One thing I always notice about Riyalle is his height! That suit shows inu ninku dhargey

Xanthus koleyba xaafadahay may tagin

LoL, Try Mumtaz. Never been to their London restaurant but judging by their Bradford one the food is sooo tasty you will order some to take home :cool: .

YA??? Soo-adigi bari daweed ka shaaheenaayey macmacaalayaasha kuyaal magaalada :rolleyes:

^^maxaad leedahey warya?

Remembering My Shahadah By Juan Galvan Part 1 Before Maghrib Prayer, I told my friend Golam, "There's lots of peace in knowing that I only have to worship one God. I don't worship money, wealth, or any of that. I don't have to please the world." Golam nodded. "Recently," he stated, "Look at the Americans. They have all kinds of freedom. You would think everyone should be happy, yet so many people are unhappy." I simply believed that Islam was true and I wanted to become a Muslim. But would I be a good Muslim? Maybe! Maybe not! I was thinking about this until prayer time came. Afterwards, it would be time to say Shahadah, the declaration of faith. I would officially be a Muslim. Golam stood up and faced the crowd and announced, "There's someone who will take Shahadah. He attends the University of Texas. He grew up in Texas. He's been coming to the mosque regularly." Next thing I realized was that I was sitting in front of the people in the mosque. I was about to go through a "Muslim baptism" as a Christian friend once put it. The imam said, "Brother, what is your name?" "Juan Galvan," I responded. I was handed a microphone. He told me to repeat what he said. The Arabic I said wasn't exactly as I had practiced. I had the paper I used to practice in front of me. I wish I could remember exactly what was said. "I testify that there is no God but Allah. I also testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." Then he stated, "I also testify that Jesus is His servant and prophet. God has no son and no mother." I recalled how adamant Muhammad was to never be worshiped as a God. Stating that Jesus was also God's prophet reminded me about the significance of Jesus within Islam. After I said the Shahadah, the imam stated, "Congratulations. God forgives the sins of those who turn towards Him. And He can turn your previous bad deeds into good deeds." Everyone clapped then stood up to shake my hand or hug me. I felt very much at home. I tried hard not to cry. All Muslim converts have had experiences that brought them to Islam. I wish there were a way I could tell all the Muslims I've ever met that I've embraced Islam. I want them to know how much I appreciate them for telling me about Islam. Meeting all those Muslims was a part of a series of events that brought me to where I am today. My Background I am a Mexican-American who comes from a modest background. I was born in Lockney, Texas, in 1974. I spent my adolescent and teenage years in such small Texas Panhandle towns as Quitaque, Turkey, Lakeview, and Memphis. None of them has a mall, a movie theater, or a McDonald's. In these small towns, if you hear a fire truck or police car, either your neighbor's house is on fire or your neighbor is being arrested. Memphis, Texas, population 2,300, proudly proclaims itself "The Cotton Capital of the World." I spent over half my life in Turkey and Quitaque. Turkey was named after Turkey Creek. Quitaque was named after an Indian name, which means "horse manure." I sometimes joke that I am uncultured as a result. The population of both towns is less than 600 and shrinking. In 1972, the Turkey and Quitaque schools consolidated creating Valley School halfway between the two towns. I attended Valley School and have fond memories of life as a Valley Patriot. Of course, our school colors were red, white, and blue. Growing up in small communities gave me much appreciation for the simplicity in God's creations. A brother once chuckled after hearing me say, "If I can become Muslim, anyone can become Muslim." My dad was a cotton ginner. Now, he is a custodian at a junior high school in Pampa, Texas. I had eight siblings, but in 2000 my 17-year old sister died in a car wreck. I graduated from Memphis High School in Memphis, Texas, in 1994. I did well in high school and would attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock. In 1998 I began attending the University of Texas at Austin. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in management information systems in December 2001. Not bad for a kid who had to *** cotton most of his junior high and high school summers to pay for his clothes and school supplies! When Faith Is Shaken In high school, I received a jolt to my long-held belief when a Christian friend told me that the Holy Trinity was not true and that Jesus was not God. "He was wrong," I told myself. Jesus had to be God. God and humanity were disconnected by the sin committed by Adam and Eve. God sent His only "begotten" son to die because He loved us so much. Because only God forgives, Jesus had to be God. I even had the Bible quotes to prove it! Indeed, being a devout Roman Catholic Christian, I have read almost the entire Bible. In high school, I was a lecturer, usher, Eucharistic minister, and religious education teacher. I was the godfather for a nephew and a niece. The idea that Jesus was God made much sense. I have always had respect for other religions. I would often attend other Christian churches and join interfaith Bible study groups. While in one such group, I told my friend Chris that I was a Catholic. Chris blatantly told me that the Catholic Church was "a false doctrine." As you can imagine, I defended my religion. Chris accused me of worshiping Mary, saints, and the Pope. I argued that we only revere them. Of course, I explained that the Virgin Mary should be revered for being the Mother of God. And everyone loved Pope John Paul II for his many contributions. Islam vs. Christianity Around this time, I happened to see a man praying. His knees, hands, and forehead were touching the ground, and he was barefoot. After he finished praying, I introduced myself to him. He said his name was Armando, and that he was a Muslim. I thought to myself, "OK, freaky, you're Muslim. You can't be Muslim. What's this Hispanic guy doing, praying to Allah?" He later told me that Spain was Muslim for over 700 years and that thousands of Spanish words have Arabic roots. The ruins of mosques with Qur'anic writings have been found in Cuba, Mexico, Texas, and Nevada. Most importantly, Armando spoke to me about Islam. I began to realize that my reverence for Mary and saints was much more than mere reverence. Chris was right. However, we were both worshiping Jesus! Armando said that Jesus was only a prophet and that nothing and no one is worthy of worship but Allah. I asked an African American Muslim, "Why do you worship Allah? There's no Allah mentioned in the Bible." His response was very enlightening. Allah, God, and Dios mean "God" in different languages. Allah literally means "The God" in English and "El Dios" in Spanish. As soon as I began to study Islam, many of my questions were answered. What is the purpose of life? How can the Father be the Son? Why can't God just forgive anyone He wants? What happens to babies who die before baptism? In the Qur'an, Allah states what means [And when they (who call themselves Christian) listen to what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say: Our Lord! We believe; so write us down among the witnesses] (Al-Ma'idah 5:83). Indeed, my eyes overflowed with tears as I read that verse. However, I would not embrace Islam until three years later because of fears common among many non-Muslims interested in Islam. I was afraid of possible rejection from family and friends. I was most afraid of changing.

LoL, i think 'for the whole world' is slightly pushing it ya JB

Serenity, Here should be good

A foreign minister demoted cause he touched a brother-in-law, and yet you claim this is a government? Indeed

The elections next year will be very very very interesting and not just for SL but the region as a whole.

Listen here

Why does the last day of the week drag?

Northerner,loool..your disappointed because the sister told the truth and not sugar coat her experience in Burco?.. She is plain and outright WRONG!

When did westerners become concerned for the plight of Africans? No such consern was shown in Ruwanda 13 years ago. A bandwagon if ever there was one!

^^ Time is an issue with regard to your questions ya LOZ. CG Your first four or five paragraphs are neither here nor there and most of those questions can be answered through (again) some reading up on Sharia and the how it was applied by the early Khaliphs (first four Khaliphs). I don’t have the time to provide you with info that can be easily looked up by yourself. As to your concerns of whether the people have a voice to express their opinions in a manner befitting and ensuring equality, I have already given you the answer in the affirmative. It is down to you to either disprove it or accept it. Again, the information is out there for you to make that judgement. So you think I may be ‘re-creating’ the modern political system if there are similarities in terms of people having the right to speak? Maybe, just maybe ya CG, the modern political system you talk of and advocate for have major influences (the influences of equality etc) from Muslims who applied the Sharia in Islamic countries? I don’t remember hearing Queen Victory listening to anyone’s grievances in our history lessons. Visit the London dungeon and see her ‘majlis’. You obviously have something ingrained in your mind which says secularism is the best system complete with a belief of it being the first system in the world ever! News is its probably less than 200 hundred years old and the Sharia is some 1200 year older. If any ‘re-creating’ is going on, then I’m afraid its secularism. Who was free to practice other religions before secularism hit Europe? You either practiced Christianity or not and the Jews were persecuted so where did they get this notion of giving people freedom to practice religion? Did it come from an observation of the practice within Islamic countries by any chance???? Not saying its fact but it is possible. The paedophile case I used as an example, was to illustrate my belief that the laws of Islam are superior to that secularism where by the punishment would be the deterrent rather than a 3-year jail term with parole. Call it scare mongering all you want as that’s an easy option for you to do. I will await any secular laws you believe are superior to the laws in Sharia. That’s what this is all about at the end of the day. One set of laws Vs another. The tax laws are a voter’s favourite subject but the same voter has been complaining about the council tax increases every year for god knows how long. Has anything changed? Will any new govnt change it ie lower it? A big phat NO me thinks. The laws that educated me and gave me that education for free are of course appreciated. But how exactly are those laws different to the laws in the UAE for instance where people (nationals) get free education? Are you implying that living under Sharia doesn’t entitle one to free education? Or is it just a ‘show appreciation to the secular UK where you got educated’? The latter is rather a cry for help. France does apply the laws to skullcaps and crosses but how many of them do you see in France? If you see a Jew in France I’ll reimburse the cost of your holiday saxib and crosses are few and far between in an ultra secular country. The main reason was the very visible Hijaabi presence which had crept into France and French society. I have been to the place and those Parisian suburbs are a far cry from the lavish touristy spots. In this instance Sharia and Khalifaat are related to the time of the four rightly guided Khaliphs.

Naden The first part of your last post is not what I referred to earlier as the ‘early’ Caliphs. The first four Caliphs where the ‘early’ rightly guided Caliphs (Al-Khulafa-ur-Rashidun). These are the one’s, namely Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra), Uthman (ra) and Ali (ra), who I had in mind. They lived simple and righteous lives and strove hard for the religion of Allah. Their justice was impartial, their treatment of others was kind, and they were at one with the people. After these four, the later Caliphs assumed the manners of kings and emperors and the true spirit of equality of ruler and ruled diminished to a considerable extent in the political life of Muslims. Having said that I admit I don’t know enough about the latter Caliphs to be able to make any informed comments and I’m sure we agree that the first four Caliphs were indeed just and rightly guided. So, looking at today’s corrupt practices by all governments, why can I not long for such a period to return? A period of justice for all which will lead to greater things like unity among Muslims. You can call it nostalgia and play the ‘it wont work/we have progressed’ line all you like but the crux of the matter is secularism has nothing on Sharia when applied correctly as per the four rightly guided Caliphs. Furthermore, I said a secular enovironemnt CAN be the best environment for a believer as it affords freedom of worship. Millions of muslims in the Western world can attest to that. They will never be completely just and human rights laws have a long way to go, for muslims and nonmuslims alike. Freedom of worship has always been present within Sharia and non-Muslims can practice their religions. If the Sharia is followed correctly, they will always be completely just unlike secular laws which change when what the govnt sees as a threat needs to be tackled ie ‘too many little Hijaabis in France threatens our secular values’. These laws are opposed by many, including nonmuslims, as they trample on human rights. They are changeable (as a future politician lusting after the large muslim vote will tell you), open to protests and can be overturned through civil rights suits. So they tell us. Why would one advocate for laws which can be chopped and changed to suit ‘the times’ or to make a gain? Does that not make it a redundant system when it’s minorities are the target or the groups with the least financial/political clout? Today’s political scenaria, which I’m sure you will agree with, is all about big bucks. The highest bidder wins not to mention the misinformation used to malign those who are targets of such desired policy shifts through the bidding process. What a system! Islam and sharia do not give rights, people and courts do. Are you referring to Muslim women in the Western world or in the Muslim world? As someone who follows civic/personal rights issues in the Arab world, it is enlightening to glance at court cases in some Muslim countries with constitutions deferring to the faith. In Egypt alone, thousands are denied their financial and custody rights in exchange for a divorce. Sure, the usual wails about Muslim law being tainted by Muslims will arise. But you can't have your cake and eat it too. You are obviously, like CG, hanging onto the examples of the same corrupt regimes/processes which I have already spoken against and stated their lack of Sharia compliance to further your argument. Its not about having my cake and eating it (nice way of covering your behind by the way). Rather, your denial that Sharia Law (the correct and proper Sharia Law and NOT the one used by the same corrupt regimes you keep referring to in your comments) is superior to the secular laws you are advocating for. I’m sure you are well aware of the rights of women when they marry in Islam but hey I guess it would be detrimental to your stance if you stated it.

Next years election will be very very very interesting. Ethios will support Udub no doubt. Kulmiye are seen as a threat by Ethios.

^^lol, the comparison in numbers is telling

WOW, big turn out. But where in London is it exactly? Looks like (dare i say it) Whitehall or some Embassy areas.

Xan I'm very disappointed in you dear sister.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :eek: :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

Peacenow supported the ICU who brought about peace, law and order. Others supported TFG/Ethio/US who have brough anarchy, death and destruction. What does his religion matter in this instance? I'm yet to see him confirm his beliefs but even if he isnt a Muslim i would hold him in high regard for his position on the current Somalia.

It touches you So much so much love So much So tell me can you feel it So much so much yeah Ya know Make that visit So much so much love So much Senegal can you feel it So much so much yeah So much OOWW! So much love to share Pure blackness, oneness so rare So much love to care Let them know they're missin' out Mama Africa has so much love to share Sweet blackness, oneness be there So much love to care Let them know they missin' out Sing again A This is for all the love And the life took away F Don't forget we were born in trade R ripped from the land and shipped away I Is the inspiration we used to survive C Have to see it with your own cries A Don't play Add it up and alright Still ya don't know Land is so gold and green The place is so fresh and clean And everyday I water my garden Tell if you feel it deep in your heart and The space is so cool and nice Visit once, guaranteed to visit twice And if you just believe in the most high I know you'll be alright Mama Africa has So much love to share Pure blackness, oneness so rare So much love to give And let them know they're missin'out Mama Africa you So much love to share Sweet blackness, oneness be there So much love to care and let them know they missin' out Sing again A That's my favorite place when I need to get away F Must forget but we can't forget to pray R Like Lance ridin' on the runway I In my homeland and I'm feelin' so alive C Hear me chant Africa unite A Gonna accept the mass alright Still ya don't know Skin is so dark and brown She lifts me right off the ground But no ya not gonna see it on ya tv So yo just listen up and believe me Her trees have the only cure Her love is so blue and pure Had to kiss them troubles goodbye bye No I don't have to lie mama Africa, you got So much love to share Pure blackness, oneness so rare So much love to care Let them know they're missin' out Mama Africa So much love to share Sweet blackness, oneness be there So much love to care And let them know that they missin' out Mama Africa So much so much love So much So tell me can you feel it So much so much care So much Make that visit So much so much love So much Senegal can you feel it So much so much care so much Ooow! So much love to share I just can't see how we livin' without it So much love to care Don't miss don't miss one moment about it So much love to share Resist this bliss yo I really doubt it So much love to care so much love So much love to share (ooh yeah) Pure blackness, oneness so rare (Thoughts had crossed my mind) So much love to care Let them know they're missin' out (Feelin' it all the time) so much love to share Sweet blackness, oneness be there so much love to care Let them know they're missin' out Sing again Akon

dlt