Is a DEMOCRACTIC STATE the AIM OF SOMALILAND???

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

Just wanted to ask this question inshallah

for the SOL nomads in here.

I'm hearing alot of talk about how

'SOMALILAND' is the ONLY DEMOCRATIC state

in AFRICA? So my question,

does this make SOMALILAND the IDEAL STATE then in Africa?

Is the IDEAL STATE a DEMOCRACTICE STATE?

Is the Ideal country for Somalis a

DEMOCRATIC Somliland???

 

Help me out inshallah.....

 

Fi Amanillah

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by Khayr:

Salaamz,

Just wanted to ask this question inshallah

for the SOL nomads in here.

I'm hearing alot of talk about how

'SOMALILAND' is the ONLY DEMOCRATIC state

in AFRICA? So my question?...]

Wa Salaam Khayr

First of all I don't think Somaliland is the only democracy in Africa because even some the neighbouring States like Kenya have some form of elections. I don't know where you heard this 'a lot of talk' the last time this democracy topic came up in here brother Lander view was: “In a continent with few democracies I think South Africa is quite an exemplary model despite their own small problems. Maybe this will allow the next Somaliland general election to be better organized and counted”.

 

 

Originally posted by Khayr:

..does this make SOMALILAND the IDEAL STATE then in Africa?...

Is there such thing as an IDEAL STATE? I don't think so but Somaliland needs lots of work many sectors to even start comparing itself with other countries.

 

The short answer is to your question is NO but there is a lot of energy being put to improve things whereas there are many African countries which are on reverse gear. There is buzz and discussions among Somalilanders abroad on many topics from what to invest in to how to end corruption.

 

It depends from which angle you view things and I always judge Somaliland from its starting point in 1991 and the progress made without recognition and involvement of IMF or the World Bank. To hear visitors paying compliments about how safer they felt in some parts compared in their own countries is heart-warming but I would still hold back from calling it IDEAL, at least not just yet.

 

Originally posted by Khayr:

 

Is the IDEAL STATE a DEMOCRACTICE STATE??...

What a question! I have been asking myself this question for a long time it deserves a topic of its own. We all know leaders are supposed to rule the way Allah commanded but is this it or how do we get there?

 

I prefer democracy to a kingdom but whether it’s acceptable as in Islam I have my doubts. Maybe those with knowledge on these matters should clear this one for us but I don't think this DEMOCRACTIC STATE is IDEAL STATE.

 

 

Originally posted by Khayr:

Is the Ideal country for Somalis a

DEMOCRATIC Somliland???

We all know how power-hungry some Somalis can be and it seems DEMOCRATIC Somliland has curbed some of it. It’s humbling to see some of our 'political leaders' making promises in a London makhaayad to get votes. People who don't like Riyaale anymore can't wait for the next elections maybe it’s has made us a bit patient too. I'm sure there some disadvantages but it has brought some stability in Somaliland.

 

That’s my take.

[The Observer.]

this is a neat questioning, i cannot answer due to that i have more questions and queries.

eventhough there are positives coming out of a democratic state, i am still tingled with the notion, is democracy good for African nations?

 

Seeing alot of issues and problems being caused by the introduction of a new governance since the independence eras, i cannot help but see, the defaults of democracy. why i say defaults is because, what has happened most of the time, the governments forget the cultural rule of law and involving the full society. it still feels like the African States are still pawns in the board game. mind you i am not only talking about Somaliland specifically.

 

It would be great to hear what the brothers and sisters in here, who know more, to elaborate on this, or hear their point of views.

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

DO THEY THEN SEEK AFTER, A JUDGEMENT OF IGNORANCE?

BUT WHO, FOR A PEOPLE WHOSE FAITH IS ASSURED, CAN GIVE BETTER JUDGEMENT THAN ALLAH

Sura Al-Maidah, v. 50

 

Is there such thing as an IDEAL STATE? I don't think so but Somaliland needs lots of work many sectors to even start comparing itself with other countries.

According to your response then, if there is no

IDEAL MODEL STATE then why do the Muslims

hold on to the SHARIAH???

Why are SOMALILANDERS so BLINDED by their NATIONALISTIC PRIDE b/c their country-SOMALILAND is a DEMOCRACY???????

(I don't know of too many countries that go back to calling themselves what their BRITISH COLONLIALISTS/CONQUERERS use to call them-SOMALILAND and all in the English men's lettering and language!!!!)

INFERIORITY COMPLEX-maybe! :rolleyes:

 

However the point is, many somalilanders abroad

are filled with PRIDE for Somaliland b/c they feel

that the government was DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED

by the SOMALILANDERS and thus an excellent representation of the people b/c the government is

'FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE'

Am I wrong in this assumption?

So the question is if this is the case,

then isn't SOMALILAND following the footsteps

of the WESTERN POLITICAL ANTI-ISLAMIC models???

After all, the WESTERN IDEAL governments

are DEMOCRACY BASED-RIGHT?

 

Fi Amanillah

[LANDER]

Observer,

You raise some intriguing points on the compatability of democracy with certain African cultures. Democracy is not necessarilly the ideal for African states or anybody else for that matter. Just look at the chinese they opted towards communism or better yet Maoism. But democracy is a good base for governance in my opinion. I will take the Somali example to demonstrate why I believe it is so. Somaliland like any other somali region or state has a multi-tribal population, and whether we admit it or not, due to historical events tribalism is alive and well in all somali culture. That being said I feel democracy in Somaliland has started to cure some of those problems, for example the main two parties both contain high rankings members of different clans or sub-blans. The elected president is from a minority clan and he is accepted as such. 10 yrs ago tis would've been almost impossible, one clan would accuse the other of attempting to dominate the government. Nowadays in Somaliland you see people from the same clan or sub-clan voting differently on the balot and all are very keen on the position of their party. It's no longer me and my tribe against the world but its me and my party against the world . Kulmiye!!, UDUB!!,Kulmiye!!...etc.. At the end of the day the ultimate decision and victory is found in a ballot box and not at the barrel of a gun. Therefore, I feel democracy has improved the situation in Somaliland and could do so in other somali regions if they would choose to follow the same path.

 

 

Khayr and Ayoub,

I won't claim to be an islamic scholar by any means but I seriously cannot reason how democracy could be un-islamic. It was muslims who first stumble on the works of greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle and in turn translated and pass it on to Western society. I think modern muslims are often thought to paint ideas as islamic or un-islamic far too often whitout quite understanding the reason. In those days islamic scholars welcomed all knowledge and debated ideas with each other on the merits of their findings. Should we now refuse the knowledge we assimilated centuries ago, long before the europeans themselves and stagnate in our state of ignorance?

 

Khayr,

Every western is not un-islamic and vis versa, I don't need to point this obvious flaw in logic do I. I don't think you came here looking for a real exchange of ideas. First off, the Shariah as I understood it would be more of a code of conduct that could be applied in terms judiciary, but still remains the question decision making process that is at the heart of governance. I don't think the Shariah has set answers for that, I could be mistaking. Maybe you would like to tell us how the Shariah answers the question of governance rather than the judiciary process. A question that might arise is what happens when members of the islamic scholar circle have different interpretations of a particular law? how would that be solved or implemented? democracy could be applied here where the majority would win. I have yet to see a real reason for Islam and democracy to be in conflict.

 

(I don't know of too many countries that go back to calling themselves what their BRITISH COLONLIALISTS/CONQUERERS use to call them-SOMALILAND and all in the English men's lettering and language!!!!)

INFERIORITY COMPLEX-maybe!

as for this little remark. What can I say, I won't sit here and write about the history of colonialism around the world. But pose you a few self explanatory questions, why do you suppose Egypt is called Egypt and Alexandria the same? why is somali written in greco-roman lettering? why was Somalia called Somalia? does the "A" originate from the somali language to signify land inhabited by somalis?

[Cawralo]

Khayr, I was guessing thatwas where you were heading. Introducing sharica should be the goal of every muslim country..but successively, inshAlah.

 

The obsv. good q., even though it pretty much insunuates that africans are not capable of deciding for themselves [is democracy good for African nations?].

 

In Somalia, where a high percentage of the population are illiterates, democracy will be useless..before an election, how do you get your information? Ppl would probably vote for whatever is in the best interest of the qabiil elders..not necessarally what is their best intrest. But hey..every journey starts with one step.

[Tuujiye]

Kheyr good topic sxb..good question..

[AYOUB]

Originally posted by Khayr:

quote:

---

Is there such thing as an IDEAL STATE? I don't think so but Somaliland needs lots of work many sectors to even start comparing itself with other countries.

According to your response then, if there is no

IDEAL MODEL STATE then why do the Muslims

hold on to the SHARIAH??

No according to my response there is no IDEAL STATE in Africa.

What you have quoted is part of answer to your question: does this make SOMALILAND the IDEAL STATE then in Africa? Nowhere in your first post does the word MODEL appear and I was only comparing or telling its too soon to start comparing Somaliland to the rest of Africa. If you read my answers in context then you could have understood my position on democracy and Sharia. I'm all for Sharia but my knowledge on the subject is very limited and if you think democracy is Xaram then you are most welcome to give me your opinions.

 

Originally posted by Khayr:

Why are SOMALILANDERS so BLINDED by their NATIONALISTIC PRIDE b/c their country-SOMALILAND is a DEMOCRACY???????

Where you are getting that sort of vibe and 'all this talk' from. Even Lander understood the doubts I was expressing about democracy but you still went on to make that sort of comment. We all know how poor Somaliland is but there is a sense of achievement in those of us who compare the current situation to the days when people used to say no one will be able to come to back to Hargeisa, Burco and many other places. What you are seeing is an optimism rather than pride in the progress made from the days when the questions were very different from the ones you are asking.

 

 

Originally posted by Khayr:

(I don't know of too many countries that go back to calling themselves what their BRITISH COLONLIALISTS/CONQUERERS use to call them-SOMALILAND and all in the English men's lettering and language!!!!)

INFERIORITY COMPLEX-maybe!

Here we go again. I had high hopes but that typical line of attack on Somaliland is disappointing. There many countries with colonial names and most African countries use the names given to them by Europeans. In fact the name Africa was given by Europeans and names like Ethiopia and Somalia were given by them. Punt(land) is another example I can use but for a reason only known to you Somaliland is a complex. Next time you chose to make comment it like "all in the English men's lettering and language", it would be wiser not to do it in english.