While some members of the lower castes, such as the Yahar, Midgan, Eyle, Boon, say they face constant discrimination, several members have risen to occupy prominent positions in society. Many members of the lower castes perform jobs such as metal-working, hunting with dogs, shoe-making and hairdressing. Marriage is the area where traditional prejudices remain strongest, with men who marry lower caste women often ostracised by their families. Beloved Sahal knew his family would be upset by the wedding and felt unable to tell them that he and Zamzam had gone ahead and tied the knot. When he did break the news, his father immediately told him to divorce his new wife and choose another, higher caste, woman. "My parents promised me they would pay a large amount of money for the cost of my wedding if I married a woman of my caste, but I could not disown my beloved one," he said. "She is beautiful, polite, obedient to me, pious and God-fearing, so there was no reason not to marry her." Zamzam says she only knew that she loved Sahal and never thought about their difference in social background. She said it was beyond her wildest dreams to see herself sharing a life with Sahal. "Love knows no age, no caste, and no creed. There can be no other explanation why Sahal could have fallen in love with me," she said. "However, he married me against the wishes of his parents, jeopardising his relations with his relatives and friends and that of the community he comes from," she added. "Finally, he was mine and I was his. Sometimes life is indeed like a Bollywood movie," she said, smiling.

Originally posted by Che-: I don't think Somalinimo (as an ideology) is sacred cow, but I believe it had won us our freedom from the colonial powers. Men and women had given up their lives so that the future Somali generations could live in peace and prosperity. It was Somalinmimo that brought together those freedom fighters who won us our independence. To them, Somalinimo wasn't bunch line or a way to make it to the top of the food chain. It was SINCERE effort to see their people liberated. Sxb, there is a great deal of contextuality which needs to be understood in relation to which ideology works best to rally support than others, and most importantly, contextually how is a certain ideology in tune with public mood and support. During the days of independence, the best concept that could all Somalis of all different circumstances was undoubtedly nationalism. The Somali wasn't alone in appealing to nationalism to form a unity, but almost all of the Third World countries were experiences the same thing. America's bid to see former empires commence de-colonization has made many colonized people to turn to nationalism. The reason being, at the time, there was no ideology or a system of governance that was more efficient than nationalism. Many in the TW were so impressed with this concept that they even called it 're-birth' and other obscence terms. Today, matters are different. In the Muslim world especially, nationalism has suffered a heavy blow- from Pan-Arabism to Ba'ath, and it has become a less effective concept to really people- for many, it has become the very tool that has led to their division. Look at the Arabs and the results of Picot Sykes! While what they wanted was a united Arab nation, they ended up becoming feudoms. Leaving the Arab case alone, look at today's Somalis, what is dividing them? And what can unite them? Do you think if I appeal to the average Somalilander and say let us share one state would trust me? That is after what the last state has done to Somaliland? I have atmost respect for the legacies of those who fought for our independence (and mind you many Somalilanders among them) but by re-iterating this natonalistic concept, it comes across as if the ideology is propagated by all except Somalilanders. This is because since the latter group has decided to declare independence from Somalia, they feel as if their struggle and union for independence alongside other Somalis has led to a regretful marriage. So with that in mind, I prefer to appeal to all my Somali brothers and sisters through the faith we have in common. will continue....

Originally posted by HornAfrique: If you had noticed, Ethiopia was only able to admit it has troops within the boundary of the Somali Republic only after the Courts proved its claim to the world that the Courts are a direct threat to Ethiopia. Even because of the current circumstances, Ethiopia is still not legitimately able to admit it has troops in Somalia but was alleging few "hundred" military trainers even as of yesterday. Why is that do you think Paragon? I assumed you were much to intelligent to be asking simple questions Paragon. They need to stop scaring the unaware Somali mother, that's what they need to do. Adeer, Horn, only if you knew the complexity of these supposedly simple questions, waxbaad garwaaqsan lahayd. Balse, Insha-Allah, mar kalaan taa ka sheekeeysan doonnaa. There are things deemed 'too obvious to be true or to be done'. At times their over-simplications come with the worst consequences. Sidey noqotaba, markuu waaga ifo, ishu araggaa u macalin ah sxb.

Uganda wary of sending troops to Somalia - minister 11 Dec 2006 14:16:47 GMT Source: Reuters By Tim Cocks KAMPALA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Uganda will not send a peacekeeping force to Somalia unless security improves and the risk of war in the Horn of Africa country diminishes, a senior government official said on Monday. "We have decided that at this particular time, we should not go to Somalia," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Oryem Okello told Reuters in comments that appeared to row back from Kampala's previously stated position of willingness to go in. "The situation has deteriorated rapidly -- it risks all-out war," Okello added in a telephone interview. Last week, the U.N. Security Council approved a plan by east Africa's regional body IGAD to send peacekeepers to Somalia to bolster President Abdullahi Yusuf's interim government. Of the two nations deemed suitable to send peacekeepers -- Uganda and Sudan -- only Uganda had agreed in principle to commit troops, setting aside a battalion of 700 to 800 soldiers. Diplomats say politicians, however, are deeply divided over the plan. Okello's comments, which came after two days of fighting in Somalia between pro-government troops and rival Islamists, seemed to contradict those of the army and the state minister for defence, Ruth Nankabirwa. She told Reuters last week the Ugandan force was mandated and ready to go as soon as parliament approved it. The powerful Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC), which controls Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia, has warned foreign troops on Somali soil will be attacked as enemies. They rejected the U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution, warning it would "add fuel to the fire" of a potential war with the Western-backed government. "The Islamic Courts are still expanding. They're taking up combat positions," Okello said. "Our troops are not being trained for combat, they're being trained for peacekeeping." Diplomats say the United States is pressuring Uganda to take the mission because it wants a regional ally to fight the Islamists, who defeated U.S.-backed warlords when they took Mogadishu in June after 15 years of anarchy in the capital. Okello said when the offer of troops was made in September, Uganda had assumed the Islamists would advance no further than the territories in southern Somalia they already control. But he said intelligence reports indicated they wanted to expand into the self-declared enclave of Somaliland. "It no longer looks like they want to stay put," he said. But he added that Uganda might still commit troops at a later date, if the African Union, which supports the IGAD plan, can find other countries to contribute. Somali government sources say they hope Nigeria might come on board and contribute troops too. Despite widespread fears that a peacekeeping force rejected by the Islamists would be a magnet for foreign jihadists, the United Nations approved the plan with the explicit aim of propping up Yusuf's transitional government. Diplomats say President Yoweri Museveni, a friend of Yusuf, is keenest on the deployment but many other Ugandan government officials regard it as a potential suicide mission. AlertNet news is provided by

Makes sense!

Originally posted by HornAfrique: The map was extremely misleading and childish attempt at scare tactic. There is a rule of law in this world, in what legitimate manner can Ethiopia gobble up the sovereign nation of Somalia? Rule of law? Is there? If there is such rule of law, then it is not doing something about violations of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meles is trampling on Somalis and Somalia as he wishes and he has the blessing of the International Community which was meant to uphold the rule of international law. Sxb, 1946 Ethiopian representatives in Geneva have asked the UN to put the whole of Somalia under Ethiopian trusteeship. For those who were there (who wanted a greater Somalia - this includes Bevin's proposal of Greater Somalia) Ethiopia's ambitions were unexpectedly grand. A grand dream still kept alive by Meles for his own gains. Marka, I have this gut feeling that the so-called International community would want to get rid of this unruly nation (of Somalia) in whichever way deemed necessary, and that with that in mind, Meles is forever edging towards fulfilling these IC wish.

Horn, what do you think is the reason behind these men taking off like that? In ay difaacdaan dhulkooda?

Farah storms to European success European 5,000m silver medallist Mo Farah became only the second Briton to lift the European cross-country men's title with a stunning win in Italy. He hit the front just after the start of the final 1,920m circuit and blazed his way to victory in the 9,950m race. The 23-year-old won by seven seconds in 27mins 56secs from Portugal's Fernando Silva and Spaniard Juan de la Ossa. Farah led Britain to fourth place in the team event, with France taking the title from Portugal and Spain. Hayley Yelling was the best British finisher in the women's race, coming home sixth in 25mins 28secs. Ukraine's Tatyana Golovchenko was first in 25:17, edging out Russia's Mariya Konovalova and Serbia's Olivera Jevtic. Farah is the first British winner of the event since Jon Brown triumphed in Charleroi in 1996. Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid had won the title for the last five years but was never in contention at San Giorgio su Legnano, near Milan, fading badly to finish 12th.

^^ Maybe not idol worshiping but the concept of nationalism is dead ma is tiri sxb. If I understand Redsea better, what I understand of his words, I would say he is advocating for the Islamicity of Somaliness over all else. This meaning, one should make the criteria of his/her Somaliness be based on shared-Islamicity, secondarilly strengthend by other common factors (such as culture and language), instead of making these other factors the priority, to arrive at a faith-based identification of our society. I find nothing wrong with that, to be quite honest, because nationalism as a criteria gives way to regionalism (Puntland and Somaliland), which inevetably gives birth to clanism, hence divisionism. To avoid such divisionism, then, wee should use faith as identity.

^^Erm, and your point is?

Second day of clashes between Somali Islamists, govt Sat Dec 9, 2006 8:38 AM GMT By Sahal Abdulle MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali Islamists and pro-government soldiers shelled each other in a second day of fighting on Saturday, witnesses said, in a major escalation of violence many fear will erupt into all-out war. The fighting occurred in Maddoy village about 40 km (25 miles) from the interim government's headquarters in Baidoa, the only town it controls in its own country. The two sides fought in the area on Friday, killing at least two bystanders. "The war restarted about 30 minutes ago," Maddoy resident Ahmed Mohamed Adan told Reuters by telephone. "They are shelling each other heavily." He said government forces and Ethiopian troops, pushed back by fighters from the Somali Islamic Courts Council (SICC) on Friday, returned to the area early on Saturday with 20 "technicals" -- pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons. Islamist spokesman Abdirahman Ali Mudey confirmed Saturday's fighting, but had no information on casualties: "The war is still going on." Another resident, Adan Mohamed Nur, told Reuters by telephone that he could hear the fighting going on: "But I do not know who is pushing who." The government could not immediately be reached for comment. The U.N. Security Council this week unanimously approved a controversial resolution backing deployment of peacekeepers, ostensibly to stave off conflict between the Western- and Ethiopian-backed government and the militarily superior SICC. Reuters ---- I think that much is now clear. Second round.

If they’re for the “people” they should do what ever it takes to prevent war with Habashis. Yes, they should allow Ethiopia to over-run the country and every family should take in an Ethiopian maid and handyman in their homes.

^^Brother, it is exactly why I support the UIC, purely based on their good deeds so far. Just like you said wixii uurkooda ku jiro Illaahbaa og balse we have to assume the best of them. You are right, regardless of where they hail from or regardless of who were are, we should support any group that strives for Islam and goodness. Marka sxb nacam, I can understood how frustrating it can be when fellow Somalis side with the very devil and enemy that is destorying everything we stand for. The sooner that devil destroys those who turn against him, the sooner he turns to those who sided with him, which is a punishment I believe all betrayers must suffer.

^^ Sheikh Che - lol. Adeer I have one life to live. They say 'Nimaan baqin waa loo baqaa'. Mama aint here so I gotta do all the 'cabsi for thyself' all by myself' . Val, I don't envy you . Don't forget the umbrella. And stand clear of the curbs, Im sure you wont appreciate water splashing here and there from moody drivers.

Redka, lol. Waryaa seefta galka ayeey kaaga baxsan tahay yaah? lol@knife is a waste.

^^ Anoo Easka joogo ayaaba cabsadey runtii. Loud thunder.

Waa la doogiye, yaan la dacaroon