SW Like wise. An elephant's dung and all that,,,, EMP, you say tribal fiefdom? Who refused entry to people of another tribe into 'their' land? Sorry, thats a sore topic i forgot. Wash before pulling your trousers up!

SW I know. Heres a buck now keep quiet.

^^underhandedness must be rife in Puntland maistidhi?

Remembering My Shahadah By Juan Galvan Part 2 The Decision During these three years, I tried to live as ordinary a life as possible. I tried to convince myself of my happiness. Sometimes I convinced myself that I was an atheist, and other times I thought I was at least an agnostic. I had absolutely rejected my Christian beliefs as falsehoods. I would always return to believing completely in one God. I feared the existence of God and His prophets for what such faith might mean for my future. As I was driving one Saturday morning, a red truck moved into my lane. I had no time to react; I found myself hitting it. I could have died. My left lung collapsed and I needed a chest tube to survive. I had broken ribs and a broken arm. Under these circumstances, my priorities shifted from the worldly to the spiritual. Along with my greater appreciation for the Creator came an intense desire to embrace truth. Three years before my accident, I had been given several Islamic brochures with titles such as Concept of God in Islam, Concept of Worship in Islam, and Who was Jesus?". I revisited these brochures along with comments from a Qur'an that I had borrowed. A few months later, I stepped into a mosque for the first time on a Friday afternoon. I was perplexed by the lack of shoes and chairs in the prayer area. I was very impressed with the unity as Muslims prayed together, side by side. I visited this mosque regularly for about a month before embracing Islam during the summer of 2001. My faith and courage were increasing and, eventually, I didn't care what anyone thought. I only wanted to please my Creator. Islam ended my doubts about the existence of a Creator. Islam is the true, universal religion of God. I fell in love with Islam while listening to talks about brotherhood, prayer, and charity. I found myself intrigued by these guys who found time to pray five times a day. Many were college students who had figured out ways to pray at the mosque two or three times a day. I was amazed by these people who could fast from sunrise til sunset for an entire month. I thought to myself, "Wow, that's faith!" I was impressed by the self-discipline and brotherhood among these Muslims. They lived simple lives and were happy with what they had. They lived their lives around Islam. They were very much at peace. I wanted to be one of these Muslims. More people would convert to Islam if we were better Muslims. If Armando had not been praying, I would not have known he was Muslim, and we would not have spoken. My Family and Friends After telling my dad that I had converted to Islam, he asked, "?Qué es éso?" (What is that?). I responded, "It's a religion." Then, after telling him a little about it, he replied, "?Como los Arabes?" (Like the Arabs?) I responded, "No, it's for everyone." One of my sisters asked me once, "Don't you still love Jesus? How could you do this to the Virgin Mary?" I replied, "I still love Jesus. We believe he's a prophet. There's also a chapter called Mary in the Qur'an." Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions among Americans, including Latinos. We have to educate everyone about Islam. Muslims and Christians both honor the Virgin Mary. God exists independent of reason, but the concept of God varies by religion. Many people think that Islam is a religion of Arabs. Yet, Arabs make up less than 25 percent of the entire Muslim population. And, of course, I found myself defending my religious beliefs to my family after the attacks of 9/11. Soon after the attacks, one of my sisters said something like, "That leader of ya'lls, he's gonna call a holy war." CNN should take a poll to find out how many Americans believe bin Laden is the Muslim leader. My dad asked my mom, "What'd he get himself into?" They hadn't heard from me in a while so they were a little concerned. When I talked to them, I reminded my parents that Muslims are not a gang of fifty members. There are over 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. Some people act as if some Arab in Saudi Arabia has a long list of Muslims and can call anyone on the list when he wants to blow up a building. I have much sympathy for the families that were directly affected by the 9/11 tragedy. Muslims are imperfect; whereas Islam is perfect. When I pray at a mosque, I get the opportunity to pray beside people of all races and nationalities. We don't distinguish each other by race, nationality, or social class, but only by piety. We're just Muslims. Together with a billion other Muslims, we form concentric circles around the Ka`bah in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. I can't imagine never praying beside other Muslims again. When I pray, I know that brothers and sisters from around America are praying, too. When I embraced Islam, I joined the universal brotherhood of Islam transcends all other brotherhoods. Muslims make up a global family that stems from unconditional love. Love towards your family is natural. A family's love is unconditional. Your true friends will also love you unconditionally. Islam takes what's beautiful and makes it more beautiful. If you were a good son or daughter, you might be surprised when your parents say that you have become an even better son or daughter after your conversion. I am often asked why I embraced Islam. "How does a Latino born in the middle of nowhere in Texas become a Muslim?" I am also asked about Latinos, in general. "Why are Latinos becoming Muslim?" I know that many people including my own family struggle to understand why I am now a Muslim, and I've come to better understand that coming to Islam is solely through God's guidance. His guidance is a mercy. Only through God's mercy do Muslims appear at the right place at the right time in the lives of non-Muslims to introduce them to Islam. Only through His mercy does a non-Muslim become a Muslim. A struggle occurs within everyone, every day, and everywhere. We struggle to attain what is most important for us. By embracing Islam, we tell Allah that He is the most important and that we are prepared to struggle to do what is right and to avoid what is wrong. Have patience. You do not know the happiness that your Creator has in store for you. Today, I live in Central Florida with my wonderful wife and son. God willing, one day I will speak at the Valley School to tell them that I am now a Muslim and how Islam has made me a better person. And every day I thank the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful for all His blessings. I am a Mexican-American Muslim. All praise and thanks to Allah.

I can see a pact forming. SOLers leave their respective jobs on the same day.

The Concept of Family in Islam * The Backbone of Society By Dr. Jamal Badawi Chairman, Islamic Information Foundation - Canada In Islam, family is the cornerstone of the social system. Family is not a casual or spontaneous organization of people, but it is a divinely ordained institution. Family and marriage are regarded as noble and sacred; a social contract that confers mutual rights and obligations on the couple. The progress and welfare of society or its breakdown can be traced to the strength and unity or to the weakness of the family. The weakness is a crucial indicator of the weakness of society, reflected by problems like juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, alcoholism, teenage pregnancies, and divorce. The concept of an "extended family" is common in non-Western cultures, unlike the concept of a "nuclear family", which means a family consisting of just the parents and their children, that is common in the West. "Extended family" means children, parents, grandparents, and sometimes in-laws share one household. Islam does not specify that a Muslim family should be either nuclear or extended. With regards to relations within the same family, the first and most important is that of husband and wife, their children, and the grandparents. Other relatives come in a second or third degree; although this is not to say that the individual has no obligation or responsibility at all towards these other relatives, whereas the first degree of relations has unequivocal and precise rights. Islamic Family Laws Although the nature of duties and obligations among members of a family are instinctive in human nature, it is important to realize that Islamic law exists only to supplement and enforce these innate feelings and not to replace them. Islam acts as a guarantee that the rights and responsibilities that each member of the family has with regard to others will be fulfilled with justice and equality. Islamic family law establishes minimum basic rights to guarantee the interests of each family member. Thus, in Islam, family relations are governed by a balance between the innate sense of duty felt by family members and what is laid down as a minimum by the law. In the absence of law, there could be problems arising from the fact that the innate nature of the father to treat all his children equally could be overridden by an attachment to one particular child, and so this child is especially favored, for example in inheritance, leaving the other children with their rights denied. Lineage or lineal duty has an essential role in the Muslim family because from it stems the duties, obligations, and responsibilities of family members. The most important Islamic teaching on this subject is that people must not claim a child as theirs if they adopted that child, and that children must not falsely claim to be the real son or daughter of a particular person if they are not, and that adopted children cannot be given the family name of their foster parents, because doing that would mask the adopted children's true identity. And of course, natural children have more claim to any inheritance than adopted children. God says in the Qur'an what means, [Allah has not made for any man two hearts within him; nor has He made your wives whose backs you liken to the backs of your mothers as your mothers, nor has He made those whom you assert to be your sons your real sons; these are the words of your mouths; and Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the way. Proclaim their real parentage. That will be more equitable in the sight of Allah. And if ye know not their fathers, then they are your brethren in the faith, and your clients. And there is no sin for you in the mistakes that ye make unintentionally, but what your hearts purpose (that will be a sin for you). Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.] (Al-Ahzab 33:4-5) On the other hand, if an orphan or abandoned child is looked after by a family as an act of compassion; being given shelter, food, clothing, and other needs, then this is legal and indeed a great act of humanity for which Allah promises great rewards. Though the adopted children do not inherit on the same footing as the natural children, it is commendable for the adopter to bequeath something to them. The importance of the family in Islam comes from its allocated function in preserving the human race by procreation. Also, it is responsible for protecting the morals of the society and individuals by providing the only legitimate avenue for the satisfaction of the sexual urge. Moreover, the family has an important role in providing the socialization and value orientation of children, and in providing social and economic security. Finally, making up a family motivates individuals to work hard, sacrifice their own welfare, and become beneficent for the sake of their family. * Adapted from a lecture in Dr. Jamal Badawi’s Islamic Teachings series. To listen to the lecture, clickhere source

^^LoL NG Waar afsomaaligayu waa xaga hore'e, adigu waxaad u'baahantahay buug dhan oo afsomaaliga turjuma inaad liqdid. Badeeya ha so galin

^^I do see signs of improvement. You will be the next Hadraawi in no time I tell ya

Interesting journey thus far,,,keep us posted JB

^^do expose

^^or a proper fruit cocktail, or fresh xabxab juice,,,,,,,,

<-------Doesnt need a CV

NG, I see your tired of the humous and grilled kebabs ps have you gone off the 'caseer' aswell?

By Jawdeh Wazwaz Being a Muslim means being grateful for your health, nothing can replace it, not even all the wealth It means to fear Allah, night and day, and to always reflect, one day you'll perish away It means to pray qiyam il layl, out of love and desire, doing that for Allah will raise your iman much higher It means to not even say one harsh word to your father and mother, to honor your sisters and even your brothers It means to believe without doubt in the unseen, and to thank Allah for this glorious deen It means to establish the prayer 5 times a day, the key to heaven, there's no other way It means to spend from your wealth to those who live on the streets, who have no place to live, who are called dead beats It means to honor all the prophets, and imitate their deeds, respect their accomplishments, and follow their lead It means to excel in learning Islamic knowledge, for the sake of Allah, and to convey it with humility, for it belongs to Allah We don't benefit Islam by being Muslims, but it is Islam that elevates the soul, it gives us our sense of purpose, our ultimate goal It means to treat your neighbor with love, as if related to you by blood, for both of us came straight from mud It means to honor women by lowering our gaze in their sight, and recite D'uaa in the middle of the night It means to glorify Allah, and praise him year after year, and to always know His Judgment is near It means to go to the Mosque, and thank God for the Nur He gave you, to keep begging Him to guide you and eventually save you From the punishment of the fire, and the punishment of the grave, so keep walking with reflection or you won't be saved Islam, what a beauty, what does it do to a person, it relieves him from stress, so he can stop cursing Islam calls us to piety, to worship one deity, which would help us relieve our anxiety Islam is a reward, not a punishment or pain, so read the Koran with reflection, or you'll be inhumane Being a servant of God is the most precious role, it takes you out of darkness, nourishes your soul What more can you ask for, than having contentment, but when you ignore God, you'll feel resentment Should I oppress Jews and Christians and every other faith, does the Koran allow me to have such hate? Does Islam allow me to cheat people from what's rightfully theirs, and if I steal, is that Islamically fair? Does Islam order Muslims to convert people out of force, to know the answer, you must read it's source It's called the Holy Koran, a book so divine, yet Most Non-Muslims never gave it any time To examine its teachings, with an open mind and heart, but instead they attack it, and rip it apart How can we blame them for their actions, when we failed at representing Gods religion, instead we criticize each other daily, were getting in divisions So Muslims, we have to spark a fire of love that transcends, to every Non-Muslim, not just our friends Islam is not just for Muslims, but for all races and faces on earth, if you never accept it, you'll never know what its worth So I send you tidings of peace, and I will continue my mission, of spreading this glorious deen, which gave me a vision I want to make a confession, before we have another recession, if we don't strive for God, He will implement another succession A succession of new people who will die in jihad, and people who, when hear the Koran, are very glad So exchange your tears for hope of a brighter tomorrow, because Islam doesn't guarantee there won't be sorrow Allah didn't say heaven is easy to achieve, you have to be active, it's not enough to just believe Did the prophets suffer, or did they escape the trials they faced, so if we follow in their footsteps, their struggles we must taste So being a Muslim means to conquer the weakness in your soul, not to follow your passions, getting trapped in a bigger whole It means to spend the last ten nights of Ramadan in prostration, to honor Allah with a koranic recitation How much more time will we waste, before we leave this world of toil, and get punished in hell as it boils So always ponder that today might be your last day, so fulfill your contract with Allah, or he will leave you astray Muslims, please awaken, from this sleep you've been taken, and get serious with your lives, or else one day you'll be forsaken It's better to live in the streets and having God on your side, so stop swerving in wrong directions, and start to abide Abide to His laws, for Allah was always Kareem, just keep calling on Allah no matter how difficult life may seem When you wake up on the Day of Judgment after been sleeping many years, you won't realize how long you've been asleep, for you'll be filled with tears So if you're a Muslim, then don't damage mother earth, take care of her soil, for one day you'll return to her dirt Enjoy helping people, and take the bitterness out of your heart, for if you intend to stay devious, it will tear you apart So make friends, and establish justice in society, always preach to people that there is only one deity.

Being a Muslim By Jawdeh Wazwaz Being a Muslim means to always smile, no matter how difficult life gets, for it will last a while It means greeting people of all ethnicities and races, with a salutation of peace, smiling at all faces It means helping the elderly, and the one in need, and to give in charity, not to be overcome by greed It means, to desire perfection, in piety and gratitude. Always be humble and not have an attitude It means to obey your parents, not to raise your voice in their sight, and to walk away if someone wants to fight So am I a Muslim by action, or a Muslim by name, the first is a believer and the other is a shame I must never become arrogant, boastful, or proud, nor utter silly words, or speak loud I must respect all Christians, regardless of their behavior, even though we say Jesus wasn't a savior I can't transgress in the earth, I know right from wrong, so I better correct my past, I won't live too long Before I'm 6 feet under, and taking nothing with me but my deeds, no more things to worry about, no more needs As I face my Lord, did I really prepare for that day, from the way I lived my life, it seems I was astray So even as a Muslim, I will be punished for my sins if I fail, by going to hell, which ain't nothing like jail So I'm not special for being a Muslim at all, if my actions are on the down fall If people don't see Islam in my actions, then what do I have to propose, nothing good in my image, which people oppose So I stand up in prayer, asking God to give me His light, to walk humbly on earth, and to make things right God created us weak, and in distress, so we can always turn to Him when our life is a mess God created us to worship Him, not that He is in need, nor will He ever be in need for us, for were only a seed God taught us the way we should compose our life, to live in harmony and not cause strife He taught us our purpose and gave us direction; He is tired of hearing everyone's objection Thinking that we can develop better standards of living than our Lord, if you live life this way, you won't get a reward So I better stop hurting people, God even counts a woman's tears, while many other people remain in fear Fear of dying with no shelter, nor food, many more are depressed, in a delusional mood So I must extend a helping hand to establish goodness to humanity, because too many people are living in insanity If someone wrongs me, must I retaliate and fight, can I just forgive them, if I have the light The light of Allah that He gives to whom He please, the only one who gets it are those who bow on their knees To acknowledge to the creator, that you are indebted to His service, to not get caught up in life, always feeling nervous The world wasn't made just for me, we all have a share in its joys and sorrow, so let's focus on today, for nothings promised tomorrow So a Muslim who preaches the message must resemble goodness and piety, and to acknowledge there is only one Deity His name is Allah., He is the One and Only, if you don't worship Him, you will remain lonely He is the One who brings life to what was dead, so calling on Him at night, while you lay in bed And thank Him, o Muslims, for all of His gifts, for if you remain ungrateful, His punishment is swift God put us in this world to see how we react, but we failed many times, that's a fact.

LoL, well I have a better shot than Roberto Carlos . Its a beautiful place in the summer unlike Liverpool aka Leningrad 1942

Wow, all that noise advocating for a new policy on obtaining a measly passport bought and sold more times than Christian Vieri! What the so-called ‘nationalist’ doesn’t want you to know is the ‘republic’ is no longer. Cries of ‘the ‘secessionist’ only reinforces their flawed and somewhat ancient perception that such a republic actually exists. No control what so ever of an area the size of the UAE makes redundant this notion of an existing ‘republic’ never mind the fact that the ‘republic’ is currently occupied by a neighbour who also happens to ‘own’ one point of the five-point star on the ‘republics’ flag. These aspects of the ‘republic’ will not be discussed by the ‘nationalist’ but rather smudged over with cries of ‘he’s a secessionist’ or the SNM ‘gangs’ blahdi blah. This is the usual cry when challenged. So much so that they have resorted to fictitious and incoherent spurts just to gloss over their disappointments. Any discussion about the situation in Puntland and the authorities there will also be avoided in case this autonomous state is revealed to be but a ‘regime’ not serving the people and conspiring to sell off any natural resources without any sort of agreement at local level. US warships recently bombed this region. No debates as to who and why or the sovereign ‘republics’ lack of say in the matter have yet been discussed. The ‘republic’ being led by the same people who have had it in anarchy for 17 years will also be avoided by the poster as its not in line with his ‘nationalist’ stance. These ‘nationalists’ are spoon fed ‘nationalism’ and lack the true meaning of it. Now, back to the passport. As I said, it only takes good, clean and crisp bank notes to obtain anything. A Somali passport only requires the promise of the bank notes. Besides I’m sure the occupier will chain Dr Donkey Whisperer from issuing such a policy.

NG I agree with the part about their sources. The rest does not really matter that much. It's a tabloid paper read by 500,000 Britons (that is less than the entire population of Sheffield by the way). Heh, according to the 2001 Census the population then was 513,234 (or should I put a decimal point in there ) and the population of Liverpool was 439,476 . Sheffield is the fourth city after Manchester (yuck) Anyway, I'm sure you two are aware of the Sheepskin Contract signed by the Brits in Somaliland

Istithmar buys QE2 for $100m By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter Dubai: Dubai investment firm Istithmar has bought the legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) cruise ship, the world's fastest merchant vessel, from Britain's Cunard Line for $100 million and will turn it into a floating luxury hotel at the Palm Jumeirah. The 38-year-old QE2 will cease being an ocean-going passenger vessel when it is delivered to Dubai in November 2008. "From 2009, the vessel will be berthed at a specially-constructed pier at the Palm Jumeirah to create a luxury floating hotel, retail and entertainment destination," Istithmar said yesterday. Cunard, part of US-based Carnival Corporation, said the deal has secured the vessel's future "for others to see." Attractive -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Dubai World has come to us with a proposal that is very attractive. QE2 is an older vessel and we have to remember at some point she will have to leave the fleet," Carol Marlow, managing director of Cunard, told Gulf News. The 70,327-tonne ship is 963 feet long and has a top speed of 32.5 knots, making it the fastest cruise ship. "She can go backwards faster than most ships can go forward," Marlow said. It is the second time in less than two years that a Dubai-based company has acquired an iconic British maritime asset. In March last year, Istithmar's sister company DP World, part of Dubai World, bought 163-year-old P&O for $6.8 billion. Istithmar is also the owner of London-based firm Inchcape Shipping Services, for which it paid $285 million in January 2006. "Dubai is a maritime nation and we understand the rich heritage of the QE2," Dubai World chairman Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem. He said the ship will become "one of the must-see experiences of Dubai." Nakheel spokesman Charlie Taylor said the Palm Jumeirah hopes to receive an estimated 20,000 visitors per day and the ship hotel will be a special addition to the 32 hotels planned hotels on the Palm. According to information on the Cunard website, it was built at a cost of £29 million (Dh211.8 million). Cunard said since the ship's launch by Queen Elizabeth II in September 1967, it has spent "15 times that amount in refitting." Istithmar said its refurbishment programme will aim to recreate the ship's original interior decor and fittings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your comments That is great news for me because I have never been in a ship, so it is indeed a great chance for me to travel through the QE2. Sayeed Abu Dhabi,UAE I also cruised on QE2 to Norway last summer and it was obvious she was not going to remain in service after 2009. I love this vessel and I am very glad she will be preserved like her sister QM and not allowed to rot like QE. Leaving her in the UK would be no guarantee of her survival - book me in for 2009! Helen Dubai,UAE My wife and I cruised on the QE2 last year and visited Norway. This was our first ever cruise. I feel saddened that she has been sold. She should stay in the UK and be an attraction for those who cannot afford a holiday on board. Very sad day for the UK! David Lampeter,Wales, UK gulfnews.com

Discovery crew begins filming in Dubai Staff Report Dubai: The Discovery Channel has begun filming a documentary series in Dubai on vehicle customisation stars and experts, the West Coast Customs. The show will follow their daily trials and tribulations as they meet deadlines and face complicated challenges and customisation requests and will include, in detail, their work on the cars of UAE's high status individuals, according to a press release. The show will be similar in theme and structure to the Discovery Channel's popular shows Orange County Choppers and American Hot Rod. The new Middle East production centre, currently under construction in Dubai, will be featured in the show. The show will begin airing in October and will run weekly for 14 weeks. West Coast Customs was recently signed by Al Ghussein Global Investments, a UAE-based investment firm, to a 20-year Middle East and North Africa exclusive master franchise agreement. The new West Coast Customs Middle East centre will be the first-ever fully operational WCC design and production centre outside of the US and is scheduled to be fully operational by summer of this year. "While Pimp My Ride was a great success and has become somewhat of a global phenomenon, we wanted to show the fans and the public that fixing up old cars is not the only thing we do, says Rami Al Malak, Managing Partner of WCC ME. The team of customisation wizards shot to fame after the massive global success of MTV's hit show "Pimp My Ride" in which the West Coast Customs team surprises an unsuspecting member of the public and drastically fix up and customise their cars. For further updates log on to www.wcc-me.com gulfnews.com

Originally posted by Faarax-Brown: 1. Michael Jordan & all things Nike, The Matatu life in Kenya,the Arrival of Beautiful Somalis from Somalia. MJ and the Bulls in those epic NBA Fianls vs the Jazz. One would sleep at 6am but well worth it. An influx of Somalis (early 90s). We went from having no football team to having 6 or 7 in the space of one summer. That was before Somali Community Centres/Organisations got greedy. Sheh, yes a gas guzler. I would be despised if i drove this thing in the UK.

Edgware Road will shut down. Sheikh Zayed Rd, Jumeira Rd, Outh Metha Rd will remain open akhi.

^^Come on, I know you want to wear that prestinly starched white dishdasha with plenty of aftersahve and a hands free device in your ear on a regular basis again. Besides, tax free cash, af carabi for the kids, beach, no BS headlines to read in the morning, no depressing news in the evening. Its all good i ya. Plus July 1st is fast approaching in London

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