asalaamu alaykum, Silent-Sistah, if all the Somalis you've met have the characteristics you've listed above then perhapes you should re-evaluate your critria for choosing friends. There's nothing inherenetly evil about somalis, like any other race we have our good and bad. I wish you better luck next time. salaam

asalaamu alaykum, I agree with athena, I don't believe the girl either. Even if her father did threatened her the fact that she got on the stand and testified against him should warrent her the death penalty. If I was the father and mother in this case, I'd put her on the next flight back to somalia the first chance I get. salaam

asalaamu alaykum What's going on in Chechnya is truely sad. When I read about people like the chechens who have been struggling to survive since god knows when, it makes me see how trivial our conflict is. May Allah have mercy on us all. thx for the article sujui-1 salaam

asalaamu alaykum, I'm glad you guys liked the article . Tribalism/nationalism is indeed a disease that has infected and destroyed the Muslim ummah. Entrepreneur, here's the verse you're talking about in full from the Yusuf Ali translation: O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)(Surah Al Hujurat verse 13). I think the word tribe is actually referring to reer so and so and the word nation is referring to all somalis. The people who abuse tribalism misquote and misinterpret the ayah and use tribalims as the basis for unity when this is clearly forbidden in Islam. ws

salaam, I think piety is the most attractive trait anyone can have. There's nothing more attractive than a brother who's focused, has his priorities straight and lowers his gaze. ws

w/a salaam, WLCM to the family wisdom!

The Prohibition of Nationalism in Islam Nationalism is a concept alien to Islam because it calls for unity based on family and tribalistic ties, whereas Islam binds people together on the 'Aqeedah, that is belief in Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw). Islam calls for the ideological bond. Grouping the Muslims on tribalistic lines is clearly forbidden. It is narrated by Abu Da'wud that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, "He is not one us who calls for 'Asabiyyah, (nationalism/tribalism) or who fights for 'Asabiyyah or who dies for 'Asabiyyah." And in another Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) referring to nationalism, racism, and patriotism said: "Leave it, it is rotten." [Muslim and Bukhari] and in the Hadith recorded in Mishkat al-Masabith, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, "He who calls for 'Asabiyyah is as if he bit his father's genitals" Also, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, narrated by At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, "There are indeed people who boast of their dead ancestors; but in the sight of Allah they are more contemptible than the black beetle that rolls a piece of dung with its nose. Behold, Allah has removed from you the arrogance of the Time of Jahiliyyah (Ignorance) with its boast of ancestral glories. Man is but an Allah-fearing believer or an unfortunate sinner. All people are the children of Adam, and Adam was created out of dust." Also, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, "Undoubtedly Allah has removed from you the pride of arrogance of the age of Jahilliyah (ignorance) and the glorification of ancestors. Now people are of two kinds. Either believers who are aware or transgressors who do wrong. You are all the children of Adam and Adam was made of clay. People should giveup their pride in nations because that is a coal from the coals of Hell-fire. If they do not give this up Allah (swt) will consider them lower than the lowly worm which pushes itself through Khara (dung)." [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi] There are many examples in the Seerah where the Messenger of Allah (saaw) had rebuked those who upheld nationalism. One one occasion a party of Jews conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing the Aus and Khazraj within Islam. A youth from amongst them was sent to incite remembrance of the battle of Bu'ath where the Aus had been victorious over the Khazraj, and he recited poetry to bring about division between them. As a result there was a call to arms. When the news reached the Messenger of Allah (saaw), he (saaw) said, "O Muslims, remember Allah, remember Allah. Will you act as pagans while I am present with you after Allah has guided you to Islam, and honored you thereby and made a clean break with paganism; delivered you thereby from disbelief; and made you friends thereby?" When they heard this they wept, and embraced each other. This incident clearly highlights how the Messenger of Allah (saaw) rebuked any forms of tribalism. Allah (swt) then revealed, "O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam with complete submission to Allah. And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. Qur'an), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favors on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace you became brothers; and you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah make His signs clear to you that you may be guided." S (3); ayah 102-103] It is narrated by Qatada that Ibnu Abi Hathim said that in the verses quoted above Allah (swt) has ordered the Muslims to hold fast to the book of Allah, His Deen, and to his covenant, and He has forbidden the Muslims to divide amongst themselves and to dispute with each other. In another incident, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al Ansari, narrated what happened at the watering place of al Muraysi which led to the Munafiqun stirring up the traces of 'Asabiyyah and seeking to destroy the unity of the Muslims. He said: "We were on a raid when one of the Muhajirun kicked one of the Ansar. The Ansar said, 'O Ansar! Help me! (calling his tribe) and the Muhajir said, 'O Muhajirun! Help me! (calling his tribe). The Messenger of Allah (saaw) heard them and said, "Why are you stirring up something which belongs to Jahilliyah?" The Messenger of Allah (saaw) did not deal with the situation only by speaking to his men, but he walked with the men all that day until nightfall, and through the night until morning and during the following day until the sun distressed them. Then he halted them, and as soon as they touched the ground, they fell asleep. He did this to distract their minds from what had transpired. It is transmitted by at-Tabarani and al-Hakim that in one incident some people spoke very lowly about Salman al-Farsi. They spoke of the inferiority of the Persian in relation to the Arabs, and upon hearing this the Messenger of Allah (saaw) declared, "Salman is from us, the ahl al-bayt (the Prophet's family)." This statement of the Messenger of Allah (saaw) disassociates all links based on lineage and tribal considerations. It was also transmitted, in two different versions, by Ibn al-Mubarak in his two books, Al-Birr and As-Salah, that some disagreement occurred between Abu Dharr and Bilal and Abu Dharr said to Bilal, "You son of a black woman." The Messenger of Allah (saaw) was extremely upset by Abu Dharr's comment, so he(saaw) rebuked him by saying, "That is too much, Abu Dharr. He who has a white mother has no advantage which makes him better than the son of a black mother." This rebuke had a profound effect on Abu Dharr, who then put his head on the ground swearing that he would not raise it until Bilal had put his foot over it. These incidents demonstrate that tribal ties have no place in Islam. Muslims are commanded to stick together and not to disassociate themselves from each other just because they come from different tribes. The Messenger of Allah (saaw) also said, "The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." [Muslim], "The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body suffers." [Muslim], "An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return, a non-Arab is no better than an Arab. A red raced man was not better than a black one except in piety. Mankind are all Adam's children and Adam was created out of clay." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Musa] Meaning that the Muslims, whether they are of Chinese, African, European or Asian origin, are one Ummah and they cannot be separated from each other. No tribalistic ties should ever break their unity. Furthermore, Allah (swt), says, The Faithful are but brothers..." [surah Al-Hujurat (49): ayah 10] And the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, "The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part strengthening the others" and "Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim, Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar] Some people claim that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) approved of nationalism because during the migration to Madinah, he (saaw) said about Makkah with tears in his (saaw) eyes, "You are the most beloved land of Allah to me." However, this saying has nothing to do with nationalism, and this can be seen from the full saying which people often do not quote, "You are the most beloved land of Allah to me because you are the most beloved land of Allah to Allah." The Messenger of Allah's (saaw) love for Makkah was based on the noble status that Allah (swt) has given to Makkah, and not because he (saaw) was born there. All Muslims should have this love and affection for Makkah because it is the most beloved land in the sight of Allah (swt). After all,the Muslims pray towards Makkah and go there to perform Hajj there as it houses the Ka'ba. The above saying of the Messenger of Allah (saaw) therefore has nothing to do with nationalism. If Rasoolillah (saaw) and the Muhajireen amongst the Sahabah (raa) were tied to the homeland (of Makkah), they would have settled in Makkah after it became part of the Islamic State. Not only does Islam forbid people from grouping on nationalistic ties, but it also prohibits the establishment of more than one state, whether these states are based on nationalism or otherwise. The only state that is allowed for the Muslims is the Islamic State, which is a state that is governed exclusively by Islam. Allah (swt) addressed the Messenger (saaw), "And rule between them by that which Allah revealed to you, and do not follow their vain desires away from the truth which came to you" [surah Al-Madinah (5): ayah 48] and, "And rule between them by that which Allah revealed to you and do not follow their whims, and beware (be on the alert) that they may deviate you away from even some part of what Allah revealed to you." [surah Al-Maidah (5): ayah 49] The speech of Allah (swt) to the Messenger (saaw) is a speech to his (saaw)Ummah unless specific evidence comes to restrict this. In this case, there is no such restriction, and so it becomes obligatory for the Muslims to rule according to Islam. And ruling according to Islam leaves no room for nationalistic constitutions whatsoever because what is applied, and what forms the criteria for judgement, is the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of the Messenger (saaw). Ruling according to Islam can only be achieved in one state, with one Khalifah. It is reported in Muslim that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saaw) say, "He who gave the bay'ah to an Imam, giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart has to obey him as long as he can. If another comes to dispute with him (his authority) strike the neck of that person." Abu Said al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, "If a bay'ah is taken for two Khalifahs, kill the latter one." And 'Arfaja said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saaw) say, "If someone comes to you when you are united over one man and wants to break your strength and divide your unity, kill him." This unity of the Muslims was clearly highlighted in the document that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) wrote when he established the Islamic State in Madinah. In this document, which was to regulate the relationships of Muslims and non-Muslims in the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said regarding the Muslims, "Allah's covenant amongst them is one" and "The Believers are brothers to the exclusion of others" and "The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made with believers are fighting in the way of Allah." These statements serve to indicate that Muslims are one body and they are not to be treated separately. Furthermore, the obligation of having one state, and not many nationalistic states, also comes from the Ijma' of the Sahabah. When the Messenger of Allah (saaw) died, the Sahabah (raa) convened to discuss the appointment of the Khalifah in the courtyard of Bani Sa'ida. One person had proposed that the Ansar should elect their own Amir and the Muhajireen their own, but Abu Bakr (ra) narrated the Hadith that forbids the Ummah from having more than one leader. Thus, the Sahabah (raa) never allowed more than one ruler and their consensus is a legitimate evidence for us. Islam therefore leaves no room for the Saudi state, and Egyptian state, a Malaysian state, an Iraninan state, or a Pakistani state. Islam calls for one state with one ruler where all Muslims are bound by the 'Aqeedah of Islam. And this is a matter deciddd by Islam to which we must submit to, for Allah (swt) says, "O mankind, verily We have created you from a male and a female, and made you peoples and tribes, so that you may recognize each other. Verily, the most honored of you to Allah is (he who) safeguards himself against evil with full awareness of Divine Laws. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." [surah Al Hujurat (49): ayah 13] This verse was revealed immediately after the triumphant entry of the Prophet (saaw) into Makkah. After the declaration of immunity to the Quraysh, the Prophet (saaw) requested Bilal (ra) to give the Adhan. A group of three new Muslims were observing the proceedings when Bilal (ra) was asked to make the Adhan. One of them remarked how happy he was that his parents were not present to see such a disgusting sight. Another one, Harith bin Hisham commented that the Prophet (saaw) couldn't find anybody other than a black crow to make the Adhan. The third one, Abu Sufyan, abstained from making any adverse comment, stating that if he said anything, Allah(swt) would send a revelation to Muhammad (saaw) addressing his statement.Allah (swt) sent Jibreel (as) to inform the Prophet (saaw) of the discussion that had just taken place. The prophet (saaw) asked the three men about their conversation, who confirmed to the Prophet (saaw) what Jibreel (as) told him. The verse of the Qur'an was subsequently revealed. Because these individuals from the Quraysh were differentiating between themselves and Bilal (ra), Allah (swt) revealed this verse, concluding that the only criteria that Allah (swt) uses to judge between Muslims is that of Taqwa, which Bilal (ra) had and of which they were devoid of. This verse destroys the basis of nationalism in Islam. In the first part of the Ayah, Allah (swt) revealed to humanity that all human beings were created from a single pair - Adam and Eve. This statement clearly refutes any claim of certain people that humans came from animals through the process of evolution or any other such claim. The part of the Ayah, "..and made you peoples and tribes, so that you may know each other..." is usually misinterpreted as 'nations and tribes' to justify the differences created by the existing borders, specifically in the Muslim World. In addition, such misinterpretations are also used to encourage Muslims to foster pride in these affiliations. Unfortunately, these Muslims quickly jump to conclusions without looking at what Allah (swt) says. The errant understanding of this Ayah attempts to legitimize the current situation of the Muslim Ummah as many nations - divided and powerless - resulting from the destruction of the Khilafah state on March 3rd, 1924 by the puppet of the Kuffar, Mustafa Kamal. Furthermore, such a misunderstanding lends legitimacy to the continued division of the already divided Muslim lands that occurred throughout the twentieth century, with the division of the Indian Subcontinent into Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri regions; the further division of Pakistan into two countries with the creation of Bangladesh; and the renting asunder of the last Islamic Khilafah by the British agent Sykes and the French agent Picot during World War I in which they used the pencil and ruler to divide the Muslim Ummah. "It is not for a believer (male or female) that when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any choice in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in plain error." [surah Al-Ahzab (33): ayah 36] And those who still uphold nationalism, remember what Allah (swt) says, "And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest some Fitnah (disbelief, trials,afflictions,...) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them." [surah An-Nur (24): ayah 63]

salaam, The first link says the author is Mohammed Farah Aidid, not the warlord I hope :eek: The site seems interesting though. Who knew we were around for 40-50 thousand years. peace!

asalaamu alaykum, Well my username CM is actually the title of a lecture given by Noam Chomsky, in which he basically talks about the propaganda of the gov'd and how they put a great deal of effort into consciously manipulating the habits and opinions of the masses. I picked the name bc, I believe we're all conscioulsy manipulated in one way or another, from how we eat to how we dress to how we think. Yet we still go around thinking we're all free, bc they've managed to engrave illusions such as freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of whatever into our minds. Anyway, yeah that's the story of my username. The lecture also talks about the drafting of the constitution and the reality of this wonderful democracy we enjoy. I think you can still get it off Kazaa. salaam

asalaamu alaykum, Kaafi which name did u end up picking? I hope your daughter is healthy and doing well inshaAllah. My suggestion would've been Tasneem but too late now! salaam

asalaamu alaykum, I got this message from a sister in an egroup I belong to, plz take a few seconds and say a little prayer for this little boy. ==================== SALAAM, I HAVE A NEPHEW WHO IS NOW ABOUT 3 MONTHS OLD CALLED AMAAN AND SUBHANALLAH HE IS SO BEAUTIFUL. MY SISTER LOST HER LAST 3 CHILDREN BEFORE HIM, SHE HAS MANY PROBLEMS WITH PREGNANCIES DUE TO A WEAK WOMB, 2 OF HER CHILDREN LIVED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN PASSED AWAY. MY SISTER CANNOT HAVE ANYMORE CHILDREN, AS A WOMAN CAN ONLY HAVE 3 CEASARIANS. WITH AMAAN THE DOCS KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON HER, KEPT HER IN HOSPITAL FOR WEEKS AND GAVE HER SEVERAL JABS WHICH SHE HAD ON A DAILY BASIS. ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY IN WORDS HOW WE FELT WHEN ALLAH BLESSED HER WITH AMAAN. WHEN HE WAS BORN EVERY BODY WAS ELATED, HE IS SO PRECIOUS TO US AND IF SOMETHING WAS TO HAPPEN TO HIM ALLAH FORBID I DONT KNOW HOW WE OR MY SISTER WOULD COPE. SHE IS SO BROKEN INSIDE AND KEEPS IT ALL IN, ALLAH HAS GIVEN HER SO MUCH SABR. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER HE WAS BORN HE WAS TAKEN INTO HOSPITAL AGAIN, HE WAS JAUNDICED TO A LIFE THREATENING LEVEL. HE WAS KEPT IN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WHEN BETTER SENT HOME. RECENTLY WE NOTICED HIS BREATHING WAS ABNORMAL (WE'D NOTICED IT BEFORE BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN WORSE) AND HE WOULDNT MOVE HIS HANDS OR LEGS OR REACT TO SOUNDS ETC THE WAY A 2 MONTH OLD BABY DOES. MY SISTER TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THEY DID SEVERAL TESTS AND KEPT HIM IN FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THE TEST RESULTS CAME 2 DAYS AGO. HES GOT SOME SORT OF SKELETAL MUSCULAR PROBLEM WHICH IS GENETIC. THE NERVES FROM HIS SPINE CONNECTING TO HIS MUSCLES DONT FUNCTION, SO HE CANT MOVE ANY PART OF HIS BODY. HES PARALYSED. YESTERDAY MY SISTER WAS TOLD THE LITTLE MOVEMENTS HE DOES HAVE WILL STOP, AS THE DISEASE GETS WORSE, THERE IS NO CURE. SHE ALSO TOLD THE DOCS THAT HE WASNT FEEDNG PROPERLY. THEY TOLD HER THAT HIS FEEDING IS GOING TO CONTINUE DECREASING AND EVENTUALLY STOP. WHEN WE ALL HEARD THE NEWS YOU CANT IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE. SHE HAS TO GO TO ANOTHER DOC ON MONDAY, WHO IS GOING TO TELL HER HOW LONG AMAAN HAS TO LIVE. SHE HASNT TOLD MY MUM, DAD, HUSBAND OR ANYONE ELSE. ITS REALLY REALLY HARD NOT TO CRY WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM, WITH HIS BIG EYES, ROUND FACE AND FLOPPY CHEEKS. WE PRAY AND HAVE FAITH IN ALLAH. I JUST KEEP SAYING TO HER THAT WHAT EVER ALLAH DOES IS GOOD. MY MUM AND SISTER HAVE GONE TO THE HOSPITAL WHILE I AM WRITING THIS. HES BREATHING REALLY DIFFICULT AND HASNT FED PROPERLY ALL DAY. PLEASE WHO EVERS READING THIS PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY. PRAY FOR HIS HEALTH PRAY FOR HIS LIFE AND TO GIVE THE FAMILY SABR AND STRENGTH IN WHAT EVER ALLAH HAS PLANNED FOR US. PLEASE REMEMBER HIM IN YOUR DUAS. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM HE IS VERY SPECIAL. PRAY FOR HIS LIFE. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO WHOEVER YOU CAN AND PLEASE HELP MY NEPHEW, ALLAH WILL REWARD YOU FOR YOUR HELP. MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY ON US ALL AND GUIDE US TO THE STRAIGHT PATH. AMEEN

8)Al Malik = The King

My fav... Whatever dude!

salaam 12-13yrs from now huh? Seems like a long time. Well let's see, hopefully Islam would have triumphed by then and the world will be under the shade of the Khilafah with peace and tranquility for all. However, if that doesn't happen InshaAllah I plan to be involved with the cause in re-establishing Islam. ME: Happily married to the commander of Jihad, living somewhere in the world raising about 8 mujahideen (not children)InshaAllah. Health: Phyiscally and mentaly healthy inshaAllah. Hobbies: assembling wmd, building nuclear reactors and training women in the use of basic fire arms. If things dont go according to plan I suppose I can always start my own Islamic based pharmacutical company and make medicine from "Medicines of the Prophet" Ah I'm too much in day dreaming mode, I gotta get back to cleaning my room! salaam

asalaamu alaykum, Nice story! Thanks for posting it Nefertiti (btw I hear you're being resurrected can't wait to see the discovery channel special!). salaam

asalaamu alaykum Tamina, yeah his lectures are available on audio. You can probably get them off the web. salaam

asalaamu alaykum, I wasn't aware of that information. How credible is it C.M? Casue i know there is Natural Gas unless uranium is include under Natural Gas. I know the site where I got the article from is very credible but I have not done my own research to confirm the claims. So Allahu Alim. wa salaam

asalaamu alaykum Mizz_Unique, I agree, it's so sad that we fail to see the bigger picture, instead we occupy ourselves with trivial (and yes it is VERY trivial) territorial disputes. I think you're also right about the 7 Mullahs who were executed in public. The sad part is no one did anything. My mother used to say things haven't been the same in Somalia since that day. ALL in ALL........MAY ALLAH TURN SOMALIA BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN AMEEEN Ameeeeeeen! salaam

OH MY GOD!!!

asalaamu alaykum Slient Sistah thanks for starting this thread. Nice poems guys, really inspiring mashaAllah! Batuulo, that was soo SAD sis. SubhanaAllah, people can be so cruel. Wallahi I wanted to cry after reading your story. Sis don't torture yourself, just remember that Allah sees and is aware of everything. Take care salaam

salaam everyone, I'm not from the UK but here's something I came across on BP. The first column is how someone from the N.America would talk, the second is how someone from the UK would say the same thing. Enjoy! YaKnowI`msaying ...Ya done know me and my boys ...me and da man dem homies/homeboys ...bredrin Crib ....Yard chickenheads ...Skettoes/Skets shawty ...Yattie Punk azz ni99a ...Fassyhole Shoes ...Creps hotboy ...Topshotta Whatspopping ...Wha gwan/wha blow All Y`all ...Yous lot Soccer ...Football LOOOOOL@fassyhole! salaam

asalaamu alaykum, High school was definitly an experience I do not want to re-live! I was the class of '01 and inshaAllah will graduate from uni 2005. Malikah and Opinionated, inshaAllah, we'll congratulate eachother then! salaam

asalaamu alaykum, High school was definitly an experience I do not want to re-live! I was the class of '01 and inshaAllah will graduate from uni 2005. Malikah and Opinionated, inshaAllah, we'll congratulate eachother then! salaam

asalaamu alaykum, I'm doing a B.sc honours in biochemistry. InshaAllah I plan to go on to graduate school. All the people in public health and pharmacology - good for you salaam p.s If anyone here has or is studying biochem drop me a note, I'd really like to meet you.

War on Islam and the Muslims – Somalia Somalia in its current situation is a poor and torn country, living on outside help and afflicted, in addition to the colonialism, by unjust rulers who have squandered its wealth with wars and corrupt administration. Furthermore, it has been afflicted by years of drought and scarce rain. So famine has appeared and hunger has become widespread and hundred and thousands of people have died and their animals perished and their agriculture destroyed. In what will no doubt aggravate this situation America has indicated that it is preparing to launch strikes, under the excuse of Somalia being a haven for terrorist groups. Somalia and Colonialism To fully understand America's interest towards Somalia, we first need to have a historical background of Somalia, regarding the interests of the world powers. It is imperative to do this because the situations and occurrences in Somalia have been linked undeniably with the interests of the colonial world powers, from the 19th century to present. 19th Century & Britain Colonialism came to Somalia in the late 19th century, when Britain took the northern portion and Italy took the south. Once the borders were set, many Somali clans found themselves isolated in the neighbourhood countries of Kenya and Ethiopia. The Somali Youth League was established by the authorization of the British, and gained prominence in promoting territorial and clan renunciation. (The same tactic was employed all over the Muslim world. It plunged Muslims into nationalistic and territorial squabbles and disputes, and relegated the work to revive the Islamic State to a secondary or tertiary status.) After Italy's loss in WWII, Somalia came under full British military rule. The Colonial Era left the Somali people arbitrarily divided among five distinct territories-Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, the Ogaden region of Ethopia, and Kenya's North-Eastern province. The Somali state has been at odds with its immediate neighbours over this "nationalities" question ever since. The colonial powers such as Britain, France, Italy, and others after destroying the Ottoman Khilafah maintained large pieces of Muslim land under their sovereignty. The colonial powers did not leave the Muslim lands divided arbitrarily. Rather, they were divided systematically in a manner that would create further differences and instability in the land, giving the colonial powers continuous incentive and justification to intervene. The British were notorious for implementing this "Divide and Rule policy" in almost all the lands they colonized. Almost all of the regional problems that occur in the Muslim land are a direct result of the artificially created schisms and conflicts propagated and sustained by the colonial powers to exert their influence. WWII & US But also after WWII, another development occurred in the global situation. The world became split into two blocs, which we can loosely call the eastern and western blocs. The eastern bloc was led by Russia and the Warsaw Pact countries, while the western bloc was led by America and the NATO pact countries, and both blocs embarked upon the Cold War. There arose a bitter rivalry in the western bloc between America and Britain. Before WWII, America's foreign policy was linked to Britain's. It was Britain who lured the U.S. into WWI, by tempting her with the oil of the East. When America began oil exploration, she began to realize the precious value of the oil for economic profits as well as her own existence. So when America arose as one of the victors of WWII, she began working to strip all countries with colonies in the area, and to impose her own dominance. She began viewing the world as one big country, in which she must have the biggest share, and therefore this company must be administered by her. She also began divorcing her foreign policy from that of Britain's, in and around the 1950's. America began working in the Middle East, trying to impose her influence and to remove Britain's. This resulted in a number of wars, coups, manoeuvres, and conflicts that exist to this day. America's quest for Africa began in and around the 1960's. At this point, actually Russia and America were both battling Britain for her colonies. When we look at the coups and conflicts that have occurred since this period, we find regimes either employing socialist/communist or democratic ideologue. We must also mention here, that at times America even backed communist regimes in order to oust the British influence. As a matter of fact, after the meeting in 1961 between Khrushchev and Kennedy, we see saw an easing of the cold war tensions between America and Russia, based on a policy of peaceful coexistence, where they would divide the world between them into spheres of influence, and which would also serve to reduce the English influence from the world. Mohammed Siad Barre’s rise to power In October 1969, Mohammed Siad Barre rose to power in Somalia, employing scientific socialism as his ideology, as well as a call for the renunciation of Somali lands and people. In 1974, Somalia and the Soviet Union signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, which gave Russia access to naval and other military facilities located on the Gulf of Aden. It appears that this treaty was signed with the U.S.'s approval. Britain was effectively removed entirely from this region, as she had already been discharged from the Suez. In 1978, without a shot fired, Barre was won over as an American puppet, and assumed the bases and military stations once controlled by Russia. Many of Barre's officers of his military were trained through the Pentagon's IMED Program (International Military Education Program), as well as providing him with his military weaponry. Even Norman Schwarzkopf visited Barre and his military in 1989. In late 1990, Barre was ousted by the forces of the United Somali Congress. The USC's forces were made up primarily by that of Mohammed Farrah Aideed. The forces were launched from Ethiopia. The U.S. evacuated her embassy and personnel, as did the U.N., following Barre's ousting, with the UN declaring that humanitarian intervention could not take place until a steady peace had been established. This policy ensured that chaos would follow, as only smaller relief agencies were left, and the U.S. was steadily supplying arms to forces fighting General Aideed. Even the so-called Muslim governments in the region did not lift a finger to help settle the conflict, or even in providing relief supplies. This is not surprising however, since at that time they were busy carrying out the orders of their American master during the Gulf War crisis. It is now apparent that this policy of non-intervention by the UN and the Muslim countries was an American design. After the fighting had reached to chaotic proportions, with even a "natural" disaster thrown in for good measure, they entered the theatre of operation under the cover of “humanitarian" aid. This humanitarian aid was an excuse to re-enter the country, eradicate her enemies, and attempt to establish a permanent presence in the country. Thus marines landed on the shores of Somalia on December 9, 1992 and Operation Restore Hope was launched. US motives The US is a capitalist nation. This means her motivation for action is interest and benefit. She obviously therefore could not resist the mouth watering temptation the oil rich regions and their ancillary rail routes. Routes Especially important is the route which passes from Karachi, going southwards to Muscat to Somalia and onto Tanzania until South Africa, and westward from Karachi to Iran, onto Iraq until Turkey. These routes carve out the richest oilfield in the world. This feeds the whole body of the industrialised world - pumping the black blood of crude oil throughout. The massive land mass forms a triangle which defines the most important sea passages which lead to Asia and Africa in the east and south respectively and Europe in the north and west. It is noteworthy that Somalia is the only country which overlooks the two most strategic sea routes and passes the longest unbroken coastline on the African continent, 3330km. This coastline extends from south-west Kenya to the north-west by Jibouti, and to the north it overlooks the Indian Ocean. Whoever succeeds to close the straits of Bab-al-Mandab, between south-west Arabia and Africa, succeeds to close the main gate to the Red Sea. From this overview we see the strategic importance of Somalia - a land which overlooks the most important sea straits of the world. Uranium The continent’s uranium resources account for 60% of the world’s reserves. According to a report by a western company the uranium fields of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zaire and Angola in totality is are less than that which is in the Ogaden fields of Somalia alone. Any country which succeeds in dominating and controlling this treasure trove will come to dominate various trans global industries, especially and uranium is projected to become the mainstay energy source of the 21st century. Oil and Gas The land, in the opinion of geologists and industry sources, also yields significant amounts of oil and natural gas. In a 1991 World Bank co-coordinated study, intended to encourage private investment in the petroleum potential of eight African nations, the geologists put Somalia and Sudan at the top of the list of prospective commercial oil producers. In the findings of another exploration effort by the Texas-based Hunt Oil Corp. across the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Peninsula nation of Yemen, geologists disclosed in the mid-1980s that the estimated 1 billion barrels of Yemeni oil reserves were part of a great underground rift, or valley that arced into and across northern Somalia. Hunt's Yemeni operation yields nearly 200,000 barrels of oil a day and their implications for the entire region were not lost on Bush Snr, who was then vice president and who strongly supported U.S. corporate efforts to develop and safeguard potential oil reserves in the region. Conclusion Therefore Muslims should not be under any illusion about the true American motivation for intervention in the area. It is extremely naive to think that the American presence was previously due to flies festering upon skeletal emaciated babies or the young being indistinguishable from the old due to crippling malnutrition. If that is the case then why has the US, the insipid cowboy of international politics, not bothered to move its ‘humanitarian’ bandwagon to Angola, Burma, Tanzania, etc. Equally the current intended return of America to Somalia under the guise of combating terrorism is nothing more than a continuation of its colonialist policy of exercising control over vital Muslim lands. Habib-ur-Rahman Source: War on Islam: Special Report K.com journal