If someone freely chooses to wear a niqab, what skin is it off your nose? Pink-faced Englishmen in crimson braces make me feel uncomfortable. But let's concentrate on what really matters Timothy Garton Ash Thursday October 12, 2006 The Guardian I have been meaning for some time to write a column in defence of the hijab, on the same grounds on which I defended free speech last week. In a free country people should be able to wear what they like, just as they should be able to say what they like, so long as it does not imperil the life or liberty of others. My only reason for hesitating was the thought that I, as a non-Muslim man, am not self-evidently well qualified to judge what the hijab means to Muslim women. If a female Muslim journalist were to write about, say, the problems of jockstrap-wearing among rugby forwards, a similar objection might be made. But if we could only write about those things of which we have direct personal experience, there wouldn't be much journalism or literature left. Article continues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None the less, our respective articles' credibility would be significantly enhanced if that female Muslim journalist had talked to a wide range of jockstrap-wearing (or, perish the painful thought, non-jockstrap-wearing) rugby forwards, and if I had talked to a range of hijab-wearing and non-hijab-wearing Muslim women - which is what I hoped to do, and have not yet done. But since a debate has now been kick-started by another non-Muslim man, Jack Straw, and has raged for a week in the British media, I feel impelled to intervene without having done the kind of research I would normally wish to have done. Reader, you have been warned. Straw's comments referred specifically to the veil that covers the whole of the face except the eyes (niqab), or even hides the eyes (burka), not to the many variants of the headscarf which are the more usual version of hijab in Britain. It would be absurd to pretend that this is not, in practice, a slightly different matter. The headscarf is no obstacle to human interaction, "face to face". I believe France is quite mistaken to ban adult women from wearing the headscarf (sometimes confusingly called "the veil" in French debate) in public offices. Returning to Heathrow from the United States the other day, I was glad to be greeted by one of Her Majesty's passport officials wearing a black hijab, covering everything except the face. Why not? The niqab or burka is obviously a greater obstacle to communication - and even identification. In certain limited contexts it's reasonable for a liberal state to insist that the face-covering be temporarily removed: the taking of a passport photograph, for example, or that passport control at Heathrow (although these days the identity check might be more reliably done by finger and iris scans). Equally, it would be too much to expect of a schoolteacher to identify, by voice alone, row upon row of identically niqabbed schoolgirls. Beyond that, the niqab plainly doesn't make a personal conversation easier. As Straw rightly observed, in his sensitively written article in a local newspaper, when you talk face to face you can almost literally "see what the other person means". Fareena Alam, the editor of the excellent British Muslim magazine Q-News, who wears a headscarf, tells me that she too feels uncomfortable talking to women in the niqab, because of that missing face-to-face contact. Yes, there's an issue here - though whether Straw was right to raise it in a newspaper article, prompting a predictable stream of if-they-want-to-live-here-why-can't-they-be-like-us whingeing from the Sun, the Daily Mail and assorted xenophobes anonymous, with no fine distinctions being drawn between niqab wearers and Muslims in general, is another question. In any case, I don't think Straw was right to suggest to niqab-wearing women at his MP's constituency surgery that they might like to remove the face-covering, however courteously it was done. After all, he was in a position of power in relation to them. Presumably they had come to him with a problem they hoped he could solve. In that context, the distinction between a request and a command is somewhat blurred. Indeed "you might like to do X" is a familiar English syntax of polite command. Given that these women were availing themselves of a classic democratic channel of redress - and thereby demonstrating, in a far more important way than what they wore, a degree of integration into British society - I think he might just have worked a little harder to get their meaning. And just how difficult is that anyway? I recently took part in a degree ceremony at Sheffield Hallam University. It was a heart-warming event. Many of the graduands were Asian British women - often, I was told, the first in the history of their family to go to university - and some of them came on stage to collect their degrees wearing a hijab. There was polite applause for each student and louder cheering for a few who were especially popular. One of the loudest cheers went up for a female student in a full niqab. Clearly her fellow students knew the woman behind the veil. Suppose I had done the kind of research I would like to have done for this column. I could have talked to niqab-wearing women by email, on the telephone and in person, in English or through an interpreter. Yes, that 10 or 20% of extra, non-verbal communication would have been lost. Tough. After all, we're not talking romance or a life-long relationship here. We're talking getting things done and getting by in an increasingly diverse society. The most tiresome argument in this whole debate is that the niqab makes white, middle-class English people feel "uncomfortable" or "threatened". Well, I want to say, what a load of whingeing wusses. Threatened by drunken football hooligans or muggers - that I can understand. But threatened by a woman quietly going about her business in a veil? As for uncomfortable: myself, I feel uncomfortable with a certain kind of pink-faced Englishman wearing crimson braces, a white-cuffed pinstriped shirt and a bow tie. Their clothing is a fair predictor of the views that will come out of their mouths. But I don't ask them to take off their braces. As the the communities minister, Ruth Kelly, rightly said in a speech yesterday, "This is ultimately an issue of informed personal choice." Fareena Alam, who has talked to a great many of her fellow Muslim women, says most of the British niqab wearers she has met do so from a free personal choice. Those who are simply continuing the tradition of their lands of origin are a minority within what is anyway a tiny minority of British Muslim women; and those who are pressured or compelled to do so by husbands or fathers are a minority within that minority of a minority. I have not been able to verify this myself, so to speak statistically - and every single case of coercion, let alone of using the niqab to cover up evidence of physical abuse, is a case too many. But even a quick web search reveals some fascinating stories of educated young women freely choosing to put on the veil. Why shouldn't they? What skin is it off your nose? As our society becomes more diverse, we will have to become more tolerant of diversity. We need to make a triage between the fundamentals of a free society on which we cannot compromise, matters that are properly the subject of intercommunal negotiation, and third-order issues best left to time and the quiet tides of social adaptation. Free speech belongs in the first category; the veil in the last. timothygartonash.com

October 12, 2006 Summary U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Theresa Whelan met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 10 to discuss cooperation in combating terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Concerned with Somalia's Supreme Islamic Courts Council (SICC), Washington is signaling a shift from diplomatic engagement of the SICC alone to containing the SICC via regional and Somalian proxies. The move will contain SICC in southern, central, and northern corridors in Somalia. The Islamist group, however, will not accept this without a fight -- which will threaten U.S. interests in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Analysis U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Theresa Whelan met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 10 to discuss cooperation in combating terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Concerned about Somalia's Supreme Islamic Courts Council (SICC), Washington is signaling a shift from diplomatic engagement of the SICC alone to containing the group via regional and Somalian proxies. The move will contain SICC in southern, central, and northern corridors in Somalia. The Islamist group, however, will not accept this without a fight -- which will threaten U.S. interests in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Many outside governments fear Somalia will become a training ground for jihadists, and that SICC recruits foreign fighters. This concern was reinforced Oct. 9 when SICC leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed -- formerly seen abroad as SICC's moderate face -- declared a jihad against Ethiopia, which he said had sent 35,000 troops to the defense of Somalia's interim government. Ahmed's likely exaggeration of Ethiopian troop levels -- which more realistically consist of several hundred troops in-country and a several-thousand strong ready-reserve in Ethiopia -- is seen as a tactic to inflame nationalist and Islamist sentiment that Somalians are unjustly suffering from anti-Islamic foreign interference. Having had its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed by jihadists operating out of the region, Washington wants to prevent the Horn of Africa from being used again by jihadists to attack U.S. interests. Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States established the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa command center in Djibouti. Countries within the region, including Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, share these concerns about Islamist threats. Ethiopia and Uganda are fighting Islamist insurgency groups that the SICC could support, while Kenya wants to prevent the SICC from becoming a threat to Kenya's internal security and stability by interfering with Kenya's sizeable Muslim and ethnic Somali population. These shared concerns could result in greater cooperation with the United States. Kenya, which has a history of U.S. ground-force and naval cooperation out of its Manda Bay naval base, announced Oct. 10 that it has massed troops and armored vehicles at points along its border with Somalia to contain a southward SICC expansion. In addition to providing training programs to Kenyan officers, the United States has beefed up Kenya's maritime security by giving Nairobi patrol craft Oct. 6. Kenya will use the boats to help prevent its coast from being used a smuggling route to Somalia. Uganda , a U.S. ally that has participated in joint military exercises with the United States, is rumored to be a candidate for a U.S. regional forward operating base. Ugandasent troops to Baidoa, Somalia, the seat of the interim Somalian government, on Sept. 26 to prevent SICC from being able to support Islamist insurgencies throughout East Africa. Uganda faces its own Islamist insurgency from the rebel Allied Democratic Front, and will need to maintain a secure overland corridor from the Kenyan border through the Somalian city of Baardheere to Baidoa in order to prevent the SICC from cutting off its supply route to Ugandan forces in Baidoa. Ethiopia has been the leading African purchaser of U.S. arms, and Washington has provided officer training to the Ethiopian armed forces. Ethiopia is a useful ally for dealing with Somalia, as Ethiopia has mounted a defense of Somalia's interim government due to its own national security concerns. Ethiopia will control a corridor along its border with central Somalia to Baidoa in order to prevent Somalia's Islamists from provoking an anti-Ethiopian insurgency among Ethiopia's ethnic Somalian population. Within Somalia itself, the United States will take advantage of Somalia's fractured clan system to contain the SICC threat. Should his government be threatened with collapse, Interim President Abdillahi Yusuf will retreat north toward the city of Gaalkacyo and his ****** clan. The ****** are intimately familiar with SICC military leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, having fought a decades-long war against him and his ****** clan. The ****** clan can be expected to maintain a line against the ****** clan, effectively containing northward SICC expansion. The SICC adamantly opposes foreign interference that threatens its designs to preserve an Islamist government that would give it a free hand to train and plan out larger operations. It will thus combat any encirclement, and will seek to scale up its military capabilities. Recruiting foreign fighters to ramp up its forces likely will yield foreign fighters preferring to attack U.S interests rather than Ethiopian, Kenya, and Ugandan troops. Since Somalia lacks prominent U.S. targets, U.S. facilities in Kenya (the site of the 1998 embassy bombing), Ethiopia, and Djibouti present likely alternatives for jihadists aiming at striking U.S. interests. Rather than acting unilaterally, the United States is now acting via proxies with a deep understanding of the history and threat presented by Somalia's Islamists -- a significant adjustment. Source: Stratfor

Instead, records show, the chef from College Park has but 10 brides — and a cellmate

The port was built by the Somali Republic The airport was built by the Somali Republic The roads were built by the Somali Republic Somaliland gains a few 'assets' on the way ps Berbera port was recently modernised with a road linking Ethiopia. Mr Jay, where are the pics maaaaan?

On radio talk shows women are constantly complaining about their husbands not being a responsible man. Therefore i'm not surprised (especially the Saudis). It has become the norm to have problems in marriage due to the husband being out with his boys. I mean how can a grown man of 30+ be out 'with the boys' more often than with his family. Waa wax lalayabo. When you see grown men (usually in a group of 4) walking around malls goaping at scantly clad women, you begin to understand where those women on the phone-in shows are coming from. “Unfortunately, misyar marriage has made it easier for irresponsible, immature individuals to enter a relationship that is supposed to be based on credibility, reliability and respect,†NG, i'm sure many men would be tempted into such a marriage but it will inevitably bring down the family structure. Not just for now but for generations to come.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement, Val I think you have simplified the process. You mean choose a charity for people to funnel their money to instead of the process of collection and deposit right? Saabir, since you are a UAE resident why not join me???? Double the reward and double the money! I will be starting my training next week after Eid (I have to enjoy the food). It shouldn’t take long for me to get back into fitness (I hope) Again thanks all, look out for more info as the days go by.

Universities urged to spy on Muslims Vikram Dodd Monday October 16, 2006 The Guardian Lecturers and university staff across Britain are to be asked to spy on "Asian-looking" and Muslim students they suspect of involvement in Islamic extremism and supporting terrorist violence, the Guardian has learned. They will be told to inform on students to special branch because the government believes campuses have become "fertile recruiting grounds" for extremists. The Department for Education has drawn up a series of proposals which are to be sent to universities and other centres of higher education before the end of the year. The 18-page document acknowledges that universities will be anxious about passing information to special branch, for fear it amounts to "collaborating with the 'secret police'". It says there will be "concerns about police targeting certain sections of the student population (eg Muslims)". The proposals are likely to cause anxiety among academics, and provoke anger from British Muslim groups at a time when ministers are at the focus of rows over issues such as the wearing of the veil and forcing Islamic schools to accept pupils from other faiths. Wakkas Khan, president of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, said: "It sounds to me to be potentially the widest infringement of the rights of Muslim students that there ever has been in this country. It is clearly targeting Muslim students and treating them to a higher level of suspicion and scrutiny. It sounds like you're guilty until you're proven innocent." Gemma Tumelty, president of the National Union of Students, said: "They are going to treat everyone Muslim with suspicion on the basis of their faith. It's bearing on the side of McCarthyism." The document, which has been obtained by the Guardian, was sent within the last month to selected official bodies for consultation and reveals the full extent of what the authorities fear is happening in universities. It claims that Islamic societies at universities have become increasingly political in recent years and discusses monitoring their leaflets and speakers. The document warns of talent-spotting by terrorists on campuses and of students being "groomed" for extremism. In a section on factors that can radicalise students, the document identifies Muslims from "segregated" backgrounds as more likely to hold radical views than those who have "integrated into wider society". It also claims that students who study in their home towns could act as a link between extremism on campuses and in their local communities. The government wants universities to crack down on extremism, and the document says campus staff should volunteer information to special branch and not wait to be contacted by detectives. It says: "Special branch are aware that many HEIs [higher education institutions] will have a number of concerns about working closely with special branch. Some common concerns are that institutions will be seen to be collaborating with the 'secret police'. "HEIs may also worry about what special branch will do with any information supplied by an HEI and what action the police may subsequently take ... Special branch are not the 'secret police' and are accountable." The document says radicalisation on campus is unlikely to be overt: "While radicalisation may not be widespread, there is some evidence to suggest that students at further and higher educational establishments have been involved in terrorist- related activity, which could include actively radicalising fellow students on campus." The document adds: "Perhaps most importantly, universities and colleges provide a fertile recruiting ground for students. "There are different categories of students who may be 'sucked in' to an Islamist extremist ideology ... There are those who may be new to a university or college environment and vulnerable to 'grooming' by individuals with their own agenda as they search for friends and social groups; there are those who may be actively looking for extremist individuals with whom to associate. Campuses provide an opportunity for individuals who are already radicalised to form new networks, and extend existing ones." The document urges close attention be paid to university Islamic societies and - under the heading "inspiring radical speakers" - says: "Islamic societies have tended to invite more radical speakers or preachers on to campuses ... They can be forceful, persuasive and eloquent. They are able to fill a vacuum created by young Muslims' feelings of alienation from their parents' generation by providing greater 'clarity' from an Islamic point of view on a range of issues, and potentially a greater sense of purpose about how Muslim students can respond." It suggests checks should be made on external speakers at Islamic society events: "The control of university or college Islamic societies by certain extremist individuals can play a significant role in the extent of Islamist extremism on campus." The document says potential extremists can be talent-spotted at campus meetings then channelled to events off campus. The document gives five real-life examples of extremism in universities. The first talks of suspicious computer use by "Asian" students, which was reported by library staff. In language some may balk at, it talks of students of "Asian appearance" being suspected extremists. A senior education department source told the Guardian: "There's loads of anecdotal evidence of radicalisation. At the same time there are people who pushing this who have their own agendas, and the government has to strike the right balance." guardian.co.uk

There was a recent report out on the difference between the North & South UK. The fat people in the north had the same diet as this lady! More alcohol, more quick microwave meals, less exercise etc. But why do all that for a TV show? get paid while getting drunk?

MMA, a case of walking before running saxib!

Islamic court removed pirates' threat: Council By Riyasbabu 15 October 2006 DUBAI — The Somali Business Council in Dubai yesterday claimed that threat posed by pirates to cargo vessels sailing through the Horn of Africa was almost eliminated after the Islamic Court assumed charge in Somalia. The Somali pirates were a nightmare for cargo vessels sailing to the Horn of Africa especially into the Somali territorial waters. Recently, two UAE ships — MV Al Taj and Lin1 — were hijacked by Somali pirates. Both the vessels were released only after the owners paid a ransom, he added. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Sheriff Ahmad, Chairman of Somali Business Council in Dubai, said “A total of 11 gangsters have fled from the Somali coast after the Islamic court assumed power in Mogadishu. The two Somali ports of Mogadishu and Kisamayu are currently under the Islamic Court rule†As a result, he said that transport of all cargo from the UAE to Somalia was normalised. “Following the hijacking of the two vessels, the vessel owners in the UAE were reluctant to bring cargo to Somali ports." "However, now the scenario has changed and vessel owners are sending their vessels into this area restarting the trade between Somalia and UAE,†he said. “The situation in Somalia is completely under Islamic court's control. Now the court is trying build up a good security system. The international community should lend its support to the court," Sheriff added. According to him, several cargo vessels are sailing to Somalia especially from India and UAE. Earlier, it was difficult for the traders to do business as small groups had set up check posts in their territory and levied taxes on the businessman, he said. He pointed out that the main problem facing the traders now was the high insurance premium demanded by the insurance companies. "If we are forced to pay high insurance premium, it will affect the price of commodities. The Insurance companies should look into the changing situation and reduce the insurance premiums,†he said. Khaleej Times

Talk of winning the hearts and minds of the Somali people ey,,,,or is it a ploy to get all the weapons? Somali group plans disarmament Last Modified: 15 Oct 2006 Source: ITN A Somali Islamist group has announced plans to disarm the rest of the country's population. Somalia has had no unified government for over 10 years, and has one of the most heavily-armed populations in the world. The Islamists took control of the capital Mogadishu and most of south-central Somalia earlier in 2006. Abdullahi Maalim Ali, their head of internal security, said the group will go door-to-door collecting weapons. Ali said: "This is aimed at improving security. It will be implemented slowly and in phases." The movement is now trying to persuade weapons dealers to accept compensation when their caches of missiles and heavy weapons are seized and registered. If implemented, the plan would make the Islamists Somalia's sole possessors and regulators of weapons in the areas they control. Ali, known locally as Abu Utayba, is also in charge of public executions. ITN Two thumps up!

Some of my relatives went to Tunisia this summer, i warned them about the place but they didnt believe me. They came back very surprised indeed.

Amin saxib.

3km? no no. I will be doing the Marathon (not sure but i think its 26 miles). It will be a grueling morning and IA i will be well trained by then. I will try to open a charity account but things take so long here and need so much paperwork its better to just send to my Barclays! Needless to say that all contributions will go to charity (which i'm still looking into).

Northerner, why are you advertising that spring water coop? You a member or a shareholder ? I am going to by alot of them When i go back home. I had a supply during the first week of Ramadan. I need more. The best water i've tasted

As soon as i get confirmation of my participation i will post the account details or give it to those who pm me IA Serenity, it simple, just put money into the account (when i post or pm it)

War seexo, maxaa kusojeediyey?

Maximize the last 10 days of Ramadan 10/14/2006 - Religious - Article Ref: IC0610-3135 Number of comments: 2 By: Abdul Malik Mujahid IslamiCity* - Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr. Allah's Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time." (Muslim). Allah's peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira). Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it. 1. Take a vacation for Allah. We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator. If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day. It will also facilitate doing Itikaf. 2. Do I'tikaf. It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for I'tikaf. Those in I'tikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs. I'tikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well. 3. Make this special Dua. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi). The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee" 4. Recite the Quran. Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice. 5. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran. Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level. 6. Get your sins wiped out. Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven. [bukhari and Muslim). Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray. Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs. This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted. 7. Make a personal Dua list. Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things: Ask Allah to give you those things Think about what actions you have taken to get those things Develop a work plan to get those things in future. 8. Evaluate yourself. Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above. 9. Make long, sincere and deep Duas One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim). That means for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction. 10. Memorize a different Dua every night They don't have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don't know the exact translation in English. You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practice them at night in prayer. 11. Have Iftar with the family If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you'll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely. 12. Take the family to Tarawih Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren't there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do all of yourselves a favour and bring everyone for Tarawih in these last ten nights. 13. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night's Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you can attend different Masjids' Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran. 14. Finish reading a book on the Prophet Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice. 15. Plan for the next year Once you've done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you'll Insha Allah, be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night of power for evaluation and one night for planning for the next year. 16. To do list for the Night of Power Make a to do checklist for each Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months, to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. This will help you avoid wasting your time in unproductive chats which common in the festive atmosphere of Masjids at the Night of Power. Abdul Malik Mujahid, is the President and Director of Sound Vision Foundation Inc. He is an Imam in the Chicago area and the Chairperson of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC).

i will find out

This was emailed to me last week. My bros snaps during his visit this year. I have no idea where they are taking apart from it being in the miyi.

Stewart Bell, CanWest News Service Published: Saturday, October 14, 2006 Article tools Printer friendly E-mail Font: * * * * TORONTO -- A number of young Somali-Canadians have returned to their homeland and joined a hardline Islamic militia that some call Africa's Taliban, sources have told the National Post. The Shabbab, a Somali youth militia whose leader is believed to have been trained by al-Qaida in Afghanistan, includes several Canadians in its ranks, the sources said. Somali-Canadians are also said to be serving in other militias, as well as in senior positions in Somalia's interim government and its opponent, the Islamic Courts Union. The Canadians are described as refugees who moved to Toronto and Ottawa in the 1990s, some of them university students, who have returned to Somalia over the past two to three years. "Some of the militia members of the Shabbab are young diaspora members who returned to Somalia from Canada," a leading Somalia expert, who asked not to be identified, told the Post this week. "The Somalis who are here, and others who have recently been in, confirm that quite a few of the Shabbab are in fact diaspora members, not just from Canada, but quite a few have come back from places like Pakistan." Some analysts believe Somalia is on the verge of becoming the next big destination for young extremist Muslims who want to participate in armed jihad. The participation of a significant number of Canadians in the conflict has raised alarms in Ottawa, which fears members of the Somali militias will escalate to terrorism or return to Canada and radicalize a new wave of extremists. It was just such a scenario that unfolded after the Soviet War in Afghanistan, when foreign volunteers became the first generation of al-Qaida terrorists. Others returned to the West and began recruiting others into terrorism. "I think that the real concern is that there's going to be blowback after their time is done in Somalia," the expert said in an interview. "It's very troubling." Somalia is one of the world's most lawless nations. A thoroughly failed state, it has had no central government since the fall of Siad Barre in 1991. Warlords have ruled ever since, but in recent months, militias loyal to courts that enforce Sharia Islamic law have taken control of the country's south. Fighting under the banner of the Islamic Courts Union, the militias have gained popular support for their efforts to restore order, but they are also controversial because they are so similar to the Taliban, imposing rigid social restrictions such as a ban on watching World Cup soccer. Public executions have occurred as recently as Friday. The Shabbab, which consists of 300 to 400 young fighters of various nationalities, is a particular concern. It is headed by Aden Hashi Farah Ayro, who was allegedly trained by al-Qaida and is blamed for the killings of international aid workers and journalists. In his mid-30s with a turban and goatee, Ayro came out of the shadows only last month, appearing before his militias after they had captured the strategic seaport of Kismayo. Surrounded by bodyguards who looked Arab and Central Asian, he reportedly said that "among our militia will be Somalis and foreigners." "The Shabbab are very powerful," the expert said. "They're the shock troops, they are the commissars. They are hard-liners, they are true believers. I think the closest thing you could equate them to is the mujahedeen," said the expert, using the term for Islamic holy warriors. While the Shabbab serves as the military youth wing of the Islamic Courts, it is uncertain whether the courts and their leaders exercise any real control over the jihadist militia. "What that means is you've got some kids who may or may not be under the control of political leaders, and that's the big question -- we simply don't have an answer for whether they are answering to anyone but themselves." Adam Esse, a leading member of Toronto's large Somali community, said Somali-Canadians have long been returning to their homeland for family and business reasons. "It could be Canada is not good for everybody," he said. He said he knows of one Canadian who now holds a senior position in the Islamic Courts, but he was unaware of any Canadians who had joined the militias. "Could be, but I haven't heard," he said. "I heard only one personE. I know him personally, but he left here a long time ago. Recently I heard that he was one of the leaders." During a visit to Somalia last year, Esse said he learned that 11 ministers and deputies in the interim government were Canadians. He said it was also possible Somali-Canadians had joined the militias. "I'm not denying -- what I'm saying is I haven't heard of it." Canada is home to tens of thousands of citizens of Somali origin, mostly refugees who migrated in the 1990s. The majority live in Toronto, but Ottawa also has a significant Somali-Canadian community. While Somalis are generally considered moderates, there have been indications of radicalization within the community, including the arrest last summer of two Somali-Canadians accused of supplying weapons to an alleged Toronto-based terror group inspired by al-Qaida. Mohammed Abdullah Warsame, who was born in Mogadishu and immigrated to Canada in 1989, is accused of training at two terrorist camps in Afghanistan. An FBI affidavit says the Toronto resident taught English at the camps and once met Osama bin Laden, whom he found "inspirational." Al-Qaida paid for his return to Toronto in April 2001, the FBI says. He was arrested in Minneapolis in 2003. Like the Taliban, the Islamic Courts have been accused of links to terrorism. Islamic Courts leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys is on the Canadian and United Nations lists of restricted terrorists, and has been accused of harboring terrorists wanted for attacks such as the bombings of two American embassies in 1998. The UN said Thursday it was pulling its staff out of areas controlled by the Islamic Courts, citing written death threats. On Sept. 17, an Italian nun was murdered in Mogadishu, following controversial comments made by the Pope. A Swedish journalist was also recently murdered. A suicide bomber attempted to assassinate the president of the interim government, Abdullah Yusuf, last month. "The courts are associated with international terrorist groups like al-Qaida," the prime minister of Somalia's transitional government, Ali Mohamed Gedi, said in a statement last month. "The Islamic courts brought weapons, other explosives and foreign fighters to Somalia. Wherever they go they deny people the right to freedom of speech, rights of association and entertainment." Hassan Shire Sheikh, Uganda-based co-ordinator of the African Human Rights Defenders Project at York University, said it was difficult to come up with "meaningful information" about the presence of Canadians in the executive and military wing of the Islamic Courts. "According to a little information available to me E there are a good number of Somalis with various Western naturalized citizenships within the rank and the file of the ICU, and (that) may warrant more systematic investigations." A source in Mogadishu said there were Canadians in the Islamic Courts movement. "Some of the ICU members are mixed, Somali-American, Somali-Canadian. Primarily they are in the business sector," he said. sbell@nationalpost.com National Post SOMALIA TIMELINE 1960: British and Italian parts of Somalia merge and gain independence. 1969: Muhammad Siad Barre comes to power in a coup. 1974: Widespread drought and starvation. 1991: Barre is ousted, warlords take over. 1992: U.S. Marines deploy to Mogadishu, paving the way for a UN peacekeeping force that includes Canadians. 1995: UN peacekeepers leave. 1990s: Tens of thousands of Somalis take refuge in Canada. 2000: New government chosen. 2001: Another drought hits. 2004: A transitional government is chosen. June 2006: Militias loyal to the Islamic Courts Union take control of Mogadishu and the south. A standoff between the transitional government and Islamic Courts ensues. September 2006: Suicide bomber tries to assassinate interim president. October 2006: Islamic Courts declare holy war against Ethiopia. UN orders staff out of areas held by Islamic Courts, citing death threats. ------------------------------------------------- I can picture MC Xamar iyo Tuujiye struggling with the Klashis

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lol, easy now saxib The funny thing is, on the bbc have your say section, its split 50/50 (for and against religious symbols in public) but when its a muslim being asked to remove the hijaab its usually 95/5%. Funny worl we live in ey?

I will insha allah run the Dubai Marathon on 12th January. I'm cutting it fine as i havnt even started training yet. A) Are you prepared to sponsor a brother? B) Any Idea on what charities? I'm thinking of a Somali Charity for the Blind. I will update this thread with more details as time goes by. Your help will benefit others. Thanks Dubai Marathon 2007