Row erupts over Al Azhar honour to Charles Honorary degree to be awarded to prince for his conciliatory stance during cartoon controversy Cairo (AFP) Prince Charles flies into Egypt facing controversy at Cairo’s most renowned Islamic institution over the awarding of an honorary degree to the heir of the British throne. Al Azhar University, one of the top institutions in Sunni Islam, is to give Charles an honorary doctorate when he arrives with his wife Camilla at the start of an official tour also taking in Saudi Arabia and India. But the move to reward Charles for his conciliatory stance during the recent controversy over cartoons satirising the prophet (scws) has divided directors at Al Azhar, some of whom feel he doesn’t deserve the honour. “All that Prince Charles did was to say that Islam is the most widespread religion in the world and that’s reality, not a discovery made by the Prince†Al Azhar lecturer in Arab Literature Abdul Azim Al Mataani said. : This is not enough for him to receive such an award from the prestigious Al Azhar University†he said. But another university director Abdul Sabur Shabin, said Prince Charles had adopted “positions close to Islam and Muslims, something no one else of his importance has doneâ€. -------------------------------------------------- Read it in the Gulf News and re-typed it, cant find it on it's webpage or AFP's.

I can see a Liverpol vs Chelsea FA Cup Final ps why on earth are they playing FA Cup qtr final games in midweek?? very odd

187, you have won two games in a rawin the 91st minute, there is deff something fishy going on mate since your the league admin. Didnt invite anyone,,,,, W11 ready for the big game tomorrow? You took advantage of the first game as i didnt know the league started, its pay back time, i hope your boys are ready. This will not be walk over so take that 'careful' aggression mode off and be a man, make sure your club doctor is at the ready, put the local hospitals on standby, tell Dani Mozart to wear some extra shin pads (even though he going to sign for LFC) but there will be no mercy mate i tell ya!!!!!

Questions 1) How do you become a VIP? 2) How do you bid for a player?

But was he the one driving?

Castro, good points, but when one is totally oblivious to: a) an alternative view to the popular sentiments in some western media b) uses the same old rhetoric and firmly believes in them and c) where there is no compromise even when it is evident that one has'nt heard the other side of the argument (through media or reading) but totally rejects it at once,,,,, then you are confronted with a 'brick wall' saxib, plenty of ice will be needed to quell the bruising Al-Jazeera English will soon changes SB's way of thinking if he is prepared to listen that is,,,,

lol@Castro Banging your head against a brick wall?

^^ I was refering to the USA's 55mph speed limit, its 70mph in the UK but most people do between 80 and 90. My average was 100mph. That same journey from Birmingham to London would have taken me approx 50mins The Autobahns in Deuchland are full of Porches, BMWs and Mercs, they are entitled to it. ps wlc back

^^Mabruuk Khayro, May allah bless you with his gift to you and may you give thanks, may the child reach the maturity of years and may you be granted its righteousness. Amin welcome to the club

Naseem in court over car crash Press Association Friday March 17, 2006 4:28 PM Former World Boxing Champion Prince Naseem Hamed has appeared in court in connection with a crash involving his £300,000 sports car. Hamed, 31, of Wyvern Gardens, Dore, Sheffield, appeared for a committal hearing at the city's magistrates court. The former world featherweight champion is charged with dangerous driving in connection with an incident in Ringinglow Road, on the outskirts of Sheffield, involving his McLaren-Mercedes car and two others. One man was seriously injured in the crash on May 2. Hamed was told his case will be heard at Sheffield Crown Court. He has yet to enter a plea. He was granted unconditional bail and will appear at crown court on March 31. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-5693115,00.html

Sorry to have hijacked your topic, what was it again?

^^ exhausting isn't it? Need water?

To make money u must a) win games b) answer to the sponsor activity questions c) make press releases To imporove your teams performance go to your training report and train your top players

^^i'm trying to explain an English term to an American, detail is required

^^if i knew about the first game of the season then you would lost the title in the last game, i gave you hope for one more game lol bring on the final game of the season

Crusades and Jihads in Postcolonial Times By Dr S Sayyid The relationship between the Islamic world and the west is often understood as a clash between two very different civilisations. Dr S Sayyid considers an alternative way of representing world politics, arguing that there can be no single authorised version of history. There is often a scene in action films where the ticking of the clock on the bomb that will destroy 'civilisation as we know it' is suspended and the audience is relieved to discover that Armageddon has been deferred once more. This relief, however, is short-lived as either the villain or, more often than not, the hero's sidekick inadvertently jolts the clock out of suspension, and the doomsday machine begins its countdown. The events of September 11 seemed to have jolted the clock of history out of snooze mode. The American-led war on terrorism is often seen as a clash between western and Islamic civilisations: the geopolitical analogue to the geological movement of plate tectonics. This is despite the attempt by some western leaders and leaders of Muslim countries to argue that the 'war on terror' is not directed against Muslims or Islam - but only against extremists. There are other voices who see a chain of equivalences so that Al-Qaeda = Taliban = Islamism = Islam. Among the ultra-conservative constituency that considers President Bush to be one of their own, you can hear calls for the 'nuking of Mecca', the occupation of Middle East oil fields, the transformation of the Muslim world on the pattern of post-1945 Germany and Japan. Among the disenfranchised and disaffected of the Islamicate world, the 'war on terror' is also read as war against Islam and resistance to repression by Muslims is recoded as terrorism, while the repression that they face is ignored. Beyond this representation of cosmic conflict between the west and Islam there are two processes at play. The first concerns the geopolitics of the Middle East, and the second concerns what can be called the postcolonial condition. After the Ottoman Empire Since the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, the historical heartlands of the Islamicate world have been under direct or indirect rule of the leading western powers (Britain, France and the USA). The Ottoman Empire had been the leading Islamicate state in geopolitical terms, but also in cultural and ideological terms. Its fragmentation, following its defeat in World War One - into the countries of Turkey, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and parts of Saudi Arabia - has deprived the Islamicate world of a 'Great Power' that could potentially speak for Muslim interests and could exercise some form of leadership over the global Muslim community. The absence of a legitimate Islamic centre is one of the reasons why the Islamicate world is beset by divisions that cannot be usefully marshalled under the label of 'extremists' or 'moderates'. The United States has tried to exert control by using regional powers such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as its proxies. By relying on these proxies the US has often become involved in the internal politics of these countries. US support has often increased the coercive resources available to the ruling elites of these countries while at the same time it has also tended to undermine the legitimacy of these regimes. Thus, these regimes have to place a greater reliance on coercion - which further undermines the legitimacy of the ruling elites... It is this cycle of declining legitimacy and increasing repression that plagues the political order in the Middle East. Within this context political groups seek to close the gap between rulers and ruled by making rulers more accountable, and find themselves facing a repressive machinery that is often supported by western powers. For example, the Islamist party in Algeria, the FIS, decisively won the country's first free elections - only to have the army cancel the election, and begin a campaign of eradication against its activists. Democratic tyranny? In their attempt to bring order to the post-Ottoman Middle East, the western powers have become implicated (sometimes unfairly and sometimes with good reason) with rulers who are able to rule without having to depend on the ruled for their legitimacy. Unknown to most Americans, their government is held responsible for providing moral and material support to regimes that are based on the repression of most of their population. Before the United States declared Saddam Hussein to be the most dangerous man alive (forgetting in passing that the use of weapons of mass destruction is not the prerogative of homicidal dictators alone - after all the first person to gas the Kurds was Winston Churchill and the only person to nuke two cities was Harry S Truman, both democratically elected), it supported him in his invasion of Iran, ignored his use of chemical weapons against the Iranians and later his own people, and was not too bothered about his human rights record until he invaded Kuwait. The history of western powers demonstrates that it is perfectly possible to have democracy at home and exercise tyranny abroad. Both France and Britain maintained relatively free 'democratic' societies while exercising authoritarian control over their imperial possessions. Globalisation, by making the distinction between home and abroad less clear cut, has meant that it is more difficult to sustain democracy at home and tyranny abroad. It is globalisation that has helped change the struggles about controlling the post-Ottoman Middle East into a broader conflict, often represented as the 'Islamic threat'. The 'Islamic threat' The nature of the Islamic threat is not military but cultural. The idea of an Islamic threat has to do with the way in which it undermines aspects of western identity. One way to think of an identity is in terms of a story you tell about yourself to others and yourself. The trouble with telling stories, however, is that you always leave something out. This is partly because there are many aspects of ourselves that we would hide (even from ourselves), and as such, we rarely introduce ourselves as being boring or bad or untrustworthy... But also, being finite creatures, our stories about ourselves have to leave out many other possibilities. So, the story we tell about ourselves always has bits left out, attributes that we do not think really belong in our accounts of ourselves. These left-out bits and reminders often lie forgotten and neglected, but, on occasion, they become part of a counter-narrative - in that they are put together to act as a mirror for our own identity. In this way, the story we tell about ourselves, is implicitly a story about how we are different from others. In other words, the story of yourself is also a story of somebody else. The identity of the west is narrated, to some extent, by a set of implied contrasts with other stories: stories of the 'rest'. The identity of the west is based on often implicit assumptions about the way its story differs from the stories of the rest. The story of Islam, for example, is often in opposition to the stories of the west. Thus the identification of the west as 'essentially' democratic, modern, and civilised requires the narration of Islam as 'essentially' authoritarian, traditional, and barbaric. The trouble with these stories is that, like all stories, they are only partial accounts. There are other versions in which, for example, the west could be described as totalitarian, genocidal and racist; or Islam could be portrayed as being tolerant, progressive and egalitarian. The version that prevails is the one that is supported by most influential networks of power and knowledge. In the current world order, it is the story of the west identified as being modern, democratic and civilised that is the most dominant. 'Westernese' To continue to tell this version of the story of the west (let's call it 'Westernese'), means to continue to narrate the 'rest' as being authoritarian, and backward. The dominance of Westernese means that when those in the 'rest' look at the problems that their societies face, the only solution seems to be to make the difficult transition to the west, by westernising themselves. The Islamicate world has, on the whole, found it difficult to speak Westernese. The story of the west and the story of Islam have been mutually exclusive of each other from the time of their formation. Thus the word 'Europa' first appears to refer to regions outside the control of the Islamicate empire and (East) Roman emperors. This meant that when Muslim leaders like Mustafa Kemal wanted to westernise their societies, they could only do so by de-Islamising it. It also meant that the western powers who came to rule Muslim societies tended also to favour de-Islamisation. For example Lord Cromer, the proconsul of Egypt, saw no contradiction in opposing women's enfranchisement in England while trying to ban the hijab in Egypt in the name of women's empowerment. Thus, Westernese meant for many Muslims the violence and inequities of colonialism. The Islamicate world, for a set of historic reasons, is beginning to realise the limitations of Westernese, and tentative attempts are being made to begin speaking through Islam. Muslims often find themselves in a situation in which the dominant descriptions of the world conducted in Westernese are no longer regarded as adequate, even if the project of speaking through Islam is, as yet, not fully developed. Thus, the 'Islamic threat' is not measured in terms of economic or military rivalry, but is linked to the undermining of Westernese in many parts of the Islamicate world, where it is perceived as a narcissistic narrative rather than a true story of our planet. Telling tales All authority arises from the mixture of legitimacy and force. Great powers do not impose their will simply through the exercise of arms, but by trying to convince us that their use of violence is not only necessary but just, ie legitimate. The exercise of western force is legitimated by Westernese. The subversion of Westernese, however, de-legitimates the exercise of violence by the west and, thus, makes its exercise less efficient. In action films, where history rarely plays a part, the context seldom extends beyond the moment when a crazed super-villain acquires the doomsday weapon. In these films, solutions are simple: kill the 'Dr Evil' character (be it Saddam or Osama) and peace, justice - or more likely business-as-usual - will prevail. Even though the attack on the Pentagon and World Trade Center could resemble a scene from some big-budget action film, the events that made such violence possible are too subtle for a movie script - even without 'Dr Evil'. As long as the hierarchy between the west and rest is enforced, acts of terrible violence remain a threat. The clock is ticking, we have to find other ways of telling the story of our planet, in which no one region and no one culture's story is considered to be the authorised version. Find out more Books A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism by S Sayyid (Zed, 2002) For an alternative reading of encounters between Islam and the west: The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P Huntington (Touchstone Books, 1998) A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin (2001) The Venture Of Islam by Marshall G Hodgson Orientalism by Edward W Said (Random House, 1979) Middle East and North Africa in World Politics: A Documentary Record by JC Hurewitz (Yale University Press, 1979) A History of the Arab People by Albert Hourani About the author Dr S Sayyid teaches at the University of Salford. His current research interests include: Post-structuralist political theory; globalisation and diasporas, race and ethnicity, Islamist movements and politics. Source

Back 10 centuries ago, just before the crusade is launched, the Pope decides that all the Muslims have to leave Jerusalem peacefully or there would be bloodshed. Naturally there is a big uproar from the Muslim community. So the Pope strikes a deal. He would have a religious debate with a member of the Muslim community. If the Muslim won the debate, all the Muslims can stay. If the Pope won, all the Muslims would have to leave. The Muslims realise that they have no choice. They look around for a champion who can defend their faith, but no one wants to volunteer. It's too risky. But they do finally pick their representative, an old Mullah who unknowingly agrees without knowing what he is getting himself into. He agrees on the condition that neither side be allowed to talk but communicate by miming as he is deaf. The Pope agrees. The day of the great debate comes. The Mullah and the Pope sit opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raises his hand and shows three fingers. The Mullah raises his middle finger. The Pope waves his fingers in a circle around his head. The Mullah points to the ground and stamps his right foot. The Pope pulls out a wafer and a glass of wine. The Mullah pulls out an apple. The Pope stands up and says, "I give up. This man is too good. The Muslims can stay." An hour later, the cardials are all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope says, "first I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there is still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and stamping his feet, telling me that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple reminding me of the first sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?" Meanwhile, the Muslim community have crowded around the old Mullah in total astonishment. "What happened?" they ask. "Well," says the Mullah, "first, he said we Muslims had three days to leave Jerusalem. I told him up yours. Then he said that this whole city would be cleared of Muslims. I told him none of us leaving this land!" "And then?' asks a woman." "He took out his lunch and I took out mine," says the Mullah.

Calling her tough is giving her too much credit. She is simply towing the line many are towing at the moment and to which the US is only happy to invite and expose in full colour. There is always an ulterior motive and its usually politically inclined.

Interesting article,,,, The emergence of China, India, Venezuala, Brazil and Argentina in recent years coupled with the co-operation of these 3rd world countries is very encouraging. What can be done with a little patience, some independent thinking and seeking to help your people help themselves is obvious for all to see. Oh Africa, where for art thou my Africa?

^^^ just two games left ladies and gents.. with all the points equal at the top the league.. it just might come down to goal difference and if that the case then its not looking too good for W11.. but knowing i have conceded the least amount of goals this season gives me some joy.. I hope you enjoy the game of the season, dont worry i have received the money in my account sorry 187 but money talks saxib goes to Dubai for the weekend

Somaliland Parliament Speaker Received By ‎His UK Counterpart, Major Political Parties Pakistani prime-minister Shoukat Aziz (centre) and Speaker of Somaliland’s House of Representatives, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Erro) (right) and Labour MP Alun Michael of Cardiff. London, March 11, 2006 – The speaker of Somaliland parliament Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Erro) held separate talks in London Thursday with officials from Britain’s 3 major political parties; Labor, the Conservatives and the Liberals. On Wednesday, Abdirahman Erro met with the acting speaker of the British House of Commons, Ms Sylvia Heal in London . “The honorable acting speaker of the House of Commons received us well and after briefing her on Somaliland’s democratic achievements, we have raised with her a number of issues including a possible UK institutional support for our newly elected parliament†Erro told the Somaliland Times shortly after the meeting. During the meeting with the British parliament speaker, Abdirahman Erro who is from the opposition Welfare and Justice Party, was accompanied by Abdul Qadir Jirde, current member and former deputy speaker of the House. The request for the meeting received support from a number of MPs led by Allun Michael of Cardiff . However Ms Heal who officially holds the position of deputy speaker had to clear it with the Foreign Office before giving her consent. The British parliament’s current speaker, Michael Martin, has been on a medical leave. While in the House of Commons, Abdirahman Erro also met briefly with the Pakistani prime-minister Shoukat Aziz who was scheduled to appear before a special session on Islam , Pakistan and the conflict in Kashmir . In the next few days, Erro is expected to address meetings to be organized by Somaliland communities living in a number of UK cities such as Sheffield and Birmingham . The visit to the UK by the Somaliland parliament’s speaker originally started in Cardiff , Wales , where he attended the 1 st of March opening of the Welsh National Assembly’s Senedd building by the Queen. He was one of the officially invited list of guests representing parliaments in 90 countries. Speaker of Somaliland’s House of Representatives, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi (Erro) with Labour MP Alun Michael of Cardiff, Wales, (from left: Dr Dihod, Fasal Ali (U.I.D chairman), Osman Ahmed, Abdikarim Adan from the Somaliland Community in Cardiff and Abdul Qadir Jirde.) The invitation was issued by the Senedd at the request of the Somaliland community in Wales , the oldest African group to settle in the UK . The request also received support from a consortium of Welsh politicians and civic leaders. The visit has been viewed by observers as another sign of the growing international acceptance of Somaliland ’s defacto independence. Erro was chosen as speaker of the lower house of parliament following the September 2005 legislative elections. The opposition’s Welfare and Justice Party (UCID) and the Solidarity Party (KULMIYE) had between them won 49 of the 82-seat parliament. Meanwhile speaker Erro met Thursday with officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London . He also took part in another meeting held in the British parliament on the issue of economic development in Somaliland . The meeing was attended by many British and Somaliland officials. Participants included KULMIYE party leader, Ahmed Sillanyo, Paul Heal (Dfid), Martin Lambert, FCO, eastern Africa department, Abdul Qadir Jirde, MP, Ambassador Myles Wickstead (Africa Commission), Anna Lake (Horn of Africa, Dfid), Daniel Drake (Second secretary –political – UK Embassy, Addis Ababa), David Brooks (Anglo-Somali Society), Edward Mason (Independent diplomat), Sally Healy (Independent diplomat), Robin Gwynn, FCO, head of Africa depart (Equatorial), Martin Hill (Amnesty International), Robin Le Mare (Action Aid), Richard Dowden (RAS), Kaysar Abdillahi (Editor, Somali Voice), Mustafa Abdi Gamute (Bristol), Said Jama (Bristol), Hussein Assad (Bristol), Hassan Hussein Shide (Bristol), Lul Farah (Somaliland Forum), Abdifatah Said (Somaliland Govt) and Osman Ahmed Hassan (Somaliland Govt). Source: Somaliland Times

Like i predicted before the parliamentary elections. The Govnt will be held accountable for the 'mismanagement' of funds and misleading the general public. If Somaliland is being criticised for holding those people to account (excuse the pun), then so be it, who cares? The House May Introduce‎ Drastic Amendments To The Budget Bill By Somalilandtimes network Hargeysa, Somaliland , March 4, 2006 – The House of Representatives is likely to introduce drastic amendments to the government’s budget bill when it come the floor for debate next Monday. Most of House members have already voiced criticism against the bill as containing fundamental flaws that must be addressed. In a last week report to the House, the select committee on Financial Affairs had expressed concerns over a number of flaws in the budget such as the lack of a breakdown of government revenues to regional, district and ministerial levels, the lack of public account statements corresponding to the financial information submitted to the legislature and the unavailability of verifiable figures on the numbers of government employees and members of the security forces as well. The committee noted a reluctance among officials of the ministry of Finance to provide information, coupled with an apparent lack of professionalism among the leading staff. Meanwhile, there is a strong suspicion among House legislators that the government has over the years been misleading the public about the size of its revenues budget. According to a number of financial experts familiar with this government’s public accounts, annual revenue budgets submitted to parliament were often 40-50% less than the achievable targets. For instance the actual government revenues achieved in the fiscal year 2003 was about $22 million dollars in surplus of the budget estimate submitted to the house as indicated in a booklet published by the ministry of Planning. For the year 2000 the difference totaled roughly $8.5 million. The revelations came amid reports that a number of senior government officials bought expensive properties abroad. Allegations have also been mounting that some senior officials have been systematically embezzling the government of millions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings. Source: Somaliland Times

^^Whats free about it? Do you not pay road tax? What high about it when you can only do 55pmh? Motorway is actually not a term used by regular users. If i was travelling on a particular motorway i would call it by its name ie M1, M25, M4, M62 etc etc. This will make it easier for people to know where i am in the country. But motorway is less common.

^^that makes it easier for me

lol@Jaylani, what do you want him/her to say highway? route? facklexm and FATMAN TURN THE CAPS LOCK OFF PLEASE! your first warnings on SOL