^^Where are your Somaliland pics mate? Eid wanaagsan

Originally posted by Zafir: ^Prove it. Diiday!

^^I know they are wrong dee,,,,

^^He is too intellegent for it dee,,,,

Maybe I should have posted a negative article about a Somali/Somalis soomaha? This thread would have 10 pages by now. Mo is talented and now you have heard from the man himself.

Extinction of the engineers Britain's industrial future is threatened by a lack of skilled workers and a glut of postmodern apathy Jonathan Glancey Monday October 15, 2007 The Guardian A few weeks ago the QE2, one of the world's last ocean liners, sailed into Greenock docks - a final homecoming for the 40-year-old ship, built by John Brown & Co at Clydebank. Next year the retiring Cunard liner sails to Dubai where, demoted to serve as a floating hotel and casino, her mighty engines and deep hooters will be silenced. The many thousands of people who came to watch this beautiful ship, as the RAF's Red Arrows performed aerial reels above her, will surely have felt as I did - sad that the Clyde is quite unable to produce such an internationally admired work of design and engineering today. In our knowledge-based New British economy we like to believe that making nothing much beyond money, while replacing engineering works with vast, energy-gobbling Shanghai-style shopping malls, or "urban regeneration projects", is somehow clever. Just days after the QE2's tumultuous arrival on the Clyde, the Association of Consultant Engineers (Ace) revealed that Britain has a shortage of 20,000 engineers, a figure likely to rise by 4,000 next year. To meet demand, Ace is calling on the Home Office to relax immigration rules so that civil, structural, environmental and building services engineers can be headhunted from around the world to do the jobs that we oh so very postmodern British snub. And yet, because we want ever more major engineering-driven projects, including the 2012 Olympics, Crossrail, new high-speed railways, and ambitious "urban regeneration" schemes the length and breadth of the country, we need an army, navy and airforce of engineers to realise them. Just as we require ever more cheap labour from across the world to clean our offices, sweep our streets, drive our buses, pick our cockles and generally wipe our collective bottom, now we need engineers from Poland, India, China and elsewhere to design and build the infrastructure we find increasingly hard to make for our digital selves. We think it clever for foreigners to do our dirty, and now our practical and even creative, work for us. Eventually, though, we will lose out to nations willing to shape and make things, and who still take pleasure in what we see as grubby old heavy-duty engineering. The Germans clearly enjoy making things while enjoying a high standard of living. Bavaria is bristling with knowledge-based industries, while boasting many "old fashioned" engineering enterprises. On its Thuringian borders, the Meiningen works of the Deutsche Bahn (German state railways) has recently built a high-pressure steam boiler for the A1 Locomotive Trust, a Darlington-based organisation currently completing the first British mainline express steam locomotive in more than 50 years. This might seem quixotic, but no British company could take on a work that will give pleasure to countless people. A nation of call-centre operatives and customer service facility managers, we look on, stupefied, as foreigners weld and rivet for us. In an age of 300kph electric trains crisscrossing the Federal Republic, the idea of making a steam locomotive boiler is something the German railway is able to take in its stride. In Finland, the land of Nokia, the Aker Yards in Helsinki, and other major cities, continue to design, engineer and construct the world's largest passenger ships, among them the Freedom of the Seas class for Royal Caribbean International. Even bigger vessels are on the drawing board. The Finns, it seems, are quietly content engineering ships that are much bigger than the QE2 while mass-producing the latest in lightweight digital mass-consumption technology. In Britain we have come to believe that we are a nation of consumers rather than producers, that life is all about borrowing unfeasible sums of money to buy the disposable gewgaws we crave. But even shopping malls and the complex infrastructure underpinning them have to be engineered by someone. Still, leave that to foreigners. We'll complain, of course, as they arrive to take on the senior jobs we increasingly refuse to do, but now that we have begun to look upon heavy-duty engineering projects in much the same way as forest tribes might have gazed, uncomprehendingly, at Roman aqueducts two thousand years ago, what else can we do? · Jonathan Glancey is the Guardian's architecture critic jonathan.glancey@guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2191221,00.html

LOL@NG Not too Carab caseer saxib. We dont eat McDonalds/KFC for casho every night. The local Lebanese food is far superior Well we went for an Italian (Lily knows where) then to the fun fair, Qanat al Qasba was quiet so we went to visit a family in Sharjah. I couldnt understand the kids as they only spoke Arabic

LooooL

Well I hope things are sorted out sooner rather than later. How were your Eid celebrations?

^^ :mad: The most sane Somalis you will ever meet. Very straight forward, to the point and truthfull. Kuma 'af carabiyeenayaan'

^^I know saxib. Its just silly to talk of unity every Friday but not make any attempts to be proactive. I'm guessing you didnt follow your local mosque

^^You wont have to worry about that naymore saxib. It will be Voice of 'Mareekanka'.

^^Lets not make this another bash Saudiya thread please. The king doesnt determine when Eid is celebrated saxib. The moon was sighted in the UAE and many other Islamic countries. If it was'nt sighted in the UAE we would have followed Saudiya anyway (what is wrong with that?). You are coming from the nationalist perspective (ie i did not spot it in MY counry) whilst mine is more of a Muslim spotting it in the home of Islam (enough for me and most others). Without getting into any Figh related issues, the Unity of the Ummah should take precedence here. As mentioned before, some family members celebrate on different days. That unity will only come about if people consider Makka as the place to follow for moon sightings. The hadith you mentioned did'nt differenciate between countries/regions. What if its cloudy in one region and clear in the other (same country) will one region celebrate while the other fasts? Where do we stop? Great question. But this depends on waqtii (time), not the moon. Therefore everybody eids on same day here. There is the difference between this and ending of ramadan which depends on seeing on moon, if moon is not seen then finish 30 days. People follow Arafat day as announced by the Hajj leader/commiteed based all the way in Makka Saudi Arabia which means thiat you will lose a day in order to accommodate it. Wa Allahu Aclam

^^LoL waar waa ku sidee?

^^Read this saxib. They encountered a warlord in Somalia LoL. I wonder who it was,,,, Around Africa by road AROUND AFRICA IN A YEAR: The Bothas pose by their vehicle in Kampala. Photo: Ismail Kezaala By Patience atuhaire Kampala, Uganda, 14 October - From Cape Town-around Africa-to Cape Town, in less than a year. This is the mission, with which they hit the road, bearing a banner of unity, communication and shared development for all of Africa. On April 15, this year, Johan Botha, Elizabeth Cloete, Rosie and Joseph Jovani set out from South Africa in a Toyota Fortuner, a heavy-duty off-road 2006 model, to traverse the continent. Purpose? To put pressure on the UN so it can campaign for G8 funding to Africa that hardly ever materialises. Having prepared for more than two years, the four put it to the UN that Africa can on longer feed on promises. And they were going to do something towards effecting that. The Toyota was fixed with a water tank and food storage space in the trunk. Then the crew started out on that April morning, with the campaign for a decent railroad crossing from the Horn of Africa to cape Town, which would ease communication, and transportation of peacekeepers as well as aid to hunger and conflict ravaged areas, as item number one on their agenda. Botha, a retired crude oil dealer born in Johannesburg, who is the head of the crew, selected the group. “I looked for people who love Africa and its people, people who love nature and were ready to endure the hardships on the road,” he says. Unfortunately, two crew members (Rosie and Joseph) travelled as far as Egypt and dropped off the mission since they couldn’t cope with the hardship on the road. The 56-year-old father of four relates the highs and lows of the trip, “If a thousand more Africans could share our vision, our dream would be realised a lot quicker. We’ve witnessed suffering in conflict and hunger-ridden rural areas that policy makers and charity organisations know nothing about. Yet, it is good to sacrifice your time and energy to push for a change that will help many. It’s beautiful.” The crew started out with a $ 35,000 budget only to realise that some unforeseen expenses weren’t going to make it possible for them to go by it. They spent $ 24,000 on a ferry from Egypt to Sudan, an item that was never a part of their budget. Through tropical forests, deserts and savannah, Botha and cloete have so far traversed 36 countries, spending an average of six days in each, delivering the message of a unified and equally developed Africa. In Tanzania, Zanzibar, Libya, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Guinea, they met the presidents (and have an appointment with the Zambian leader), who they urge to put pressure on the G8 to deliver on their promises. According to Botha, a good number of the world’s greatest economies depleted a lot Africa’s resources and it’s time they paid back. The remnant crewmembers have braved the desert heat in chad, muddy roads and submerged bridges in Sudan, just to see a little change in Africa’s development. At some point, especially in Mali where they trod the worst roads, they had to drive 300km through forests to get to the next point. In Sudan, they waded through inches of mud for seven days and nights on the flood-plagued track of the Nile, only to reach the crossing point into Uganda and discover that the bridge had been washed away. With just Fanta (a soda brand) to feed on and flood water to wash, the two spent another four days and two nights driving back the same road, searching for another crossing point. “It is the longest nightmare I have lived through,” cloete details. In Eritrea and northern Algeria, due to closed borders resulting from conflict and wars, it was totally impossible to gain access inland- a stark reminder of the urgent need to bring Africa to peace. But that was child’s play compared to what they had earlier stumbled upon in Somalia. About 300km inside the border, the crew stumbled into a warlord’s territory, who controls an empire that mints its own money. “He demanded $100 from each one of us. We couldn’t afford the money. We had the task of explaining to him that we were harmless and talk him into letting us go without hurting us. He told us he was headed in the same direction as we were, we offered him a ride. Luckily, soon we drove into a UN base camp and they helped get into Ethiopia,” Botha narrates, with nervousness, as he recalls the warlord’s arsenal of human and mechanical artillery. Yet, the journey has not been one of bumpy and impassable roads all through. Somewhere amidst Chad’s sand dunes, the couple lived so far their fondest memory. “We got to a point where there was no one in sight for miles. The heat of the desert was getting to us so we decided to take baths in the open,” says 63 year-old Cloete, a widowed mother of one and retired community development worker. But that was before they were walked in on, pants down. As they scooped water out of buckets and plashed it on their grime-clogged bodies, two men on camelback suddenly appeared. Botha adds, “It was a moment of confusion for both parties. They were shocked to see us bathing in the middle of the desert. We struggled and got some clothes on as fast as we could. Later we talked to them; they invited us to their home and hosted us for the night.” And while crossing into Uganda at Atiak, the voyagers experienced the warmest welcome. “It was about 7pm and we were aware that borders close much earlier than that. But we tried our luck. The officer had already gone home but he came out and cleared us,” delights Cloete, whose roots are in Musina- northern South Africa. What’s more, the trip has not come upon any accident or car breakdown so far, except for a flat tyre in the centre of Addis Ababa. To the eye, the two might appear like rich tourists traveling around in a posh car, basking in Africa’s beauty. And they agree that, on more than one occasion, they have had to contend with authorities and locals doubting their good intentions. Botha argues their case, “Rich tourists don’t travel by road, brave bad roads, desert heat, blood-thirsty warlords, dry their clothes on a string tied to the back of a car and sleep in a tent on the car roof.” Though they admit that they are adventurous and nature-loving people who revel in the beauty of their continent, they insist that they are on this tour inspired by the vision of a united Africa. Even with the millions of mileage covered, the mission seems to be just in its youth stages. Botha and Cloete are now headed for the DRC, Zambia and a few other countries in the central and south before the sphere is complete in the next seven or eight weeks. Back home, they plan to launch a website and approach media venues such as Time Magazine and National Geographic, to put their mission across to a wider audience. They also plan to do the trip all over again a year from now. Their vow is to carry on the advocacy until a better Africa is realised. Source: The Monitor I think we should take MC Xamar

Civil warfare might erupt in Somalia again, PM warns 13 Oct 13, 2007 - 5:31:42 PM BAIDOA, Somalia Oct 13 (Garowe Online) - Somalia's interim Prime Minister warned today that the war-torn country could return to civil conflict if current efforts to unseat his government succeed. Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi made the comment while speaking at a hotel in the southwestern town of Baidoa Saturday where a group of his supporters including lawmakers and Cabinet ministers gathered. "The ongoing efforts might lead to civil war again," Gedi warned. He admitted for the first time that a strong dispute exists within the transitional federal government. Some 22 Cabinet ministers threatened to resign from Gedi's government two days ago. The ministers want Gedi to face a vote of no confidence motion in parliament. But the Prime Minister and his supporters oppose the motion and claim that Gedi's term in office expires in 2009. If Gedi loses the confidence vote, President Abdullahi Yusuf lacks the authority to reappoint him a third time. Gedi lost two such confidence votes since his government came to power in late 2004. The dispute between Gedi and President Yusuf has largely divided the Ethiopian-backed transitional government, the 14th attempt to restore central rule in Somalia. The government is itself struggling to operate from the capital Mogadishu where deadly Islamist-led insurgency has raged since January. "A bad government is better than no government therefore it is best that the men backing the motion against my administration stop their efforts," Prime Minister Gedi said. Meanwhile, Mogadishu Mayor Mohamed "Dheere" Omar reached Baidoa today where he met privately with parliament Speaker Adan "Madobe" Mohamed. Its not clear why Mayor Dheere came to Baidoa but observers say Speaker Madobe is playing a neutral role in the political row between the president and his prime minister. Unconfirmed reports said senior Ethiopian officials, including Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin, are expected in Baidoa to help mediate between Yusuf and Gedi. Baidoa city is teeming with extra Somali and Ethioipian troops, according to our correspondent. Source: Garowe Online

Somalia on brink of civil war Sun, 14 Oct 2007 06:57:20 Somalia's interim Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi Somalia's interim Prime Minister said that the war-torn country could return to a state of civil war if his government was ousted. Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, made the comment while speaking at a hotel in the southwestern town of Baidoa Saturday, where a group of his supporters including lawmakers and Cabinet ministers gathered. "The ongoing efforts might lead to civil war again," Gedi said. Two days ago 22 cabinet ministers threatened to resign on the accord that they wanted a vote of no confidence for Gedi in parliament. But the Gedi and his supporters opposed the motion and claimed that his term in office expires in 2009. "A bad government is better than no government therefore it is best that the men backing the motion against my administration stop their efforts," Gedi also said. The dispute between Gedi and Somali President, Abdullah Yussuf Ahmed, which largely divides the Ethiopian-backed transitional government, reached its climax when both the top ranking dignitaries reached Baidoa town which is the base of the federal government. RK/MMN Source

^^Saxib. When a non-Muslim lives in a Muslim country they accept the following: a) Its a Muslim country b) They are entitled to practice their religion in peace (there may be differences of opinion in some countries) We can use to examples here. 1) Saudi Arabia and 2) UAE Both are Sunni Muslim states but are different when it comes to accommodating non-Muslims. The KSA requires women to cover up whilst its a 'choice' in the UAE. Who is wrong and who is right? Or are they both wrong and right at the same time? Will contribute more when time permits. Eid Mubarak

BBC Grandstand

Originally posted by Dabshid: Politicacs Section Moderators candidates. 1)Duke 2)Jacaylbaro Waar hayaaay! Labadaa naga ilaali!

^^A good read akhi. Eid Wanaagsan.

Waar waxaan rabaa to vote 10 times in Hargaisa,,,,

Will you register me to vote ya JB?