Welcome back Xanthus. I was afraid a Geeljire might snatch away never to be seen.

Alla Janadii ka waraabiyo reerkiisana samir iyo imaan haka siiyo.

Slaves to the goddess of fertility By Damian Grammaticas BBC News, Bagalkot, southern India In a village in southern India a child has just been born. A group of women gather round the cradle, wishing the baby a life full of riches, rubies and pearls. "You're lucky the child is a boy," the women tell the mother. In this society girls are valued far less. The women are all devadasis, literally slaves of the goddess. As children their parents gave them to serve Yellama - the goddess of fertility. Her cult is thousands of years old, her followers spread across southern India. At the temple to Yellama in Saundatti women dance and praise the goddess. The practice of dedicating young girls as devadasis has been outlawed for over 50 years, but still it happens. Anti-slavery campaigners estimate that there are at least 25,000 devadasis in the state of Karnataka alone. Sexual slavery "Being devadasis means we are slaves of the goddess. We have to visit this temple. We wear necklaces of pearls to show we are bound to Yellama. We give blessings and perform her rituals," says Imla, a devadasi in her 40s who is swathed in a pink and yellow sari. When girls dedicated to Yellama reach puberty they are forced to sacrifice their virginity to an older man. What follows is a life of sexual slavery, they become sanctified prostitutes. The money devadasis earn goes straight to their parents who often act as pimps for their daughters. "My parents didn't have any sons, so there was nobody to earn the family a living," says Imla. "Instead they turned me into a whore. I don't even remember when I started because I was so young. My parents thought at least they'd get some money from me." Once girls are dedicated the course of their lives is decided. They can never marry, never have a family life. In a town nearby we found Shoba who is just 20 and has been a devadasi prostitute for seven years. Shoba showed me her brothel, a single room she shares with her parents. She comes from a long line of devadasis. Her grandmother was one, her sister is too. Shoba remembers how, when she was 13 her parents dressed her as if for marriage. They auctioned her virginity to the highest bidder. Tough life "When the first man arrived I thought he was going to marry me," Shoba recalls, "but he slept with me and then never came back. I realised this was now my trade. Every night I was sold to whoever paid the most." Life here on the dry, harsh Deccan plateau has always been tough, especially for girls, who are often seen as a burden for poor families, expensive to marry off. Recent years have been marked by droughts and crop failures. The goddess of fertility is seen as a powerful force. Many believe that giving girls to Yellama will bring good fortune on a family. It also means they don't have to save for a dowry, and the daughter becomes a bread-winner. We found Shoba's mother Satyavati tending to her field of sunflowers. Sacrificing their daughter's life has enriched Shoba's parents. "Someone had to continue the tradition. It had to be my daughters," she shrugs. "Because Shoba earns so much money she has been able to build us a house, and she bought these fields. So what's the big deal?" Secret ceremonies Despite campaigns by India's national and state governments, the system of devadasis endures. The number of young girls being dedicated is declining. But now the ceremonies happen in secret, so it is impossible to know exact numbers. I asked Shoba why she doesn't just give up being a devadasi, and leave it behind? "I can't get out of the system, even if I say I'm not a devadasi any more nobody will come forward to marry me," she says. "I keep telling other people not to make their daughters devadasis, you are abused, it's a horrible life." So it's a life that Shoba will never escape from. Women already dedicated cannot be freed. The power of belief is still so strong here that she will always be a devadasi, enslaved.

Somalilandernimo LooooooL@Red...It is so much easier to say Somalinimo. It rolls off the tongue so nicely, and now come on say it after me.

Waa markii ugu horeysay ee Dowlada itoobiya iyo maraykankuba ay isku dayaan inay xaliyaan khilaafka Gobolada Sool iyo Sanaag bari kuwaas Waa aduunyo gadoon. Reer Sool and Sanaag are better start their ministate rather than operate under Yeey and Riyaal...Zenawi's Biatches.Heck they could send their little Biatch to Adis.

Juje....You seem to be expressing how you wish for things to turn out. This could be hardly called an analysis.

^^^Some do,others just see themselves as just another Somali tribe.

Congrats to the gentleman. I have actually seen Somali Bantus going to college here in Boston. They are very hard working, more power to them.

The notorious NNS is back.

Qat doesn't cause mental illness, but it does give you wings. Namaste Puuja Jee

LoooooooooL@Tahliil. Come on bro.

The last time I ever ask this Tahliil...who is we?

^^^Xaa kugo dhacay.

^^^What do you think is the way out of this nightmare? Me....Qof dantiisa yaqaan lalatashan karaa. Umadeena wax dan ah garan meeso.

Could you add music to those lines.

Nayruus....Saaka kaniinagii laguu soo qoray inaad qaadato maad ilooday?

Dagaal culus oo ka qarxay deegaanka Baar-gaal ee W/Somalia Click here to find shabelle news in English Boosaaso 01, June.07 ( Sh.M.Network) Deegaanka Baar-gaal ee W/bari Somalia ayaa lagu soo waramayaa in dagaal xoogan uu ku dhex marayo halkaasi ciidamada Puntland iyo kooxo la sheegay in ay isugu jiraan ajaanib iyo Somali oo dhowaan halkaasi ku tagay doonyo. Iska horimaadkaan oo ka qarxay halkaasi abaarihii 4 tii galabnimo ee maanta ayaa la isku habeensaday sida ay sheegayaan wararka laga helayo deegaanka Baar-gaal. Lama oga wali qasaaraha rasmiga ah ee ka dhashay dagaalkaan oo ahaa mid aad u culus oo la isku adeegsaday hubka nuucyadiisa kala duwan. Xiriir aanu la sameynay guddoomiyaha deegaanka Baar-gaal ayaysan inoo suurto galin in aynu helno. Madaxweynaha Maamul goboleedka Puntland, Cadde Muuse ayaa kal hore ku tilmaamay kooxaha ciidamadiisa ay isaga soo horjeedaan deegaanka Baar-gaal in ay yihiin ciidamadii maxkamadaha islaamka ee ka dagaalamayay koonfurta Somalia oo doomo ku yimid halkaasi. Arimahaan ayaa waxa ay ku soo beegmayaan xilli maalmihii la soo dhaafay dadka magaalada Boosaaso ay ka jiifan waayeen guuxa diyaarado dul heehaabay habeenkii hawada magaaladaasi, iyadoo wali aan la garaneyn waxa ay yihiin diyaaradahaasi, laakiin dadka qaar ayaa waxa ay sheegayaan in ay yihiin kuwa soo kacay saldhigga Mareykanka ee xeebaha Jabuuti.

Baargaal:-Wararka ka imaanaya magaalada Baargaal ee Bariga fog ee gobolka bari ayaa sheegaya in magaaladaasi uu ay duqayn cirka ah ay ku socoto , ayna duqaynayaan Ciidanka Maraykanka. Duqaynta oo sida la sheegayo ah mid xoogan ayaa waxaa ku geeriyooday dad aad u badan. 2-bari kahor ayay ahayd markii maamulka Puntland gaar ahaan Madaxda gobolka Bari ay sheegeen in alqaacidoo ajaaniib ay oo ka soo dagtay dhanka xeebta ku waa soo watay laasha ay galeen buuralayda deegaanka.

double post

Posted to the Web Jun 01, 19:22 Baargaal:-Wararka ka imaanaya magaalada Baargaal ee Bariga fog ee gobolka bari ayaa sheegaya in magaaladaasi uu ay duqayn cirka ah ay ku socoto , ayna duqaynayaan Ciidanka Maraykanka. Duqaynta oo sida la sheegayo ah mid xoogan ayaa waxaa ku geeriyooday dad aad u badan. 2-bari kahor ayay ahayd markii maamulka Puntland gaar ahaan Madaxda gobolka Bari ay sheegeen in alqaacidoo ajaaniib ay oo ka soo dagtay dhanka xeebta ku waa soo watay laasha ay galeen buuralayda deegaanka.

^^^If that lingers on, I heard Viagra helps.

Ilove somalia but i hate the people That could be considered a dumb statement.

Dam..I can't access flickr at work. Welcome back Val. I was hoping I was gonne see a tanned Val on top that big red rock with a NGONE looklike Aborigine by your side.

Originally posted by Jacaylbaro: Somaliweyn dream is over ,,, and has been over for more than 16 years ,,,, i can't believe some are still dreaming ,,,,,, It doesn't matter if there is one Somali State or two or what ideology one believes in. What matters is the simple FACT that all Somali lands exception being Jabouti and NFD are direct or indirect Ethiopian control. We are no longer a sovereignty nation or nations for that matter.

Khayr...Salaada Ilaahaa kula adiga kuma lahid.