Originally posted by bulo: Originally posted by LANDER: [qb] Obviously there are some definite issues to be work on within Puntland internal politics, specially when it comes to democratic reforms which are practically non-existent at the moment. Until those reforms take place, Puntland will have to settle for the title of most succesfull and stable warlord fiefdom, but nevertheless it remains a fiefdom. The reasoning behind this statement is that a region under the absolute control of One man can only go as far as that man will allow, or as far as his charismatic leadership will provide for the needs of the population which consists mostly of economic and political stability. somalis do not need democratic, and there is nothing called democracy anyway, even though i do not agree anything that A/lahi yusuf did, do or will do, who can deny puntland is much better than what it was before civil war,there was no electricity, running water etc,and today they have a lot more and they are in better position than they were before 13 years.so i think people were smart and chose the right decision when they decided not to fight him, cause he will never leave until he dies.and ordinary people do not care that as long as they can do their business in a stable and safe condition. from what i heard the reason puntland was created was, they waited rest of the war lords to stop the war, but after 7 years nothing changed, and new war lords emerged, so what was the solution, locale people needed banks, courts, schools, police, so the leaders come up with this idea.i thought it was obvious the reason they created pl, and now here is hiiranland, so it all good, let everyone fix their home.

Originally posted by LANDER: Obviously there are some definite issues to be work on within Puntland internal politics, specially when it comes to democratic reforms which are practically non-existent at the moment. Until those reforms take place, Puntland will have to settle for the title of most succesfull and stable warlord fiefdom, but nevertheless it remains a fiefdom. The reasoning behind this statement is that a region under the absolute control of One man can only go as far as that man will allow, or as far as his charismatic leadership will provide for the needs of the population which consists mostly of economic and political stability. somalis do not need democratic, and there is nothing called democracy anyway, even though i do not agree anything that A/lahi yusuf did, do or will do, who can deny puntland is much better than what it was before civil war,there was no electricity, running water etc,and today they have a lot more and they are in better position than they were before 13 years.so i think people were smart and chose the right decision when they decided not to fight him, cause he will never leave until he dies.and ordinary people do not care that as long as they can do their business in a stable and safe condition.

salaam in my personal opinion one cannot be muslim and western at the same time.to be westernized one has to have western culture and values. western culture is built on several values : 1-christianity, bible is the main source of western culture, so how one can claim to be muslim and derive their values from the bible? 2-western culture has tendency toward individualism,while islam has tendency toward unity, and society as a whole.if people are saying that education, independency,and women trying to have their opinion on everything from politics to the family affairs is western value, then again in my opinion they are clearly wrong, since islam gave these rights to the humanity while western leaders and scholars were debating whether women have a soul or not.so i really do not understand why on earth would a muslim woman chose to be westernized, why would we chose a culture that was questioning whether we are human beings or not less 500 years ago?!!.so i'm one of those who feels insulted by the term westernized ,cause all the good things that are labeled as western i do not see it as western but as islamic values.i would really like to know what some people consider western values that girls are doing?!!, cause what i see on this site is some people are complaining about rights that islam gave women.

salaam baashi i'm not saying somali men(reer magaal) believe that, and it would have been a real tragedy if they did, and i would have changed my nationality long time ago , but what i'm saying is that somali culture as a culture it self is oriented towards men, and almost against women, a true tradition is not what people in the city practice but rather, what people in the rural area do and believe,all the women you mantioned live and grew up in the city where the society is less traditional and i'm not talking about the city people.the following things are normal to somali culture and no one abojects it: forced marriages where fathers exchange their daughters for few camels, or where the girls are kidnapped by the grooms' family, if woman becomes a widow in somali tradition she has two choices either marry his cousin or leave her children, women were not allowed to inherit.there are some positive things in somali culture as general, but a lot of it need to be changed

salaam i will be extra honest here, yes because our tradition is unjust, and favors men, and considers women as a second class citizen,many people including me have lost their trust in that tradition.i will be back with what i consider tradition.

salaam it is very sad that some people consider being independent and educated as a sign of being westernized,i really a dream a day when outspoken, independent, educated somali girl will not be labeled as weternized.and OG-motti do not be so happy uncle the girl was talking about somalis as general not only girls when she said"dhulkiina waan ka tagnay cirkiina ma gaarin".in my personal opinion there are many things wrong in our culture so nothing wrong if some people choose to be untraditional.

Originally posted by OG_Moti: Someone said rape happens in somalia more than western countries, nothing could be further than the truth, In somalia we still muslims and we still have some dignity and honor even thou we seem to be useless in the eyes of the world.. og-moti i guess you've not been in somalia during the war, rape is very high some parts,so before you contradict me get some facts and ask people who were there,i was there. there was a time hardly passes a night without hearing girl crying for help,and no one will go to help them,the two most precious things at that time were cars and girls and both of them were protected with guns if they are lucky,so i'm sorry bro to wake you up from your dream.if we were true muslims we wouldn't have civil war!!

salaam jidaawy rape happens in somalia. more than here in the west, if you've been in somalia the last two years before the war and during the war you'll realize that rape is not strange to somalis. some of them are not reported because of two reasons, first there is no goverment, and second somalis will always blame on the girl and will sentence her even before they hear the story, so most girls will choose to suffer silently and alone,because if people find out that she was raped they will treat her as an outcast.

Originally posted by Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar: I thought the war started exactly on the 26th day of December, 1990, in Xamar and ended exactly within a month on January 26, 1991,{perhaps Wednesday}, when Max'ed Siyaad Barre left Xamar. what did the war ended and i do not know?

salaam if muslim rapes whether muslim or non-muslim he will be punished acording to whether he was married before or not, so actually it does not make any difference who he rapes.anyway muslims are not allowed to harm non-muslims who are not hostile or who has a legitimate peace treaty with the Muslims, even muslims are not allowed to hurt the feelings of non-muslims who are not hostile let alone rape Ibn Hibbaan narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever makes a snide comment to a Jew or a Christian deserves Hell" snide comments means something that's offensive, also there is another hadith where the prophet said who ever kills a person who has peace treaty with muslims will not smell the scent of paradise, non-muslims who has peace treaty with muslims is like the Muslim as far as protecting them because the Lawgiver protects his honour, blood and property. sorry africana if i changed the topic but i had to say that.

salaam i was in mogadisho,actually i was in my class getting ready to take my midterm exam,i studied that exam all day,i will make my du'a even though i do not think i will ever see somalia as we knew it.

salaam waxay iila muuqataa in dadka qaarkiis ay faraxsanyihiin waxa socda,usbuucan dhexdiisa meeqa article oo ku saabsan sool,sanaag iyo dagaal baa pagekan kaliya lagu daabacay,waxaan fahmi la'ahay waxa laga faa'iidayo haduu dagaal dhaco,mida kale hadii aadan goboladaas u dhalan dagaalku ku saamayn mayo,maadaama aysanahayn familkaaga cida ku dhimanaysa bro ha hurinin dabka.article kan aad soo guurisay hal dhinac buu taageersan yahay qof kale baa imaanaya oo dhanka kale raacsan,maxaan ka faa'iidaynaa?

salaam i can not believe what i'm reading,there is no excuse at all for a rapist,no woman want to be raped, it's worst thing that can happen to anyone, and it does not affect only her, but also her family as well.khayr bro do not say that you'll never marry her because she was raped, it was not her fault, it can happen your sis or daughter then i'm sure you would not want her to be punished for something that was out of her control,and somali culture has little do with the religion, most of somali culture are based on unislamic laws and rules, and i do not think we should follow our culture if it goes against islam.

salaam you are welcome guys, i'm glad it helped you lakkad,from what i heard scholars refuse to answer questions that are build on what if so and so happens.i do not know why are we still arguing about this issue,these are clear hadiths and as muslims we have no options but to follow them. Allah knows what is good for his religion.

salaam here is another good one it answers your questions why it is long but if you have a doubt why murtad has to be killed then read it,also there are guidelines to be followed, it is not like the judge will go around and kill people because he was told they changed their religion, there are conditions whether the person can considered apostate, such as if the person was ignorant,or forced, and people are not to be put to death immediately but the judge will give them a time and give them chance to clear their doubts,so don't worry Lakkad jamac hersi ali dhuuntoy will be given a plenty of chances to come back.As a non Muslim, I find myself Intrigued and attracted to your faith. However, I find it difficult to comprehend how a man can be sentenced to death for speaking( Salman Rushdie). I would have thought that we as humans do not have that right to make those decisions, only god can? Praise be to Allaah. We thank you for your confidence in us and for sending this question to us, and we appreciate your being intrigued by our beliefs and your eagerness to find out the answer. We welcome you as a visitor and reader and learner. What stood out from your letter is that you are impressed with the religion of Islam. This is a good sign for us and for you. We are happy for our religion to reach people like you who are seeking for the truth. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that this religion would reach all places on this earth. It was narrated that Tameem al-Daari said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘This matter (i.e., Islam) will certainly reach everywhere that night and day reach, and Allaah will not leave any house or tent [i.e., all dwellings, in towns and in the desert], but Allaah will cause this religion to enter it, and some people will be honoured because of it [by converting] and others will be humiliated because of it [for refusing to embrace it], and they will be ruled by the Muslims, an honour which Allaah will bestow on Islam and a humiliation which He will inflict on kufr (disbelief).” (Narrated by Ahmad, 16344; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3). In your case, your admiration for Islam will motivate you to find out what this pure monotheistic religion teaches, and how it is in accordance with sound human nature and common sense. We advise you to avoid completely and preconceptions that may influence you and take your time in reading about the teachings of the Islamic religion. Perhaps you could read material on this site about Islam, such as questions no. 219, 21613, 20756, 10590. With regard to your question, “However, I find it difficult to comprehend how a man can be sentenced to death for speaking. I would have thought that we as humans do not have that right to make those decisions, only god can” – what you say is correct, because no-one has the right to condemn another person to death without evidence from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The ruling of execution because of a word that somebody utters is what the Muslim scholars call al-riddah (apostasy). What is apostasy and what constitutes apostasy? What is the ruling on the apostate (al-murtadd)? 1 – Riddah (apostasy) refers to when a Muslim becomes a disbeliever by saying a clear statement to that effect, or by uttering words which imply that (i.e., which imply kufr or disbelief), or he does something that implies that (i.e., an action which implies kufr or disbelief). 2 – What constitutes apostasy The matters which constitute apostasy are divided into four categories: (a) Apostasy in beliefs, such as associating others with Allaah, denying Him, or denying an attribute which is proven to be one of His attributes, or by affirming that Allaah has a son. Whoever believes that is an apostate and a disbeliever. (b) Apostasy in words, such as insulting Allaah or the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). © Apostasy in actions, such as throwing the Qur’an into a filthy place, because doing that shows disrespect towards the words of Allaah, so it is a sign that one does not believe. Other such actions include prostrating to an idol or to the sun or moon. (d) Apostasy by omission, such as not doing any of the rituals of Islam, or turning away from following it altogether. 3 – What is the ruling on the apostate? If a Muslim apostatizes and meets the conditions of apostasy – i.e., he is of sound mind, an adult and does that of his own free will – then his blood may be shed with impunity. He is to be executed by the Muslim ruler or by his deputy – such as the qaadi or judge, and he is not to not be washed (after death, in preparation for burial), the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him and he is not to be buried with the Muslims. The evidence that the apostate is to be executed is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2794). What is meant by religion here is Islam (i.e., whoever changes from Islam to another religion). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am His Messenger, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a married man who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and splits form the jamaa’ah (main group of Muslims).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6878; Muslim, 1676) See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 22/180. Thus it will be clear to you that execution of the apostate is something that is commanded by Allaah, when he commanded us to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority” [al-Nisa’ 4:59] And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has commanded us to execute the apostate as in the hadeeth quoted above: “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.” It may need some time for you to be convinced about this matter, and for you to think about it. Perhaps you think that if a person follows the truth and enters into it and embraces the one true religion which Allaah has enjoined, then we allow him to leave it quite easily whenever he wants and to utter the words of kufr (disbelief) that put him outside of Islam, so he can reject Allaah, His Messenger, His Books and His religion, and there is no punishment as deterrent, how will that affect him and others who enter the religion? Do you not see that this would make the one true religion, that everyone should follow, like a shop or store which a person can enter when he wants and leave when he wants, and it may encourage others to forsake the truth. Moreover, this is not someone who has never known the truth and practiced it and worshipped in accordance with it; rather this is a person who has known the truth, and practiced the religion and done the rituals of worship, so the punishment is no greater than he deserves. Moreover, such strong rulings as this are only applied to such a person whose life is no longer considered to be useful, because he knew the truth and followed the religion, then he left it and forsook it. What soul can be more evil than the soul of such a person? In conclusion, the answer is that Allaah is the One Who revealed this religion and enjoined it. He is the One Who ruled that the one who enters it and then leaves it is to be executed. This ruling does not come from the Muslims’ ideas or suggestions. As this is the case, then we must follow the ruling of Allaah so long as we are content to accept Him as our Lord and God. May Allaah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. We thank you once again. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) :

What is the Islamic ruling on someone who is a Muslim(who is in Islam) but converts to some other religion later on??? Praise be to Allaah. Apostasy (riddah) means disbelieving after being Muslim. There is no bad deed that cancels out all good deeds apart from apostasy. If a person dies in a state of apostasy all his good deeds will be wiped out, but if he returns to Islam, the reward for his good deeds will be restored and he does not have to make up any prayers or fasts that he missed during the period of his apostasy. Shaykh al-Islam [ibn Taymiyah] said: With regard to apostasy from Islam, whereby a person becomes a kaafir, whether a mushrik or a Jew or Christian, if he dies in that state then all his good deeds will be wiped out, according to scholarly consensus, as the Qur’aan says in more than one place. For example Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter” [al-Baqarah 2:217] “And whosoever disbelieves in Faith, [i.e. in the Oneness of Allaah and in all the other Articles of Faith i.e. His (Allaah’s) Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al‑Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work” [al-Maa’idah 5:5] “But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them” [al-An’aam 6:88] Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/257, 268) With regard to the shar’i rulings on apostates, if the apostate does not return to Islam, he must be executed. It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., punishment for murder), a married man or woman who commits adultery, and one who leaves his religion and separates from the jamaa’ah (main body of Muslims).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6484; Muslim, 1676 It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever changes his religion, execute him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6922). Then if he is executed, he has died as a kaafir, so he is not to be washed or shrouded; the funeral prayer is not to be offered for him, and he is not to be buried in the Muslim graveyard. On the Day of Resurrection he will be one of the people of Hell who will abide therein for eternity. The earth rejected the body of an apostate during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as a lesson and a warning to the onlookers. It was narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: There was a Christian man who became Muslim. He used to recite al-Baqarah and Aal ‘Imraan, and he used to write down (the revelation) for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Then he returned to Christianity and he used to say, “Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him.” Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, “This is the doing of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them.” They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said, “This is the doing of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them.” They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they realized that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and they had to leave him thrown (on the ground). Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3421; Muslim, 2781. And Allaah knows best. i bolded it for you guys

salaam but who will have the right to carry the law i do not think average person should have the right to kill people whether they change their religion or not,there is no government,no courts,if they allow regular people to do that,then you will have people killing their neighbors,and whoever disagrees with them,and then they will say they changed their religion so they killed them.

i know that peoms are used as a weapon however they are part of our history,whether good or bad we need to be aware of it,to be honest i love calidhuux i used to had collection of his poems,but i lost them i have been looking for them since then,anyway this is something that happened over 50 years,so if you do not learn anything from it,atleast have good laugh at it.

salaam bambina,do you have any evidence?cause i can not see why toys are haraam.

salaam i'm sorry sis but to me they don't look men at all,i do not think a real men should be using a make up.so i still think somali guys look better.

salam nation of islam and islam are two totally different religions.so if he joined the nation,that does not mean he converted to islam.

palestinians say that the worst people in isrealian army who treat them bad are either eithipian or russian. so i do not feel sorry for them, they should go back to their country.

salaam thanks baashi,exact time,

salaam someone said he will be brought to justice, i wonder who will bring him to justice?!!, and you all saying he killed his people, how about 7000 iraqis who died in 8 months, how about million and half children who died because of sanctions,are not those iraqis. sadam was evil, but he is not the only one.are iraq better off before sadam with no water, electricity and girls can not even go outside,that reminds me somalia, i would not wish anyone to live that kind of life,this war has never been about sadam but WMD.i would not have felt sorry if it was iraqis who captured him. he is a muslim and because of that i'm sorry to see him humilated and shamed like that.

people were saying the war is over when baghdad fell,and they said the same thing when his sons were killed,some people are saying that the resistence will increase beacuse many people were afraid to join them because of sadam.now sadam is out of the picture will america leave iraq to iraqis,and will iraqis accept their land to be occuppied!!!! BTW lakad it is not because i'm anti-american,but who gave america the right to humilate another leader,as i said before sadam is iraqis concern not american.they are there not for the sake of iraqis but for oil and isrealis interest.