Honestly, I think Michael's article is true to the point. Every point he made is valid and what we muslims should be engaging in is self-criticism. Thankx Femme

why have you nomads hijacked the topic from its intended purpose? I wonder why? Welcome to SOL Cali Cade....

Yes I am. Have been for quite sometime but I am far too lazy to do the updates daily. I have deleted all my posts in my http://kacaan.blogsome.com/. It is the most interesting way of showcasing your talents, if you have one . [edited]

What trend sxb? This only happens to you if you forget to log off after using public computers. It has more to do with making sure to log off always. Think of it that way, because there is no other way .

Sister, as Moderators, we do not possess that capability of accessing your profile, only the Admin has such previlages. So as Sheherazade suggested, please PM the Admin. Also, if you can access your SOL account, then go to the Mailbox --> Profile --> and delete where the URL is written. If you do that successfully, then, I suggest you change your password just to be on the safe side. PS: it is surely offensive to have someone altering your profile. I am sorry about what had happened to you sister. The posibility to gain control of your account is in your hand, so never let anyone get to you.

As I see it, this is a tribal war; it is a conflict about scarcity of resource. These tribes co-existed for centuries without friction, however, I think, as the desert creeped into the lands inhibited by the Arab tribes, their only alternative was to get hold of some fertile land, much like the land inhibited by the people of the Fur tribe. This, I believe, was the dynamo of the friction between these two tribes. That being the case, the issue may not be the nature of the war but could be the power disparity the characterizes the nature of this ethnic conflict. The argument that this conflict is one that suffers from exageration by the West, is an argument that I comprehend, because there is a likelyhood that the West is preparing the moral grounds on which to invade Sudan. This is not new; the Americans already invaded Sudan with the pretense of harbouring OBL. However though, another equally valid argument exists. This is the argument that, in the context of war, the Fur tribe possess not the equal chance of fighting off the Arab tribes, because of the setting the power on the ground. Talking seriously and internally this time, whilie brushing away foreign concerns, are we to believe that the government of Sudan is not taking sides? Or even more discomforting is the question, shall our closeness with our Arab brothers blind us from the causes or reasons that had made over a million Fur people flee and into camps? Tribal wars of this era are propaganda driven; the Fur tribe claim a genocide; the Arab tribes dismiss all this as propaganda. The Arab tribes claim this war is being exagerated to legitimise international intervention headed by the US; and the Fur tribe expect from us Muslims to atleast do them justice by not dismissing their plea as Western propaganda. If we call this conflict a propaganda war, we will fail the Fur Muslims, if we dont, we will fail the Arab Muslims. It is a delicate matter that requires a fragile handling. In that case, I think it is upon us Muslims to express our unbiased opinions on the matter in hand. Both warring sides would not find emotive responses and expressions useful; they will only find useful judgments based on fairness and honesty; not judgement and sentiments based on the emotions and biases of ethnic closessness or remoteness. So my fellow Nomads, are the Fur people making up accusation of mass killing or are Arab guilty of killings but denying what they have done?

^^^ War heedhe lol, adiga iyo NGONGE Illaahbaa qoorta isku kiin surey . Ninyahow ma nolol-horeey hardi idinku dhex-martey? Sxb, inkaastooy fikradahu lid isku yihiin, bal hadaana, wannaagu waxuu ku jiraa in la kala wareegsado oo la kala roonaado ee Saaxibayaal hardida naga kala tartiibiya, fadlan . Alle-ubaahne, I think you guys need a break. I'll provide the buscuits for your delight. Isku nasta, caraantankana yareeya akhyaareey

^^^ You people, can you post Xiin-Galool pictures? Badhan, Dhahar, Las-Qorey iyo Hadaaftimo igama heyso hada ee show me some Xiin-galool pics Or even Damalaxagare iyo Calmadow

^^^ You could say I speak as an IR political and Historical analyst and you, you could be speaking from a different position that merits consideration. I will leave it at that since we 'may' not be able to see things from the same angle. Lets accept both of our opinions.

^^^ Thanks for the information. It is indeed a worrying trend. In the UK it has already taken place. In my univeristy, a government trained Imam was brought in to monitor Islamic students' activities, and preach during the Friday and Eid prayers. These imams come under the university's Christian Chaplaincy, which lays the rules for the Imams. Bear in mind that these Imams undergo a course deviced by the government and tought in special universities or institutions. These new developments were on the UK TV sometime back. The government is considering "strengthening the hand" of moderate Muslim leaders, and refusing entry visas to foreign imams who cannot demonstrate a basic knowledge of English or of British society. State training for Imams So, you could say France is behind Britain for that matter.

^^^ I agree, its a serious issue that requires greater discussion. Tahliil, Salim and Hasna, since these new Somali arrivals face such a huge difficulty, do you think training some of them about life in the US in general will help? I mean, the already existing Somali community organisations or local collages should be persuaded to provide such training, and be encouraged to seek funding for their services. Human beings are selfish and segregationists to some extent, but for these poor arrivals to recieve the help they need, the only way to motivate these (mostly) incompetent Somali and non-Somali organisations is with incentives such as 'good project proposals' that would guarantee upfront funding from local government or grant-making organisations. I am sure if some of these newly-arrived are trained properbly, they would be of great importance to the rest of the arrivals. One can only help people when he/she teaches people of self-help. I pray for these new-arrivals. They sure are facing a huge task.

^^^^ You can speak for me too brother. NFD never was and never will belong to anyone else but to us. The same applies to Somali Galbeed.

Nonetheless, your point (if I understand it correctly) is about the young generation of Somalis who forget the motherland and stop sending money home. This I still contest. Ngonge, Firstly, if you look closely, you may realise that the above point with which you contest is not a point I made, rather it was Aniga's. The point I made, however, was dealing with the 'dependency theory' of the cash transfered; the difference in scale of the money sent and its future impacts. If you decide to question these points, I'll be more than glad to give you honest replies . As for your second part about living in the West and your mention of the riddle of globalization, I think here at least, you’ve succumbed to the mistake of making a wild assumption while forgetting a fundamental part of Somali nature. We’re nomads, saaxib. Living in the West is not the be all and end all. Again, I’ll use historical precedents here and cite the Somalis living in the Gulf countries as an example. Secondly, in the field of Foreign Policy, there are 'levels of analysis' which are either class, units (states) or structures to explain or to some extent 'predict' the future pattern of International Politics. Each political theory chooses a level that it finds useful. The Marxists still say analysis should be based on 'Class'; Realists choose units or states, however, although the latter theory was the dominant theory in IR, these days the Neo-realists rule the world. Their level of analysis is different from even their parent theory of 'realism'. They use structures as their level of analysis and are adamant that the structure of International System determine how states behaves, and thus affects domestic politics. They also believe the International System is influenced by hagemonic states (this time the US). That being the case, neo-realists have equiped themselves with a book writen by a prominent neo-realist called: Samuel Huntington. Huntington teaches the neo-realists (especially the neo-cons) that since Bi-polarity is non-existent, the next power politics will be ciivilisational, and that in these civilisations faultline wars would be fought along the lines of 'culture and religion' (note that realists never accepted culture and religion before as determinants of any significance in IR, now they do). The next big civilisations, Huntington claims, will be confucianism and Islam. For that reason the only super-power of the world (US) spearheaded by conservative zealots (neo-cons) are poised to shape the world as huntington predicted. So wars against Afghanistan, Iraq and possibly in the future, Iran and Syria are just the manifestation of the neo-con plan to safe-guard American hagemony. If you wish to know more about this global hegemoney, read the works of Meirsheimer who I think is now an advisor in US Freign Policy; who also contructed many US policies before in regards to Korea and China. All that said, sxb, its illussionary to believe that Somalis can determine their stay in the Diaspora by migration from one country to another; I believe it is the International System that will determine our stay, migration and even our safety. If IR remains peaceful, then, like you asserted, 'rest assured', however if not, its 'rest un-assured'. Sxb, If you study the history behind Somalis who came to UK as seamen (which even my uncles are amongst), you will realise their migration to the UK was made possible by that time's condition of the International System and the First World War. They were seamen, solders and other workers who allied themselves with the West and thus as reward were accepted to settle in the UK, just as the Carribeans were accepted as their reward for for fighting for Britain. If tommorrow global politics takes another unexpected turn, the result will surely be unpredictable or can I say unfavourable. It is all historical sxb. You should peruse the history of Cordoba and/or that of Spanish Adalusia, and corrolate the dominant empire of that period to today's American empire. The same advances Umar Ibn Khatab made to Europe are being made to the Islamic world by a civilisation of a different sort. We don't live outside history but within it. Considering the fight of the city of mosques, aren't we witnessing another crusade? PS: We are not just who we think we are today; we are what we have been historically.

^^^ Shukran walaashiis! beer jileeca nagadaaya.Is adkeeya rag buu ilaahey idinkadhigeye!!!!!!! Ninkuu (naagtuu) shaki ku jirow, ha is kashifin.

As for the argument that the money being sent home will soon run out! I strongly disagree. History is proof of that. Somalis have been sending money home for hundreds of years (yes I said hundreds). The poverty of our nation did not start with the civil war. It has always been thus. There are countless 80-year-old Somalis who were born and bred in Arab and Western countries that still send money home. The idea that the young generation are changing and forgetting their country is not a new trend. Ngonge, You should not assume reality is universal; rather it varies. I do think your evaluation of this particular matter is inaccurate. Consult with other Somalis who (also) send money back every month and listen to what they have to say.The difference is the scale of the money transfered: almost 300 Million dollars a year. Tell me, when else has this been the case? Note that I am assuming you are experianced with sending money back like me. Rest assured that this is one well that’s unlikely to ever dry up. If I were you, I wouldn't be too sure. With the way global politics is changing and shifting; I would give caution about being too sure in living in the West. International Relation in this era of globalization promises more tension than security. This “dhaqan celis†fable has been bandied about for years! Troubled by this, eh?

Muad, Cawralla iyo Cali Maax was a classic love story, sparked on board a boat, inspired by one man's good mannerism and stregthened further by his brave saving of a girl. It is story that deserves to be read over and over again. However, like Cali's illiterancy of reading his mother tongue, anyone wishing to read the story must know how to read Somali or learn from the scratch. PS: Muad, I dont remember it well, but I thought Cali was already married when Cawralla fell for him. When he recieved the letter, he must have thought it was about something else. So he took the letter to his wife's father, who then asked him to take it to his son. It was a clever move from the father to inform his son about the matter. Or was it different Muad? I am not sure

Aniga, you have raised a valuable point regarding the change of generational atitude towards wiring money back home. There is also the case of financial dependency syndrome which the money sent can create. As I see it, the more money we send, the deeper we dig a hole of dependency, which then people dependent on the money sent back home will fall in. When the time comes, and the money sent back home dries up, the dangers are that Somalia as a state may face a series of economic crash. A very good case to be studied in relation to this dependeny, and the after-effects if this money-flow is interrupted is Indians, during the Gulf War. The financies of our state economy must be what I would call 'Cyclical'. The economy must be kept in a process where what comes in reflects what goes out, in order to sustain it. If what comes from one end (the grease of the economic process) is curtailed, the result is automatically catastrophic. So I believe, it would be economically beneficial for our society for this wired-money to dry up, at a good time when the poverty ensuing its ending can be affordably (financially) alleviated. However, if the money wired-back is properly invested in a sector that doesn't affect our future GDP directly, this money would be a boast and a greatly benefial input.

^^^ Lol Join the Camp

Lol Ayuub, sxb you have a good eye for detail, especially contraversal ones. I know the dispute over this particular poem rages on after many years. God knows who's poem it is but both Poets are equally deserving of the poem's credit until clarification can be obtained. This time lets say it was Carabeey's.

^^^ As ever, a nice one sis. I am glad to see you are back with us

As watched you become a man in front of my eyes when you decided to go back to school, I nearly cried And when anger, Jealousy and rumors rears their ugly head Your love sustains me till like anthrax it puts them through living death... Indeed you are suffering from love sis. May you prosper in its presence. Thankx for sharing the poem, it was beautiful. Keep writing!

^^^ Thanks sister The rest of the ladies and Totti thank you so much. I am glad you liked the poem. "It mus be love"

Originally posted by Che-Guevara: The disappearing lands should be concern, soon these people will be at borders in the Somali proper. With no real Somali force for Ethopian to fear,and having Ethopian backed Southern goverment, and resource starved goverment in the north, Somalis should be alarmed regardless of political persuasion. Ethiopia has found the prefect weapon to nutralize Somalis, "Qabiil" N the only thing going for Somalis is that Ethiopia is disaster waiting to happen! I can only echo what brother Che had pointed out. The pity is, even in a topic that was meant to make us concerned with what is happening to our brethren in West of Somalia, we have turned into internal argument. Shame Ethiopia is only killing us with the tools we provide her.

Originally posted by Che-Guevara: The disappearing lands should be concern, soon these people will be at borders in the Somali proper. With no real Somali force for Ethopian to fear,and having Ethopian backed Southern goverment, and resource starved goverment in the north, Somalis should be alarmed regardless of political persuasion. Ethiopia has found the prefect weapon to nutralize Somalis, "Qabiil" N the only thing going for Somalis is that Ethiopia is disaster waiting to happen! I can only echo what brother Che had pointed out. The pity is, even in a topic that was meant to make us concerned with what is happening to our brethren in West of Somalia, we have turned into internal argument. Shame Ethiopia is only killing us with the tools we provide her.

Originally posted by Che-Guevara: The disappearing lands should be concern, soon these people will be at borders in the Somali proper. With no real Somali force for Ethopian to fear,and having Ethopian backed Southern goverment, and resource starved goverment in the north, Somalis should be alarmed regardless of political persuasion. Ethiopia has found the prefect weapon to nutralize Somalis, "Qabiil" N the only thing going for Somalis is that Ethiopia is disaster waiting to happen! I can only echo what brother Che had pointed out. The pity is, even in a topic that was meant to make us concerned with what is happening to our brethren in West of Somalia, we have turned into internal argument. Shame Ethiopia is only killing us with the tools we provide her.