^I'm no oday (not sure about Ngonge iyo Nuune though )

^ What kind of bird? Duck? Ngonge, I was coping because I knew I would work 6 or 8 weeks before I saw them again. London (or up norf) is more appealing by the day. ps shocking midfield last night

Chimera, great thoughts. The most important thing is for government institutions to have a bottom up approach rather than the top down approach currently being practiced. In addition, a culture of ‘doing’ where people do work that is planned and coordinated between the relevant authorities. For example, Muqdisho Transport Authority will need to work closely with the Muqdisho Municipality to agree on road levels, distances roads should be from homes, shops, offices etc where they are both working to an urban planning programme legally endorsed by the government. It’s all interlinked and the quicker we think along those lines the better for everyone.

^I don't need the hassle saxib. Hargaisa is made for you singletons to go and change things. I would need to go home to my family and that won't be possible there.

lol Afternoon all. Its getting warm and I'm home (London) sick

Dr. Jeffrey Lang Everyone’s journey to Islam is unique, but Dr. Lang’s is surely an interesting one. When young Jeffery asked his father about the existence of heaven as they walked their dog along the beach, it was apparent that this child possessed a highly inquisitive mind. There perhaps was also a sign that he would subject things to a logical scrutiny and validate them from a rational perspective. Little surprise was it, then, that one day he would end up being a professor of mathematics, a matter where there is no place for anything but logic. During his senior years at the Notre Dame Boys High, a Catholic school, he formed certain rational objections against belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. Discussions with the school Priest, his parents, and classmates could not convince him of the existence of God, and to the dismay of the Priest and his parents, he turned into an atheist at the age of eighteen. He was to remain so for the next ten years throughout his undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies. It was a little before or after his becoming an atheist that he first saw the following dream: "It was a tiny room with no furniture, and there was nothing on its grayish-white walls. Its only adornment was the predominantly red-and-white patterned carpet that covered the floor. There was a small window, like a basement window, above and facing us, filling the room with brilliant light. We were in rows; I was in the third. There were only men, no women, and all of us were sitting on our heels and facing the direction of the window. It felt foreign. I recognized no one. Perhaps I was in another country. We bowed down uniformly, our faces to the floor. It was serene and quiet, as if all sound had been turned off. All at once, we sat back on our heels. As I looked ahead, I realized that we were being led by someone in front who was off to my left, in the middle, below the window. He stood alone. I only had the briefest glance at his back. He was wearing a long white gown, and on his head was a white scarf with a red design. And that is when I would awaken." During the next ten years of his atheist life, he was to see the same dream several times. He would not be disturbed by the dream, however, for he would feel strangely comfortable when he awoke. But not knowing what it was, he could not make any sense out of it and thus gave no importance to it despite its repetitions. Ten years later in his first lecture at the University of San Francisco, he met a Muslim student who attended his mathematics class. He was soon to develop a friendship with him and his family. Religion, however, was not the topic of discussion during the time he shared with that Muslim family, and it was much later that one of the family members handed to him a copy of the Quran. The Quran was always way ahead of my thinking; it was erasing barriers I had built years ago and was addressing my queries He was not looking for a religion. Nevertheless, he started reading the Quran, but with a strong prejudice. “You cannot simply read the Quran, not if you take it seriously. You either have surrendered to it already or you fight it. It attacks tenaciously, directly, personally; it debates, criticizes, shames, and challenges. From the outset it draws the line of battle, and I was on the other side.” Thus he found himself in an interesting battle. “I was at a severe disadvantage, for it became clear that the Author knew me better than I knew myself.” It was as if the Author was reading his mind. Every night he would make up certain questions and objections, but would find the answer in his next readings as he continued his readings in the accepted order. “The Quran was always way ahead of my thinking; it was erasing barriers I had built years ago and was addressing my queries.” He fought vigorously with objections and questions, but it was apparent that he was loosing the battle. “I was being led, working my way into a corner that contained only one choice.” It was early 80’s and there were not many Muslims at the University of San Francisco campus. He discovered a small place at the basement of a church where a few Muslim students made their daily prayers. After much struggle in his mind, he came up with enough courage to go and visit that place. When he came out of that place a few hours later, he had already declared the shahadah, the proclamation of a new life – “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger.” After he made his proclamation, it was the time for the afternoon prayer and he was invited to participate. He stood up in rows with other students behind a prayer leader named Ghassan, and started following them in prayer: "We bowed down in prostration with our faces on the red-and-white carpet. It was serene and quiet, as if the sound had been turned off. And then we sat back on our heels again. As I looked ahead, I could see Ghassan, off to my left, in the middle, below the window that was flooding the room with light. He was alone, without a row. He was wearing a long white gown and on his head was a white scarf with a red design. The dream! I screamed inwardly. The dream exactly! I had forgotten it completely, and now I was stunned and frightened. Am I dreaming? I wondered. Will I awaken? I tried to focus on what was happening to determine whether I was asleep. A rush of cold flowed through my body, making me shudder. My God, this is real! Then the coldness subsided, succeeded by gentle warmth radiating from within. Tears welled up in my eyes." Everyone’s journey to Islam is unique, varying from one another in many different ways, but Dr. Lang’s is an interesting one. From one who challenged the existence of God, he became a firm believer in God. From a warrior who fought a fierce battler against the Quran, he became one who surrendered to it. From one who never knew love and who only wanted to live a comfortable materialistic life until he died and became “long-forgotten soil underneath an unmarked grave”, he turned into one whose life became full of love, mercy, and spiritualism. “God will bring you to your knees, Jeffery!”, said his father when he denied the existence of God at the age of eighteen. Ten years later, that became a reality. He was now on his knees, and his forehead on the ground. The highest part of his body that contained all of his knowledge and intellect was now on the lowest ground in complete submission before the Majesty of God. Like all Muslim reverts, Dr. Lang felt that he was favored by God’s mercy and that it was God Himself who directed him to Islam. “I perceived that God was always near, directing my life, creating the circumstances and opportunities to choose, yet always leaving the crucial choices to me. I was awestruck by the realization of the intimacy and love that reveals, not because we deserve it, but because it is always there and all we have to do is turn to Him to receive it. I cannot say with certainty what the meaning of that vision was, but I could not help seeing in it a sign, a favor, and a new chance.” References Bibliography: Dr. Jeffrey Lang, “Struggling to Surrender”, Beltsville, 1994. Dr. Jeffrey Lang, “Even Angels Ask”, Beltsville, 1997. Source: http://www.welcome-back.org/

Skilled people only. Doctors, engineers, technicians, investors etc.

ElPunto;825347 wrote: Why is there such a fuss about rejection and spoilers? There will be a vote by the Isimida coming to Mog - presumably they represent their clans. If they find the constitution not to their liking they can have their say then. All that is needed is a clear draft of the constitution and those opposing to state what articles they are opposing and how they would change it. It's time to attempt for a constructive way forward rather than this. Its the Somali way to disagree with something yet to be released for discussion I just hope for calm heads and those with Somalia at heart win the day.

Every Tom, Dick and Harry shouldn't be given citizenship. Why are peoples rejections not being considered?

People have as much right to reject the draft constitution as they have to accept it. Labeling them spoilers can be seen as having something to hide or wanting to push through something many don't agree with. Considering it has been drafted by others I would bet it's leaning in their favour. Just look at the supposed immigration issue. A discussion on the draft constitution would be good rather than labeling those who disagree as spoilers.

The draft constitution is yet to be released. The President already opposes it and so do others. Confusion.com

^Thanks. But do you have it in English?

^Thats was nearly 2 years ago. I thought a new one was drafted recently???

So we don't have it available online? Would be good to see if its as bad as what the rejectors are saying.

nuune;824700 wrote: Buhoodle elders reject garowe constitution President Sheikh Sharif rejects the new constitution Former Prime Minister of the TFG Ali Mohammad geedi rejects constitution Galmudug Community rejects the new Constitution. There are dozens of others similar to that, hebel rejected ...................... Is there a copy available online somewhere?

Afternoon all.

^he has played a blinder with the mind games lol Last game before the final tonight.

^That could prove to be the most important goal in a generation. They will probably mess it up though knowing Mancini.

There was no Somaliland in the 60s and 70s

No saxib. I was just as suprised.

Wonder where they met? Suuq Dahab?

Welcome Jimce Barkhadle” or Good Friday Jimce Barkhadle........By Ahmed H Nur Welcome Jimce Barkhadle" or Good Friday or Pascua or Paques or Påske (pronounced: pooske) or Eostre and many other names of the occasion. The following is not about the Christian tradition of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is about a little startling discovery I made this morning! I felt ****** as I realized the connection. ****** because I knew well of the events, each in its way, but never saw the link. The revelation came to me from a conversation between a mother and a daughter in the back seat of my car. It is early Wednesday morning, the 20th.of April 2011. There is little traffic on the roads as many had already travelled out of the city to the mountains or elsewhere. In Easter Holidays, Norwegians traditionally follow the receding snow and go to the mountains for skiing and relaxation. Recently, many choose travel to the sun in the South. Skjærtorsdag (Thursday before Good Friday) marks the beginning of a week-long holiday-break. My wife and I were driving my mum-in-law to an early appointment with her doctor. There, in the calm of the misty morning, cruising on Ring 3, the women in my company struck this conversation. It started off with whether the senior mother called home (Hargeisa) lately. "Yes", the response came and added that most of the family members in Hargeisa were already in Aw Barkhadle, awaiting the "Jimce Barkhadle". "It falls on the coming Friday as you know", she continued. Aw Barkhadle is a little village, about 30 km to the East of Hargeisa, on the Hargeisa – Berbera Road. And Jimce Barkhadle is an annual religious festival which takes place in the village. The origin of the festival and why it is arranged in this particular place has most definitely some historical connotations but this is long lost and forgotten. Flashback: I all of a sudden realized that "Jimce Barkhade" which is so passionately celebrated in Somaliland, is the same as the Christian Easter. Not only do the observed dates coincide, the meaning of the "day" and the manifestitations of the celebration are also the same. Modern-day Easter is known as the moveable feast since it falls on different dates each year. In The West, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Easter is therefore observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year and this coincides perfectly with the Jimce Barkhadle observations in Somaliland. Good Friday, which is the Friday before Easter Eve, fully corresponds to Jimce Barkhadle, meaningwise. Barkhadle means the Good One, the Virtuous, the Righteous or the Pious. During the Jimce Barkhadle Festival people, especially the young, used to paint a white Cross on their foreheads. This reflects the remains of the Christian traditions. Perhaps even pagan traditions before Christianity and Islam. In modern-day, Somali context, Jimce Barkhadle is believed to be an Islamic religious celebration. Popular believe has that partaking in 2 Jimce Barkhadle Festivals would amount to one Hajj Visit. I do not know how the occasion is celebrated these days, but in the past, this used to be a great fun festival, especially for the young people. There used to be a bounty of food and mesmerizing religious chanting under every tree. The small hills on both sides of the Doox echoed the beat of the drums – The Noor Qani as we called them. There was the corner for infertile women to sit on "Miracle Stones". This costed the women one shilling per sitting. Some of the stone-owners charged more, promising quicker results or the firstborn to be a boy. The infertility healing is an important relationship between our Jimce barkhadle and the believed originions of the Easter. Read about the origins of the Easter on the internet. There were many other "Barako" experiences, whether in this world or in the other, as the learned sheikhs used to say. For the kids, it was an occasion for running away from home. Staying up late with no parent supervision, playing in the Doox the whole day and sleeping in the open was fun, I remember. Two central figures Jimce Barkhadle has two central historical men: Sheikh Yusuf Al-Kawnayn and Bucur Bacayr. The former is said to have been a good guy (a Moslem) who saved the people from the evil rule of the latter. While the existence of these men is very strong in Somaliland folk believes, I found no written literature on these mythological figures. If you know something about them, or know about a resource of reliable literature, please share! Ahmed H Nur e-mail: ahnur@online.no http://samotalis.blogspot.com/2011/04/welcome-jimce-barkhadle-or-good-friday.html

I landed in Berbera on what is called Good Friday in Christian countries. Chatting away in the car I come to learn Somalis celebrated and performed prayers at a location near Hargaisa back in the 60s and 70s and the day was called ‘Jimce Barkhadle’. This apparently included using water and marking a cross on one’s forehead. Ignorance was abundant and going to this place was believed to cure one of his sins and cure diseases etc. Below is what I found on google. JIMCA BARKHADLIHII aan weyneyn jirray. April 2, 2010 By staff-reporter Jimce Barkhadlow maxaad ahayd? Maanta waxa waddammadan qarbiga laga xusayaa Jimca Barkhadlaha ( good Friday), innaguna aan xusi doonno bisha dambe, waxan xasuustaa siyaaradii iyo xafladihii lagu samay jiray tuulada la yidhaa Aw Barkhad leh, oo ku taalla degmada Hargeysa. Halkaasi oo sida la aammin sanaa loo tegi jiray cibaado. Dadkuna ay rumaysnaayeen, qofka saddex jeer tagaa in uu la mid yahay mid Xajka tegey. Dadku waxa ay maqaamka ku yaalla tuuladaa geyn jireen xoolo, lagu qalo, lacag iyo Jaad lagu mirqaamo. Caa’iladaha qaarna waxa ay dhammaantood tegi jireen Aw Barkhadle, oo ay ka soo ducaysan jireen. Gaar ahaan waxa looga soo ducayn jiray carruurta, dadka buka iyo kuwa muraadka leh. Maalintan Jimca Barkhadluhu waxa ay dadka u ahayd maalmaha ixtifaalaadka diiniga ah la sameeyo, ee la wada farxo, cunnooyin fiican la cuno, sida fiican loo labbisto, la digriyo. Dhallin yartana waxa ay u ahayd bar kulan oo sida aroosyada qof walliba calafkiisa ka raadsado, oo ay wada tuntaan habeen iyo dharaarba. Xafladda Jimca Barkhadluhu waxa ay kor u qaadi jirtay ganacsiga waxana ay la iman jirtay xarako saa’id ah. Oo xoolaha aad loo soo iib geeyo amma aad loo kala iibsado, gawaadhida la raacayo la sii carbuunto, haddii kale aanad helay gaadiid aad ku tagto Aw Barkhadle. Waxanan xasuustaa sidii ay Wajaale, Dilla, Boorama, Hargeysa iyo Burco u cammirnaan jirtay maalmaha u diyaar garowga Jimca Barkhadlaha amma maalintaasi. Dadka qofka awoodi kari waaya in uu tago, waxa uu qali jiray neef amma waxa uu marti sharaf u ahaa qoys kale oo neefka awooday. Waxa kale oo ay hadyado ka sugi jireen dadkii siyaarada tegey, oo keeni jiray ciid cad oo carruurta iyo dumarkuba ay wejiga marsan jireen. Calaamad iska tallaab ah ayaanay wajiga marsan jireen. Waxa kale oo ay dadka siyaarada tegey ka keeni jireen, wax yaal ay odhan jireen waa barako, sida gurub ay ka soo jareen saantii xoolaha lagu qalay Maqaamka oo ay qacmaha ku soo xidhan jireen, qaarna ay saaxiibbadood ugu soo talo geli jireen. Cajalado ay ka duuban yihiin qasaa’idkii iyo dikrigii culumada ayaa iyana lagu dhageysan jiray makhaayadaha lagu qayiyo iyo majlisyada. Sidii waayadii hore ma loo tixgeliyaa Jimca Barkhadlihii? Culimada casriga ah iyo guud ahaanba dadka diinta u ehelka ahi waxa ay dhawaalaba ka sinnaayeen, in ay arrimahaasi u arkaan bidco amma gaalnimo yihiin. Isla markaana aanan loo baahnayn in diinta lagu xuso waxa ay dadku u yaqaannaan Jimca Barkhad laha. Culumada sii xag jirka ahina ay u arkaan in xabaalaha oo la siyaartaa ay gaalnimo tahay iyo wax yaal la mid ah. Laakiin, intii aan qurbaha Yurub joogay ayaan arkay iyada oo ay dadka diinta masiixiga iyo Yuhuudda haystaa ay xurmo gaar u hayaan Jimca Barkhadlaha ku beegan manta, sidaasi daraaddeedna, loo fasax qaatay loona xafladaynayo. Dabayaaqadii siddeetanaadkii oo aan Khaliijka joogayna maan arag wax hadal haya Jimce Barkhadle amma u xafladaynaya. Haddaba akhristow adiga sidee arrimaha Jimca Barkhadluhu kula yihiin. Good Friday Ahmedweli http://awdalpress.com/index/?p=1638

NGONGE;823646 wrote: Norf, Somalis are crazy ninyaho. You must have the pataince to deal with that lot. By the way, did you read the SomalilandSun website lately? There is a story there that might tickle you. Just read it

Anything worse than dealing with people in positions they're not qualified for? Any rain today?