Al-Shabab: Somalia’s New Kharijites and Masters of Death and Destruction

Ever since Al-Shabab rose to power in the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia, the rate of human decimation has been skyrocketing enormously such that no human being is immune from death, terrorism, chaos, violence, and insecurity. Al-Shabab is brandishing a perilous novel religious ideology that will engulf many places in the African continent and even beyond if not restrained in time. To countless fundamentalist-minded people and their sympathizers, the leaders of Al-Shabab are “saviors of Islamic spirit”. To those opposed to Al-Shabab’s religious extremities, the group is nothing more than a replica of Al-Qaida and the Taliban of Afghanistan struggling to overcome the threats of democracy and human freedom. The main reason Al-Shabab is waging a bitter war in Somalia is to ensure Western influence does not get a foothold in the Horn of Africa. It has indoctrinated thousands of Somali youth and attracted Islamic fighters from almost everywhere in the world. These "foreign guests" provide training to the forces of Al-Shabab in arms handling, mine laying, suicide bombing, and enemy surveillance. Western intelligence sources believe there is credible evidence to suggest the presence of 300 foreign Jihadi fighters in Somalia. Now we hear of an ex-Pakistani general leading the onslaught against Somalia's lame duck government. If such information is to be believed to the fullest, then, Somalia has obviously become a safe haven for terrorists from all walks of like. Unashamedly, the leaders of Al-Shabab have in the past mentioned the presence of these "guest fighters" in their domains.

Hiding under the banner of bringing pure Islam to the entire globe, a distance spanning from Alaska to Cape Town, the group whose name means “youth” in Arabic, invented innovations alien to the Muslim Somali: Khariji thoughts that deserve absolute rejection. Al-Shahrastani defines a Khariji as: “Anyone who walks out against (seeking to overthrow) the true appointed Imam (leader) upon whose leadership the Jamaa'ah is in agreement is called a Khariji. This is the case, despite whether the walking out (against the Imam) occurred in the days of the Rightly-Guided caliphs or other than them from the Tabi'een.” [1] (Wikipedia)

"According to Kharijite doctrine, not only descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and members of the Muslim aristocracy but anyone—even a slave—could become a caliph if morally and religiously pure. A caliph, to be legitimate (in accord with God’s will), had to be elected as the free choice of the entire Muslim community. An unsatisfactory caliph could be deposed or put to death. The Kharijites, both extremely pious and puritanical in religious practice and theory, also accepted only a literal interpretation of the sacred Qur'an (Koran). They developed their own laws and collections of Hadith—the Traditions, or Muhammad’s actions and utterances witnessed by his companions and transmitted by reliable authorities. Today a few hundred thousand Kharijites, usually referred to as Ibadites, dwell in North and East Africa, Oman, and Tanzania. Their puritanism and idealism have greatly influenced the present-day Wahhabi movement, which includes the majority of Saudi Arabians."[2]

Since rising to stardom in 2008 when Ethiopian occupation forces departed Somalia after being bogged down in the capital city of Mogadishu, Al-Shabab has carried out on a wider scale assassinations of senior Somali government figures, tribal heads, and journalists it perceives as a threat to its existence. Just recently, a reputed government minister, Colonel Omar Hashi and Abdikarim Laqanyo, an astute 39-years old rising diplomat who was Somali ambassador to South Africa and former Somali ambassador to Ethiopia in Colonel Yusuf’s government, met their untimely deaths in the city of Beletweyne when a vehicle loaded with explosives and commandeered by a suicide bomber destroyed the hotel they were residing in. The explosion, as claimed by Al-Shabab, killed several dozen government soldiers and unsuspecting civilians that were caught in the predicament. A spokesman who spoke for Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. Al-Shabab claimed to have carried out the suicide bombing after obtaining credible evidence from its intelligence sources that the current government headed by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was hosting Ethiopian military officers planning strategic military operations against its areas of influence.

This gruesome and wanton incident that cut short the lives of many Somalis, surprisingly, utterly left Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys devastated, a man wanted in the West for crimes related to terrorism. A former colonel in the defunct Somali army, Sheikh Hassan Dahir was the former head of the rebel group al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, an Islamic militant group linked to terrorism in the 1990s. The former colonel is currently the head of Hizbul Islam that is opposed to the presence of foreign troops in Somali soil. Narrated Aisha: Allah's Apostle said, "If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected." Volume 3, Book 49, Number 861 of Al-Bukhari. “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "There is a Sadaqa to be given for every joint of the human body; and for every day on which the sun rises there is a reward of a Sadaqa (i.e. charitable gift) for the one who establishes justice among people." Volume 3, Book 49, Number 870 of Al-Bukhari.

The Somali Government of National Unity decried the collective atrocities being committed by Al-Shabab such that the Speaker of Somalia’s Parliament appealed to neighboring countries that include Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Yemen and the member states of IGAD to send in military reinforcements within 24 hours to deter Al-Shabab aggression. Local media houses in Somalia reported seeing Ethiopian forces pouring in to Somalia upon receiving Somali parliamentary speaker’s pleas for immediate help. On the contrary, the Ethiopian has reiterated its stand in Somalia: that it can only intervene in Somalia with international mandate. On the other hand, the Kenya government is said to be amassing heavily-armed troops alongside its border with Somalia. Both Kenya and Ethiopia are host to thousands of Somali refugees displaced by Somalia's internal strife and both have territorial disputes with Somalia over the former Northern Frontier District in Kenya and the Ogaden region in Ethiopia claimed by Somalia.

Currently, the Kenya government feels the brunt of Al-Shabab aggression. The jihadi group made several incursions in to Kenya in the past. The downing of a military helicopter belonging to the Kenya military in the not so distant past has angered a section of Kenyan's and parliamentarians with many calling for Kenya's direct involvement in Somalia. While the intention of Kenya's military buildup along the long porous border it shares with Somalia may not be speculated, there is a great possibility Kenya may this time land troops inside Somalia. Both Kenya and Ethiopia have sizable military personnel of Somali decent in their military ranks. Supposedly, by borrowing a leaf from the saying, "send a thief to catch a thief" both nations could tactically utilize the strengths of their Somali citizens to overcome the fundamentalist aggression perpetuated by Al-Shabab.

The refusal by Al-Shabab to negotiate with any entity has further diminished the prospect for peace in Somalia. Despite the Somali government calling for moderation and reconciliation, Al-Shabab continues to kill, maim, and mutilate in the absence of a sovereign authority. Despite modern leadership qualities entailing communication, delegation, selection, and training, Al-Shabab’s mode of leadership rests on perpetrating pseudo-anarchism and territorial expansionism and unwarranted psycho-politico-socio-economic annihilation of human population and properties.

Consequently, the otiose Somali government lacks influence tactics and impression management techniques. Perhaps, the newly inaugurated moderate Sheikh Sharif is too inexperienced to win the hearts and minds of the opposition. Lack of horizontal thinking; the absence of theories and practice; the President’s inability to macro and micro manage the volatile Somali environment has left him in the lurch. Conceivably, majority of the men and women holding ministerial positions in the current government hold foreign citizenship which makes them unfit to govern a nation in a chaotic and frustrated atmosphere. One may may ask: do these leaders have mission and value statements and do they espouse concrete statements of intentions?

Undoubtedly, a nation is a massive organization that demands concrete planning and conceptualized responsibility. Failing to realize the motivational components of human behavior is cause for disaster. Factors that apply to leadership include communication, delegation, selection, and training. All attempts to have a fully-trained armed force have been shattered either because the government was unwilling to pull resources together or because the financial resources to deliver the projected figures were hard to secure. Why is it that every created government collapses before completing term of office? Those of you who follow Somali politics will recall how the previous governments headed by Ali Mahdi, Abdiqasim Salat, and Abdullahi Yusuf collapsed due to imprudent tribal politics and gerrymandering. All these political fiascos happened due to lack of religious and ethical considerations and the absence of organizational structure and culture.

In the Somali vernacular language, the word "Khariji" denotes to mean "to exterminate, to kill, to silence". Perhaps, it could be a good description that fits the callous actions of Al-Shabab because of the way they kill with impunity. For the two years Ethiopian troops were in Somalia beginning in 2006 until last January, majority of Somalis who were opposed to the dreaded Ethiopian presence, gave Al-Shabab a standing ovation because they brutally defeated them in street battles.

Ironically, the international community is not doing enough to overcome the growing threats of anarchy in Somalia. Instead of training a strong and reliable defense force that would secure Somali borders, all it has done is sending naval warships that protect Somalia’s coastline from the threats of piracy that cripple international maritime shipping. What they don’t realize is that piracy can only be overcome when Somalia gets a strong civil and national defense. As long as the international community is not fully committing itself to the problems inland and inside of Somalia, piracy and terrorism will continue to flourish unabated.


http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761558674/kharijites.html

Termination: Know Your Rights

The legal definition of termination “…is the discharge of an employee by an employer with or without cause.” [1] There are several factors that could lead to termination of employment: employment at will, agreement, and fulfillment of purpose. Employment at will refers to the ending of employment by either the employee or the employer upon giving proper notice. In legal terms, proper notice refers to the duration of the pay period, i.e., 1 week, 2 weeks, or one month. Hence, the phrase “two-week notice” is derived from this policy. To avoid legal ramifications, an employer should give the reason that led to the termination. That is, the reason for the discharge should be related to the job. The reason for the termination should pertain to job performance, attendance, theft, drug use, harassment, negligence and things of like nature. “Additionally, it might be wrongful termination if an employer discharged an employee in retaliation for:
• Reasonably exercising employee rights under relevant employment and labor laws
• Reasonably exercising union rights
• Legitimately taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act
• Serving in the military
• Wage garnishment
• Whistleblowing”. [2]

Besides acts of God, strikes, and layoffs, employers that have 100 or more employees, who intend to lay-off or close a plant or office, are required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) of 1988, to give their employees 60 days notice so that the affected employees can have the opportunity to retrain or seek other work. In order to deter confusions and ignorance at the work, employers should create an employment handbook that outlines company procedures and policies. The language outlined in the handbook should be to the point and understandable to all employees. Policies in the handbook should include general rules of conduct; it should plainly delineate anti-harassment policies, describe factors that can lead to at-will termination, and policies regarding computer usage among other things. Breach of contract occurs when an employee fails to fulfill the reasonable expectations as stipulated in the initial contract of employment. Often, breach of contract arises in the following circumstances: (1) an employer will be liable for the duration of contract if the employee is terminated without a just cause before the expiration of the definite period of contract. (2) If an employee performs contrary to the policies contained in the employment handbook, the employer will be bound to what the handbook has stipulated. (3) If in an interview, employer specifies reason for employee’s termination, then discharge will be limited to those reasons. A claimant is ineligible for unemployment benefits if the claimant was discharged for “just cause”. Culpability, knowledge, and control are the three factors that must be present to establish a just cause. In Autilov Asp, Inc. v. Department of Workforce Services 29 P. 3d (UT 2001), Judge Billings representing the Utah Supreme Court ruled in favor of the employer by categorically refusing to the drawing of unemployment benefits by Christopher Guzman and Thomas King because the two complainants flagrantly violated universal standard of behavior by transmitting sexually explicit and offensive materials such as jokes, pictures, and videos which were in contravention of employer policy against sexual harassment contained in its employment handbook. An employee who successfully wins a wrongful termination battle in a legal court, upon justifying beyond reasonable doubt how his/her employer breached existing contractual underpinnings, and after establishing breach of contract theory that include (1) the existence of a contract; (2) its performance of the contract; (3) breach by the other party; and (4) damages, may be entitled to packages that could include severance pay, court fees, and attorney’ fees as damages for the untold suffering inflicted in the cause of the termination and the duration of the court proceedings.

Often, severance pay may be given upon an employee’s promise to forgo a proceeding under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are limits for filing a charge of discrimination. The duration for filing a complaint with the EEOC-the agency charged with overseeing employment rights-is 180 days from the day of the alleged violation. “This 180-day filing deadline is extended to 300 days if the charge also is covered by a state or local anti-discrimination law. For ADEA charges, only state laws extend the filing limit to 300 days. The federal EEO laws enforced by the EEOC are Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Equal Pay Act (EPA). These laws prohibit covered employers from discriminating on the bases of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, and disability. Examples of conduct prohibited include: Discriminatory employment decisions, discrimination in employment and benefits, harassment and retaliation.” [3] In many cases, employee and employer may opt to resolve a charge early in the process through mediation or settlement. According to the EEOC web site, mediation and settlement are voluntary resolutions.
Mediation, settlement, and conciliation are three factors to resolving charges of discrimination. Despite the proliferation of termination related litigations against employers by grieving employees, Daniel T. Berkley, Gordon & Rees, LLP, in a teleconference titled “Avoid Wrongful Termination Lawsuits: Strategies to Keep Your Managers Out of Legal Trouble” and designed for “human resource managers, personnel managers, employee relations managers, presidents, vice presidents, business owners and managers, supervisors, compliance officers and attorneys”, detail four appealing factors that could serve as a deterrence against unnecessary legal actions for those managing workplaces. In their sub-title “Training for Effective Workplace Policies and Practices”, the duo provide educational materials that come in the form of CD and manual together with a podcast containing 89-minute MP3 with 90-page electronic manual. Some of topics covered in their management lectures include:
I. Progressive Discipline
II. Investigations
III. Retaliation
IV. Termination”. [4]

In conclusion, since the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Labor courts in the United States continue to be inundated with civil law suits. Consequently, Congress has been rationally making amendments to the U.S. Constitution since the proclamation of Independence from England in 1776. Despite the hardships and arduous contests in the stipulation of U.S laws by the Judiciary, Legislature, and the Executive, profound promulgations have been made to pave way for the reclamation and restoration of human independence and dignity.

[1]John Jude Moran. Employment Law: New Challenges in the Business Environment. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 2008.
[2]http://employeeissues.com/wrongful_termination_2.htm
[3]http://www.eeoc.gov/charge/overview_charge_filing.html
[4]http://www.lorman.com/teleconference/384409?affiliate=WorkersCompensation&cd=16196:0:1:4:13&discount_code=

Leadership and Economics

Going by the expanding nature of global economics and varying national economies, today’s leaders should be compelled to understand that the best, much-applauded, and unanimously accepted form of fundamental economics is the capitalist market economy which contains many buyers and sellers of numerous goods and services where all of them are interested primarily in their own well-being. From the Greek word oikonomos, economy denotes to mean “one who manages a household.” However, according to the great 19th-century economist Alfred Marshall, “economics is a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life.” In essence, economics is the study of how society manages its scarce resources. [1]

Two prominent economists, Adam Smith and David Ricardo inspired the modern economics we cherish today. Adam Smith’s 1776 book titled An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, shed light on the subject of trade and economic interdependence. Likewise, inspired by Adam Smith’s writings, David Ricardo, millionaire broker turned economist, in his 1817 book Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, developed the principle of comparative advantage as we know it today. The principle of comparative advantage explains interdependence and the gains from trade. As a member of the British parliament of the day and in his defense of free trade and his opposition to the Corn Laws which restricted the import of grain, Ricardo put his economic beliefs to work by displaying total rejection and repugnance at the British government’s infringement on free trade. Undoubtedly, the legacies left behind by Smith and Ricardo continues to empower the values and ideals of today’s capitalist economies.

Based on decentralized control and delegation, a leader who has the will and commitment to steer a nation to its right course must understand that micromanaging economies, people’s lives or jobs is nothing but a futile enterprise. Likewise, a leader cannot save, motivate, and satisfy everyone. Leaders must understand that when people associate no risk or cost to something, they will abuse it. That is why all social programs like welfare, social security, and Medicare fail to have rigid foundations despite concerted government efforts at their resuscitation. With markets being a good way to organize economic activity, boosting trade makes everyone better-off. Though not always positive, governments can sometimes improve market outcomes. During the Cold War era, the former Soviet Union and her Communist allies in Eastern Europe experienced retarded economies because their economies were based on outdated centralization systems managed by irrational central planners which culminated in their collapse in the 1980s. Because of corruption, insecurity, coup d’états, political obscurantism, dictatorships, and a host of other natural and human calamities, Africa, a continent abundant in natural resources, remains entangled in a protracted economical mess that make it a laughing stork in every sector of the economic scale and a burden to international financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. Lack of human capital, grinding poverty and diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria, and the collective theft of state coffers, has diminished the continent’s prospects for economical prosperity and political maturity. Despite minor modifications, the economic principles left behind by Adam Smith and David Ricardo continue to drive the nerves and fibers of many nations including the United States while resourceful African nations continue to suffer from self-inflicted economic woes without any prospect for recovery.
Some important aspects of managing a capitalist economy include:
(1) A strong national defense-if people do not feel safe, economic growth will be retarded and suffering and destitution will reign.
(2) Property rights-when people own something, they have the tendency to invest and protect it.
(3) Judicial system to handle disputes.
(4) Low taxes and low regulatory environment.
(5) Few entitlement programs like welfare, social security, and Medicare. These programs are inefficient and wasteful (transfer payments-taking money from one citizen and giving it to another is always counterproductive). A program like welfare falls under what economists refer to as “the Law of unintended consequences” which occurs when government actions or policies fail to produce the desired results. Initially, welfare was intended to help the poor but only created more poverty and an underclass that grew reliant on government. We have to be careful what behaviors we reward because if people associate no cost or risk to something they will abuse it.

Said another way, production possibilities curves can be expanded with the following in mind: (1) movement towards capitalism and free trade (India, China), (2) education, (3) technological advances, and (4) discovery of new natural resources. By raising taxes, consumer and producer surplus is destroyed beyond measure and automatically the standard of living of the ordinary citizen is lowered. Leaders need to understand that people get what they earn and that there are no other solutions except trade-offs. Thus, growing economies need energy to safeguard and maintain their demand and supply. A country’s standard of living depends on its ability to produce goods and services.

Consequently, leaders and politicians have caused extensive miscalculations to numerous national economies by thinking that they know more about economics than economists. In broad terms, this is what is referred to as “fatal conceit” by economists. Both golden rule and fatal conceit, malevolent in context, are based on self-interest and are detrimental to the economic well-being of any nation and must be shunned at all cost.

One other form of unwarranted government exploitation or practice that places unnecessary hardships on businesses is price gouging. A firm’s costs are a key determinant of its production and pricing decisions. This practice is outlandish and absolutely authoritarian in nature. Leaders fail to grasp the theory that demand is based on ability and willingness to pay. On the ability notion, one may have the ability to pay but unwilling to pay for the product either because the product is inferior or exorbitant. Apparently, wary consumers understand the implications of buying cheap and inferior Chinese products that flood the markets. Everything, regardless of make or model, has a price attached to it. Unquestionably, above that price, no one is willing to pay. Supply and demand of goods and services determine price. As a result, when the price of a commodity goes up, demand goes down; when price goes up it provides an incentive for suppliers to supply more of the goods or services if they can. One other principle why prices rise is when government prints too much money. Nations experience inflation when there is an increase in the overall level of prices in the economy. An observable fact where prices in the economy rose by similar standards was experienced by Germany in January 1921 when the price of a daily newspaper that cost 0.30 marks rose to 70,000,000 marks in less than two years later. The best tool to defeat inflation is to limit the growth in the quantity of money. The U.S. experienced high inflation in the 1970s and high inflation in the 1980s because of high and slow growth in the quantity of money. Despite the U.S. experiencing “Every time we break down barriers to trade and investment, we open up new markets for American ranchers, farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs. ...” [2]

Economics and leadership are two inseparable and intertwined subjects with significant advantage and contributions to free market economies. To have an effective economy, it is of vital importance for a leader to come up with effective planning and implementation. Economists are of the view that planning is never perfect and that plans are absolutely nothing without action and that at all times the trickiest thing to do is executing a plan.

There is a popular consensus among economists which affirms that in economics demand is easy and there is no limit to the wants and needs of human beings. The most difficult thing is meeting the supply of goods and services. What a country can do to encourage its people and how corporations and businesses can supply the necessary products and services demanded by the people is a pressing issue and a daunting task in the science of economics. As mentioned earlier, the answer of course is capitalism as reflected in the decentralized economy. An important resolution could be the 70 % solution adopted by the US military and corporations which states that if you feel that you have 70% of a problem covered –take action!! Because of the law of diminishing returns, trying to make a plan perfect is futile. The art of economics consists not merely looking at the immediate but at the longer effects of an act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.

Because people respond to incentives, leaders must remain rational by weighing or comparing benefits and costs just as those they govern perceive it to be so. A situation in which the market price has reached the level at which quantity supplied equals quantity demanded, is called equilibrium. Also called market-clearing price, equilibrium is found where the supply and demand curves meet. At the equilibrium price, the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded. In free markets, a so pervasive phenomenon that brings into balance the quantity of goods supplied and the quantity of goods demanded is referred to as the law of supply and demand-meaning the price of any good adjusts to bring the quantity supplied and quantity demanded for that good into balance. In economics, deadweight loss is referred to as the fall in total surplus that results from a market distortion, such as a tax. Because taxes cause deadweight losses, they prevent buyers and sellers from realizing some of the gains from trade. What determine whether the deadweight loss from a tax is large or small are the price elasticities of supply and demand. Henry George, the 19th century American economist and philosopher, in his 1879 book, Progress and Poverty, argued that the government should raise all its revenue from tax on land. To him, this “single tax”, was both equitable and efficient. However, not many economists of our era and age support George’s proposal for a single tax on land. Because governments have no money, the only way they can obtain it is through taxation which carries with it a deadweight loss to society as a whole.

With rigorous debate mounting in the U.S. regarding immigration, opponents and proponents of this contentious issue base their arguments on the supply of labor. Some factors that would cause the labor supply curve to shift include changes in tastes, changes in alternative opportunities, and immigration. For instance, when immigrants come to the United States, the supply of labor in the United States increases and the supply of labor in the immigrants’ home countries contracts. The never-ending policy debate about immigration centers on the effects of immigration and its effect on labor supply-equilibrium in the labor market.

A new field of economics known as behavioral economics has made basic psychological insights into human behavior. Some exclusive studies on human decision-making have come up with the following findings:
 People are overconfident.
 People give too much weight to a small number of vivid observations.
 People are reluctant to change their minds.
Because economists have differing views regarding the imperfections of Homo sapiens, some economists have suggested that humans are “near rational” or that they exhibit “bounded rationality”. It was Herbert Simon, a social scientist who worked at the boundaries of psychology, who suggested that humans should best be viewed as satisficers and not rational maximizers. Thomas Sowell, an African American economist stated that the mark of a good economist is "thinking beyond stage one". In essence, this is part of leadership. Professor Richard Epstein University of Chicago Law School, commenting on Thomas Sowell’s book Applied economics: Thinking beyond Stage One, had this to say, “In Applied Economics, the companion volume to his earlier work, Basic Economics, Thomas Sowell uses rudimentary economic theory to unmask the cant that surrounds too many policy debates.” [3] To further add more weight to Sowell’s book, the Publishers Weekly had a commentary that read: “The great achievement of Sowell's book is its simplicity. His writing is easy and lucid, an admirable trait considering the topic at hand. . .His target audience is the average citizen who has little or no economics background, but would like the tools to think critically about economic issues.” [4]

In broader terms, economics is an appealing subject, informative, and educative to the core. It is part sociology, part philosophical, and undoubtedly a subject meant for every human being seeking to overcome barriers in daily financial and economical handicaps.

N. Gregory Mankiw: Principles of Microeconomics (2007). Thomas Higher Education, 5191 Natorp Boulevard, Mason, OH 45040.
http://www.ustreas.gov/
http://www.tsowell.com/Appliedecon.htm
www.publishersweekly.com

Poem Name: Seylo - Saxansaxo

Heestan waxa ku qaada fanaanka caanka ah ee Xasan Aadan Samatar,

Seyloo guyaal badan

Soo baxa kaliishii

Seelseelna loo degay

Sannad geelu badi dhalay

Oo sidigtii Laalays

Nirguhu aanay socod baran

Reeraha sintoodiyo

Kaymo saar leh loo dhigay

Oo igadh mid yari sabo

Maqaar lagu salaaxay

Sameeshay gaawaha

Oo baarqab soohani

Isagoo ah laba sabar

Soofeeyey micidoo

Ka sanqadhiyey doobtii

Salaadiina roorsaday

Ugubkii usaniyo

Surmo dheer la tiigsaday

Saqdii dhexena roob helay

Subaxii bariisada

Sidoodaan jaleecada

Saxansaxo ugdoon badan

Sanka kuula raacaa



Sange subag idaadiyo

Sumal badhidii lagu shubay

Oo sabada ceelkiyo

Sohdu tahay agtiisoo

Loogu dhaansho sacabada

Oo Sud iyo Hawd sare

Saddex guure daaqoo

Weli aan sadyari arag

Oo seeto iyo dabar

Labadaba ka saahiday

Oo sallow dagaaliyo

Cidi geyn saraayaha

Oo sararta naaxdiyo

Timihu isku seexdeen

Oo seyngargoorkiyo

Loo salaaxay guudkoo

Saxarkii ku duuliyo

Laga maydho siigada

Loo saaray kooraha

Cigaalkiina loo sudhay

Sarajooga iyo muuq

Sanku-neefle kelidaa

Adaa suuradiisa leh



Sagal gaaxday roob subax

Seermaweydo soo gudday

Waaguna ku sare kacay

Sarajoog nin dhererkii

Cadceeduna la siman tahay

Nuurkuna sagootiyey

Oo waqal sindadabiyo

Guulaamo socotiyo

Kala soocday dhibicii

Oo midab sibaaqiyo

Madow suul dhalaal xiga

Saddexdaa miduun yahay

Qof suureeyey kala garan

Oo beel sanaagiyo

Ku surmiyey saraar godan

Saadaalineysoo

Sugayaan inuu helo

Subaxii bariisada

Sidoodaan jeelacada

Saxansaxo udgoon badan

Sanka kuula raacaa



Dhulka saacu wada gaadh

Waannu kala sedroonyee

Meel idaha seel u leh

Riyaha salool u leh

Oo geela saar u leh

Oo dirir sagaariyo

Sagaal gudcurkuna helay

Saga xareedaan

Biyuhuna sunsumayaan

Oo saawa-saawiyo

Saxal cudur lahaynoo

Salka looga degay nabad

Oo saraarta dixidiyo

Siman tahay dareemadu

Oo sabiga caanihii

Lagu siiyey golihii

Habluhuna sibraariyo

Dhiilo saabka loo tolay

Sinta bidix ku qaadeen

Subaxii bariisada

Sidoodaan jeelacada

Saxansaxo udgoon badan

Sanka kuula raacaa

Lyrics: Hooyooy La'aantaa by Mohamed Saleban

Hooyoy la'aantaa
Adduunyadu hubaashii
Habeen kama baxdeenoo
Iftiin lama heleenoo
Dadku uma hayaameen
Dayax heego joogoo
Sida haad ma fuuleen
Xiddig hawd ka lulatoo
hawo laguma gaadheen

Hubka laguma tureen
cirka hirar ka muuqdoo
ruuxaad hagaysiyo
dusha midho ku haystaa
hilin toosan waligii
ka habaabi maayee
Hooyoy addoomuhu
Halkay maanta joogaan
Adigaa u horseedee

Intaad hanad xambaartee
Haaneedka siisee
Horaaddada jaqsiisee
Habtay baan xisaabiyo
Tiro lagu helayn,
Marka aad nin hiilloo
Laga baqo hashiisiyo
Halyey diran dhashaa baa
Hooyo lagu xasuustaa.

Marka aad nin hoo-loo
marti hagar ka gelinoo
Gurigiisa habaqluhu
Isku soo halleeyoo
xayntiisa quudhoo
Hor ilaahay geystiyo
Lama hure dhashaa baa
Hooyoy lagu xasuustaa.

Marka aad nin himilada
Hilin toosan mariyoo
Hir markii la gaadhaba
Ku labaad hilaadshoo
haga maatadiisoo
La higsade dhashaa baa
Hooyo lagu xasuustaa.

Marka aad nin hooggiyo
Ka hor taga dagaalkoo
dabka hura baqtiiyoo
Garta hubin yaqaanoo
Xaqa hoos u eegoo
Halistiyo colaadaha
ku hagoogta dhiigoo
Dadka kala hagaajoo
Kala hage dhashaa baa
Hooyo lagu xasuustaa.

Markaad hoobal caanoo
sacabka iyo heelada
Labadaba hagaajoo
Hindisaha farshaxanoo
Hab-dhaca iyo luuqdaba
rabi hibo u siiyoo
Hawraarta maansada
Heensayn yaqaanoo
Hal-abuur dhasha baa
Hooyo lagu xasuustaa.

Dumar iyo haween baa
Nolol lagu haweystaa
Kuwa lagu hammiyayee
Sida hawd caleen wayn
Rag u wada hamuumee
Ishu halacsanaysaa
Hablahaaga weeyee.

Marka guur la haybshee
Gabadh heego dheeroo
Hoobaan la moodoo
Karti iyo hub-qaadloo
Quruxdana ka hodanoo
Hira laga aroostaa
Hooyo lagu xasuustaa.

Hooyoy la'aantaa
Higgaad lama barteenoo
Hooyoy la'aantaa
Hadal lama kareenoo
Ruuxaanad habinoo
Kolba aanad heesiyo
Hoobey ku sabinoo
Hawshaada waayaa
Hanaqaadi maayee
hooyo taftaada
dugsi laga helaayoo
Hooyoy dhabtaadaa
Hurdo lagu gam'aayoo
Hooyoy dushaadaa
Nabad lagu helaayoo
Waxa lagu hal-maalaa
Hooyo ababintaadee
Hayin lagu badhaadhaay
Hogol lagu qaboobaay
Gogol lama huraaneey
Dugsigi lagu hirtaayee
Hidde lagu arooraay.

Intaad hooyo nooshahay
Hambalyiyo salaan baan
Hanti kaaga dhigayaa
Hamrashiyo xaq-dhowr baan
Dusha kaa huwinayaa,
Hooyo dhimashadaaduna
Hooggayga weeyoo
Weligey hoggaagaan
Ka dul heesayaayoo
Hiyiga iyo laabtaan
Kugu haynayaayoo
Hengel baan u xidhayaa
Inta haadka duushiyo
Idil habar dugaaggee
Ifka hibo ku noolow
Aakhiro halkii roon
http://www.somalilyrics.net/music/mohamed-saleban-tubeec/hooyo/

Digging the heels for a new Battleground

They say "no news is good news". For the first three years after the collapse of the military regime in 1991, news from Somalia concurrently captured the world's media outlets such that all eyes turned on the multitudes of events unfolding in the impoverished and war-ravaged Horn of Africa nation. Then all of a sudden the world got bored with the horrible unending events of militarism, plunder, rape, killings, assassinations, and jostling for power. Then came 2006 with the rise of the Union of Islamic Courts that uprooted the strengths and mights of the dreaded warlords funded by the West.

Overnight, a young Koranic scholar by the name Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed received celebrity status simply because he led the uprising that ousted the unforgiving warlords. Six months later, Somalia's archenemy and neighbor, Ethiopia, jumped on the bandwagon under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Because of Ethiopia's involvement in Somalia's internecine war, world media coverage of Somalia proliferated once again. On the other hand, Somali Diaspora communities established grueling cyber-warfare that lasted until Ethiopia's exit. Bogus websites allied to particular warlords of interests appeared like peanuts.

As luck would have it, the Transitional Federal Government headed by Colonel Abdullahi Yususf instantly collapsed after a political Tsunami ripped through its poorly-designed political infrastructure. Then late last year, a reconciliation conference under the auspices of the international community, was held in neighboring Djibouti to bring all warring parties together . This time, Somalia became all news again. Funny enough, the former celebrity star, Sheikh Sharif, became head of a new Somali administration. His inauguration coincided with the opening of the African Union convention in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was here where he met the man who chased him through the streets of Mogadishu in December of 2006, atto Meles Zenawi, the man who rules Ethiopia with an iron fist.

Right along Somalia's coastlines and way further in the Gulf of Aden, a deadly virus
was growing dangerous tentacles. This virus came to be known as "piracy" though to many Somalis it was a form of preventing the depletion of Somalia's maritime resources from illegal fishing and dumping of noxious wastes. Again, Somalia became a news celebrity overnight. The world media houses exploded once again after the capturing of an American cargo ship and French luxury yacht. To make matters worse, the pirates held ransom the captain of the American cargo ship. The altercation between the poor pirates and the United States Navy resulted in the killing of all the pirates and the freeing of the captain. This time, the name Somalia was everywhere. Consequently, this incident did not diminish piracy activities. Instead, the piracy business has skyrocketed.

Then recently, after all was calm, the greatest Islamist arrived Somalia from Eritrea via Sudan. His name is Sheikh Dahir Sheikh Aweys; he is an unrelenting fundamentalist powered by religious zealotry and tribal hegemony. He is a former colonel of the defunct Somali Army and a former member of Al-Itihad Al-Ilsami, a religious fuction that had firm hold in some regions of Somalia. The Sheikh was in the same camp as Sheikh Sharif at the height of the ICU before parting ways after its collapse and defeat by the Ethiopian Army.

Currently, the build-up of western navies together with the forces of the "coalition of the willing" along Somalia's coastlines seem not to attract much media attention. Instead, all eyes are on the current developments in Somalia-a tough war between two former friends that is expected to drag on for an unknown time. It is a war between Sheikh Sharif and Sheikh Dahir Aweys. Unless the Hawiye elite and tribal leaders succeed a negotiated settlement between these two men, a penumbra of contested political absurdities will once again engulf Somalia's fragile social composition.

Somalia's Mullahs Should Join Sheikh Sharif’s Government

Somalia’s most dreaded, radical Islamist group is spreading fear with malevolent and depredatory acts. Al-Shabaab, meaning “youth” in Arabic, evolved as a result of the civil war in Somalia especially during the brief Ethiopian occupation of Somalia. Hiding under the banner of religion, the group has caused the people of Somalia untold suffering. Al-Shabaab’s deracination will only be possible through the combined efforts of foreign powers who wish to see the decimation of terrorists regardless of their locality, military and ideological might or influence in the areas they control. Al-Shabaab cadres have plainly thrown their support behind the precepts of Al-Qaida and prudently idolize its leaders having abnegated the Somali Shafi’e school of thought for the extreme Saudi Wahabi ideology.

The current spates of assassinations in Mogadishu are calculated measures by Al-Shabaab to obliterate political leaders, scholars, community elders, and advocates of social justice. With the help of brainwashed, lawless marauding youth, Al-Shabaab’s batch of brigands and intrigant leaders have categorically opposed the current transitional government despite being offered an olive branch symbolizing reconciliation, forgiveness, and solidarity. Instead, the faction has embarked on tactical operations that prevent the spanking new and fragile government from carrying out its duties and responsibilities contained in the constitutional charter.

The military uniform of Al-Shabaab is a replication of the type worn by the Taliban of Afghanistan. Al-Shabaab’s mode of military operation is identical to that of Al-Qaida and the Taliban. Without giving peace a chance, the faction has vacuously, viciously, and senselessly shackled the war-wary Somali people such that fear reigns in every periphery it commands. Their ultimate intention is to plunge Somalia in to a form of hagiocracy in which leadership will be accumulated in the hands of saints.

While they indiscriminately demolish graveyards and deny the citizen the right to leisure and social activities, they are busy amassing wealth from the same wretched citizen they hold bondage.

Mockingly, anyone who differs with Al-Shabaab’s ideology is branded kaffir, heathen, or disbeliever. Whether exaggerated or taken out of context, the harrowing incidents of extrajudicial killings, beheadings, stoning to death, severing of limbs, and public floggings said to have been committed by Al-Shabaab, remain practicable foundations for several Muslim nations of today. Somalis are sick and tired of stercoraceous politics.

For over 15 years warlords wrecked havoc on Somalia’s population until 2006 when they were defeated by the Islamic Courts Union; then the Ethiopians came and inflicted more harm on the city of Mogadishu and its population. Now, let me ask you: does Somalia need a form of gynecocracy? This is in reference to a rule dominated by women because Somali men failed miserably to stabilize the nation. No, wonder any fool can grab a gun for the sake of power and dominion. There is no need for the leaders of Al-Shabaab to prolong the Somali war. The best these leaders can do is to join the current administration headed by Sheikh Sharif.

A Black Imam for the Grand Mosque

Islam prohibits racial segregation and superiority of one race over another; it calls for human equality and justice. An Arab is not superior to a Persian nor is a Persian superior to an Arab. Likewise, the white race is not superior to the black race; all humans sprang from the seeds of Adam. Despite the good teachings of the Qur'an and the authentic Hadith, many Muslim nations have been adamant at giving racial equality the chance to flourish. Whether in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, Syria, or Bahrain- almost everywhere in the Middle East-people of color continue to suffer tremendous racial discrimination and other forms of human injustices. Despite the existence of such demeaning and dehumanizing practices for a long time, Muslim/Arab leaders vested with authority have been adamant in one way or the other. Even places of worship like mosques have not been exempt from racial segregation/discrimination. For a long time, it has been impossible (and continues to be so to this day) for a black Imam to lead a congregation of Arab worshipers in prayer.

Finally, a distinguished, black Islamic scholar has found his dream come true. Sheik Adil Kalbani has been appointed the Grand Imam of the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. He is young, articulate, educated, and well-versed in the Qur'an and Hadith.

Perhaps, other Arab nations will follow suit and give racial equality a chance to thrive. Don't the Arabs see the wind of change that has swept the U.S.? Allah has given talent to all humans regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin.

The Fat, the Dying and the Helpless of Somalia

The political,social ,and economic situation in Somalia is deteriorating day after day. Everything else is in short supply except cellphones, bullets and guns. Despite the abundance of untapped natural resources, there is hardly a town or village that has clean running water; poor sanitation is the cause of various contagious diseases; there is shortage of medicine in the remaining few ramshackle hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies; schools and Madrasah's are in deplorable states if not nonexistent in many towns and villages; women, children, and the elderly are dying in great numbers because of shortage of food, clean water, and shelter.

At present, the population of Somalia may be divided into three categories: the fat, the dying, and the helpless. The fat are a group of men who represent the mass in manipulating the nation's executive, legislative, and judicial sectors of the otiose Transitional National Government hereafter referred to as the TNG. They are hale and healthy; they fly executive jets, hold dual citizenship, dine on French gourmet, wear three-piece suits and are well-paid. They reside in posh hotels in Dubai, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, USA, UK, and other European countries. Their wives and children enjoy safe haven outside of Somalia and survive on foreign taxpayer money. When they arrive Mogadishu, they are accorded total protection by the African Union peace keeping troops who are armed with armored-personnel carriers, rocket-propelled grenades, bazookas, and other assortment of weapons, heavy and light. These fat men who number 550 are the so-called democratically selected (not elected by popular vote) parliamentarians of Somalia. They have big, fat bellies; some are clean-shaven with secular thoughts and western leanings, others are bearded Mullahs driven by religious fervor and fundamentalist ideologies. They hardly intermingle with the rest of society for fear they may contract deadly viruses or get killed unsuspectingly.

Inside Somalia, fragmentation along clan and religious lines have created a breed of bare-footed, scantily-dressed youthful fundamentalists dressed up like the Taliban of Afghanistan who brandish swords of divine annihilation. Some have been indoctrinated into Saudi Wahhabi ideology, others are ardent followers of Usama bin Laden's Al-Qaida. There is the Al-Shabab, the Al-Islah, the Islamic Courts Union, the forces of Ras Kiyamboni, and a cornucopia of hyphenated movements and religious sects. They wage war against each other like hyenas fighting over decaying carcass. They are led by semi-literate Mullahs eying the highest seat of the land-the Presidency. Almost all wish for the creation of a caliphate encompassing the entire Horn of Africa and even beyond. They feel they can bring down empires, command the seas, impose their brand of religious fanaticism, and afflict resounding blitzkrieg to any nation that opposes their style of governance.

The dying are those at the brink of death within Somalia borders. They are either victims of gunshots or bed-ridden by devastating diseases or lack basic care and live in the open if not in dilapidated shelters. Of the dying, some are guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity because, at one time they were the warlords' gun-totting, marauding hooligans who caused Somalia's initial collapse. Others are innocent civilians caught in the quagmire. They remain entangled in a never-ending senseless cross-fire whose end remain unpredictable.

The helpless are the women, children, and the elderly whose living conditions are no better than the dying. They are either refugees cramped into refugee camps in neighboring countries or are internally displaced persons living in decrepit conditions without sufficient food, medicine, water, shelter, and other amenities. Women remain the most vulnerable because of their exposure to the vagaries of war. Social stigma, rape, and other forms of abuse deprive them of their human dignity. Female genital mutilation, an ancient surgical procedure that involves the removal of either the labia minora or the labia majora or both, and clitoridectomy, remain a menace to their mental faculties as many suffer symptoms of stress-related illnesses, depression, psychotic disorders, urinary tract infections, pregnancy complications or death.

Somalia's helpless children are either orphans whose parents perished in the war or simply died as a result of natural causes. There are those who were abandoned by their parents intentionally or accidentally. The number of children without basic education run into the millions. In order to survive, adolescents have taken guns to the battle fields or are wrecking havoc in the towns and villages by setting up illegal road blocks. Some are wading through the coastlines as pirates holding hostage foreign merchant ships plying Somalia waters and demanding ransom. Somalia's elderly are the most neglected and the most susceptible to disease, hunger, and deliberate aggressions.

The suffering in Somalia can only come to a halt when the men with the big, fat bellies renounce their aggressions and model a form of government befitting the people of Somalia.