MMA, thanks for the pics and insight. I spent sometime there mid last year. Amidst the boom is a stark poverty which is hard to put into words. During my time there, i came across Somali elders (80+ years) begging on the sidewalks. Given the prideful nature of our people, one can only conclude that severe poverty coupled with lack of familial support forced these elders to beg on the streets. These elders would not have imagined that their former state of being independent, proud Somalis earning their livelihoods on Somali soil - would one of day turn to a state of begging on the streets of Islii alongside poverty-stricken Kenyans. On the bright side, the kind of business ventures devised by Somalis and taking place in Islii are so ingenious, complex and simple all in one - that it would put the most complex case studies/models of the world's premier business schools to shame. Thanks for the updates. Keep safe.

NGONGE never gets it. I have a feeling that this guy argues for the sake of argument. He's a fence sitter who drools on controversy. He's led by the need to be controversial rather than by any deeply held stance or belief. And of course, facts don't matter in his court. Let him be.

^ You're welcome. There is so much sincerity in this sister's words that i felt obliged to share it. Her ideas and enthusiasm are badly needed by the diaspora Somali community and youth, in particular. Today's Somali youth lack role models and must find inspiration amongst themselves. This sister is doing a fine job inspiring her young Somali peers and she ought to be complimented for doing so. Check out her youtube channel for more. http://www.youtube.com/user/salmah8523#p/u/1/_HvLFYdqwn0

This young Somali sister is endowed with wisdom beyond her years. Mashallah! Despite all the negative headlines, there are alot of positive signs emerging from Somali youth in the diaspora and this sister is just one of them. All power to this sister and other young Somalis like herself. 'Inspire yourself by getting involved ' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9DxRidxw9w

Yep, its legal and there's no better candidate for such an initiative than Somali Galbeed. These kind of initiatives are never about genuine humanitarianism and Clooney is not the only culprit. Most of the so-called 'human rights' organizations (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Intl etc) behave in the same manner. They may release a brief country report here and there but if you analyze it closely, these organizations concentrate most of their efforts on campaigns which generate the most funds and publicity for their respective organizations. Namely, countries and cases which generate more headlines and thereby bring in more funds for the organization. They may claim otherwise, pure humanitarian need is seldom used as a measure by any of these organizations. Its just the sad reality and one we have to wake up to.

^ Thanks. A favorite Somali site - maktabada.com - Muxaadaro, duruus and more...

The line between genuine humanitarianism and publicity continues to blur. Most celebrities bring more harm than good to humanitarian causes but the following initiative is a good one. A similar initiative would shed light on the genocide taking place in Somali Galbeed right at this moment. Clooney, Google, UN team up to watch Sudan border (AP) – WASHINGTON (AP) — A group founded by American actor George Clooney said Tuesday it has teamed up with Google, a U.N. agency and anti-genocide organizations to launch satellite surveillance of the border between north and south Sudan to try to prevent a new civil war after the south votes in a secession referendum next month. Clooney's Not On Our Watch is funding the start-up phase Satellite Sentinel Project that will collect real-time satellite imagery and combine it with field analysis from the Enough Project and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, organizers said. The data will point out movements of troops, civilians and other signs of impending conflict. The U.N. Operational Satellite Applications Program and Google will then publish the findings online. "We want to let potential perpetrators of genocide and other war crimes know that we're watching, the world is watching," Clooney said in a statement. "War criminals thrive in the dark. It's a lot harder to commit mass atrocities in the glare of the media spotlight." The groups hope that early warnings will reduce the risk of violence. Southern Sudan's looming Jan. 9 independence referendum has raised fears of renewed north-south civil war. The vote is the result of a 2005 peace deal that ended a 21-year conflict that claimed the lives of two million people and left twice as many displaced. Organizers said the Satellite Sentinel Project will be available online Wednesday at www.satsentinel.org.

Manipulating naive youngsters and provoking them into committing violent acts is the latest weapon of Western intelligence organizations. Recently, there was a similar case where an undercover agent (pretending to be a revert) provoked a young man by telling him about how foreign soldiers killed an innocent civilian in Iraq. The agent admitted as much during the trial - leading the judge to drop most of the charges as a result. I feel sorry for this young brother. He has fallen victim to a dirty campaign by intelligence organizations seeking to justify their huge budgets and ability to 'protect' and avert attacks.

Excellent read. Thanks for sharing.

Finally a judge with enough courage to bring Kenya's sham trials to an end. Hopefully, this ruling will stick and dozens of innocent Somalis will get their freedom back. Landmark Kenya ruling could see dozens of Somali pirates set free Ruling on piracy bad for Kenya, says Raila

Very sad. Pointing fingers after the fact doesn't help anyone but the role of the parents in this case is worth questioning. Too many Somali parents in the diaspora disengage from their kids in the early years and expect great things from them when they grow up. I can't think of anything more naive than that. I also wouldn't agree with the notion that we shouldn't blame the parents for the conduct of their grown up offspring. Any parent who hasn't engaged with their kids at an early age remains blameworthy for their conduct when they grow up. You can't absolve yourself of responsibility without guiding these kids from an early age and giving them a chance to succeed as adults! ps - I don't know the family concerned so i'm not suggesting that the parents of these girls failed in their parenting duties. They may well have tried their best. Ilaahay ha u sahlo.

Originally posted by Cara.: Seriously guys, "other communities do this too!"? Is that going to be our new slogan? A civil war that never ends: well, other countries have civil wars too! Piracy, kidnapping, highway robbery: Come on, it happens everywhere... Child sex trafficking: Puhlease, there was a similar bust of Albanians a few years ago. And LOL @ Al-shabab coming to the rescue. Sure Al-shabab would have protected these girls from being exploited, if they didn't stone them to death for "adultery", or execute them for "spying" first. Good point!

A brief description to this important topic. The description is not of my own writing. Nifaaq (hypocrisy) in the Arabic language means the general category of deception, scheming and presenting an outward appearance of good while concealing its opposite. In the Shari’a, nifaaq is of two types: a) Greater (An-Nifaaq Al-Akbar): To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing withing that which negates all or some of that. This is the hypocrisy which the Prophet (sas) confronted during his life and the ones who Allah said in the Qur’an that they are in "the lowest depth of hell-fire". b) Lesser (An-Nifaaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action: To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that. Umar (ra) said: "The furthest of men from hypocrisy and the most fearful of them for himself is one who finds that nothing can save him from it." (Sifat ul Munafiq #94) Mu'awiyah Ibn Qurrah (ra) said, "That there is no element of hypocrisy in me would be dearer to me than the world and whatever it contains. Indeed, Umar (ra) was fearful of it, how then may I be safe from it?" (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #86) Jubayr Ibn Nufayr (ra) said that he heard Abu Darda (ra) while he was finishing his Salah. He sought refuge in Allah from hypocrisy and he sought it again and again. Jubayr asked him, 'What's with you, o Abu Darda? You and hypocrisy?' He said, 'Leave me alone. By Allah, a man turns away from his religion in just a moment, and comes out of it.'" (Sifat un Nafiq #73) Ibrahim Taymi (ra) said, "When I compare my words with my deeds, I am fearful lest I be a liar." (Bukhari chapter 36, Book of Faith, heading preceding Hadith #48) Abu Ayyub Ansari (ra) said, "Times will come to a man when he has not even a needle's worth of hypocrisy in him. But times will also come to him when he does not have faith even the worth of a needle." (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #77) Aban asked Hasan and he asserted, "what gives me security from hypocrisy when (even ) Umar Ibn Khattab (ra) was fearful of it?" (Ibid) Mu'lla ibn Ziyad said that he had heard Hasan swear in the Mosque - By Allah other than whom there is no God, there has never been nor is a believer who has no fear of hypocrisy. And there was never, nor is, a hypocrite who fears hypocrisy. He who does not fear hypocrisy is a hypocrite. (Ibid #87) Hudhayfah (ra) said, "The hypocrites who are among you today are worse than the hypocrites who were in the times of Allah's Messenger (saw)." Someone asked him, "O Abu Abdullah, how is that?" He said: "Those people used to conceal their hypocrisy while these ones make it known." (Musnad Abu Dawud Tiyalsi p55) (Ibn Abu Shaybah 15/109) (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #53) (Sifat un-Nifaq wa Na't ul-Munafiq #110) XXIII: On the signs of the hypocrite 33. Abu Hurayra related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There are three signs of a hypocrite: whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; and whenever he is trusted, he betrays his trust."(The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2, XXIII, Bukhari). 34. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If anyone has four characteristics, he is [like] a pure hypocrite, and if anyone has one of them, he has an aspect of hypocrisy until he gives it up: whenever he is trusted, he betrays his trust; whenever he speaks, he lies; when he makes an agreement, he breaks it; and when he quarrels, he deviates from the truth speaks falsely. (The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2, XXIII, Bukhari). XXXV:On the believer's fear that his actions will come to nothing without his being aware of it. Ibrahim at-Taymi said, "When I compare my words with my actions, I fear that I may be called a liar." Ibn Abi Mulayka said, "I met thirty Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,, and all of them were afraid of becoming hypocrites. None of them said that he had the belief of Jibril or Mika'il." Al-Hasan al-Basri said, "Only a believer is afraid and only a hypocrite feels secure." One should be wary about persisting in hypocrisy and rebellion without repenting to Allah as Allah says, "They do not knowingly persist in what they were doing." (3:135) (The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2 - XXXV, BUkhari)

#Blogging from Mogadishu. Mogadishu Man I find it hard to believe that this guy is actually blogging from Mogadishu but at least his entries are quite interesting - although his simplistic analysis of events in Mogadishu too often lets him down. To be fair to the guy, this piece on some of Al-Shabab's campaings aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people is a pretty good one. Judge for yourself.

Originally posted by Nur: The more the resistance insists on Somalia's right of self determination and non interference of foreign powers in the internal affairs of Somalia, the more owners of the Somali problem are expected to appear, and the more likelier that a more just environment than the current unipolar one can be put in place for justice to be served for the victims. Br. Nur I have nothing against the resistance being intransigent when it comes to bowing to foreign demands. But I do have a problem with their lack of interest in compromising with their fellow Somalis. The resistance's current path is one way of ensuring that foreign powers don't get their way in Somalia. But is this the only viable strategy and how long can one sustain it? Why not adopt a twin strategy where you exercise your right to self-determination but at the same time seek to compromise with the TFG on acceptabl terms? The compromise that I am referring to is one undertaken on a local level - between Somali parties. Your argument that the TFG is wholly controlled from outside is not an accurate one. It may be controlled in some aspects but it's not wholly subservient. An intelligent resistance would concentrate on influencing the TFG in areas where it is sovereign. One of the qualities essential to establishing Iqaamat-ud-Deen is compromise. I think you would agree that intransigence has marked the Somali dilemma for far too long. This is a trait which has equally affected all Somali parties since the collapse of the central government in 1991. The resistance has produced a new breed of leaders whom we all hoped would behave differently and be free of this unfortunate trait. Blaming foreigners for our inability to compromise amongst ourselves is a little dishonest and naive. Let us be honest and not lay all of our failures at the feet of foreigners. We've covered some ground in this thread but a few questions remain. It is clear that Somalia is strategically too important for foreign powers to give up on. Given this fact, let us consider these questions: 1.What will it take for us to establish a central authority with an acceptable level of sovereignty? 2.What is the likelihood of this authority being established by the resistance alone as opposed to as part of a larger Somali coalition? 3.Without a united Somali coalition, what is the probability of us reaching a position where we can fully enjoy our sovereignty and protect ourselves against meddling from foreign powers? The short answer to the last question is not very probable. In a nutshell, Somalia will not be free from foreign meddling without there being a solitary, united Somali entity. We are unlikely to reach such an outcome without first compromising amongst ourselves. In effect, we can either allow our enemies to lock us into perpetual instability and conflict (in which they stand to lose very little) or we can use our intellect, work for unity and stop repeating our past mistakes. We simply have to find an alternative to the zero-sum game which our enemies have too often managed to draw us into.

Yep, he did make a stop at Mogadishu. You can find a nice piece here, detailing some of his achievements and his family's roots in Islam. Not only was he a preeminent Chinese Muslim Admiral but some authors even credit him with visiting the Americas prior to its supposed 'discovery' by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Check out 1421 - the Year China Discovered the World. Inscribed on top of the tomb are the Arabic words "Allahu Akbar (God is Great)".

Br. Nur I understand that you do not reject negotiation outright nor is your reasoning blurred. I think the contention lies in whether your reasoning is sensible or even in line with revealed injunctions. In my last post, I touched on how numerous Islamic scholars, including ones directly engaged in the current struggle, would not agree with your reasoning. They would argue that intransigence and struggle for the sake of struggle is not of our deen. I won't indulge too much in this area without first hearing your thoughts on matters raised in my last post. I agree with you on the need for reliable and credible information. Its important to be aware of the manipulative and devious methods of influence employed by media moguls such as Murdoch. I think its also important not to turn ourselves into media junkies to the extent that we start to rely on such information and exclude the wisdom to be found in deen sources. One should balance the two. One cannot begin to see the wisdom behind current events or appreciate their significance without first reflecting on our deen and c*****ng ones way through similar historical events through the eyes of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Murdoch may be feeding us a heap of crap and plotting nasty things but we have to ask ourselves the question: historically speaking, are the likes of Murdoch anything new? Without getting too philosophical, didn't Qarun suffer from the same covetousness, use his influence in similar ways and ultimately lead men to turn away from recognizing and worshiping their creator?

Br. Nur Unfortunately, you're making unhelpful, sweeping generalizations about the state of affairs in Somalia. I think it would be fair to say that your strong opposition to the current ideological and military struggle the West is waging in Muslim lands somewhat blurs your judgment. The conditions in the Muslim countries that the West is currently engaged in differ considerably - e.g. Afghanistan and Somalia cannot be compared. For the sake of argument, let us compare events in Afghanistan and Somalia. The resistance in Somalia have largely won their struggle whereas the one in Afghanistan (as far direct engagement with Western forces is concerned) is still ongoing. Apart from the weak AU force, the resistance in Somali have no major military battles to fight. Its real challenges now lie in the political arena. The irony though is that the resistance in Afghanistan seem to have the wisdom to engage in political dialogue (note: directly with the Karzai gov NOT Western forces) even before they've achieved any substantial victory against Western forces - which still occupy Afghanistan; whereas the resistance in Somalia are still refusing to engage in dialogue with the TFG even though they've largely achieved their military goals. Why do you think this is? Why do you think the taliban show more profound political wisdom than the resistance in our country? Is it because they been engaged in this struggle longer and are therefore ideologically more mature? Why do the taliban find engaging in direct dialogue with the Karzai government acceptable whereas you reject the same approach in Somalia. Are you more knowledgeable than the members of the Quetta Shura council and indeed of the many Islamic scholars across the Muslim world who find no problems with such an approach. I'll let you ponder these points. I'd like to make two quick corrections. 1. I'm not asking the resistance to engage in dialogue with Somali elders or Culuma. The resistance is in conflict with the TFG not Somali elders or Culuma. The point I was trying to make is that they need to engage in dialogue with the TFG with Somali elders and Culuma acting as mediators. 2. The references I made in relation to the treaty of Hudaibiyyah aren't meant for the purposes of drawing direct comparisons. You have a point in drawing attention to the historical context under which the treaty was established. Few people citing this treaty ever use it in a contextual manner. However, they use it mostly to point to the extraordinary patience the Muslims exercised amidst terms which were extremely difficult to bear. The point here is that contemporary Islamic movements do not exercise the same kind of patience or foresight as they ought to. I'll address the point of whether Sharif crossing the line is enough of an excuse to avoid dialogue altogether some other time.

Br. Nur Originally posted by Nur: In light of the above, can you help me see how worse can we get if we don't hurry to sign an alliance with the devil warlords, how can the foreign agents deflect an imminent danger? I guess things can’t get much worse in the short term. How things might turn out in the long term is an entirely different matter. The long-term consequences of the current stalemate between the resistance and the TFG are unknown but given the events of recent history, a TFG resurgence fuelled by Western armaments is not out of the question. As you can appreciate, if this was to eventuate, our country would be open to an onslaught – with the West operating as it pleases. This is why I emphasize the need for the resistance to be strategic and take advantage of their current, strong bargaining position to reach an amicable agreement with Somali elders and Culuma as mediators. The points you’ve raised all have merit. Any peace in Somalia will be on terms defined by the West. The only way to stop such an outcome is for there to be unity between Somalis. Frankly, Somalia’s economic resources are already being pillaged and the human rights of its inhabitants violated right at this moment. The resistance has managed to stop some of these violations but it cannot put an end to them all or enforce any kind of border protection without being part of a recognized state apparatus. It can attain this recognition (whatever your views may be about the need for such recognition) by reaching an agreement with the TFG on terms which do not violate the Shariah. The TFG has signaled its readiness to enter into a power sharing agreement on similar terms. As someone well-versed in Islam and its history, you would be aware that entering into an agreement (as long as it terms do not run counter to what Allah has revealed) with an opponent in order to further your cause is not uncommon in Islamic history. The treaty of Hudaibiyyah is the best example. It becomes even more of a necessity when those you’re entering into an agreement with are themselves Muslims, as is the case in Somalia. AS and HI would not only be furthering their cause but at the same time ease the suffering of the displaced and ensure that the affairs of Somalia remain in the hands of Somalis. What would you rather have? A Somalia run by Somalis (however diverse their opinions) or one controlled by foreign governments? This is the choice we face. It’s a choice which the resistance can influence; they can choose the lesser of two evils while at the same time working towards bridging the gap between it and the TFG – i.e. what form a Shariah-based government should resemble and how it would operate. Were it not for AS, I’m pretty certain HI and Sh. Aweys would have chosen to work with the TFG in order to overcome the current impasse (thereby helping to ease the humanitarian crisis) and to thwart a foreign takeover of our country. To date, we have limited ourselves to discussing the forces opposing unity and peace in our country. Such discussions have not advanced our cause. My approach is to acknowledge and warn about the political, economic and social servitude that our enemies seek to place us under but to also work for and stress the need for internal unity as a counter-measure to their destructive plans. Unity between the various opposing groups in our country is the surest way to avoid the disastrous plans that our enemies have in store for us.

Br. Nur I don't think we require Western (mainly Leftist) commentators to provide us with exposé on the West's vaguely-veiled designs to dominate the Muslim world along with much of the less-developed nations. Their evil plans are apparent enough and evident in both their secret and open dealings. On the question of the resistance in Somali and their relationship with the TFG, I say this: If, as you fear, the resistance is too feeble to join alliances with the TFG and still maintain their strenght, unity and sense of purpose - then doesn't that signal that they're hardly worthy of the position they currently ascribe themselves to? I suppose this is the crux of the matter and it applies equally to contemporary Islamic movements across the Muslim World. It is that they lack the supreme farsightedness, diplomatic and political astuteness of their predecessors. Contemporary Islamic movements don't seem to plan for what should occur in case of victory whereas their predecessors understood that victory comes with responsibility. They cherished the victories Allah granted them and used it to build new alliances and to consolidate the general peace for all who lived in their spheres of influence. Many of Islam's early victories came about not aa a result of what occured on the battlefield but were influenced by the preparations and diplomatic manoeuvre's the Muslims undertook in advance. As you well know, Ghazwah al-Khandaq was won largely on the back of the Prophet's (p.b.u.h) outstanding tactical and diplomatic skills. Aspiring to lead the Ummah out of its current blight is honorable and deserves respect. However, one has to be prepared to engage ones enemies in all aspects and not restrict the struggle to the battlefield alone - which is largely what the resistance in our country has done. They have repeatedly shunned consultations with Somali elders and Culuma despite the dire need to find a solution out of the current impasse. To argue that peace in Somalia will not be possible as long as there is enmity between the resistance and the TFG is tantamount to failure on the part of the resistance. Those truly interested in serving the Ummah cannot allow mere enmity to derail the peace and prolong the enormous suffering of the people. If they do so, then they're not worthy of the cause they seek to champion. This is the truth of the matter - as much as we hate to admit it. Somalia, like the rest of the Muslim world, awaits the arrival of those truly capable of doing justice to this blessed cause. N.B. - I don't think I can add much more to this discussion. Our views seem to be diametrically opposed. You concentrate on the dangers emanating from our enemies while I contend that the greatest danger to the resistance's cause is its failure to consolidate the peace by seeking an alliance with its principal opponent - i.e. the TFG. History has shown that you can only undercut your enemies by depriving them of agents - from your own people - to use against you. Of course, the enemies of the resistance and of Somalia have the wretched TFG as an agent. This is precisely the lesson our brothers in Somalia have thus far failed to appreciate.

Bro Nur, Firstly, let me deal with the points you raised in relation to Aqeedah. When I proportioned the victories achieved against the warlords and the Ethiopian invaders between the different sections of Somali society, I was doing so in a rhetorical, secondary manner. The primary credit, as always, belongs to Allah alone; for indeed nothing occurs without the will and permission of Allah. Likewise, nothing can stop the will of Allah from taking place. I find some of the premises you’ve outlined, relating to Aqeedah, very strange. I’m perplexed as to how you could reach such conclusions from my last post. Nur writes: To different degrees, all the groups have contributed to the success as well as the failures that we are witnessing, pointing a finger on a single group only shows frustration. It is not my intention to point fingers.The question pertaining to the degrees of shortcomings between the groups as well its resulting effects is a significant one. Nur writes: Now, let us be objective and ask what are the priorities at this stage? We have the following main priorities: 1. Setting up of a national government 2. Saving lives 3. Safeguarding Islam and Implementation of Sharia As difficult as it may seem, I’m of the view that all three priorities are achievable but only if the resistance exercises effective wisdom, are strategic and forbearing. All three priorities are ones which have immense reward in the sight of Allah. Attaining these priorities will not be easy. It will require supreme farsightedness and an understanding that the establishment of the deen does not always have to happen through conquest. None of which the resistance have displayed thus far. My insistence on reconciliation between the resistance and the TFG has nothing to do with the strength or otherwise of those backing the respective parties. It has more to do with a well established Islamic injunction, as practiced by our pious predecessors, of reaching ones goal with minimum bloodshed – especially when the main casualties are innocent fellow Muslims. This was the conduct of our beloved prophet (p.b.u.h) and his companions. Nur writes: In this Priority option, the major risk is as you have suggested, if the superpowers don't get their agents in the government, there will be no peace in Somalia. Well, how about if you bypass the superpowers and cut its agents a deal (again within the limits of the Shariah). You eliminate foreign influence in Somalia and bring an immediate end to suffering of the displaced, while at the same time realising your ultimate goal of ensuring that the word of Allah reigns supreme in our land. This is what is so frustrating about the whole situation. The resistance have not exerted enough effort in this area. The opportunity seems to be fading now but if the resistance, in consultation with the Culuma, satisfy some of the TFG’s demands and the two form some kind of a unity government with Shariah as law of the country, there is very little the superpowers can do. They would effectively be cut out of the deal. Any further aggression from the superpowers would then be inexcusable and silly on their part. You seem to be affording the superpowers too much authority. Nur writes: This is the crux of the conflict. The biggest headache the backers of the warlords have is the Sharia Law, not anarchy, because we had twenty years of anarchy under the warlords and that was fine with the west. If you're concerned that any alliance between the resistance and the TFG would result in a watered-down version of the Shariah then you have nothing to worry about. I’m certain the resistance would not accept such an accommodation and would then be within their rights to continue with their struggle until the TFG is no more. I would be the first to support them if such a scenario were to arise.

Bro Nur, I appreciate the spirit in which you’ve offered your advice. The three groups you’ve outlined have all contributed immensely but, as you point out, each has its own shortcomings. I find no fault with such a premise. The critical question, one which you’ve briefly touched on in your reply, is how does one measure the shortcomings lumped against each group? In other words - how does one compare the shortcomings of a scholar who has failed to properly intervene in a local dispute against the shortcomings of a movement whose actions (i.e. lack of foresight, intransigence etc) literally holds a whole nation to ransom and prolongs the suffering of the displaced. I would argue that the matter is not so straight-forward if each group’s shortcomings is placed on a scale and measured according to the potential damage it can cause to Somali society and ultimately to the nation. Having finally broken foreign stranglehold over our nation's affairs, the resistance find themselves in a very powerful position. They’re in a position to either reconstitute our country or set it back another 20 years. They can reconstitute it by engaging in dialogue with the TFG and reaching a viable power sharing agreement with them or they can continue on their current path and slowly disintegrate from within; thereby ensuring the return of foreign domination and even complete subjugation of the Somali people. Another point I’d like to briefly comment on is the notion that the resistance (AS and HI) have achieved the successes they have, all on their own. There is no doubting that what the resistance have achieved, and the timeframe in which they’ve done it, is truly remarkable. However, as Sh. Bashiir Salaad (Chairman of the Somali Scholars Assoc) recently pointed out, the resistance (espciallay AS) have so far failed to realise that their victories aren’t theirs alone. The victories AS enjoyed during the struggle against the Ethiopian occupation came about as a result of a collective struggle in which all Somalis valiantly partook in – including our esteemed Culuma. Regrettably, this is a fact that AS are yet to acknowledge. They seem to think that the victory is all theirs and thereby the decisions on how to run the country must thus be theirs to decide. The scholars have condemned this attitude as un-Islamic (true Jihad is not about worldly gains or in its preoccupation) and lacking in wisdom. In a nutshell, the scholars arguments’ centre on the fundamental necessity and need for the Somali people to urgently establish a statehood – especially in a country which hasn’t had one for a long time. The scholars, with their vast knowledge of Islam and its history, are adamant that the resistances’ lack of interest to engage in serious dialogue with the TFG is against what the religion itself would call for. The scholars argue that Islam is more than the rudimentary set of guidelines that some of these groups have reduced it to. They argue that whenever Islam’s guidelines are properly followed, it carries the potential - as it always had - to bring about positive change. One of the scholars quoted the following ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 208, in response to AS’ refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue. “O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islâm (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islâmic religion)” The scholar further explains that this verse commands believers to adhere to all of Islam’s commandments, including that of always of inclining onto the path of peace and reconciliation, even when one has the upper hand. What a sublime call!

Sounds like it would be a fruitful discussion. I'm keen to respond but don't want to reply haphazardly on such important themes. I'll try to respond sometime soon. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind reading contributions from other SOLers.

^ Well reasoned. In lieu of your address to brother Godane, you might want to listen to these insightful responses from some of our most learned and esteemed Culuma. In line with their profound knowledge of the deen, their carefully chosen words are as articulate as they're full of wisdom. One can only hope that their irrefutable arguments find an attentive ear from Godane and those he commands sooner rather than later - for the sake of our country and people. Kulanka Jimcaha Sh Cumar Faaruuq

Thanks for the tribute MMA. Inshallah, our misery will come to an end one day.