^^ Happy birthday. Ur still a child dear, the prime of ur life is yet to come, I'A...so don't worry too much. Just take advantage of 'doing nothing' for now coz u won't get that chance later in life.

I don't believe in that crap....but June is my month!

Good luck GYPSY and the rest.

LoL @ Miz Alpha, Ameenah, Mammi and harmony! Wots this, the London mafia? Alpha...hope ur enjoying Toronto, heard that they've got fine brothas, tho I cant imagine anybody comparing to our London lads!

Just fine thanx. Welcome

My all important input>>>> :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Legend of Zu: When i see someone sleep in the train...i feel like sayin " BOOHOOO " to scare them...make them jump so i can laugh!!! When i see someone who is bout to fall but tryin hard to balance..all i think is push dem lil bit so they can fall..... and when I am drivin late in the weekend nites..and all my friends are in the car..i think smashin the car to the Nearest wall...and wonder what the NEWS TV would have said!!!! Cheers Random thought: Stay away from that indhayar individual by the name of Zu. Danger Alert!

Lakkad...glad to kno all is well. Who knew u could be so caring? :eek: Weather's kinda undecided today...sunny/cloudy/rainy within hours. Search me. :confused: Reerku wey fiicanyihiin, alxamdulilaah. Ma siblings are giving me trouble tho...can't live with them and can't live without them. :rolleyes: School is finished 4 me, thanks to Allah. The way I feel, this might be it 4 me and education. Health is good (Alxam.)...cept 4 some hayfever...but its nothing that some anti-allergy tablets can't fix. Shaqo ma'aha sheeko aan raba inaan ka hadlo at the mo...but I can tell ya my bank account is empty. Dabadeyda buuhoodlaa laga arkayaa! Maxaa KALA oo War Ah? Just another year adding to ma age this wk...Somealien is not the only depressed individual in here. Horta, aren't u coming to our side of the Atlantic this summer I'A? I UnLove U 2

Originally posted by Dantay1: The clan is not to blame it’s the those who strive to better themselves using the clan card. Like any sectarian based ideology, look at the Tutsi Hutu problem, Zulu Xhosa disputes. Somali’s have been fooled into believing their problems are based exclusively on clan. The biggest problem is that our leaders from the outset misunderstand the needs of the people. Leaders without vision leading a blind nation. Another problem is that the clan exists in Somali society, example of this is when your family wants you to marry a certain clan. When even the youth identify with their clans, when you are proud to be from Somaliland immediately people know your clan, if you stress Puntland then its even more immediate. But this is not a problem, the problem is poverty ignorance and limited resources for an ever growing population. There has to be a political solution in which your clan identity is only an identity, “be proud of it but don’t put it in my face” when there is transparency and accountability in our leadership then some of our problems will be behind us. Even if this happens and we get a Mandela head and a Japanese efficient government with minimal red tape , we will only be on our way to solving our real problems. Well put! Salaam Dantay, Glad to see you posting again. "when there is transparency and accountability in our leadership then some of our problems will be behind us." There you have it. You've hit on the problem right there. When people assume that the whole meaning of leadership is lining your pockets and having the power to do as you please, is it any wonder that the worst sort of individuals always claw their way to the top? When will our people and politicians realise that leaders (and the government) have a duty to the welfare of the population, to the protection and progress of the country, and to the conservation and maintenance of the environment? When will we wake up and realise it doesn't matter what tribe our leaders are as long as they are fulfilling their duties and are accountable for their actions?

Originally posted by Nafisa: I think this is a great step towards success and mobilization...they sure have my support as long as it will serve the purpose of a "university" and represent everyone equally! I agree. Plus I hope to teach there one day Insha'Allah.

Originally posted by somealien: well than, im a c0ck eyed, buck toothed troll with moldy, puss ridden, moles. LoL....that's some image you painted there, but I'm sure ur beautiful on the inside.

Bella, are you planning on openning a cafe? what do u think the cafe's and the lounges you attend lack? The chairs in some cafe's are very uncomfortable. I'm not sure why, since the more comfortable the chairs the longer u'll probably stay in there and the more goodies u buy. what would u do to make it a better place? Do u mean decoration-wise or food-wise? what would you like to see in a cafe or a lounge? Very low music or no music at all. Seats you can sink into and relax. And of course great drinks...especially hot chocolates, there aren't many varieties of hot chocolates in cafe's. I find better choices in the local supermarkets.

Bella, are you planning on openning a cafe? what do u think the cafe's and the lounges you attend lack? The chairs in some cafe's are very uncomfortable. I'm not sure why, since the more comfortable the chairs the longer u'll probably stay in there and the more goodies u buy. what would u do to make it a better place? Do u mean decoration-wise or food-wise? what would you like to see in a cafe or a lounge? Very low music or no music at all. Seats you can sink into and relax. And of course great drinks...especially hot chocolates, there aren't many varieties of hot chocolates in cafe's. I find better choices in the local supermarkets.

LoooooooooL!!!!! That's not fair. Doesn't she get anymore chances?

Hahahahaha!

Originally posted by DeSeRT GYPSY: And in the USA, they did not know what "the rest of the world" meant.

Since I finished the last of my exams today (ALXAMDULILAAH!!!), I thought I should recommend some books, as I have no intention of reading another book ever again....or at the very least until I next get bored. Also, since Sophist asked "Don’t just mention the name, do tell why you feel the why you feel about this particular book which either vexed you, stimulated, or even influenced you extremely" so nicely, I felt good enough to write a brief review of the books. I'm recommending the following books, because I think they may interest some of the girls in here, and also because they are a great read! Especially Amrit Wilson's book, which is a very powerful effort. **Davies, Miranda (1987) “Women at War (Part2)” in THIRD WORLD: SECOND SEX, volume 2, PP.57-94, Zed Books Ltd **Wilson, Amrit (1991) THE CHALLENGE ROAD: Women and the Eritrean Revolution, Earthscan Publications Ltd **Vickers, Jeanne (1993) WOMEN and WAR, Zed Books Ltd My Review All three authors have the same theme running through their books. The effect of oppression, aggression and violence on women’s lives in times of conflict. In the chapter on Women at War, Miranda Davies, compiled together a number of articles by and interviews of women from different parts of the third world, engaged in struggles against oppression and national liberation movements throughout the 1970 and 80s. Amrit Wilson, on the other hand, looks in depth into Eritrea, and the role women have played in the long struggle for freedom and self-determination in this poor East African country. She looks at the way Eritrean women gave everything they own to the resistance and their dual struggle against oppression and sexism. Jeanne Vickers's book is a study of the relationship between women and all forms of violence and aggression and the impact war has on women in general. Vickers argues that wars are mainly man-made, but the majority of victims are women and children and without the participation and contribution of women to the promotion of peace, humanity will continue to suffer. Miranda Davies discusses accounts of women’s participation in national liberation movements in Guatemala, Namibia, South Africa under apartheid, New Caledonia in the South Pacific, Iran and Palestine. Davies, uses articles and interviews of prominent women combatants, activists and representatives of liberation and resistance movements in these countries. Although Amrit Wilson’s book differs in both style of writing and content, her study is similar, in that she also talked to many different women who were involved in the movement for self-determination in Eritrea. Her study is constructed around the life-stories of women who have lived through the most important periods in the history of Eritrea. Colonisation first by the Italians and then by the British in 1941, growing political consciousness of the working classes and intense political activity in the early 1950s and the federation of Eritrea to Ethiopia in 1952. Many of the women have also been actively involved in armed struggles as part of the different political and military movements, especially the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), from 1961 onwards, and the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), from 1971 onwards. Jeanne Vickers, in contrast, looks at the causes and effects of war, in general and the impact on civilian women and children, in particular. She argues that there are direct links between the arms trade, the increase of militarilisation and the decline of social services and standards of living. Vickers also claims that “most women’s experience of war is not as combatants or activists but as civilians caught in the crossfire”. While Wilson concentrates on the historical process that gave birth to the Eritrean revolution and female participation in it, Vickers looks at many recent conflicts and "…their increasingly violent impact on civilians". These include the conflict in Palestine, the Gulf war, civil war in Somalia and the "explosion of ethnic strife" in the former Yugoslavia. Wilson’s strongest argument is that the intense nationalism and desire for liberation, which swept through the cities of Eritrea in the early 1970s, were responsible for the mobilisation of the population, particularly the women, into joining the resistance. "A process had started whose upheavals were to change profoundly the lives of Eritrean women and men, ultimately dismantling both class and family structure." (Wilson, pp.66) The two main points raised by Vickers concern the plight of women refugees and the increase in the number of ethnic conflicts. Vickers convincingly argues that: "Women refugees bear the brunt of situations arising as a result of man-made violence, and are frequently victims twice over. In the first instance their search for protection and safety may be triggered by a situation involving violence as, for example, in war, civil disturbances and other forms of armed conflict, or by persecution as an individual because of political opinion, religious belief, or quite simply for refusing to accept the role that society seeks to impose on them. Secondly, they may suffer violence during their flight, upon arrival in camps or settlements, and even in the process of being integrated into a new society, where they may find themselves in exploitative situations, entirely dependent on others for the basic necessities of life." This is an important point, especially considering the massive increase in refugees and asylum seekers in the world in the past decade. Women refugees tend to be very vulnerable to physical, psychological and sexual brutality in such situations. Vickers second point is even more crucial. 'The emergence of new violence caused by ethnic and other tensions'. By this Vickers refers to the war in Yugoslavia between Serbians, Croatians and Bosnians, in which atrocities were committed against thousands from each ethnic group. However as we all know, since 1993, there have been other horrific occurrences of ethnic clashes. In Rwanda where there was a genocide of the Tutsi clan by the Hutus, Kosovo where atrocities were committed against ethnic Albanians by Serbians and Chechnya where the Russians have encouraged and supported the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of the civilian population. Shall we also add the latest American incursions into Afghanistan and Iraq to the list? The problem with Davies’s chapter on women at war is the length, it’s very short. The chapter briefly skims through the different countries and doesn’t offer the reader much in details. This could be because the topic was covered in greater depth in the first volume of her book “Third World: Second Sex”. The book is also very dated, it was written in 1987. There are two important aspects of the struggle in Eritrea not covered in the book by Wilson. The first is famine, which is rife in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ethiopia and the second is “the situation of people who have become refugees and have had to leave Eritrea”. Elaboration on these two points would have been useful. Comparison with the present situation in the nation-state of Eritrea would also be helpful to the understanding of how Eritrea has since developed as a country following independence in the early 90s. Both Amrit Wilson and Jeanne Vickers’s books are well researched. Wilson travelled through war zones to gather material for her book and Vickers presents a notable body of evidence to support her arguments. Many of the questions raised in these books matter, particularly when applied to the current situation in the world. Women and children will remain victims of aggression as long as wars continue to happen. This is unless women, as half of humanity, wake up and actively participate in political decision-making and the promotion of peace and mutual respect between nations. Ma'salaama

I bought a pair of expensive trousers a year ago, and at the time I wasn't happy about the cost (I could have bought 3 pairs of shoes with the money!!!) but they've turned out to be the best item I've purchased since I started buying my own clothes. Lovelios :cool:

I'm sporting a nice black eye because my sister (apparently by accident :rolleyes: ) punched me in the face yesterday.

So please don't speak of what you don't know. OUCH!! Lander & Bari_Nomad, Sorry boys, didn't mean to stick my oar in where it didn't belong. I'll take my leave quickly b4 I get caught up in anything political...heaven forbid!

1) As a Muslim wat do u think about divorce?? 2) As a Somali wat do u think about divorce?? Both as a Muslim and Somali, I think divorce is a heartbreaking option and shouldn't be sought easily. However, there are situations in which only a divorce would suffice, such as in an abusive marriage (especially if the children are endangered whether by the father or mother) 3) Wat are the traditional ways of goin about a divorce?? Don't really kno...probably as Ameenah said. 4) How do u think a child is affected psychologically and emotionally by a break-up in de household? I think the loss of a parent would affect any child deeply. Not much I kno, but hope that helped.

I don't know if this figure is correct, but I've been told that a third of the total camels in the world reside or used to reside in Somalia. If that's true, then by golly we are a nation of camels lovers! "Indeed camel herding is practised in various parts of our huge land area, but it is arguably not as widespread as cattle herding or sheep/goat herding, and in essence comes a poor four!" Maybe, but cattle herding somehow doesn't have the same prestige as camel herding, does it now? A nomad's wealth and worth is measured by the number of camels he owns. And a geeljire is more likely to die from hunger, than to slaughter one of his prized camels. Plus, is there a more precious gift than a camel? Methinks not! Which is why I'm trying to convince my grandfather to wed me to a fit geeljire wit many camels.

Soo dhawoow....

Soo dhawoow....

He was put there to save his daughter. Allahu Akbar!