Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Light at the end of the tunnel for Somalia


The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born-Warren G. Bennis

The greatest problem bedeviling Somalia thus far is not how to rule the country but how to find a competent visionary leader who excels in the art of governance. Somali leaders lack faith in themselves; they have failed to create articulate visions and they have failed to present themselves as role-models. Lack of moral conviction, deficiency in inspirational communication, and being short of moral-correctness has been the determining factor that disqualified the abilities of many who attempted to govern Somalia in the past.

The absence of situational interaction, charisma, knowledge, and the skills required to effectively drive the nation to its right course have all led to the formation of enormously absurd power vacuums. The notion that leaders are born is no longer accepted in academia; instead, leaders are made. Heaping blame on tribalism and the legacy of imperialism, colonialism, and foreign meddling is not an excuse. Somalia needs to get out of the current quagmire. It is time to head-hunt for transactional, transformational, laissez-faire, task-oriented and people-oriented leaders who will get the country back on track and return its lost glory.

Since the collapse of the military regime in 1991, Somalia has seen several Presidents and an equal number of Prime Ministers come and go. Of the Prime Ministers, two were Professors. Of the Presidents, some were military men while others were civilians. Unfortunately, the Prime Ministers were used as one-time-use instruments while the interim Presidents left without finishing their official mandates. The last President, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, an uncompromising colonel and ex-guerilla fighter, bowed out a few days ago in a pensive mood without fulfilling his dream of pacifying and uniting the country. In fact, he hurriedly left behind convoluted networks of mysterious splinter groups with varying levels of unrelenting militancy. Pressure from the international community coupled with pounding political entanglement with his then Prime Minister, Hassan Nur Hussein, forced Yusuf to pave the way for a better breed which to me seems hard to create given the tribal, stubborn, spurious, egotistic, and nomadic paths Somali leaders have chosen to follow. The acting President, Sheikh Aden Madobe, who has been speaker of Somalia’s bloated parliament before Yusuf’s departure, is a former warlord lacking the administrative skills required of a leader. If there is any truth to it, the claim by unreliable sources that Sheikh Aden Madobe intends to hold on to the Presidency is obviously an outright infringement of the Somali constitutional charter. Sadly though, the power sharing agreement recently signed between Somalia’s otiose Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and some resistance groups in Djibouti is, according to some political analysts, an irrelevant enterprise. How a beleaguered, impoverished, and war-ravaged nation of 10 million foots the bill required to maintain a 550-member parliament is a question worth deliberating. The calculated departure of over a dozen parliamentarians allied to the former President from the government seat in Baidoa and the subsequent evacuation of hundreds of military personnel and their families from Mogadishu to the State of Puntland, is equally worth debating. Concern for their safety or fear of retaliation from antagonistic forces in the aftermath of the power vacuum, may have been the major reason for their swift departure. Also, the announcement by the Ethiopian government that it is withdrawing its forces from Somalia culminated in the creation of an impending threat for anyone associated with the former President regardless of tribal, political, and ideological affiliation. Thus, allies of the former President, Ethiopian forces included, as Franklin Roosevelt echoed in one of his inaugural addresses, had “…nothing to fear but fear itself.” Consequently, this out of the blue encroachment of revolt resulted in the creation of psychological reactions and distortions, inexistent mental creations and titular hardships that could lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for many fallen warlords and their on the guard followers in the long run.

The greatest threat after the departure of Ethiopian forces from Somalia will likely come from the armed religious group known as Al-Shabab. This is the militant group that has vested authority over almost the entire south of the country and henceforth there is the fear that if left unrestrained, Baidoa and Mogadishu will fall immediately when Ethiopian forces pack up and leave. The creation of Al-Shabab, a religious faction regarded as a terrorist organization by western governments, evolved not as a result of Somalia’s protracted war but as a deterrent to the TFG and the heavily-armed Ethiopian occupation forces immediately the Islamic Courts Union disbanded in January of 2007.

In conclusion, the world is ready to celebrate the 2009 Gregorian calendar while Muslims, followers of the Islamic faith, are rejoicing at the birth of the year 1430 of the Anno Hegirae. Equally and hopefully, the people of Somalia will be pleased to see the formation of a government based on justice, peace, and liberty a short time from now Insha Allah.

Sahra Axmed Jaamac: Fannaanadda sannadka 2008


Inkastoo Xaliima Khaliif Magool (Allaah ha unaxariistee) loogu magacdaray “boqoraddii codka”, haddana waxaa ammaan mudan inaan dib u eegno qeybta lexaadka leh ee ay Sahra Ahmed Jaamac kaqaadatay fanka Soomaaliyeed. Sahra Axmed Jaamca waa fanaanad Soomaaliyeedo door weyn kacayaartay taabagelinta iyo horumarinta heesaha Soomaaliyeed debedda iyo gudaha intuba. Dabcan, qof kasto wuxuu leeyahay dhadhan ugaar ah marka laga hadlaayo dhuuxa heesaha. Waxaan innaba hayaaraatee shaki kujirin in Soomaali badan tixgeliso codka iyo nooca heesaha ay Sahra qaaddo ama ay kuluuqeeyso fannaaniin kale' rag iyo dumarba.

Hadddaba, bahda bogga http://cleanthehorn.blogspot.com wuxuu garwaaqsaday in Sahra Ahmed Jaamac tahay fannaanaddii Sannadka 2008 inkastoo aysan sannadihii lasoo dhaafay ama ugu dambeeyay aysan kusoo kordhin fanka Soomaaliyeed heesooyiin cusub haddana waxaa xusid mudan in heesaheedihii hore weli door weyn kuleeyiin bulshoweynta Soomaaliyeed meel kastoy joogaan. Sahra waxay mudantahay hadhuub caano ah oo labeentu burqanayaan. Sahroy, afkaaga caano iyo malab lagu qabay.

Sahra Ahmed Jaamac waxay fanka kusoo jirtay muddo aad udheer. Heesaha ay qaaddayna waa ay tiro badan yihiin laguma soo koobi karo halkan qudha. Bal aan inyar hoos kuxusno heesaheeda qaaliga ah:
1. Badda Caashaq
2. Ciyow & Dhabarlow & Khadra Daahir
3. Dardaaran & Hassan Adan Samatar
4. Farskaagii laga badi & Bacalwaan
5. Gadh ba gadh baa la tusaayee & Samatar
6. Gaabiyaa nabsigu mee & Ahmed Mooge
7. Gacantaada midig & Adan Hurre
8. Goormaynu derisnaa & Qalinle
9. Haddii aynaan is arag heedhe & Samatar
10. Jacaylkii naftaydow noolow & Samatar, Shamso Omar, Dhabarlow
11. Kaan laabta ku hayee igu ladhan
12. Kii aan calamadayee carro edeg ka doortaa
13. Laqanyada jacaylkiyo & Bacalwaan
14. Lilalow
15. Ma naxoo jacaylku
16. Nasiib ha igu kaa simo
17. Qadar Dhacay
18. Ruuxa gala badweynee & Mohamed Yusuf
19. Sidaa ku garee la soco ee & Abdinasir Macallin
20. Sidiqabax & Aburaas
21. Sir Ma qabe
22. Sida ubaxa waaberiga & Aburaas
23. Ubax dayrtii baxayow & Hassan Diiriye
24. Uma barane hay badinee & Mohamed Yusuf
25. Wuu i daadeheeyaa
26. Wakhti

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Woe unto Somalia's killer Warlords

Since Somalia’s attainment of independence in 1960, the only known high profile Somali figure to have retired from politics wisely was former President Aden Abdille Osman. Right after June 10, 1967 when he lost the election to slain President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke and after the expiry of his mandate, Aden Abdille Osman left the political scene altogether in order to commit to his family and and work on his farm in the southern town of Janaale until the fateful day of June 8, 2007 when he departed the world aged 99 years. While in retirement, the ex-President had a brush with the law only on one occasion when in 1990 together with a group of 100 other Somalis, he signed a manifesto conveying apprehension at the destruction of property, the slaughter of the innocent, and the indiscriminate expulsion of Somali refugees by the ruling junta. Despite his arrest with 50 others by Siyad Barre’s panicky regime, he was released immediately only to see the heartless military rule collapse the following year. Adan will be remembered as a peaceful servant of the Somali republic and an independent minded doyen who fought tooth and nail to preserve the glamorous image of the Somali nation. He was a religious and God-fearing man who was less concerned with the allure of the world. President Aden was succeeded by President Shermarke who was tragically assassinated by a wretched fellow tribesman while barely two years in office.

At this point in time, Somalia’s infant democracy that was to serve as a beacon of hope for the rest of Africa and a bridge to peace and prosperity for its nomadic society was blown to pieces when a coup engineered by Mohamed Siyad Barre seized power with the help of young dedicated loyal military officers. This was at the height of the cold war when the world was wedged between communism and capitalism. Somalia became an ally of the evil Soviet Empire thus shattering any projection for stability domestically and outwardly. For the first six years the military was in power, the nation experienced some degree of stability and progress until the flare up of the 1977/78 war with Ethiopia over the Somali populated Ogaden region. The Ogaden War cost the two poor warring nations dearly in life and in property. Despite the cessation of hostilities, the fragile peace that was in place between the two nations created guerrilla activities that eventually led to the coordinated collapse of the administrations in Mogadishu and Addis Ababa.

Before this brutal war, Somalia had made progress in the eradication of illiteracy; some degree of progress was made in the agricultural sector with help from the Italian government; animal husbandry saw improvement with Libya marshaling aid meant to fight rinderpest and other livestock diseases; with assistance from communist China, roads were constructed to connect the regions and most importantly, though to the detriment of the nation, Barre built an army that came to be regarded as “the strongest army in black Africa.” The military government in Mogadishu advanced the fisheries sector with fishing trawlers and fishing gear coming from communist nations and former colonial power Italy; sea commerce increased tremendously; industrialization started to take root and remarkable improvements were effected to fight tuberculosis, malaria and polio; prenatal, obstetric and gynecological diseases received significant attention with the construction of a handful of hospitals while the creation of supplementary feeding centers and inoculation stations proliferated across the country. For the first time in the early 80s, Somalia experienced the implementation of water and sewage projects by German hydrological engineering firms and most importantly many woke up to the massive drilling of wells to ease water problems across the country.

The rehabilitation of the seaports in Berbera and Kismayu enabled the nation to handle increased maritime traffic that delivered much needed aid and other varieties of heavy cargo. Somalia’s northernmost harbor at Berbera once christened as having “the longest runway in Africa” and built with Soviet aid and expertise, received the blessings of the United States government after Somalia parted ways with the former U.S.S.R. Under contract agreement between the United States Navy and the Somali Ministry of Defence, MWK Int’l Ltd. Inc., a Seattle based engineering firm rehabilitated the almost dormant airport to international standards. The same company extended the harbor to include massive tanks for holding petroleum products.The Americans also installed modern derricks, constructed roll-off roll-on ramps designed exclusively to accommodate naval auxiliaries and heavy military hardware.It also installed promising navigation aids such as beacons and mooring buoys that added taste to the city known to northerners as “half Aden”. Further south, the port of Kismayu also experienced similar improvements in the late 80s after George A. Fuller Company, once one of the largest construction companies in the United States undertook the heavy task of expanding and modernizing the dilapidated quay so that extra marine traffic could be accommodated.

On the other hand, the military government made a demon of itself. The first attempted coup overturned the reputation it nurtured for close to a decade. Some of the coup plotters were executed by firing squad, others received life sentences, and others ended up in self-imposed exiles in the Middle East, North America, and Western Europe. Anyone arrested on suspicion of belonging to a coup plotter's clan either disappeared without trace or remained in jail for a long time without the prospects of a presidential pardon or the possibility of parole. Aerial bombing of areas inhabited by the Isaaq clan intensified during the run up to the 80s because there was a strong objection to the military rule. The military embarked on deliberate destruction of water wells and also increased surveillance of the North West and Eastern regions populated by the Isaaq and Majertein clans-two clans the junta perceived as spoilers. Lately, the Hawiye clan became a prime target with many prominent figures becoming victims of abuse and gross injustices.

Despite international condemnation of Barre's abuses and injustices by Amnesty International and by various concerned groups and nations, Barre continued with his onslaught unabated. By this time, Somalia was headed for collapse. The two men who currently head Ethiopia and Eritrea respectively, Meles Zenawi and Issaias Afewerki, were on the forefront of toppling the regime in Addis Ababa while receiving material and moral support from Somalia's military dictator, Major General Mohamed Siyad Barre. Likewise, on the other side of the border in Ethiopia, General Mohamed Farah Aideed, Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess, and Abdirahman Tuur were jointly devising strategic war plans to infiltrate Somalia and deliver a devastating blow to the regime in Mogadishu. The long awaited results finally emerged from both sides of the isle and mysteriously, both regimes collapsed instantaneously. Mengistu Haile Miriam of Ethiopia fled to Zimbabwe where he was given asylum while Siyad Barre ended up seeking refuge in Nigeria.

In Somalia, Abdirahman Tur set base in the current unrecognized breakaway republic of Somaliland, General Aideed established base in Mogadishu, and Colonel Jess pushed further to the south finally settling in Kismayu. The political imbroglio that followed fragmented Somalia in to cantons administered by feudal warlords-the men whose administrative inefficacy is the subject of this prolonged article.

Astonishingly, the entire infrastructure created by the previous military government became the property of prevailing avaricious warlords who either destroyed every conceivable standing structure in retaliation or sold them as scrap metal in the Middle East and elsewhere.

However, since 1991, the situation in Somalia has continued to deteriorate day by day. To this day it remains victim to hard-nosed men who decimated about a quarter of the nation’s population, displaced millions and maimed thousands of innocent civilians. They are men who ruined the nation’s entire infrastructure and reduced swathes of agricultural lands into deserts; they are suspected to have sold herds of striking wildlife unique to Somalia to foreign zoos; out of sheer ignorance they destroyed Somalia’s precious national archives, dumped hazardous wastes on to dry land and along the coasts while pocketing millions of dollars from pitiless foreign criminals like the mafia and furthermore they are responsible for willfully allowing the rape of thousands of defenseless women by their depraved militia. Somalia’s statues that served as historical milestones have not been exempt from looting either. Likewise, the piracy and assassinations rampant in the country make them suspect.

Known formerly as ‘warlords’, a handful of these murderers who are now referred to as esteemed (mudaneyaal) parliamentarians have a big say in the current malfunctioning Transitional Federal Government. Consequently, the current Somali government is a tribal government guided by a tribal constitution dominated by tribal-minded parliamentarians and headed by a tribal cum warlord President. It is worth noting that tribalism is the lowest form of human administration second only to that of animals. Blaming the legacy of imperialism for the current chaos in Somalia after 48 years of independence does not make any sense. It is equally senseless for Muslim brothers and sisters to fight over power for two decades while at the same time acknowledging Islam as a religion of peace that calls for good governance, equal justice, and peaceful coexistence. Why don’t Somali leaders look to the Qur’an for guidance if they want to escape the terrible penalty of this world and the Hereafter? Or do they doubt its authenticity?

[37] This Qur-an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the Worlds.
[38] Or do they say, "He forged it?" Say: "Bring then a Sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!"
[39] Nay, they charge with falsehood that whose knowledge they cannot compass, even before the elucidation thereof hath reached them: thus did those before them make charges of falsehood: but see what the end of those who did wrong was!
[57] O mankind! There hath come to you a direction from your Lord and a healing for the (diseases) in your hearts, and for those who believe, Guidance and a Mercy.
[58] Say: "In the Bounty of Allah. And in His Mercy, in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard.
[59] Say: "See ye what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet ye hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful." Say: "Hath Allah indeed permitted you, or do ye invent (things) to attribute to Allah?"
[60] And what think those who invent lies against Allah, of the Day of Judgment? Verily Allah is full of Bounty to mankind, but most of them are ungrateful. Suratul Yunis

By the way, what is better than asking Allah and fellow humans for forgiveness and then retiring from politics prudently altogether like Adan Abdille Osman? I’m quite sure what is written herein is not new to the ears of the squabbling Somali warlords. Many Somali leaders are better versed in the Qur’an and the Hadith than the writer of this article.

It is true politics corrupts the mind but is there any therapy to the corruption and bloodshed we are seeing in Somalia? Of course, the remedy lies with reflecting the contents of the authentic Qur’an and the Hadith.

Some of the warlords who terrorized the Somali people have departed and surely the remaining few will follow soon. Remember the prophets of Allah were tormented by their own people. Remember Prophet Ibrahim was thrown into an inferno simply because he destroyed useless hand made idols worshipped by his people and how Allah turned the fire in to peace and safety for Ibrahim; recall to mind how Moses was pursued by Pharaoh after he called him to worship Allah Only and release the Children of Israel from bondage; remember Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina because of his own marauding Qureish tribe that were a thorn in the eye and remember how he returned to Mecca victoriously to establish the greatest Islamic rule on earth; reflect how Yusuf was thrown into a well by his brothers because of jealousy and recall to mind how afterwards he reclaimed the sovereignty of Egypt and then forgave his covetous brothers while feeding them without measure; bear in mind how Jonah was swallowed by a mighty fish after he departed his people in the city of Nineveh only to return after they repented; recall to mind how Issa’s calls fell on deaf ears, how he was denied and threatened by his own people, the Children of Israel and then saved by Allah who took him unto Himself; consider how Ayub was afflicted by a deadly disease only to convalesce by the grace of Allah Almighty after a long suffering; remember how Allah saved prophet Nuh on the ark that came to rest on Mount Juddi after his people refused to heed his calls to Islamic monotheism; and commit to memory how the people of prophet Lut resorted to homosexuality and also recall to mind how they were destroyed by Allah’s mighty servant, Malakul Jibril.

Somalis are Muslims and they have put their trust in Allah. A time will come when they will collectively curse the warlords who intentionally destroyed their beautiful nation without iota of mercy. Only time will tell when these warlords will either perish in mysterious circumstances or be afflicted with debilitating terminal diseases. Because that has a beginning has an end, surely, what all Somalis look forward to is a prescribed time when they will unite to reclaim their dignity and shine in the world once again. Woe unto the warlords.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The global war between the bearded and the clean-shaven


There is a silent war being waged in every corner of the world between the bearded Jihadists who want to prevent the spread of what they refer to as “materialist western influences” in the areas they control or intend to liberate and the clean-shaven Western leaders bent on democratizing the world. Jihadists refer to clean shaven men, regardless of their faith, as womanish, irreligious, satanic, pagans, and selfish disbelievers. On the other hand, the clean-shaven western leaders see the bearded Jihadists as fundamentalists, uncompromising tyrants and terrorists, retrogressive and oppressive, retarded, and religious addicts. When western powers arrest suspected Jihadists or terrorists, their first course of action is to shave the suspect’s beards ad infinitum before initiating any interrogations while the Jihadists force their western prisoners to grow beards, trim their moustaches, and if applicable, convert them to their faith. Today’s men are divided into the bearded, clean-shaven, bewhiskered, mustached, and balding and those with mutton-chops, side burns, facial plumage, dreadlocks, and other types of facial hair styles. In historical antiquity, unshaven men came to be regarded as ‘barbarians” which implied the “unbarbered” or appearing untidy.

The history of shaving stretches back to thousands of years when copper was first discovered by early man. Ancient Egyptians shaved their beards and heads-a fashion adopted by the Greeks and Romans and applied by their armies as a deterrent aimed at discouraging the enemy from grabbing their hair during hand-to-hand combat. Even to this day, modern armies supply the bulk of shaving razors to the men and women in uniform as dishevelment is a betrayal of the military code of ethics and good conduct. A serviceman or servicewoman who is not in the right military fatigues may be described as “improperly dressed” and could be subject to harsher penalties. Scipio Africanus Major (236-183 B.C.), the conqueror of Hannibal in 202 B.C, was highly regarded and copied in the region of Rome for establishing innovative approaches to being clean-shaven. Around 50 B.C., Julius Caesar (101-44 B.C.) used tweezers to remove body hair on a daily basis. And in the 4th century B.C., Alexander the Great encouraged the shaving of facial hair. Aztec Indians of North and Central America and some Central African tribes shaved with razors made from the volcanic glass obsidian. Between 1096 and 1270, Europe opened its eyes to the luxuries of Middle Eastern life with novel costumes, traditions, and toiletries greatly impacting the crusades.

Men have been bearded since time immemorial. Egyptian Pharaohs wore fake goatees as a sign of holiness, nobility, and kingship. One explanation for the goatees worn by the pharaohs was that pharaohs were in charge of or responsible for leading the flock (the people) to the right directions. The idea of the Pharaohs wearing fake goatees may have its roots in the male goat popular in the Egyptian landscape those days. Because the leading goat known as the “He-goat” or “Billy-goat” is as you would expect accountable for leading the rest of the goats or flock, likewise, pharaohs symbolized the “Billy-goat” role by wearing goatees for the sake of leading the flock spiritually, politically, and economically. Even the female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, is represented wearing a false beard. Most Pharaonic statues and sarcophaguses display drawings or carvings of Pharaohs with fake beards.

In Islam, according to the Sunnah (traditions), the mustache is to be trimmed and the beard left untouched though the beard has become a symbol to be scoffed at. Muslims are divided whether it is Haraam (prohibited) to shave the beard or Mustahabb (a good act), not to shave. Besides the beards, Muslims are encouraged to shave or trim pubic hair every 40 days as an act of hygiene. Muslim Sheikhs, Hindu Gurus, Sages, some Christian priests (depending on denomination), and Hasidic Rabbis keep beards as a sign of religious devotion and leadership. In Judaism, it is strictly forbidden to shave with a razor. The use of scissors which is double-bladed is preferred. The Book of Leviticus and the Book of Ezekiel have regulations on the shaving of the beard for priests. In some Jewish sects, there is a prohibition on the shaving of the corners of the head with particular emphasis on the tarnishing of the corners of the beard for the priests. A practice known as tonsure, which is the cutting of hair from the scalp of clerics, devotees or holy people as an act of reproof of worldly sparkle and admiration, is common among Buddhist monks and novices, some Hindu temples, mystics and Christian churches.

The patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church is bearded. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has full-blown beard. The founder of the Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was bearded and is revered by millions of followers. Sikh men are prohibited from shaving their beards. The head of the Egyptian Coptic Church, Bishop Shenouda III, the 117th, Pope and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, is bearded. Some former Communist leaders like Karl Max, Vladimir I. Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara, were all bearded. So was the Iranian revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. Popular African leaders who were bearded include the former President of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, and Ethiopia’s former Emperor, Haile Selassie.

Of the 44 Presidents of the United States, the current President-elect included, only five were fully bearded. They were Abraham Lincoln (though he was clean-shaven one time), Rutherford Hayes, General Ulysses Grant, James Garfield, and Benjamin Harrison. Statistically, 90 % or 94 million of American men over the age of 15 will shave 275 times per year or 20,000 times between the ages of 15 and 75.

With the advancement of razor technology, it is easier to trim and shave today than never before. The discovery of modern razors marshaled the era of the Wilkinson razor founded in London in 1772, and Gillette, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A, by King C. Gillette in 1901. Besides, the fabrication of these obsolete razors into modern hand-held electric and battery operated machines that rotate thousands of times a minute and the marvelous demonstration of some razors that sense and avoid cutting into skin, have, in the course of history, become a source of jubilation for women and men shavers and trimmers alike.

Paradoxically, materialism and the fervent inclination towards the clean-shaven cheeks philosophy has altered the profile of the beard and reduced it to a symbol of fear and ridicule. Nonetheless, since the 9/11 incident of 2001 that shook the United States and the simultaneous bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, security at major world airports have been tightened with much scrutiny and heightened focal points shifting to bearded men exhibiting suspicious activities and unintelligible languages. On the other hand, the Bali bombings of Indonesia, the recent 2008 Mumbai bombings in India and other subsequent terrorist activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Pakistan, have, succinctly, created so many twists and turns in global security such that so many legal amendments aimed at curbing the spread of fanaticism and other forms of narcissistic tendencies that undermine peace, security, and democracy have been formulated by nations united in the fight against terrorism.

Despite global beard phobia, mustache and beard competitions draw great crowds every two years with the last attraction held in Brighton, England, on September 1, 2007-a prime example of how facial hair is grabbing international headlines. The next event will be hosted by the South Central Alaska Beard and Moustache Board and is scheduled to be held in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 23, 2009 with the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Board being in the list of major sponsors. Perhaps, every man who participates in this event will have one thing in mind: win a fabulous prize or trophy and emerge a world champion in the Guinness Book of Records.

Despite the splendor and glamor of the forthcoming Anchorage Beard and Moustache Competition, the war between the clean-shaven democratic leader and the bearded Jihadist will continue for an infinite period until the moment when the conqueror and vanquished emerge for historical determination after a lot of innocent blood had been shed. History has its eyes on when the Jihadist conqueror will in the closing stages force the vanquished clean-shaven western leader to grow beards afresh or when the victorious clean-shaven western leader will clean-shave the subdued bearded Jihadist. This brings us to the conclusion that the war being fought between the Jihadist and the clean-shaven leader is nothing but ideological. It is a war of minds and a bitter struggle for the world’s dwindling resources.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

A NATION IN SEARCH OF VISIONARY LEADERS


The international community, having spent millions of dollars on Somali refugees and national peace efforts, is unable to understand what the best solution to Somalia’s volatile situation is. Likewise, Somalis, whether in Somalia or in the Diaspora have no hint as to why their politicians have exhausted all their energies and failed to stabilize their nation that is in such a sorry state. Anyway, Somalia is not the only country to have experienced devastation of such magnitude. Furthermore, peace is always preceded by war and destruction. The world experienced two major world wars; the Vietnam and Korea wars had debilitating effects on life and property; the Cold War took its toll stealthily for fifty years; the fight against colonialism in Africa took the lives of millions; the Balkan wars of the 90s decimated populations that once lived in peace and harmony under strongman Broz Tito; the Rwanda genocide of 1994 has gone down in history books as one of the worst mass slaughter since WWII; Cubans endured fifty years of one-man rule under Fidel Castro in an Island that is only 90 miles off the coast of Florida and millions of poor people die daily due to lack of adequate food while affluent nations dump millions of tons of edible foods. Dictatorship is strife in many parts of the world; refugees remain vulnerable in Asia and Africa; human rights violations, rampant corruption, ethnocentrisms, and disparities in education remain commonplace even in the most powerful democratic nations.

So, when will Somalia settle and pick up the pieces? The answer to that lies with the so-Somali called leaders who continue to hold this tiny nation of nomads, ransom. Somalia is a poor country with abundant unexploited agricultural and mineral resources. Peace, education, the right technology and expertise are the requirements for rebuilding ramshackle Somalia. The suffering and destitution we currently see in the eyes of the dying millions can be overcome only when the hypocrites who are holding Somalia ransom either concede defeat or find the middle ground for the good of the war-wary peace loving citizens. Somalia’s cold-blooded leaders have assured security detail manned by ruthless underpaid trigger happy youth driven by vague orders and mind altering drugs. These bogus leaders have kept their children out of harms way and enrolled them in first-rate educational institutions. These children are the most fortunate of all the kids of Somalia as they live hassle-free lives in the Middle East, North America, and Asia as far as Oceania.

Somalia lacks effective and visionary leaders with the credentials of a director, facilitator, producer, mentor, and even broker. These are the roles required of modern leaders. The men who hold the reins of power in Somalia are first and foremost semi-literate colonels trained in the former Soviet Union and member states of the former Warsaw Pact. Thus, their communistic receptiveness coupled with fascistic mentalities are out rightly irrelevant or inapplicable to a nation that experienced only nine years of democracy and civil administration. It is a requirement for a leader to have strong will and total commitment to piece together a fractured nation like Somalia. Tribal worship, failure to abide by the constitution, and total disregard for law and order are the major causes of the political instability destabilizing Africa’s only homogeneous race. The President failed to broker peace during his tenure of office; he failed to unite his bloated parliament; he failed to facilitate the day to day running of the highest office of the land; above all he has not produced any tangible results nor partaken in serious deliberations aimed at pacifying the crippled state. Instead, he has become famous for hiring and firing Prime Ministers at will without parliamentary consultations or without following the formalities established by law.

The office of the Prime Minister has been rendered worthless and reduced to a one-time-use personal dispensation of the President. Though Abdullahi Yusuf is not the first President to thrust his nose into the office of the Prime Minister, past interim Presidents also applied similar tactics and other overly draconian modalities. Surprising as it may seem, as I write this article, Somalia has two Prime Ministers. As dark clouds shroud Somalia’s political landscape, out of the ordinary compelling issues in need of immediate interventions continue to erode the nation’s social fabric. There is a humanitarian disaster lurking in the internally displaced camps and refugee centers in neighboring countries; piracy along Somalia’s coastlines has left the world in utter shock; the heavily armed Al-Shabaab faction is emerging unrestrained; assassinations, premeditated murders, and rape of young girls and women is a thorn in the eye and seemingly hard to contain without a functioning central government.

Putting an end to Somalia’s protracted civil war lies not in the hands of the current Transitional Federal Government but is one that calls for the concerted efforts of the United Nations, the incoming President of the United States, the Arab Union, IGAD member states, the African Union, and donor nations. Leaving Somalia’s problems to Somalis is like leaving vultures wrestle over the decaying and disgusting flesh of a dead animal. In reality, Somalia is a failed state begging to be salvaged through compromise and reconciliation by those vested with authority. Applying unreserved judiciousness will help avert another decade of killings, maiming, rape, piracy, plunder, and highway robbery.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

POLITICAL COLLISION IN SOMALIA



A bleak picture is emerging from the Somali political spectrum again. This time, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government, hereafter referred to as the TFG, sacked his Prime Minister, Mr. Nur Hassan Hussein, because, as the President contends, Nuur Cadde, as the Prime Minister is popularly known, failed to reconcile Somalia's warring factions. But the truth of the matter is, the whole scenario, as can be seen from Somalia's past divisions, rests on the idea of tribal hegemony and power medley. Thus, The TFG that was formed in Kenya about four years ago, is on the verge of collapse.

Sardonically, Instead of correcting the wrongs that bedeviled the nation since 1991, the President, has instead stumbled into murky waters and lost popular consensus. On the other hand, he has appointed a new Prime Minister named Gacmadheere who is said to be close to him in friendship and has been mentioned in the exclusive coverage Warlords Next Door by Britain's Channel 4 TV as having taken part in the slaughter of many innocent Somalis.

Disturbed by the political events in Somalia, neighboring Kenya's Foreign Minister, Moses Wetangula, has been quoted as saying that Mr. Yusuf and his family have been banished from Kenyan soil and that his assets will be frozen. Likewise, Ethiopia, the main power behind Mr. Yusuf's enthronement, has voiced deep concern at the sudden turn of events.

On the other hand, Somalia's otiose parliament in Baidoa is debating a vote of no confidence aimed at alienating Mr. Yusuf. Whether this vote holds or not will not make any difference since the nation is already in tatters. For now, Somalia has two Prime Ministers, something never before seen in modern history.

To add insult to injury, Mohamed Dheere, former warlord and recently ousted illiterate mayor of Mogadishu, is beating the drums of war in Baidoa and bitterly contesting to be considered for the powerful Prime Ministerial post. Both Mohamed Dheere and Nuur Cadde hail from the Abgaal tribe that heavily populate the City of Mogadishu.

While bitterness and animosity engulfs Somalia's malfunctioning government, Al-Shabab, an amalgamation of youth fighters struggling to oust the government and their backers (Ethiopian forces and Amisom peacekeeping troops) continue to spread their sphere of influence in the country. The level of violence will escalate as Al-Shabaab will seize the opportunity to capture more grounds.

The unexpected political jostling that gripped Somalia for the past few days has left the administration in Addis Ababa, Bujumbura, and Kampala in utter bewilderment. Obviously, the much anticipated Ethiopian troop withdrawal from Somalia, as I see it, will be halted for now until the dust settles.

Likewise, the humanitarian situation in Mogadishu will tremendously deteriorate as the spiral of violence will accelerate to dangerous proportions. Piracy along the Somali coasts will proliferate despite the presence of powerful Navies sanctioned by the international community. It will be the survival of the fittest.

President Yusuf's endeavors to effect regime change on the office of the Prime Minister may not materialize for now. He succeeded at ousting former Prime Minister Professor Ali Mohamed Gedi sometimes back but the same tricks may not work for him in succession because all concerned groups have seen the ineffective administrative styles he embodies.

Ironically, the octogenarian President is the longest liver transplant patient; he is the longest surviving guerrilla fighter; he has stumbled many times in the past politically; and he may not have enough energy to keep him moving anymore in Somalia's murky arena of deceit and debauchery. As usual, deceit happens only once among Somalis and not twice. This is one trick he has failed to master.

The agreement reached in Djibouti between the Courts remnants headed by Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed and the TFG is the major cause of the schisms happening in Somalia right now. Because both Nuur Cadde and Sheikh Shariff hail from the Hawiye clan and that Abdullahi Yusuf is from the Darod clan, Yusuf found the agreement as a stumbling block to his dictatorial rule. On the other hand, he found himself wedged between two hard rocks. Rather than see himself as a lame duck in a government manipulated by two antagonists, he chose to spill the beans before the agreement took effect. The expansion of parliament to 550 members did not augur well with Yusuf as the Hawiye would be majority in the House which means he would be ousted by a simple unanimous parliamentary vote of no confidence.

WHAT DO WE COMMUNICATE WHEN WE VOTE?


Recently, Americans of all ages, gender, and race converged around polling stations across the nation to exercise their inalienable voting rights in order to elect a President of their choice. Finally, as the votes trickled in, Barack Obama was announced winner of the popular and electoral votes by a wide margin if not by a landslide victory.

In this historic event, the nation demonstrated its willingness to communicate to the rest of the world its desire to cause change as the current administration failed to meet its expectations. The economic quagmire that gripped the nation with the collapse of top financial giants Fannie Mae, Freddie Marc, AIG, and the whimpering of greedy Wall Street CEOs over the state of the economy, Americans felt it was their responsibility to bring back the nation’s lost glory even it meant electing a man of color. Thus, they chose Barack Obama, a man who was born of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother. The tough communication methods espoused by Americans sent shockwaves across the globe. As reported by polling stations and media giants, voter turnout has never been so immense since America’s proclamation in 1776.

Barack Obama used articulate speech, intellectual loquacity; he applied sophisticated electioneering methods never experienced before like the application of internet communication, e-mails, telephonic conversations, excessive use of the dollar to advertise his ideologies through videos, television, billboards, and instant messaging.

When we vote, we are communicating to our children, families, leaders, and the world that it is in our interests to exercise our voting rights. Having patience in the voting line is also another way of communication. Some cities voted to execute light rail systems which they expect will resuscitate their dwindling economies if all go well with the planning.

The use of strong language is an excellent way of capturing the hearts and minds of electors. Fliers epitomize meaningless or meaningful information. Having a gloomy picture of someone you oppose on a flier or advertisement sends a negative message about your opponent.

Now that Americans have spoken by putting the man of their choice on the helm, it is up to the President-elect and his team to steer the country to its true course. They can achieve their objectives and execute their promises by communicating effectively to their electorates.

THE BEST CHARACTERISTICS OF A MODERN ORGANIZATION


The characteristics of a modern organization are multi-faceted and multi-tasked. Having strong and clearly expressed values for any organization opens a path for magnetism and excellence. It is the duty of every leader to respect individual values, partake job satisfaction, and ensure collective involvement. Having challenging selection, training, and rewards for employees ushers in and helps shape team players. Turning individuals into team players so that everyone plays a unique role keeps momentum in every aspect for every agenda and finally bears fruits meant to accomplish desired goals. Making sure all individuals efforts are identified so that no one becomes a victim of social loafing, having a common purpose, setting specific goals, and having team efficacy breaks the ground for a successful and innovative undertaking that will be the envy of many organizations in competition.

However, it is of paramount importance to have adequate resources for everyone engaged in the collective endeavors meant to assuage any conceivable ambiguities. Having rigid leadership structure, climate of trust, and performance evaluation and reward systems in place opens a line of competition for employees struggling to achieve highlights and struggling to break the log jam. Team members must be able to demonstrate tremendous energy and drive with extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and emotional stability becoming the median. Quality assurance, innovation, commitment, goal achievement, clarity of measurement, being results oriented, problem solving, displaying influence, nurturing assured security, and tenacity are some of the required tools needed to advance an organization that is in the forefront for merit and reputation. “Team members must agree on who is to do what and ensure that all members contribute equally in sharing the work load. In addition, the team needs to determine how schedules will be set, what skills need to be developed, how the group will resolve conflicts, and how the group will make and modify decisions. Agreeing on the specifics of work and how they fit together to integrate individual skills requires team leadership and structure.” [i ]

On the other hand, team work should be for the greater good. Creating positive environment for everyone, having collective performance, and creating problem-solving teams enhances an atmosphere of understanding and timely information. The management style of a modern organization must be compatible with contemporary norms and ethics and the overall strategy should highlight and be in comparable temperament with modern technological innovations acceptable in modern settings. Espousing a clear environment, having sophisticated cultural dimensions, laying down rigid structural foundations that will not collapse easily, setting up a systematic mission, having intense customer focus, and above all celebrating accomplishments should be the common binding thread for any modern organization.

The best practice for a culture of integrity according to the governance system is to discuss difficult ethical questions and also have compliance that will audit and enforce discipline in any organization yearning for righteousness, achievement, and customer satisfaction. Clarifying values, modeling values, communicating values, creating systems to embody values, continuous monitoring of behaviors, and renewing values regularly help elevate governance. There’re eleven factors if effectively applied will ensure the smooth running of any given organization without the least stumbling blocks. These eleven factors include: [ii]
1. Statement of values
2. Code of conduct
3. Example of senior executives
4. Training and repeated communication of values and standards
5. Systems which embody the values
6. Continuous evaluation of behaviors
7. Effective hotline system
8. Mechanism for resolving toughest cases
9. Compliance enforcement system
10. Periodic renewal process for values and standards
11. Governance system for ethics and values

One inspiring author on the area under discussion regarding the best characteristics of an organization is Mohamed Zairi whose writings furnish some insights on the best practices to apply to create an atmosphere of success and customer satisfaction as can be noted in the following quotation from one of his books available online. “For a market to be market oriented, every individual in the organization-manager or employee-must participate in satisfying customers. Also, there must be an environment where everybody is working closely with each other with a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities. Top management can develop this kind of participation, provide proper environment and excite all members of the organization with the corporate vision and the objectives that need to be achieved. Market orientation is facilitated by the amount of emphasis placed by the top management on market orientation. Top management can dedicate a vast amount of its time to creating and then sustaining a customer focus throughout all layers and functions of an organization.” [iii]
In conclusion, a modern organization is one embodying human respect, customer satisfaction, reaping together the fruits of success, respecting the territories of others, making decisions for the benefit of all, striving day and night without distortions, and mapping out new strategies not only for the present but for posterity.

Robins P. Stevens, Timothy A. Judge. Organizational Behavior: Upper Saddle River, 07458.
www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/ethical_culture.ppt
http://books.google.com/books?id=wHdIifrbQ18C&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq

MONOCULTURALISM VERSUS NONDISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES IN MODERN LEADERSHIP


Understanding the importance of individual/personal, professional, organizational, and societal levels of multicultural competence carry heavy weight in modern management/leadership styles. Comprehending cultural competence in multifaceted dimensions helps alleviate ethnocentric monoculturalism, ingrained biases and prejudices, hate and fear of others at the individual/personal level. No one is born to fear and hate others but that it is learned. Overcoming personal belief systems, behaviors, and emotions for both trainers and trainees could be a personal journey to overcoming cultural incompetence and a major challenge for leaders.

Understanding how our own biases and actions perpetuate and constitute injustice helps every concerned leader bear greater responsibility in order to administer powerful change. Honesty and openness for each other, overcoming fears, fostering concern for all groups of society and being acquainted with the effects of prejudice and discrimination and how it affects others opens equal access and opportunities for all people. Initially, individuals will have to familiarize with and learn from different perspectives and not exclusively rely on the media or what the neighbors say.

Secondly, immersing in the culture to be learned generates a balanced analysis of what is expected to be reaped. Thirdly, supplementing realistic intellectual capacity with practical certainty of individuals from that culture is a way of identifying with that culture and can be applied as a supplementary encouragement.
On the professional level, management and leadership styles have been shown to over and over again experience the impacts of cultural values, beliefs, traits, and decision techniques. Different cultures view leadership from dissimilar perspectives. In American cultural way of thinking, leadership is portrayed as forceful and independent whereas in Japan, good leadership is based on the theory of harmony and fairness. In France, a manager is expected to answer a subordinate’s query accurately. American managers and leaders are regarded as problem solvers who take time to provide answers to the subordinate’s concerns after thorough examination and head scratching. In modern Japanese culture, respondents described a leader as one who displays fairness, is flexible, has good listening skills, is outgoing, and is responsible while American respondents described a leader as one who is intelligent, honest, understanding, determined, and possesses effective verbal skills.

Leaders who value multiculturalism have organizational structure meant to treat all employees, suppliers, and customers equally. For leaders to be competent, the organizations they serve must have the responsibility to create strategies, policies, procedures, and implementations acceptable to their employees. Though organizations have contrasting procedures in the way they deal with cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender issues, overcoming conflicts and misunderstandings in the workplace should be a prerequisite for any organization willing to do away with institutionalized monoculturalism.

Monocultural organizations are those organizations that operate on Eurocentric and ethnocentric ideologies. A prime example is the former apartheid regime of South Africa whose mode of operations was built on racial divide and racial superiority. Based on outright exclusionism, either explicitly or implicitly, the former Boer regime of former apartheid South Africa marginalized people of color and other minority groups. This means, people were divided into racial categories. With Whites on top of the privileged ladder, Indians and Coloreds enjoyed the center stage while Blacks remained at the bottom. Besides the Whites, all other races were persona non grata in exclusively reserved white neighborhoods, white shopping centers, and white schools. Blacks lived in the Ghettos with no jobs, no sewage, no viable infrastructure, and no decent schools. In other words, South Africa of the yesteryears was a discriminatory organization where the color of the epidermis and the sex of a person determined where one belonged in the government registry of races and sexes.

On the other hand, the strong believe in the melting pot and equal opportunity for all should be a driving factor for cultural equality. Culture should have the least impact on management. Historically, courageous men and women spent time and effort to fight American discriminative policies of the 60s. Mention is to be made of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Nobel laureate who lost his precious life while fighting human injustices. Despite civil and human rights activists dying for the cause of equality and justice, disparities in employment, education, employment, and social facilities do exist in modern America.

On the contrary, nondiscriminatory organizations are more culturally significant and sympathetic. However, foot-dragging remains an impediment to the advancement of affirmative actions; equal employment opportunities are taking a grudging stand, prejudice and biases do exist, and policy implementations remain inconsistent and elusive.

Assumingly, the United Nations is the biggest nondiscriminatory organization the world has seen. Looking back at its past line-up of hierarchical leadership history, we find that the top echelons were drawn from multifarious nationalities. Formerly the League of Nations, the United Nations, came to fore after the end of World War II. Its first Secretary General was Trygve Lie of Norway (1946-1952) followed by Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden (1953-1961), U Thant of Burma (1961-1971), Kurt Waldheim of Austria (1972-1981), Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru (1982-1991), Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt (1992-1996), Kofi Anan of Ghana (1997-2006), and currently Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea (2007-). Because the world is regarded as a one big society, the position of the Secretary-General of the United Nations is based on equal distribution between the various continents. So far, Western Europe and others had three secretary generals; Latin American and Caribbean Group had one; Asian Group had two; while the African Group had two secretary generals.

The greatest challenges facing the United States today includes the issue of race, the existence of unfair disparities between racial/ethnic minorities and Euro-American groups that are invisible and deeply ingrained, and the absence of open dialogue regarding racial inequalities, and bigotry and racism. Despite the efforts of former President Bill Clinton in his issuance of Executive Order No. 13050 and his creation of the Race Advisory Board to examine race and racism, a lot needs to be done in the fields of racial reconciliation.

The issue of race in the U.S. is so ingrained in the minds of the American social fabric and that the society itself is ill-equipped to tackle it alone. The glorification of racism has been used as an unbending instrument by monoculturally ethnocentric fanatics whose strong cultural superiority is based on past biased historical legacies. The presence of the Ku Klux Klan and others of like mind must be cause for alarm for America’s racially and culturally divided nation.

UNDERSTANDING ISLAM


Islam which means ‘peace’ or ‘submission’ to the will of Allah, is the fastest growing religion in the world-second after Christianity in population, with more than 1.2 billion adherents worldwide and an estimated 5 million residing in the U.S. and growing. A monotheistic religion that has its roots in the Middle East especially in the City of Mecca in Saudi Arabia where it initially originated, majority of followers are concentrated in the Middle East, Africa, in Central Asia, Africa, and in Indonesia with a population of about 200 million with a further 120 million found in India. Islam can be traced back to the religions of Adam and Abraham and is prophesied as a continuation of Judaism and Christianity with Moses and Jesus enjoying higher statuses.

Muslims, adherents of Islam, abide by the Quran and the Sunna-traditions of Prophet Muhammad-both written in the Arabic script. Thus, Islam is a supranational religion-meaning a religion that transcends borders through missionary activities and religious propagation. Islam has been described as “the misunderstood religion” by the West despite being closest in proximity. It is nearer to the West ideologically and geographically. Previously, the West referred to Islam as “Mohammedanism”-a connotation that caused a chorus of disapproval among Muslims who believe that Muhammad was a mouthpiece of Allah, a warner, and a teacher who was sent to deliver a message from the Almighty Allah who is the Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the Heavens and the Earth.

Muslims worship Allah who has no gender, no partner, no associate or helper in His affairs, and who is established on the “Throne of Authority” known as “Arsh” and reclines on a “Kursi” or seat. Islamic belief is centered on the principle of believe in Allah, the angels, the revealed books, the prophets, and the existence of the Day of Judgment.

Muslims believe Adam was the first prophet and the first man created by Allah. He was then followed by a succession of prophets including Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Noah, David, Solomon, Jonah, Zachariah, Moses, Jesus, and many others without making any distinction between them with Muhammad being the last of the prophets or “the Seal of the Prophets.” Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born in Mecca in 570 C.E. in the “Year of the Elephant” at a time when Arabia was embroiled in antagonism, brigandage, male chauvinism, idol worship, nihilism, gambling and addiction to alcohol. In this period of time known as “Ayamul Jahiliya” in Arabic which translates to “the Era of Ignorance”, there was the absence of law and order and girls were buried alive. It fell in an era when the Kaaba housed 360 idols (one for every day of the lunar year) worshiped by the tribes of Arabia; it was a period of turmoil and paganism and fire worshiping was widespread in the surrounding sphere of influences ruled by ruthless emperors and dangerous feudal warlords.

This year was named the “Year of the Elephant” because, the Viceroy of the Abyssinian Negus in Yemen, Abraha Al- Ashram, incensed by the presence of the Kaaba and its veneration by the Arabian tribes, embarked on a sacrilegious war assisted by thirteen elephants. Earlier, Abraha constructed a colossal temple in Yemen to serve as a substitute of the Kaaba after its total obliteration by his army. Abraha left his power base in Yemen heavily armed with the intention of bringing the forces of Arabia under his supreme command. Consequently, Abraha’s ill-fated show aggression ended in a debacle as divine punishment befell the warring army when a flock of birds known as “Ababeel” rained flaming brimstones that totally annihilated them with the exception of an elephant known as “Mahmud” who disobeyed the command of demolishing the Kaaba. Abraha and his army perished in the surroundings of the Kaaba without fulfilling their distorted designs and outlandish prophesy.

Muhammad was a posthumous child as he never saw his father. While in the care of Halima, an Arab woman who cared for him in his early years, a strange incident happened when an angel split his chest open, removed his heart, washed it in Zamzam (water well near the Kaaba) water and then replaced it. This incident signified the purification of his heart and the removal of all evil. After this incident, Muhammad was returned to his mother, Amina, who then died when he was six and his grandfather, when he was eight. After all these childhood agonies, Muhammad was nurtured by his powerful protector, erudite, and brave uncle Abu Talib. At the age of twenty five, Muhammad married Khadija, a woman with extraordinary business aptitude, veracity, and nobility and who was forty years old at that time. At that time, caravans of merchants traversed the Arabian Peninsula to as far as Syria creating heavy routes between the major cities and the well fortified domains of the Persian and Byzantine Empires, bringing in assortment of goods that proliferated the Arabian markets with food, clothing, and other necessities that boosted tribal demagoguery and hegemony over the less fortunate in the land of the Arabs swollen with pride.

With rampant incredulity in the social fabric of that time, the termination of religious belief due to general human disobedience, and dissatisfaction with the spiritual guidance that existed and the dissipation of adherence to morality, there was need for heavenly intervention. A glimmer of hope started enveloping over Arabia when Muhammad, who was regarded as “The Highly Praised”, “The True”, “The Upright”, and “The Trustworthy One”, progressed into meditation and solitude in a well known cave within Mount Hira in the vicinity of Mecca. Therefore, on the first Night of Power (Leilatul Qadr), when Muhammad had attained age forty, Archangel Gabriel instructed him to: “Proclaim!” and he responded by saying:” I am not a proclaimer.” Thereupon the Angel pressed him harder and harder every time the prophet failed to proclaim until the third time when he was instructed to:
“Proclaim in the name of the Lord who created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not.” (Qur’an 96:1-3)

It was Khadija, his lovely wife, who turned out to be the first to embrace Muhammad’s teachings as she turned all his burdens into light. Thus, began a chain of revelations that led to the completion of the Qur’an in a period spanning twenty three years in an atmosphere of ridicule, pinpricks of laughter, petty insults and hoots of mockery. Muhammad preached equality of races before the Lord, led an administration that was a blend of justice and mercy, and created a superb statecraft that united a five heterogeneous society, in the City of Medina-three of which were Jews, into a solid and organized confederacy. In 622, Muhammad, preceded by an entourage of migrants, settled in Yathrib, also known as Medinat-al-Nabi (City of the Prophet) later changing name simply to Medina, “the city.” However, as was established by the Lord, Muhammad departed the world in A.D.632 (10 A.H. after the Hijra) with almost all of Arabia under his command.

The ensuing years saw the expansion of Islam under the rightly-guided Caliphs: Abu-Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali. Driven by religious passion and absolute heroism in the battleground, the Islamic Caliphate finally reached Palestine, Armenia, Persia, Syria, Iraq, North Africa, and Spain finally crossing into the Pyrenees in France. The Battle of Tours under Charles Martel in 1733 halted the penetration of Muslim forces to their desired destinations otherwise the entire West would have been under Islamic rule today.

The Five Pillars of Islam
For one to be part of the Islamic community it is a requirement upon the sane and the able-bodied, male and female, to declare with honesty and assurance, the ‘creed’ or ‘shahada’ (profession of faith)- which is the fundamental obligation before one can be called a Muslim. “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger” is the first testimony of faith.

The second pillar of Islam is ‘Salat’ or Prayer which requires a continuous observation of the five daily obligatory prayers that fall under the basic requirements. These daily prayers are to be strictly observed at certain timings of the day in congregations inside of a mosque or in solitude at home or at work during the hours of dawn, at noon, in mid-afternoon, at sundown and at night. Regardless of where one is located in the world, these prayers are compulsory until death. All Muslims turn their faces toward the Kaaba in Mecca whether performing obligatory or supererogatory prayers. Also, the faces of the dead must be directed toward Mecca at burial. It has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that prayers inculcate compassion and honesty, guard mental and body health, increase cleanliness and hygienic adherence, and deter evil inclinations.

The third pillar of Islam is alms giving also known as Zakat and it is a form of social interdependence where the wealthy give a share of their wealth to the needy so as to eliminate poverty, destitution, and other factors that may be an obstacle to the welfare of the Muslim community and the world at large. A financially able Muslim is required to give away 2.5% of his/her wealth in charity every year in the month of Zakat. Also, Muslims are encouraged to contribute or donate to mosques, charity organizations, to the wayfarers, the orphans, and to the insolvent on a continuous basis. There are several verses in the Quran that exhort Muslims to donate as this act carries a great reward before Allah. Thus, ‘Zakat’ equally applies to the ruler of the state and the income generating able-bodied laborer regardless of age, gender, national origin, or race.

The fourth pillar of Islam is to fast (Sawm) thirty days in the month of Ramadan. This is the month the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Allah. In this month, Muslims abstain from food, drinks, smoking, vulgar language, and sexual intercourse with partners during daytime. It begins at dawn and runs up to sunset when Muslims break their fast with dates, water, and other available edible foods.
The fifth pillar of Islam calls for financially able Muslims to perform the once-in-a-lifetime ‘Hajj’ or pilgrimage to Mecca. This act is a continuation of the tradition of Prophet Abraham. Muslims from all walks of life converge on to Mecca and then onto Medina in Saudi Arabia to give thanks to the creator and Sustainer of the universe and also to show gratitude and acknowledge His Oneness. The Hajj is considered the largest social gathering according to universal consensus.
Compassion and Social Justice.

Besides the five pillars of Islam, Muslims have other obligations to Allah and to humankind. Compassion and social justice is outlined in a system of laws known as ‘Shariah’ which requires the wealthy to donate generously to the poor so that no stomach sleeps hungry.

Jihad
The most misunderstood concept about Islam is the term ‘Jihad’ which has caused great uproar in the world. It generally means a rigorous fight against all sorts of discrimination. The first and foremost requirement of a Muslim is to wage war against one’s own prejudice, transgression, and constraint before looking at the social evils that bedevil others. Listening to the kind words of those endowed with knowledge as they rehearse and interpret the authentic verses of the Holy Quran will best alleviate the wrong misconceptions about Islamic monotheism.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY


Christianity is the largest religion in the world having an approximate population of over 2 billion followers largely concentrated in North and South America, Europe, parts of Asia especially in the Russian Federation, in Australia, and in many localities of Africa. Christianity is classified as an Abrahamic religion just like Islam and Judaism. Beginning as a Jewish sect in the Eastern Mediterranean, it quickly grew in size and influence by the 4th century due to the influence of the Roman Empire. The Roman Catholic Church or the Catholic Church is the largest church in Christianity, has one-sixth of the world’s population, and represents over half of all Christians. Comprising 2782 dioceses that include Latin rites and Eastern rites, the Catholic Church is currently headed by Pope Benedict XVI who is the highest authority in matters of faith, church governance, and morality.

The headquarters of the Catholic Church is in the Vatican within the City of Rome in Italy. Measuring approximately 44 hectares (110 acres) and with an estimated population of 800, the State of the Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state consisting of a walled enclave that came into existence only in 1929. The Pope is ex-officio and head of state and head of government. The Pope, who is technically an absolute monarch, has legislative, executive, and judicial power over the Vatican. In Italian, the State of the Vatican City is known as Stato Della Città Del Vaticano. The Vatican City is clearly distinct from the Roman Catholic Church known as the Holy See. The administrative apparatus of the Holy See is called the Roman Curia consisting of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Since the Holy See dates back to early Christianity, it should not be confused with the Vatican City which came into existence in 1929.

The second largest Christian communion is the Eastern Orthodox Church after Roman Catholic. Most of the adherents of this church are concentrated in Greece, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Macedonia (part of former Yugoslavia), Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Russia. Some adherents may also be found in Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon. There are some traces in Africa, Australia, North America, Asia, and South America. Orthodox Christians believe in a God who is both three and triune.

On the other hand, the Church of England is the officially established Christian Church of England which is considered to be Catholic and also Reformed. It is reformed because it was influenced by the doctrinal principles of the Protestant reformation of the 16th century. Queen Elizabeth II of England holds the constitutional title of “Supreme Governor of the Church of England.” The oldest see was founded in England by St. Augustine of Canterbury in the year 597 and the current Archbishop is Rowan Williams who is 104th in a line that stretches back to 104 years.

Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism since the earliest Christians were Jews or Jewish Proselytes. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary-a Jewish resident of Nazareth in Galilee. Conceiving by the agency of the Holy Spirit while she was already betrothed to Joseph of the House of David, Mary’s most common titles include “The Blessed Virgin Mary” (also abbreviated to BVM), “Our Lady”, “Mother of God”, and “Queen of Heaven.” In the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus to address the teachings of Nestorius in 431 BC, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Anglican Church, and all Eastern Catholic Churches refer to Mary as “Theotokos”, literally meaning “Godbearer” and more common in Latin as ‘Mater Dei”. Because Jesus was regarded as ‘King of Kings” and because of His lineage of King David, Mary was known as “Queen Mother” in early Christianity.

The birth of Jesus Christ is known as the Nativity of Jesus or simply the Nativity and is an account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels and in the apocryphal accounts. The re-enactment of the Nativity often seen in Christmas celebrations signifies Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the reincarnation of God. Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one spirit of God thought acting in concert with and sharing an essential nature with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ).

In Trinitarian theology, the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the ‘Third Person” of the Triune God with the Father being the First Person and the Son the Second Person. Early Christianity is defined as the period between the crucifixion of Jesus (c. 30) and The First Council of Nicaea (325). The genealogical accounts of Jesus Christ are documented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke though substantially different with contemporary scholars viewing them as theological constructs. Jesus Christ has been recorded as having miraculous healing powers such as cleansing of the leper, healing of a paralytic, curing of Simon’s mother-in-law; he was brought many possessed by the devil and some suffering from various diseases, and was credited with going to the synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee. (Mark)

The First Council of Nicaea was held in Nicaea in Bithynia in present-day Turkey under the command of Constantine the Great. With the exception of Britain, approximately 250 to 318 Bishops attended including Alexander of Alexandria and Eustathius of Antioch while Macarius of Jerusalem and Sylvester 1, Bishop of Rome, sent legates. Other participants included church historian Eusebius of Caesarea while Athanasius of Alexandria who was best known for his battles against Arianism, attended as a Deacon.

Jesus had twelve Apostles namely: Peter, James son of Zebedee, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus (identified with Jude), Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot. These disciples were chosen, trained, and named by Jesus of Nazareth so they could spread the “good news” and establish the Christian church by evangelism.

Of the twelve apostles, one among them called Judas Iscariot, keeper of the “money bag”, who is mentioned in the synoptic gospels, the Gospel of John, and the Acts of the Apostles, became the betrayer by conniving with the Romans who were out looking for a way to have Jesus Christ arrested. The author of the Gospel of Luke records that Saint Matthias was chosen by the remaining eleven Apostles to replace Judas Iscariot after his betrayal of Jesus. (Acts 1:18-26). According to Acts 1, it was Peter who proposed an assembly numbering one hundred and twenty to have Saint Matthias replace the traitor Judas Iscariot in the Apostolate.

According to the Church of England’s Book of Liturgy, the feast of Saint Matthias is celebrated on 24 February; in the newer common worship, he is celebrated on May 14 although he may be celebrated on May 24; in the Episcopal Church the feast is on My 14; the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his feast on 9th August. In the Roman calendar, it was transferred in 1969 to May 14 so as to celebrate it in Eastertide during the Solemnity of the Ascension. Besides, Christianity is famous for the celebration of Christmas day, Easter, Thanks Giving, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, Valentine’s Day, Passover, Saint Patrick’s Day, Lent, and the Feast of the Tabernacles. Though many, the above are holidays are the most observed in the Christian world.

There are four canonical gospels of the New Testament: the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of John. According to Christianity, Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross during the reign of the Roman emperor Pontius Pilate; he died and thereafter was resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion and according to John, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb where she saw two angels who asked her why she was crying. (Matthew 28: 1-10). It was Joseph of Arimathea who asked Pontius Pilate for the body of Jesus Christ afterward wrapping the body in a linen cloth and placing it in a tomb. The Christian doctrine of ascension holds that Jesus Christ ascended the heavens in the presence of his eleven apostles as mentioned in the Gospel of Mark (16:14-19). To many Christians, Jesus Christ will return to earth in what is known as the “second coming” for the full establishment of the kingdom of God on earth.

Beliefs concerning future and end times are espoused in Christian eschatology although it is a relatively recent development. It concerns the end of the world, Last Judgment, resurrection of the dead, hell and heaven, renewal of creation, the fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy, the beginning of the Messianic Age, and among others the consummation of all of God’s purposes.

As the end of the year 2008 approaches, Christians all over the world will commemorate a special day dedicated to honoring the birth of Jesus Christ which falls on December 25 for the majority of Christians. From the Anno Domini system of dating, the day is marked with celebrations including gift-giving, church celebrations, and the display of the Christmas tree, mistletoe, nativity scenes, Holly, and lights.

UNDERSTANDING JUDAISM


Judaism, the religion of the Jewish people, is monotheistic and has its practices embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), further explored and explained in the Talmud and other Hebrew sacred texts. Judaism began with the covenant between God and Abram (ca. 2000 B.C.E), the father and ancestor of the Jewish people whose name changed to Abraham later on. The central religious belief of Judaism is that there is only one God and that the earliest followers were called Hebrews later to be referred to as Jews. The Torah (the law) comprises the writings and the prophets. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are the main five books sacred to Judaism. The Book of Genesis details how God created the heavens and the earth in six days from a formless void covered by darkness.

From the first verse to the sixth, Genesis documents the creation of the heavens and the earth in chronological order as outlined below:
“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” (Genesis).

The 20th verse of Genesis documents the creation of creatures. It begins as such:
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the sea, and let birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.”

The book of Genesis shades light on the creation of man. The first man, Adam, was created from dust by his Lord and made to dwell in the Garden of Eden in the East which contained every tree that was pleasant to eat. In the Garden of Eden there was a river flowing out of it to water the garden thereafter dividing into four other rivers namely: Pishon which flowed around the whole of Havilah with bdellium and onyx stone found there; the second river, called Gihon, is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush; Tigris is the name of the third river while Euphrates is the fourth river. From there on, according to Genesis, God created a woman out of Adam’s rib later to become his partner.

Eve conceived and bore “a man” whom they named Cain who was to become tiller of the ground. Next she bore his brother Abel who became keeper of the sheep. Schisms about offerings to the Lord led Cain to kill his brother Abel. Adam fathered a son named Seth when he was eight hundred years old. Besides Seth, Adam had other sons and daughters. In all, Adam lived nine hundred thirty years. While one hundred five years old, Seth became the father of Enosh. Seth died at nine hundred twelve years. Enosh was the father of Kenan; Kenan was the father of Mahalalel; Mahalalel was the father of Jared; Jared was the father of Enoch; Enoch was the father of Methuselah; Methuselah was the father of Lamech; Lamech was the father of Noah. Those days, people lived long lives as can be seen from the years inhabited on earth by Adam and his direct descendants.

Abraham is widely regarded as the patriarch of monotheism and Judaism. From the Aramaic words “Aba Rama”, the name Abraham stands for “High Father” while in Hebrew “Av” means “Father” while “Raham” in Arabic implies to mean “Nations or Multitude.” Abraham’s father was Terah while his grandfather was called Nahor. Abraham’s brothers were named Nahor and Haran. Abraham was born in the Chaldean city of Ur in Mesopotamia. At birth he was named Abram by his father Terah. According to Genesis, Abraham was brought by God from Mesopotamia to the land known as Canaan. Abraham was born during the Sumero-Akkadian Empire of Ur-Nammu, the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur. Ur-Nammu took the title "King of Sumer and Akkad"; his mightiest work was the erection of the great ziggurat at Ur which was known as "the hill of heaven" or the "mountain of God" by the people of old.

Abraham gave up the ways of his people, the Hebrews, and sought the mercy of his Lord, for the Lord God revealed himself unto Abraham with the promise ‘I will be your guide” therefore “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land I will show you.” The Lord God told Abraham that he would make him a great nation. God told Abraham that he would bless him and that he would also bless those who blessed him (Abraham) while cursing those who cursed Abraham.

Abraham and his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot left Haran for a land called Canaan. At this time there was a great famine so Abraham went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien. Fearing that the Egyptians would kill him because his wife Sarai was exceptionally beautiful in appearance, Abraham instructed Sarai to maintain that she was his sister and not his wife. Seeing the gorgeousness of Sarai, the Egyptians reported to the Pharaoh who ruled over Egypt about the good looks of Sarai and the cantankerous Pharaoh took Sarai unto him. Then the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with plagues because of taking Sarai forcefully against her wishes and those of Abraham. The Pharaoh returned Sarai to her husband, Abraham, where, accompanied by Lot they left for Negeb and then to Bethel where they pitched tent. Scuffles over grazing land between the herders of the livestock of Abraham and Lot led them to separate where Lot settled in the Jordan plain and Abraham in the land of Canaan. So Abraham settled by the Oaks of Mamre, which were at Hebron where he built the Lord an altar. After living ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai gave Abraham an Egyptian slave girl called Hagar who resided in their house. Hagar conceived a son they named Ishmael and Sarai looked at her servant in contempt. Thereafter, the Lord gave Sarai a son whom they named Isaac. Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight years old. Isaac appears in Genesis 70 times and 33 times elsewhere.

Jacob (also called Israel) was the son of Isaac with Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau, and grandson of Abraham. According to Genesis, Joseph or Yosef, a major figure in the Hebrew Bible, was the 11th son of Jacob and Rachel’s first. Joseph was thrown into a well by his brothers and was retrieved by an Ishmaelite caravan who sold him in Egypt to Potiphar who was an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, and an Egyptian. Joseph became a victim of false accusations when his master’s wife asked him for sexual favors. Despite his innocence, Joseph was sent to jail where he became interpreter of dreams. He was placed as an overseer of the provisions. Later on Joseph was reunited with his brothers and also with his father and mother.

In Judaism, ritual purity or ablution, as emphasized in the Mitzvah, is an important ritual practice and an integral part of the holy observance of the Jewish people that sets it apart from other polytheistic religions. This practice, though most commonly observed in Orthodox Judaism, is not normally acted upon in Reform Judaism while in Conservative Judaism; the practices are normative with certain exemptions and lenience. Besides the rituals, the Jewish traditions of celebrating special religious holidays have been in the records for millenniums. Customarily, all Jewish holidays begin at sunset and end at sundown. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, it is also the Day of Judgment and also when the creation of the world was completed. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement; Sukkot is the Festival of Tabernacles; Hanukkah, preserved in the books of the first and second Maccabees, marks the defeat of the Seleucid Empire; while Passover commemorates the freeing of Israelis as slaves from the hands of the Egyptians.

Today, there is a nation in the Middle East called Israel which proclaimed independence on the 14th of May, 1948. David Ben-Gurion became the first Prime Minister of Israel. The parliament of Israel is called the Knesset. The last Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, took over the highest office in Israel after Ariel Sharon suffered severe hemorrhagic stroke in 2006. Israel has fought several wars mainly over land in the Middle East spanning roughly one century of political tensions. Conflicts over territorial ambitions kicked off after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.

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