Great job, NY times. Everyone write to NY times and thank them for their articles highlighting this conflict, show them we are interested and want more reporting! May Allah help our people. Ameen “It’s terrifying,” said Ali Mahamoud, a Koranic teacher who said he was yanked out of Arabic class a few months ago and was assigned to a militia. “You can’t see the rebels when they’re shooting at you. And the Ethiopians will kill you if you try to run.” But Human Rights Watch says it has documented dozens of cases of severe abuse by Ethiopian troops in the ******, including gang rapes, burned villages and what it calls “demonstration killings,” like hangings and beheadings, meant to terrorize the population. “This is a mini-Darfur,” said Steve Crawshaw, the United Nations advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. source

Has anyone written a book or is thinking about writing a book? I know David mentioned it, some of u have blogs, others write poetry, Paragon/NG share their long stories. Why not put little more effort and write a book? ive been thinking i want write a book and i want it to be a bestseller. Don't laugh now, i am really brilliant when i want to be. I have just read the best selling book, the kite runner and thought to myself yo ma waxaan ba millionare ka diigay? This simple book made him millions and his book now is a movie? I can do better then him yo. The sucess of Harry Potter written by a woman on welfare, Elpest written by a 17 year old kid, all it takes is imagination right? Or does race-something else, play into it? Would the world recieve a somali who wrote a book similar to kite runner in a somali setting? There have been successful african books such as Things Fall Apart which i also read great book check out. Imagination/Thought is powerful, and can bring in money money.

"which Soma Gaalo when he goes to collect his Caydh from the Gaalo!" Huh? You seen Muslims that believe this: "I thought that a Muslim person can not have a non-Muslim friend at all. Isn't that clearly stated in the Qur'an and Hadith"

^^Dahia, you can put a spell on me anytime, anyday. i submit to your demands. hahahaha just joking. Much lov Dahia. Zu, fat chance man. I know when um right and when um wrong and have no problems w/ appoligizing but theres no point here its a funny topic as ive said. Layzie ....ciyal suuq iyo uraya kulaha say something believable. If i was ciyal suuq then you know how i would be responding to chick like u. Instead i told u the truth, while you just bugging making up stuff. Anyhow enuff chit chatting w/ some ****** chick.. let's move on IA. Shows oveer. Go home folks!

^^Masha-Allah caaqlilee ba thay. I think you said all you wanted to say in this topic, so we move on. And I tell u what, I work on improving my af somali, and you improve on getting womanly class one of these days, because saan ku ma ficaano, acting like gaber joekoorii ah all the time aad hadalshiid instead of gaber somaliyeed oo asli ah...u know gabhdii la yaqanee. Just my brotherly advice ya dig. Originally posted by g.L.a.M.o.r.O.u.S: Khalaf, bro i always had this impression u were one of the most level-headed guys here, wats happening walaal? Nway,i need to say, sixir is practised by all societies in the world, including that of our dear Prophet n thatz y he advised us to read Suratul falaq b4 we go to bed. yes its common in Kenya esp the coastal regions but its really unfair for u to generalize like dat just bcoz it has 'supposedly' happened to ur uncle. Am proudly Kenyan n i can confidently say, Khalaf bro, u r wrong this tym round. Sijui's have no sense humor huh? Sister, i know all of that believe me. but it was funny to me and um sure to many others, racist kulaha sensitive folks......it's reer mudag jokes which made me laugh of course um not as funny as them and "sijui" is part of my roots, marka sometimes its okey not to be all serious. salaamun

Originally posted by The Zack: [QB] I thought that a Muslim person can not have a non-Muslim friend at all. Isn't that clearly stated in the Qur'an and Hadith. Dadka qaar maxey indhaha isu tiraan horta. You thought wrong, revist the true Quran and Hadith. Mercy to all mankind=MUSLIMS. Very sad story, sick asian culture. Allahu ya Rahmah.

nothing any of us say will make up for it, but sorry for you loss sister and condlences to victims families. Allahu ya Rahmah.

lol@ not all Sujui women practice it. but u know somalis tho, waxaa kasto they say others do it: ie somali sujui, or somali "jareer" baa yaqaano sixir. Walaa ive heard iska ii laa liiya naag ahh sijui for example lol. But as u said, this is practiced by many others. I also heard, when someone calls your name, you should not reply haa or respond in the affirmative lol. Pacifist, walaaleey ma reer kenya/tanzania ba thay? Cause i never crossed tracks w/ u marka dats why u are upset, its not bout me ya dig and sure i clown, its not serious topic...waxaan wa sheeko somaliyeed um sure you have heard it before. Koolkat, i saw what LG wrote, but i couldn't respond since i was at work and i no longer post from work. I don't know why they deleated it, that's just Layzie being herself and doing what she does best. Af xuumo iyo ciyal suuqnimo naag wayne kuu dhaaqmayso, wa ayaan daro iyo ceeb ayadaa uu taalo. waxaas baad sxb la thay lol. ps: thats exactly what i said Mrs. Koolkat, but sixir exists, our nabi scw was put under sixiir....and many women are putting poor farahs under sixir lol. We seek in Allah's refuge.

^^^ . I repeat i am only a messenger.

What is thing that i hear about Sijui women, putting spell on their husbands to keep them? Apparantly my uncle is under the spell in Kenya. Not funny, but still um laughing. Because i am not much of believer in this, but apparantly this occurs often and women (especially Sijui women) practice this. I am just a messenger.

^^^^Hey i was trying to be helpful, its all on Fahiye.....were just clowing.....da nigger please bit had me laughing....hahaha...But this scernio can happen . Its your show walaaleey, let the mods delete mines i was only messing around...and add Fahiye's as well. Zafir, will continue from where you left off...um still too slow to understand the bid about the shoe. wa salaamun

Now we are resulting to name calling? That is ceeb madam. Listen, I was following the discussion, but there wasn’t much until the claim you made, though racist and narrow-minded and using the arabs as an example for back-up on an ethnicity topic doesn’t much help your case, however it was nonetheless an interesting assertion, though I disagree with your assertion. So do not disgress, and explain to me if you do not mind. I am not speaking for Camir, and the topic is beyond this lady. I didn’t read her biography nor is it relevant in my view, but its your claim that I am interested in. You said: It’s NOT about your language, or your place of birth.. What matters is your qabiil. Do you believe the above on principle and why so, or are you as I suspect now judging by your answer to Camir: “the Somali political arena is the playground of a few select clans. The rest are often sidelined socially, politically and even culturally.”, only stating how it is in an tribal apartheid society as Somalia? Help me understand IA, um not kidding you or want to annoy you, but I find it this baffling. The reason, is because if we are speaking on principle, say Somalia was a “normal” country, with constitution, laws, legislation, and so on then language, place of birth is what would matter and not “qabil”. I am not following MMA’s argument or what the constitution of 1960 approved. But if one is born in Somalia (imagine I know it maybe difficult that it’s a normal country here w/ laws ect), they speak the language, have the culture, pay the taxes, serve the country, loyal to the country, then this would trump “linage”. Don’t you agree? For example, there are Somali Sijui that for generations have been living in Kenya/Tanzania and have loyalty to there place of birth, and Oromo (and others) for generations that have been living in Somalia, share the language and culture with the indigenous somalis. Don’t they have more right in the country, then the Sijui for example who may have the “linage”. (Again imaging this is normal country w/ a constitution)? I would believe so. That is only a snap shot.

Source: The Economist Title: Somalia: Breaking into even smaller bits Never mind, ^^^Is a good thing right Camir. [it’s NOT about your language, or your place of birth.. What matters is your qabiil. Says what law? You're being awfully disrespectful by making such a flawed comparison. If anyone is being disrespectful, it is you lady. Your argument is is very narrow-minded and very racist. But you are entitled to your opinion however flawed and anti-historical it maybe. Camiir well said sxb. She's born in Somalia, feels somali, identifies w/ somalis, sings (horrible) in somali...then cool. What matter's more is she Muslim. But anyhow you have terrible taste in music ninyahow.

^^Indeed bro. Real good lecture by Khalid Yasin, the responsbilities of Muslim here in the West, i think he was speaking of. Real good, i recommend it to all. lol@ Geel. Precisely why i made the du'a. I know there are many curses from other countries because of foreign policy, lakiin naga daaya nooh! The reason why i said i am not american per se, is because i believe to be american (or british, french, any nationality) you have to be a patriot, flag, glory history, u know that sort of stuff. And i have no pride or idenity w/ that, but this is my home and i love it here. I consider myself Muslim, only thing which gives me pride/idenity, and somali because for obvious reasons, ethnicity can't escape that.

^^^I don't get the story, and the thing about the shoe. But ill continue it. ... lol@ Nigger please. Yo it is nigga not nigger. Ill continue it where u left off sort off. marax letting the girl know u aint got nothing. Through out the entire dinner, Climi on the inside was shitting about how much is this gonna cost him. War maxa igu waataay. But of course he wanted to impress Ceebla a sophicated kinda of gal. If only she knew how broke he was, would she still like him as much? What’s wrong with eating at the burger joint bal? Caku aniga! He looks over to Ceebla. Climi: Walaaleey everything is all right? Ceebla: Ha walaalow everything is great alxamdullah. And you? You didn’t have much to eat. Climi: (ordered the least expensive plate, thinking to himself no shit I didn’t have much to eat). So what your not much of dessert person, have some dessert nooh. (Thinking to himself, WTF I asked that for I have no money for dessert, yaa Allah please let her say she don’t want no dessert). Ceebla: No, I am too full. I can’t have anymore. Climi: (thinking: Allah Akbar!). Are you sure? Your not those girls that care about weight? Because you sure have no problem there. **laughing** Ceebla: laughing, no. not me. ooo never that. A woman should always be happy for what she has and feel comfortable in her skin. Climi: Indeed. Insecurity is never good. Walaaleey since you don’t want anything else. You sure, you good? Ceebla: Yes, I am good. Climi: Okey marka, then we good to go. Climi singles over to the waiter. Waiter asks if they are ready to go. Climi replies yes and asks for the bill. Ceebla: Excuse me walaalow, I am just going to the ladies room. While Ceebla gets out of her chair, Cilmi also stands up as well with her. Ceebla: (is thinking awww what gentlemen) The waiter arrives w/ the bill. Climi looks at it and nearly faints. 320 pounds. 320! Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un. I only have 200 pounds in my account. Shit shit shit! Takes a deep breath. lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un. and think what I am going to do? ****** stuipid aniga. Why didn’t I think about the money in my account before I came here. Who would’ve thought a dinner would cost this much! I have to think about something. Climi decides to plead his case with the restaurant owner.

^LOL...U missed the point akhi, but its cool. lol@ from refugee camp to Iowa. You got jokes yaa Nur. Alxamdullah, never been in no camp or suffered as many of our people have. The irony is, it was Muslims that killed other muslims and made them refugees of the world and kufars that took them in, and gave them homes, medicine, ect. As Muslims we thank Allah and realize the good or bad comes from Allah. As for me, I am not American bro and will never consider myself one. Mida labad can never feel like second class to anyone whereever in this world i maybe in this life, cause i believe none is above me. Um only a servent to Allah and His Messenger scw. But this is a great country in many ways and i make du'a for it, for Allah to bless it and to guide it. Not for Allah to destroy it.

Maybe Somaliland will be the base for Africom. I thought it would be Dijbouti considering its more friendlier and long relationship w/ Uncle Sam. Somalia is a major stragetic spot, so its no brainer America is heaivly interested and will play a major role as an influncer in the Horn of Africa. I don't understand why people tend to ignore this point, and instead focus on small arguements? Anyhow, as for Somaliland's indpendence, that all depends would it serve America's (ie the West) interests if SL was granted indpendence, or would it not? I am in the opinion it would not and would cause more problems in the region, hence reason for America's reluctance to embrace the idea. But federalism, regional autonomy is most likely in Somalia's future. We shall see insha-Allah.

The incidence of a Somali meat packer in Kansas who died from tuberculosis has officials calling for better health screening for the waves of unskilled immigrant workers flooding smaller American communities. Source

can you think without language? Of course. Hellen Keller duh! . Thought came first, u don't need language.....brain activities research it.

He first picked up a gun "in 1991, when Somalia was imploding after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. So what's the story here, some mooryan cat that picked up the gun since 91 and been living big...and now is mad bigger moryaa!n s(ie the ethiopians) disrupted his business? Not much of a story if i may say so. No thanks Nomadique. two gangs are fighting, and innocent people are caught in the middle, its like the crips and the bloods wars. Outside interference should stop the madness and broker a peace deal to end Somalia's nightmare simple as that. ps: this belongs in the politics section.

Great informative topic. Thanks sister and brother Nur. Bur israar who? Does that mean arrogance?

maxa America laga raaba? America accepted millions of somali refugges, when the arabs our "muslim brothers" were cutting off their heads no? Of course i don't thank America for it, but Allah but lets give credit where credit is do. There is a reason why we live in the states, Europe and not else where. When i was in HS i read a lot of books guess by whom that made me really angry of many things. Alxamdullah i gained a lot of wisdom since my "younger days" not long ago. The entire problem are the Muslims. Allah say's what happens to u is what your own hands committed. Lets stop the blame game. One of the two biggest crisis today in the world are in two countries, apart from iraq and falistine of course. They are Somalia and Sudan (Darfur case). Tell me if the arab booqors or sheikhs have shown concern for these black countires. i think um just venting and not using my better judgement, but its also truth at the end of the day. wa salaamun

I am sure you are quite capable to grasb the gist of what I am saying, or can you not? Sure sxb, i didn't expect a reply. Mine was only in good fun, but ill bite nevertheless on this point: These Ethiopianised folks have gone beyond the point of reconciling with them. It is not them with which I seek reconciliation, but it is between 'us' - those of us who are against the occupation - and those who equally opposite the occupation but yet sit on the fence of neutrality. Reconciliation happens between opposing teams, in other words those whom are on different sides of the fence to reach common grounds, (ie TFG vs. its opponents) reconciliation is not between those on the same side of the fence as your above statement indicates. Taan labad, ethiopia is a tool for Washington, its main ally in the Horn of Africa. You do realize this point? In any case, let me know how the "liberation" works out for you, i am hoping for the international community, the Muslim world, and Somalia's neighbors to help this poor African country and her people achieve some kind of peace and stability and set up some kind of governing body. salaamun

^^^^We will see about that insha-Allah. Just make sure you go out and VOTE. Democrat Check out this sister Yasmin Elhady ask a question on the online discussion at . WASHINGTON - Yasmin Elhady of Huntsville initially felt lucky to be one of the few chosen to ask a question during Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate, carried live on CNN. But within minutes, the online discussion at YouTube.com and CNN.com turned cruel, upsetting the young law student and causing her to second-guess her participation. "Some of it was just straight-up hate," Elhady said Thursday morning in a phone interview from Los Angeles. Source Man i love opinionated hijabis Rock on Yasmina :cool:

^^Walaaleey yaa loo sheega? Ma xaajiyada Dahia masa inanta kalee? Hadaa inanta kalee aad ka hadlesiid i am sure she is a big girl and knows the difference between halal and haraam. Its not my business ya dig. ps: KoolKAT warned me, what are u up to madam?