^ Surely this is a worthy topic which deserves your 'bother'. Contribute what you can. Your input may just help someone.

Hassan, I haven't attempted to start a program myself. What I have written above are things I've observed from programs started by others. It is hard to give specific guidelines as much will depend on the prevailing environment in your specific locality. Here are some common mistakes to avoid: 1. Failing to undertake proper research which can lead one to underestimate the difficulty of the task: Study the local Somali population well - i.e. approximate number of children, age and year levels etc. More detailed info on the achievements of Somali students according to year level can also be gathered from the concerned schools - of course without directly identifying the pupils. Published research concentrating on the educational outcomes of your local Somali community, carried out by local councils or other organizations can also be of use. 2. Attempting to do too much too soon: Choose a specific year level to teach with a limited number of students at first. Do not overburden yourself. Do not succumb to pressure from parents wanting to enrol kids from different year levels. Perfect what you've started with before agreeing to enrol more students. 3. Failing to establish a baseline or not regularly reviewing set goals: Establish a baseline for commencing students and review it regularly to ensure that improvement is taking place. Maintain quality and gradually increase standards (both in conduct and work) expected of students. 4. Not paying enough attention to mentoring: Programs should not just be about assisting children with school work. They should also be about guiding and helping them mature. Children learn best from those they can most relate to. Try to recruit young Somali graduates or those nearing graduation. Most young Somali graduates want to contribute in some way - they just need to be called on to do so. They can also act as great mentors and role models. Again, I'm not an expert in this field. I'm sure others here are able to provide better guidance on this issue. I hope this list helps in some way.

Originally posted by Hassan_B: I'm thinking of literacy improvement program for mainly Somalis, but open, to all Muslims. The problem, I can't do it for free, and you know that vast majority of people would never pay for such a thing. So it is a catch-22. This is a widespread view but an incorrect one. In fact, most parents would be willing to place their kid(s) into any program which they believe would benefit their educational needs and pay for it. The problem is that Somali parents (or any parent for that matter) are sceptical about such programs and do not rush into signing their kids up until the program proves its worth. Frankly, i don't blame the parents for this. I have seen many programs, started by well-intentioned people in our community, which have failed on many basic fronts from inception and then cease within months. This is where the real dilemma lies. Programs on the one hand require funds and time to mature; but on the other hand, finding enough parents willing for their kids to participate in those critical few weeks is often difficult. Those intending to start education programs to benefit our community should not be deterred. Commence your programs but bear in mind that it may not receive a positive response instantly. Parents will only respond to programs which prove their worth and make a real difference to their childrens' educational outcomes. This will only be feasible when we value education enough to take it seriously. That is how the Asians were able to achieve what they achieved because of the deep respect they have for education and discipline. I'm sorry to say but this is yet another fallacy. Education is valued in our community. Somali parents are as eager to see their children succeed as any other parent. Parents of other nationalities (e.g. Asian parents) are often in communities which have better resources than ours. Such parents are in a better position to ensure that their children reach their full potential. In a nutshell, the issue is not one of respect or lack of respect for education. It is that one parent is in a position to translate the value and respect they have for education into results while another parent is not in a position to do so. ps - There are many other fallacies surrounding the issue of education in Somali communities right across the diaspora. Somali educators with a real interest in serving their community should dispel such fears and get down to work.

Sad story. There is nothing wrong with seeking a second opinion. I'm sure she'll do that if she feels she needs it. I feel for her and for the poor kids who have to endure this mess through no fault of their own. I hope it all ends in Khayr.

I'm not a trained teacher. I volunteer at a weekend school for young Somali kids. Originally posted by Hassan_B: Those who do well are those who can read and comprehend what they read properly. I feel very sad for the future of our communities and poor inner city children. Hassan, you've touched on a central issue. Most Somali kids I've taught are quick to grasp concepts in both maths and science. But as you rightly point out, understanding a concept is meaningless if you can't comprehend the wording of a question. There was actually a fierce debate in my state around this issue. The debate revolved around the phrasing of primary school examinations mainly in maths; with some arguing that the choice of words employed in such exams fails to take into account the often underdeveloped lexicon of young school kids. Of course, kids from non-English speaking backgrounds suffer more (with a few exceptions). Originally posted by Hassan_B: Is any teacher here involved in any efforts to remove illiteracy from our communities I'd love to hear experiences. Personally, I believe the best way to overcome illiteracy in our community is to encourage parents to assist their kids at home. I find that too many capable parents don't pay enough attention to the value of sitting down with their children and ensuring that all set homework gets done properly - including set reading. Kids of parents who are themselves illiterate should be assisted (I appreciate that this is easier said than done). In the meantime, they should be encouraged to improve their literacy so as to benefit their kids (it is never too late to learn).

Sherban, mankind always had means of transmitting news and information. The Media, in its current format, is anything but vital. The notion that it is vital is nothing but a myth propagated by individuals/special interest groups with goods to sell or ideas of their own to advance. The Qur'an cautions believers against transmitting news which has not been verified, in order to avoid harming people in ignorance. All people, believers and non-believers, would support an honest media. But no media is worth having unless it conforms to or bears some resemblance to the basics of proper verification of news and accuracy in reporting. Curly, this is a worthy campaign. I'm not a resident of the UK but I support the aims of your campaign. All the best.

Interesting but not all that surprising. Sections of the the British Common Law, especially in the fields of International and Human Rights Law, are thought to have been introduced by Hugo Grotuis who himself studied in Algeria from Islamic sources. It is also known that in the field of International law, Islamic jurists preceded Grotius' work in this field by about eight centuries. If an unbiased and thorough investigation were to be carried out, I'm sure we would uncover many examples where European law-givers used principles worked out by Islamic jurists in various branches of the British Common law.

I found this piece quite moving. Not for what some might term its 'Jihadist fervor' (not that there is anything wrong with that) but in admiration of the character of the men described therein. These men are different to the so-called heroes of insignificant revolutions we constantly hear and read about. Tooba lil-Ghurubaa' (Blessed are the strangers) A translation of an article by Abu al-Mu'tassim - Bayt al-maqdis - which appeared in al-Waie magazine number 254 March 2008. Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih, on the authority of Sahl bin Sa'd as-Saa'adi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: «بدأ الإسلام غريباً وسيعود غريباً كما بدا، فطوبى للغرباء» "Islam began strange and will return strange as it began, so Tooba (blessedness) is for the strangers." It was said: "Who are they Allah's messenger?" He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: «الذين يصلحون إذا فسد الناس» "Those who reform if the people become corrupt." Islam began a stranger with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions who believed in him and followed him. It was strange to their way of thinking and life, so they were strangers in the view of the society, with its deriding and scorning of them. They were strangers among their families and neighbours. They were strangers to the help of the society, who would use against them all shades of persecution, yet rarely would anyone defend them. They spent long years in the mountains while no one would marry them and no one would sell to them nor buy from them, until they ate from the leaves of trees. Islam began a stranger with these shining lights, shining in their spirit, their mentality and their rising above what the people brought of corruption on the earth. Islam began a stranger with these masters who knew nothing of worship except for their Lord, the All-Mighty. It began with these great ones, and ended with the help of Allah most high, after an arduous journey, until the whole world was lit with their brightness, with all shades of oppression and misguidance blotted out from the minds of people. The patience of these great pioneers ended in a state that ruled with Allah's book and the way of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, filling the world with justice, uprightness and guidance, after it had been filled with darkness and oppression. Islam began with those pure pioneers, and it shall return again! It began with the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with all of them), the best generation until the last day, and today it has returned with the beloved of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم; those who do not deviate from the truth, having deep rooted Iman in their hearts and conviction filling their minds and their thoughts. From these new shining lights is a great brightness sending its light in a land where the low people have gained domination. A land where the disbelievers have transgressed and caused the people to frown upon the carriers of da'awah. Here the shining lights are strangers, finding none to help them, as the oppressive followers of Karimov hover over them.So how do these heroes meet their bitter reality? Did they turn back on their idea and their method of work? Did they become hypocritical or find inclination in their hearts for the oppressors? These great heroes (the true men, the true men) met the evil campaign with elevated spirits and with patient bodies, despite the severity or brutality of the hardship. They made Wudu with freezing water, in spite of the harshness of the cold winter. They prayed Jumm'ah prayer, in spite of the torture inflicted upon those who do that. They mentioned the da'awah matters in their cells, in spite of the surveillance of the criminals over them, and in spite of the threats of death or torture given to them. They rejected signing even a small paper that the prison officers wrote, declaring disapproval of the da'awah or innocence from it, which would thus give them freedom to leave and live a comfortable life. They rejected that despite the fact that most of them have spent twelve years or more of their sentences in the worst conditions on the face of the earth. As for the martyrs among them, who have reached at least two hundred, who died under torture; some we know their names, some we don't. For those martyrs there were no great tombs built, nor grand funeral processions of thousands, for most of them were buried in the darkness of night, just as they were killed in the darkness of their cells, and just as the news of how they were killed was shrouded in darkness. As for those who did attend their funerals, they were only a few from the closest of relatives without any words said. They were strangers, even in the way they died, the way they were carried in their funerals, and how they were lowered to their graves. Truly, they are strangers among the people, but they are stars and shining lights among those who know their Iman and sacrifice among those who know the prison, subjugation and restriction, the severity of the torture which leads to martyrdom among those who know the truth and travel on its straight path without deviation. They are the pure chosen ones (martyrs) with their Lord, the Creator of the heavens and earth. The pure angels will attend their funeral in heaven, if Allah wills, if the pure people did not attend their funeral on the earth; moving with them, praising Allah, raising voices that none can hear except the Lord of the heavens and earth. Then they line up in rows that no man or jinn has lined up in before. When this is over, their souls are carried up through the heavens. In each heaven the angels ask "who are these good people? What is that lovely odour filling the heavens?" So the angels reply that they are the strangers! The strangers in the time of corruption among the people. The strangers who raised themselves above the misguidance and deviation. The strangers who reformed then worked to reform the people, so they were captured by the sinful hands that authored the oppression and walked the path of disbelief, hypocrisy and evil. So they say with voices filling the heavens "Tooba, Tooba (blessedness) for them". They call out then gather with this honourable delegation, accompanying it to the next heaven. Like this the angels from every heaven accompany them until they reach a great place, with no place like it, in the shade of the throne. There their Lord addresses them, "Tibtum (blessed are you), Tibtum, Tooba is for you and how great a place to return to!" He will order the angels of the heaven to make them in the highest ‘Illyeen (highest elevations of paradise), with the prophets, martyrs and truthful righteous ones who came before them. As for on the earth, remembrance of their good will not stop. Their blood and their pictures will remain a da'awah whose light is sent to more places than they were able to be present at. They are the good ones, the truthful ones, the best and the pious. The people know them by their truthfulness, their sincerity and their uprightness. Yes, those pure, pious men will remain a da'awah among the people even though they are far far away in a place not in this dunya. Their blood remains an affecting picture in the minds of those after them from their brothers inside and outside of the prisons. It is as if their blood came back to life to say: مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلاً "Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow and among them is he who awaits. And they did not alter by any alteration" [al-Ahzaab: 23] O you stars, you are a true guide for this pure true da'awah. You are a model and strength, even though you may be in your prison. Your brothers look to you with a look of glad tidings, because the victory comes with patience and truly hardship comes with ease, truly hardship comes with ease! You are the best followers for the best predecessors who came before you from the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and from the pious who carried the da'awah after them, especially its leaders. You are the best followers of Sheikh Taqi an-Nabhani who preferred patience under torture even if it leads to his death, rather than utter one word which would harm the da'awah or a carrier of da'awah. He stayed like that until his hand was paralyzed from the severity of the torture and did not say more than "I'm and old man, remedying with a treatment", meaning by that the remedy for the ummah. You are the best followers for Shaikh Taqi who lived a stranger and died a stranger. The people did not mention him until after he had died, even though he was the reviver of this age, whom Allah sends every hundred years. You are the best followers for his follower and student Shaikh Abdul Qadeem (Abu Yousuf) who travelled the same path, and who was not dissuaded by imprisonment, despite its severity, brutality and its length. He lived a stranger and died a stranger, such that his helpers and followers did not even know him. You are the best companion for he who came after him and carries the banner before he meets his companions who came before him. Abu Yaseen lived a stranger, a fugitive in more than one country. He stayed in oppressive prisons years after years. He lost his wife while he was away from her, not knowing except where she is buried. He remains a star despite all of the attempts of the oppressors of more than one country to divert him from his path. You, O strangers, O grandsons of al-Bukhari, of at-Tirmidhi, of an-Naysaboori and as-Sajastani, O lights of guidance, you are the strangers who first reformed yourselves, then will reform the face of the earth, with Allah's permission, just as your predecessors from the companions of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did. You will reform the face of the earth with your brothers all over the world waiting for Allah's help, support and His opening. A day will come, with Allah most high's permission, that you will come out from this darkness and you are the victors, raising the head high under the banner of the Qur'an, in the shade of the Islamic State which raises in all corners of the earth the flag of ‘La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadu Rasool Allah'. Finally I say "I ask Allah the Most High to extend help and support to you and make for you a way out and make your matter easier." Allah says: وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْراً "And whoever fears Allah He will make for him of his matter ease" [at-Talaaq:4] and وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجاً "And whoever fears Allah He will make for him a way out" [at-Talaaq:2]. Our final prayer is al-Hamdu lillah Rabbil ‘aalameen.

Originally posted by LayZie G.: The son of a Muslim born leader converted to christianity. He was recruited by the enemy to spy on his people. Why is that so hard to believe when the choices are limited for palestinians? By 'choices' you mean the ability to amass material possessions, right? Why reduce everything in life to bricks and mortar? There is more to life - how about spirituality? Religion aside, the actions of this man are contemptible even from the perspective of nationhood. He let his own people down. Originally posted by LayZie G.: When a Muslim converts to another religion (i.e christianity) its because he was coerced via 'brainwashing', 'torture' but when a christian or someone of another religion converts to Islam, he/she is showered with praises and is said to be full of wisdow and some go as far as calling this new convert a brave soul who beat the odds among non-believers in order to find the right religion. It is called certainty in belief. And yep, such certainty can sometimes seem strange. Blessed be the strangers. With so many of the worlds inhabitants sharing this certainty in Islam (along with billions before them), don't you think that perhaps there is something more to it?

^ I’m aware of the sensitivities surrounding this issue. This may not be the best time to discuss it. I take your point. ps – I’m sure JB & Co. don’t harbor any ill-will towards Somaliweyn. The ongoing instability in the South can create some uneasiness for our brothers in SL and this is understandable.

Norsky, no offence taken. I agree with you to an extent. The article is littered with rubbish. Still, one has to admit that it also contains a few grains of truth. Those few grains shouldn’t be overlooked. Meiji, my comments regarding SYL were prompted by the following in the posted article: But the lack of a founding liberation struggle left the country without an experienced political class. The above jibe clearly alludes to SYL. They were the only liberation movement in existence during the period in question. I’m not opposed to SYL or its legacy (much of which I find inspiring). Nor do I share the view of the journalist in questioning whether the notion of an independent Somali state ever existed. It clearly did. If we are to be honest, SYL’s record does contain some dark moments – as is the case with all liberation movements. Yet we hardly discuss it. SYL’s failings post-independence contributed to the rise of Barre and his regime. Regardless, discussing some of SYL’s shortcomings is not meant to diminish its achievements – which remain significant even to this day.

As usual the reporter makes numerous, inaccurate assertions. One rather curios assertion he makes is about the lack of a genuine liberation movement in Somalia prior to Italy's withdrawal. This will come as a surprise to most Somalis who believe that SYL and its founders earned us our freedom from colonial rule. Not only were SYL dishonest about their achievements but a I recently came across paints its members as a bunch of corrupt individuals - as evidenced by the tactics SYL members employed to win seats in the elections which immediately followed our independence. The truth behind SYL may not be as clear cut as we've been led to believe. As difficult as it is, Somalis will one day have to question the various myths surrounding SYL and its actual role in the liberation struggle. Independent Somalia: the state that never was by Jean-Marc Mojon Jean-marc Mojon– Tue Feb 16, 11:28 pm ET NAIROBI (AFP) – When Virginio Bresolin passed away recently in Merka, a coastal Somali city run by Al Qaeda-inspired rebels, so did the last of a generation of Italians who emigrated under Mussolini. He worked as a blacksmith, spoke fluent Somali and rusty Italian, and few people noticed when he died. Fifty years after independence, indifference characterises how most feel about the former colonial ruler of Somalia, a country where 60 percent of the population is under 18 and 80 percent has known nothing but conflict. Abdullahi Halane Mohamoud, a 62-year-old Merka resident, hardly takes issue with the Italians invading in the first place but only seems to regret that there wasn't more in it for Somalis. "Italian colonisation only used people as servants and never provided proper education opportunities. Most people who lived during that time were left illiterate," he said. Somalia's independence started comparatively well and in 1967 even produced the first post-colonial African leader to step down gracefully. Adan Abdulle Osman accepted his electoral defeat, transferred power to Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke and retired to his farm near Merka, where he died in 2007, aged 99. The handover ceremony took place in the garden of Villa Somalia, the former residence of Italian colonial governors and now the fortified redoubt from which the country's Islamist president is battling even more Islamist rebels. Somalia has been mired in violence for three decades and is now best known to the outside world for being the place that inspired the Hollywood war movie "Black Hawk Down" and the reason the term "failed state" had to be coined. Like any colonisation, Italy's left scars in Somalia too. One instance of colonial oppression vividly remembered by many older Somalis is the construction of a canal still known as Asayle -- a Somali world for a mourning veil -- in reference to the men decimated by forced labour there. "My uncle worked there and has told me harrowing tales. He used to say that officers would trample on their backs when crossing the water channel to avoid the mud," said Mohamed Abdi Elmi, 56. But Somalia's case was very different from most others on the continent, as evidenced notably by the nation's "three independences". In November 1949, Somalia was granted independence by the United Nations but placed under an Italian-led trusteeship. On 26 June 1960, the northern protectorate of Somaliland acquired independence from Britain. Five days later, Italian Somalia became fully independent and merged with Somaliland. But the lack of a founding liberation struggle left the country without an experienced political class. President Sharmarke -- whose son is the current prime minister -- was assassinated in 1969, then Mohamed Siad Barre seized power and thrust his country into the cold war, choosing to side with the Soviet Union. More than a by-product of colonial times, the deadly chaos that erupted with Barre's ouster two decades ago is often blamed on a double vacuum. The cold war ended and with it a system that had propped up Barre's regime. Simultaneously, Italy's political order was turned upside down by the Tangentopoli crisis, a nationwide police probe into political corruption. "The country best equipped to steer Somalia at the time was not able do so. The Italian political class was floundering," one observer explained. Italy couldn't make its voice heard when the world's new American masters -- puffed up with their doctrine of humanitarian imperialism -- led the 1992 UN invasion of Somalia. The disastrous cycle of violence that ensued was interspersed with numerous peace talks, in which Italy's expertise was overshadowed by US hegemony. The 2004 transitional federal charter still lists Italian as an official second language but ties between Somalia and its former colonial rulers are withering away silently. In contrast with the way the British administered their colonies, Italians accounted for half of Mogadishu's population after World War II. Conversely, unlike its European neighbours bursting with immigration from the former colonies, Italy is now home to a mere 6,000 Somalis.

Originally posted by Raamsade: She's a NY Times Best Seller (no small feat by any stretch), invited as honorary speaker to some of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world and was named 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine. By every objective measure, she qualifies as public intellectual. Mightn't it occur to you that her literary success is down largely to her views on Islam? There are enough Islamophobiacs out there to turn any publication critical of Islam into an overnight best seller. It is a matter of numbers. It is a no-brainer.

Ismahan, thanks for posting the video. I feel sorry for all the parents in the video. May Allah ease their pain. Children as young as 20 months are being trafficked! :mad: Of all the tragedies unfolding in our country, this is one of the more painful ones. As if Somali children didn't already have enough to deal with.

Sadly, this sort of thing is not limited to Asia or the Americas. Child trafficking also occurs all across Africa - East Africa included. I'd hate to think about it but I'm sure Somali children also get trafficked - via neighboring countries. Child traffickers find conflict-ridden regions too hard to resist. I remember a story of a kidnapped child who was later freed from his Somali captors in Mogadishu. The captor apparently confessed to wanting to sell the child to foreigners. Just because we don't hear about it enough doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It is true that a Somali parent is less likely to voluntarily give up their children for legal adoption(no matter how dire their state) but finding comfort in such thoughts alone is complacent on our part. I think this is a pressing issue which demands attention from Somali activists and all those who care.

Very tragic. Ameen to your prayer rudy.

Norfsky, it would be good to hear the experiences of any nomads who are familiar with the industry. Cara, the issue on health and conflict has a number of other interesting articles. A very good read. CL, you raise a valid question. Given the current state of the NGO 'industry', I'm not sure whether aid was ever about humanitarianism. Coming back to the situation in our country, NGOs who’ve worked in Somali for the last eighteen or so years have very little to show for it. These NGOs have either limited their operations or have completely withdrawn (as is currently the case) far too many times – with little or no justification. The ‘subjective perceptions of worthiness’ that the Lancet piece points to may well be in play. They of course continue to receive funds pledged for Somalia despite them not undertaking any work in the country. A family friend who has worked for a certain NGO based in Nairobi says that transparency is a real issue. He recently fell out with the NGO he was working for (over the handling of a well-digging project near Baidoa) and got fired. I’ll post his experiences sometime. The Somali NGO Consortium boasts 191 members. This number does not include NGOs who are yet to register with the consortium. Despite this, there are thousands of communities in Somalia desperate for funds (mainly for developmental projects) of which they are unable to secure. In one particular project I’m aware of, a community in Southern Somalia happens to be situated about 25kms away from where the Shabelle river flows. Although they’re situated in a region ideal for agriculture, fetching sufficient amounts of water became too difficult – given the distance between it and the river. To overcome this problem, it became necessary to dig a channel and divert water from the river downstream to the village. The community was proactive and hired an engineer (paying him $1500 from their own pockets). The engineer devised a detailed plan and quoted an amount of $45,000 to accomplish the diversion. Obviously, a struggling community cannot afford the amount quoted. The community then started to approach different NGOs in an attempt to secure funds for this much needed project. One would assume that NGOs involved in developmental projects would jump at such an opportunity and provide the necessary funds. It was not to be. The funds never materialised. Eventually, after months of haggling and unfulfilled promises, the community became frustrated and has now resorted to securing funds from Somali communities in the diaspora. Fund-raising for this project is still ongoing. I’m not sure how widespread this kind of experience is. In any case, the above example speaks volumes about the dreadful failures of NGOs working in Somalia. Unfortunately, their failures affect real lives. It is no secret that Somalia is one of the least accountable countries for NGOs to work in. As such, the temptation for them to misappropriate funds must be great. This lack of accountable is partly due to failures on the part of Somali activists to stand up and draw attention to the cartel-like behaviour of certain NGOs working in our country. Their detestable practices are bound to worsen the longer we stay quiet.

There is so much truth in this article. In our case, so called 'aid' groups based in Nairobi continue to use the conflict in Somalia as a cashcow and undoubtedly misappropriate funds meant for it. Speaking out only when it suits their funds-driven campaigns. Growth of aid and the decline of humanitarianism The Lancet Picture the situation in Haiti: families living on top of sewage-contaminated rubbish dumps, with no reliable sources of food and water and virtually no access to health care. This scenario depicts the situation in Haiti before the earthquake that catapulted this impoverished and conflict-ridden country into the international headlines. Now the latest target of humanitarian relief, international organisations, national governments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are rightly mobilising, but also jostling for position, each claiming that they are doing the most for earthquake survivors. Some agencies even claim that they are “spearheading” the relief effort. In fact, as we only too clearly see, the situation in Haiti is chaotic, devastating, and anything but coordinated. Much is being said elsewhere about the performance and progress of relief efforts in Haiti. It is crucial that the immediate needs of the Haitian people are urgently met. But it is scandalous that it took a seismic shift in tectonic plates for Haiti to earn its place in the international spotlight. Political rhetoric is familiar: domestic and international point-scoring during times of crisis and disaster is a common game played by many governments and politicians. But this dangerous and immoral play has many losers, especially since the rules include judging the needs of desperate people according to subjective perceptions of worth. For example, just think back 5 years to the dismal international response to the catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan. Additionally, over the past 2 weeks alone, flooding has displaced 30 000 people in Kenya and 4000 people in Albania, and in Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by further fighting. All international agencies, including the World Food Programme, have recently withdrawn from Somalia—one of the most violent countries in the world with a population size similar to Haiti. It is unimaginable that international agencies and national governments might one day compete for attention in leading a Somali humanitarian relief effort. The reasons for their current inaction are most un-humanitarian. We have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that when viewed through the distorted lens of politics, economics, religion, and history, some lives are judged more important than others—a situation not helped by the influence of news media, including ourselves. This regrettable situation has resulted in an implicit hierarchy of crisis situations further influenced by artificial criteria, such as whether disasters are natural or man-made. As this week's special issue on violent conflict and health shows,* the health needs of people affected by conflict are repeatedly neglected. Politicians and the media make easy targets for criticism. But there is another group involved in disaster relief, which has largely escaped public scrutiny—the aid sector, now undoubtedly an industry in its own right. Aid agencies and humanitarian organisations do exceptional work in difficult circumstances. But some large charities could make their good work even better. The Lancet has been observing aid agencies and NGOs for several years and has also spoken with staff members working for major charities. Several themes have emerged from these conversations. Large aid agencies and humanitarian organisations are often highly competitive with each other. Polluted by the internal power politics and the unsavoury characteristics seen in many big corporations, large aid agencies can be obsessed with raising money through their own appeal efforts. Media coverage as an end in itself is too often an aim of their activities. Marketing and branding have too high a profile. Perhaps worst of all, relief efforts in the field are sometimes competitive with little collaboration between agencies, including smaller, grass-roots charities that may have have better networks in affected counties and so are well placed to immediately implement emergency relief. Given the ongoing crisis in Haiti, it may seem unpalatable to scrutinise and criticise the motives and activities of humanitarian organisations. But just like any other industry, the aid industry must be examined, not just financially as is current practice, but also in how it operates from headquarter level to field level. It seems increasingly obvious that many aid agencies sometimes act according to their own best interests rather than in the interests of individuals whom they claim to help. Although many aid agencies do important work, humanitarianism is no longer the ethos for many organisations within the aid industry. For the people of Haiti and those living in parallel situations of destruction, humanitarianism remains the most crucial motivation and means for intervention.

Make Somalia a Priority By OMAR A.A. SHARMARKE Published: January 19, 2010 Last month, a Somali man who had lived in Denmark dressed himself in women’s clothes, positioned himself at a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu and then blew himself up. He killed 22 people, including three government ministers and many young medical graduates and professors, who had hoped to dedicate their lives to the alleviation of suffering in Somalia. This is rubbish! It is a mere allegation which is yet to be proven. The father of the alleged bomber has already declared that his son is innocent and was there to simply attend the event. It is one thing to suck up to potential donors but quite another to spread lies about a man who may well be innocent and himself a victim.

A perfect example of the vast unethical indulgence and shameless excesses of the haves. Global inequality in one of its more uglier forms. Passengers in the lap of luxury at the gateway to hell An instinctive revulsion is hard to suppress: a cruise ship of pampered passengers pulls in to dock at a private beach in Labadee, Haiti, in the wake of the earthquake that killed more Haitians than the survivors can find space to bury. How could holidaymakers sip cocktails or take jet ski rides, knowing the devastation that persists nearby? Some may have felt uncomfortable, but not enough to dissuade Royal Caribbean from keeping its giant liners to their schedule. Yet this starkest of juxtapositions only highlights in its bleak extremity what is regarded as acceptable elsewhere. Tourism provides a microcosm of modern globalised inequality, with all the advantages or injustices it bestows on those on different sides of the divide. From the Caribbean to South-East Asia, cheap labour and land allow holidaymakers to relax in style for less. The Haitian private beach, in this case reliant on more armed guards than most, is otherwise reminiscent of gated resorts around the world; locals may have access to the beaches in front of hotels but are only notionally welcome, like jellyfish. And cruise holidays have distilled that essence still further. Nowhere should the economics be more vividly obvious, yet they remain magically suppressed. On these giant floating metaphors, the guests' enormous consumption (cruises, where buffets appear from dawn to midnight, are notorious places to gain weight) is serviced by staff hired from the poorest countries on earth, brought on board under the kind of contracts made feasible by a global labour market. In justifying its decision to press ahead, Royal Caribbean disclosed that more than 200 Haitians are among its employees. While their headquarters are in Miami and the clients are predominantly American, the biggest cruise operators are incorporated in Panama and Liberia and their ships sail under flags of convenience (the Bahamas is a popular modern choice). Legislation is a grey area. The Independence of the Seas, the massive 4370-berth liner docking in Labadee is aptly named: the concept of statehood and territory looks increasingly meaningless from the bow of a ship. This corner of Haiti, like Guantanamo on Cuba, is more or less American on a long-term lease. Labadee's picnicking cruise passengers need, perhaps, feel no more guilty than a holidaymaker lounging in the slightly richer Dominican Republic on the other side of the island. Royal Caribbean's pledge to ''not abandon Haiti now they need us most'' might raise eyebrows in other destinations: such as Grenada, abandoned in the late 1990s for requesting a modest waste management levy; or conversely, Alaska, which found it difficult to keep cruise liners away despite a referendum seeking to curb their effects on unspoilt waters. The worth of cruises to their ports of call has long been controversial. Certainly, the logic of the private beach does not suggest funds being channelled openly to local economies. For all the ills of this specific industry, and the horror in Port-au-Prince, the chasm that lies between the short lives of poverty led in Haiti and those that occasionally touch its shores is not new, or worsened by the Labadee day-trippers. If outrage did not exist last week, does it make sense to now subject a shipload of holidaymakers to standards we are unwilling to apply to consumption and trade elsewhere? The ''sweatshop conditions'' that the International Transport Workers' Federation has warned crew endure exist as literally in the provision of many of our everyday comforts. They simply exist at a greater remove than on a cruise ship, where the labour is just a couple of decks below. Ironically, this is an occasion when the cruise ships may be doing some good: ferrying relief supplies and making a donation to the appeal. The cruise passenger who reported he was ''planning on enjoying my zip line excursion'' and day on the beach in Haiti may sound callous, but by no means uniquely wrong. Few today recite the mantra that travel broadens the mind without a touch of scepticism - especially when applied to mass-market holidays in the developing world, where great care is taken to shield the customer from anything as depressing as local reality. We don't talk about dream holidays for nothing. That bubble has been briefly pierced. ''I can't imagine having to choke down a burger there now,'' one passenger wrote on an internet forum. We should applaud Royal Caribbean for sailing carefree into Haiti's hell. For once, that leap of imagination isn't needed. Guardian News & Media Gwyn Topham, a former Fairfax journalist and travel editor, is author of Overboard: The Stories Cruise Lines Don't Want Told.

Footage of Mr Ayalon urging journalists to make clear the ambassador was seated on a low sofa, while the Israeli officials were in much higher chairs, has been widely broadcast by the Israeli media. One Israeli newspaper marked the height difference in a photo, and captioned it "the height of humiliation". Source: BBC [/QB] Disgraceful! Not much of an apology given the nature of the treatment. I'm oblivious as to why the Turkish ambassador failed to remove himself from the meeting as soon as he realized the antics at play. Bloody hell!

Meiji, Al-Shabab may be guilty of the crimes you've outlined but that shouldn't lead you to excuse the possible presence of murderous mercenaries in our country. Do not allow your anger against Al-Shabab (legitimate or otherwise) to cloud your judgement. The presence of such agencies will only exacerbate conditions on the ground and prolong the conflict. They will not succeed in defeating Al-Shabab. To the contrary, such agencies have an interest in prolonging conflict - their main source of income. The TFG should use its meager resources to build, train and properly equip its police and military forces. Awarding multi-million contracts to these mercenaries is reckless and will ultimately undermine our sovereignty. Raamsade, Leaving Western governments aside for a moment, there is plenty of evidence in relation to Blackwater/Xe specifically bombing civilian targets. Fabregas' reasoning is valid as to why they would carry out such bombings. Blackwater has been implicated in explosions in Pakistani cities and in the tribal regions of Pakistan. These attacks were purposely aimed at civilians in order to turn the public against insurgent groups based there. The aim would be the same in Somalia. Allegations against Blackwater in Pakistan come not only from the common man in the street but from high-ranking retired generals and from the former chief of the Pakistani ISI. Men who obviously know what they are talking about when it comes to intelligence matters. ps - The perpetrators of the Shamo hotel bombing are yet to be identified. I'm not accusing security contractors such as Blackwater of being behind it. Simply highlighting the distinct possibility that they may be behind it. They certainly have the motive and their presence in Mogadishu is becoming ever clearer.

Afhayeenka Xrakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab Sheekh Cali Dheere“Waxaa dalka yimid Shirkado doonaya in ay qaraxyo geystaan si loogu maleeyo Al Shabaab” Posted: 1/11/2010 3:23:00 PM Shabelle: MUQDISHO Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab ayaa sheegay in ay ka warheleen shirkado doonaya in ay qaraxyo ka sameeyeen Magaalada Muqdisho kadibna ay dhabarka u saarinaya Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab. Afhayeenka Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab Sheekh Cali Max’uud Raage oo ka hadlayay Siminaar maanta Magaalada Muqdisho Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab ay ugu soo gaba gabeeyeen odayaasha dhaqanka Soomaaliyeed Islamarkaana lagu baranayay dhaqan galinta Shareecada Islaamka ayaa sheegay in ay ka wargeleen Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab Shirkado Shisheeye oo laga leeyahay dalka Maraykanka iyo kuwa kale kuwaasi oo uu sheegay in ay doonayaan in dhibaatooyin iyo qaraxyo ay ka geystaan gudaha dalka Soomaaliya si loogu meleeyo in ay geysteen Xarakada Mujaahidiinta AL Shabaab. Waxaa uu sheegay Sheekh Cali Dheere in shirkadahaasi ay horay ugu soo fashilmeen wadamo dhowr ah oo ay midyihiin Ciraaq,Aljeeriya,Pakistaan,Afganistaan iyo kuwa kale isagoo sheegay in haatan ay ku suganyihiin qaar ka mid ah Shirkadahaasi xarunta Madaxtooyada ee Villa Soomaaliya iyagoo soo badashay Magacyadooda sida uu hadalka u dhigay waxaana uu tilmaamay in halkaasi ay ka qorsheynayaan in Qaraxyo ay ka geystaan Magaalada Muqdisho. Shirkadahaasi ayaa waxaa uu ka magacaabay Shirkad ka howlgali jirtay wadanka Ciraaq oo lagu Magacaabo Black Water taasoo uu sheegay in Maraykanku uu leeyahay islamarkaana howsheedu ay tahay in la laayo umadda Muslimka ah, waxaana uu carabka ku dhiftay in wadamada kor ku xusan ay ku soo fashilantay islamarkaana laga badalay magacii ay horay u wadatay loona bixiyay XE iyo Shirkad kale oo uu sheegay in farac ay katahay Shirkadaasi laguna magacaabo Corporation Security Solution taasoo haatan ku sugan Xarunta Madaxtooyada ee Villa Soomaaliya. “Hadda waxaa ay degantahay Madaxtooyada Waxeyna rabtaa qorshaha aan sheegnay in ay ka fuliso Masaajida,Suuqyada,Wadooyinka iyo Baabuurta Xamuulka ee Rakaabku uu saaranyahay iyadoo la isticmaalayo Taksiilayaasha waxba aan ogeyn ee iska Masaakiinta ah”ayuu yiri Sheekh Cali Dheere. Afhayeenka ayaa sheegay in Waxyaabaha ugu fudud ee qaraxyadaasi loo adeegsankaro ay ka mid yihiin gaadiidka Xamuulka ah iyo Baabuurta Tagaasida ee la kireysto ee ka soo dhaqaaqa degmooyinka ay maamusho dowladda KMG ee Soomaaliya kuwaasi oo uu sheegay in lala doonayo in lagu qarxiyo Meelaha dadku ay ku badanyihiin iyo Masaajida Magaalada Muqdisho si qaraxyadaasi dhabarka loogu saariyo Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab. Sidoo kale waxaa goobta lagu soo xirayay Siminaarka ka hadlay Sheekh Muqtaar Roobow Cali Abuu Mansuur oo ka mid ah Masuuliyiinta Xarakada Al Shabaab isagoo sheegay in Xarakada Mujaahidiinta Al Shabaab looga been abuuray war ay sheegtay dowladda Kenya oo ahaa in saraakiil ka tirsan xarakada Mujaahidiinta AL Shabaab ay gaareen dalka Kenya isagoo sheegay in warkaasi dowladda Kenya ay ula jeedo dano gaar ah. “Wararka saakay ay sheegayaan waxaa ka mid ah Madaxda Al Shabaab oo diyaarado soo kireystay Wadata ayaa meesha ku soo degtoo waa ay ka sii duulaan ayay leeyihiin,sirdoonka Kenya diyaarada Al Shabaab sidato maxay u arki wayeen maxeyse u qaban waayeen Waxaas waa waxba kama jiraan” ayuu yiri Abuu Mansuur.

This is more than just propoganda from Al-Shabab - it was inevitable. A timely and smart pre-emption on the part of AS. Sadly, countless Somali lives will be lost at the hands of these mercenaries. Could the December 3rd Shamo Hotel bombing have signalled their arrival? We'll never know. Investigations into just who was behind that attack are as unclear as ever. At least 18 people have been killed in clashes between rival factions in southern and central Somalia, and there are reports that Blackwater/Xe mercenaries have entered the country. A battle broke out between the pro-government Ahlu Sunnah militia and Hizbul Islam fighters in the town of Baladwayne on Sunday and went well into Monday, during which at least 13 people lost their lives, witnesses said. In addition, five people were killed when Hizbul Islam fighters engaged Al-Shabab fighters in the town of Dhobley near the Kenyan border, Reuters reported. There are also allegations of US-sponsored bomb plots in the capital. The bombings will be carried out in order to create a pretext to launch a campaign against Al-Shabab, a spokesman of the group, Sheikh Ali Mohammed Rage, told Reuters. "We have discovered that US agencies are going to launch suicide bombings in public places in Mogadishu," he told reporters. "They have tried it in Algeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan… We warn of these disasters. They want to target Bakara Market and mosques, then use that to malign us." At a meeting with tribal elders in Mogadishu on Monday, the Al-Shabab spokesman said that mercenaries of the Xe private security firm — formerly known as Blackwater — have arrived in the Somali capital, the Press TV correspondent in Mogadishu reported on Monday. Blackwater/Xe mercenaries plan to carry out bombings in Mogadishu in order to accuse Al-Shabab of being the culprits in the attacks, the Al-Shabab spokesman added. He went on to say that the Blackwater/Xe mercenaries have already recruited many lackeys to help them carry out bombings targeting prominent individuals and innocent civilians. The Al-Shabab spokesman also told the tribal elders that a system based on Islam should be established in Somalia. Here

^ And now you have an issue with the way Somalis dress? Any comments on how your fellow, beloved Italians have been treating poor African immigrants of late? Race Riots Grip Italian Town