A History Of The Ogaden Struggle

This Book made clear Why The Somali Ogaden struggle For self Determination. It comes a perfect time, specialy a time when The Ethiopian soldiers are blockading food to Ogaden and a time the world is concerned the Reported systematic human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Ethiopian Military in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

the Ethiopian government is increasingly suspicious about foreign involvement in the Ogaden. Ethiopian Government evicted the Red Cross out of Ogaden after a New York Times report that troops were blocking aid. They blamed aid workers for providing it.

On June 18, 2007, New York Time's reporter Jeffery Gentlemen wrote an article, which has exposed the hideous barbarism of Ethiopian military actions in the Ogaden. This report described "a widespread and longstanding reign of terror, with Ethiopian soldiers gang-raping women, burning down huts and killing civilians at will." Mr.

Gentlemen himself and his news crew became victims of the very regime they were reporting on! They were arrested and detained for five days in Dhagaxbur, and were refused contact with the American Embassy.

On July 9, 2007 Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune Foreign Correspondent reported a 25 year old camel herder laying in Jigjiga Hospital whose throat was cut by the Ethiopian soldiers nine days ago when they attacked his remote village and left him for dead. In his report a worker with the Ethiopian Red Cross said `We are forbidden to talk there is a big problem and people are actually starving.

"Human rights abuses reported during the year included: limitation on citizens' right to change their government during the most recent elections; unlawful killings, and beating, abuse, poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, violence and societal discrimination against women and abuse of children; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and religious and ethnic minorities."

The Ogaden region is much neglected and forgotten land; there are no schools, no hospitals, no court systems, and because the area is under military rule, military justice (which is neither fair nor just) is the code of conduct. But what makes this case even more troubling is that the killings, rapes and outright terror is being conducted by the State of Ethiopia against citizens living within its sovereign borders.

These are the very small spots that the world is saying about Ogaden Considering the reality in ogaden it will only be a drop of water picked from the sea by needle. There are much more hideous crimes against humanity taking place right now in Ogaden but the international Communities are ignoring it.

Now it is upon Ogaden to struggle for their self determination! Fdalan soo iibsda buugan ood ka helaysaan meelo badan gaar ahaan tukaamada soomalida meeshaad joogtaanba.

Good job farax

No More Houskeepers

She dresses like Carol Vorderman, idolises Oprah Winfrey and, although she grew up in a male-dominated society where a man’s word is law, she likes to be seen as a feminist. Note: the picture above has nothing to do with the story

Following the collapse of her four-year marriage, Amina Shakur lives in temporary accommodation in west London with her two young children, Maymuun, five, and Mustaf, three.

After a nightmare year in Russia, Finland and Norway, the 29-year-old refugee from Somalia arrived in the United Kingdom, her preferred destination, on March 1996. The main reason for her coming to the UK was to marry her long-term sweetheart, Mohamed Ali, who had arrived five months earlier.

A sumptuous Western-style Somali wedding in London
On 7 April 1996, four weeks after landing in the UK, they married in a small, colourful ceremony at which guests, friends and relatives were entertained by dancers and musicians.

"We were both enthusiastic about the prospect of building a family," recalls Amina Shakur. The future looked bright. They knew each other intimately, although the relationship between Muslims precludes sex before marriage.

For Amina Shakur was marrying a man she had met at high school, when she was 16 years old. She was in Form Three and he was in Form Four at the 21 October Secondary School in Somalia, named after the day dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre took power in 1969. 21 October or Vinta Une, as it was well-known was the same school I myslef, jaakoole was attending between my first and 6th grade.

When Barre was toppled in January 1991, Amina Shakur and Ali fled the country. They separated, and their only point of contact was through Amina’s sister in London. They used to call her in order to keep in touch with each other. So marrying in London was special for Amina and Ali. They were joining an estimated 100,000 Somalis living in the UK.

Things fall apart
It was after the birth of their first child that Amina started feeling that things were not going according to plan, though Ali had no idea that anything was wrong. She admits that she had always wanted to rear her family in the European way.

Like most Somali women in the UK, Amina’s name is registered for state benefit and housing allowance. She wanted to study, to work if possible, to socialise and join in with the new culture. Ali, a devoutly religious man, felt differently. Like most other Somali men, he firmly believed that women should remain at home, provide meals and raise the children.

By July 2000, their relationship was damaged irreparably. After an argument over sharing the housework – a major point of contention between husbands and wives of the diaspora – Ali allegedly hit Shakur in the face. It was the third time he had physically assaulted her, and she wasted no time in dialling an emergency number."Alaa ninkeygaa i dillaye iag qabta" Miskiin dheh.

Like many other Somali families with troubled relationships, divorce became the only solution. On the Christmas night of the same year, Ali officially pronounced the third and final procedure in Islamic law and divorced Amina and he said "macsalaama naayaa, naftii baad noo keentee".

Somali marriage breakdowns first became frequent in the early 1990s when thousands of Somalis fled the civil strife and political upheaval in their country. Back in Somalia, the commitment to marriage was so strong that divorce was practically unheard of. But migrants to Europe found that the new culture meant that they faced rigorous challenges. Marriage became less valuable.Kibir badaana islaamuhu.

In a survey conducted for this article, 78 Somalis of different sexes and ages, both married and single, were asked to give their views on the main causes of marriage breakdowns within the UK’s Somali community.

Family counselling for the Somali community in London
The new culture was not supportive of traditional marriage customs, the interviewees felt. External cultural influences were the main reason given for marriage break-ups (76%). The rest of the interviewees (34%) blamed the economic independence of the diaspora women.

28% blamed khat, a green narcotic leaf widely chewed by the Somalis. Khat was illegal in Somalia from 1983 until 1991 when the regime that banned it was overthrown. In the UK, where it can be purchased legally, it is widely believed that the substance causes financial hardship and sexual impotence.

Interestingly, nearly half (46%) said Somali marriages in the diaspora were simply not strongly rooted in a committed relationship. When asked what the most common reasons for getting married were, 53% considered love as the starting point, while a staggering 44% said that Somalis in the diaspora married for financial reasons.

As to who was to blame, women or men, interviewees split on gender lines: 70% of the women blamed men’s failure to adapt to the new environment; 74% of the men blamed either the host culture, or the women for adapting to it.

Women’s financial independence
"This does not mean everybody is forgetting our history," insists Ahmed Mohamed Wasuge, a linguistics professor from the former Somali Faculty of Languages, who is now a refugee in London. But he admits that the situation is worrying.

He has been trying to mediate between troubled Somali couples. "Of the twenty families I have intervened in, only nine are still married." He sees the root of the problem as lying in the fact that Somali women are refusing to respect their tradition and religion. ‘A man feels guilty when he cannot pay the bill, and our women see this as a victory over men.’ He himself is married for the fourth time, and has six children.

In his report on Somali refugees in London, Dr Anthony Olden, of London’s Thames Valley University, agrees that the balance of power between husbands and wives within Somali families of the diaspora has changed. ‘Women find that they now control the family finances because social welfare payments are channelled through them. This alters the relationship between them and their partners, particularly if the man is out of work,’ he concludes in his report.

But according to Professor Wasuge, the largest source of income in contention between spouses falls outside the welfare system. Most Somali women living in Europe benefit from an interest-free loan system. Shalongo, as it is known in Somali, involves large sums of money, managed centrally, which circulate within a fixed number of women.

The Shalongo can raise between £5,000 and £12,000 annually for a woman who needs it – depending on how much is invested. This sum has to be repaid in instalments over an agreed period of no less than a year.

Women and children account for the highest number of Somalis who migrate to the UK. Men often opt to stay, either to look after properties left behind, or to fight along side their clansmen, politically or militarily. Many such women either divorce their husbands immediately on arrival, in order to start a new life, or do so a few years later, when their applications for family reunion are turned down.

Towards a European way?
Qaali Farayare is a mother of seven who divorced the father of six of her children in 1995 when he failed to join them in London. A year later, she married the father of her seventh child but split up after just eight months.The reason she gives for the break-up with her second husband exemplifies the way in which the host culture brings its influence to bear on a couple.

"He refused to contribute to housework and the family income and was not the most wonderful person," Qaali claims. He also had a weakness for khat. "He chewed with other people and came home to sleep," she remarks. "He never spent time with me and a lot of single mothers would agree with me."

Qaali admits that external influences played a part in the deterioration of the relationship. "Men should learn how to cook, do the laundry and change the nappies," she says with a chuckle. Back home, Somali men would never have been required to share in the housework.

Fellow single mother Amina agrees with Qaali: Somali men should accept the European way of life. "This is a husband and wife meeting their family duties," she says. "Men should cook, wash the dishes, and do the ironing if the wife seems to be busy on something else. This is nothing to be ashamed of." Naa i dhaaf cunto sida loo kariyo maba aqaane hahhahahahha.

Amina does not accept that the effect of the move to a new culture has pushed Somali men to the wall. "Somali men are known to rate themselves very highly and are mentally robust," she says. :They are using religion as a scapegoat when they say that women are abandoning Islam. This is the way this country is, and we should adapt to it," she concludes. balaayo ku aragtey. ma sidaas baad aduun moodey.

Ali disagrees with his ex-wife. Living with a woman is a tricky business these days, he thinks. "Most of them deviate from Islam, they abandon the Islamic doctrine – that is the stumbling block to every Somali family in Europe," he complains. "They feel in control, become westernised and are now sitting on us and they want the situation to remain like that." Haa waa runtiis walaahi.

He himself comes from a deeply religious family. He has been raised to expect a hierarchy of respect within a family structure where everyone knows their role. "Don’t think I am a dictator. The Somali men in the diaspora make some mistakes. But I also think women constrain them to do so. Women always look for weaknesses in men." Miyaa

Western media role models
The truth of Ali’s claim is borne out by women such as Amina, who exemplifies the so-called ‘westernised woman’. She idolises Oprah Winfrey and the way her talk shows address women’s issues. "You can call me a feminist," she said.

A glance at her video cassette collection reveals that she also admires movies that possess a taste for love, romance and feminism. One example is Madonna's Innocence Lost – an intimate, rags to riches story, which testifies to the way in which sheer ambition can lift a charismatic woman to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry. The other movie, Sliver, involves a women (Sharon Stone) looking for excitement in her life after ending an unhappy marriage.

So does Amina plan to remarry? "Any woman who wants to marry must learn enough about the man before getting hooked up. This is Europe and there is plenty of time. She can go out with him and give it a try. She can even "tempt him unlawfully". Acuudu Bilaahi yaab dheh

"Women should avoid marrying men for money and looks. What is important is his intelligence and his behaviour in the family," she says. "As to whether I will marry again…no comment! But of course I need a man." Naa xageed nin ka keeni hadaad fool xuntahey hahahahahaha.

Haweenkeenii waa la duufsadey, Alle ha noo soo celiyo. Amiiiiin

Beauty is Skin Deep

It is said that Beauty is skin deep, it's a fact no one can deny. But we live in a superficial world and the way you present yourself to the world is exactly how it will take it. Looks are definitely important, but not over how important over one's personality and persona.

A Girl could be a perfect 10, but if she's dumb and stupid she aint getting a job just on the basis of her looks. In fact the beauty contests these days also judge you not just on your beauty, but they see how well rounded a person you are. walee kor waan is qurxiney, hoosna waan ka quruney

Looks are important but not in terms of your features or your body. Its all about your style your personality. It's about how confidently can you carry yourself around in different situations among different people. A pleasing dress sense and knowing what suits you best can enhance your personality.

A well groomed person, with good etiquettes and careful personal hygiene is more likeable than a rude pretty young thing. A compassionate person with the right attitude towards life is liked by one and all. If your personality is good then it will automatically make you look better on the outside., weli ma aanan arag waxan aan shaagaayo

In the corporate world, many times it is seen that although two persons having the same background and experience, the more presentable one is often selected over the other. Its not about the looks, but how well you can represent their company with all your confidence.

Corporates prefer their employees to be well dressed and groomed as they are the face of the company, and their well groomed personality give the company a staid professional look. Laakiin musuq maasuq ayaa halkan ka buuxa ee is ilaaliya

In personal lives, when it comes to dating or marrying looks sure make it to the top of people's lists. Looks sure should be there on the priority list, but other factors such as compatibility, empathy, sensitivity to the other's thoughts and feelings, et al should be given due preference. Naag qurux badan weli ma arkin, ee maxaa iga galay hadey shuruudha kale buuxiso

If two people are not compatible, their relationship won't last long enough. Its better to have someone who you can talk to all day, rather than look at all day. waan arakey naag xirata shaarka aan xirto oo kale laakiin kibir baa diley

Beauty is superficial and short lived, its your inner qualities your personality and your achievements in life that define you. If you will be shallow and go after looks and only looks you will be left empty handed at the end of it all. Indhoolayaal ayaaba anaga fiican

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, for a husband his 250 pound heavy wife could be beautiful because what they share is precious and unique. Laakiin yaa xamili kara culeyskeeda toloow.

Still Looking For a Perfect Lady

Hi Guys!. As you don't know, I was once Jaceylyahan, and Lajecle. Because of my long experience as a romantic Somali guy, I decided to teach a lesson for those baadoow who don't know how to approach a lovely woman. So, let me write something that will bring a lot of muran iyo dood badan

Every man’s dream is to have the perfect girl. However, in order to have one, you must first be able to get one. Most believe such a task can be extremely difficult, yet if done properly, it can be accomplished swiftly and efficiently. In fact, there are only a few basic procedures to getting a girl. The first step of this process is rather quite simple; get her attention, hana cabsanin waryaah.

Initiating conversation is half the battle. As well, it is very effective to make frequent eye contact. Let her catch you staring once in a while and smile at every chance you get. Your goal is to be fairly subtle, while still making it obvious that you want her. Once you have succeeded in being noticed, you are ready for the next step. Be funny, be confident, but be yourself. Be nin rag ah, and keep making her happy all the time

The absolute worse thing you can do when trying to get a girl is to change your personality. Self-assurance is indispensable and by altering your character, you are telling her that you lack confidence. Having a sense of humor is also very important. It is absolutely crucial to make her smile, even if it occasionally requires making a fool of yourself. If you can’t make her laugh, you don’t stand a chance. Cidna dooni mayso lacagtaada iyo faankaaga. Do something that make you nin rag ah.

Now that she’s interested, entice her by making her feel special. Without being too overwhelming, attempt to spend as much time as possible with her. Devote yourself to making her feel different than the rest by going out of your way to please her. Little things count most. For example, cancel a pre-planned weekend with the boys saaxiibo and take her out for dinner and a movie instead. This worked for me many time, so stick with it waryaah

Randomly buy her flowers and she will melt. Let her hear things she wants to hear. Compliment timaheeda dheer, iyo sanqaroorkeeda dheer if she has one, or compliment her outfit, but don’t go overboard. Too much of a good thing gets taken for granted. It’s also essential that you be interested, or pretend to be interested, in things she likes. If she plays sports watch her game, even in the pouring rain. Once she feels a little closer to you, it’s time for the final step.

Probably the most difficult yet most important step to getting a girl is to keep her guessing. Although it sounds foolish, you must back off, tremendously. Play games with her head. Make her jealous by flirting with other girls, especially with her friends. Don’t return a phone call once in a while or tell her you are busy when she invites you out. Intrigue her. Let her wonder what you could be doing instead of being with her. Laakin waryaah, be careful when you are following this step.

The key is to reverse the roles and make her want you. By following these simple steps the challenge of making a girl yours will nearly be eliminated. And although it may require a certain degree of time and effort, it’s definitely worth it.

Imagine not being able to have someone to laugh with, someone to cry with, or someone to love. Gabar is everything a man needs, and with a little practice getting one becomes almost second nature. If this works for you, ha iloobin yaah inaad ii soo dirto hal marduuf jaad ah. Good Luck!

Optimist Versus Pessimist

In this fast changing, struggle-filled world, there are two kinds of people; those who see only the bad and those who see a whole lot more. Which person are you? It's easy to see the bad and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know there are problems out there.

It's harder to see beyond the bad and into a world of promise and a better life. What it basically boils down to is, Ma waxaad tahay a pessimist(Shaydaan ku hor boodaaya} mise an optimist{malaa'ig daba socda}? You can be one or the other but you can't be both. Sorry! Labda heli maysid.

Why can't you be both? Well, which one of you is going to decide that for you? It's one of the two because, overall, your life is either going to get better or worse. It's not going to stay the same! Everything changes and, depending on your inner intention, a pessimist is the kind of person who doesn't see life with all its beauty and blessings but instead becomes filled with a lot of negative ideas.

They easily give up and they lose hope which makes them feel left-out a lot of the time. They have the tendency to hate themselves and often feel that they are really doing nothing. They blame themselves but also the others around them. The world is a terrible place, they say, and everybody is to blame.

These are the individuals who commonly don’t succeed. They remain second best because they never try to be the best they can be. There's always an excuse that somebody else is to blame for. They are pretty much satisfied to stay right where they are and to keep on complaining from this day on. Some those THEM are those so-called FAHDI KU DIRIR.

Optimists, on the other hand, are believers in life! They recognize the many unseen things that life holds for them and they seek those things out each day. They give boqoliiba boqol to everything that they do and they simply love it. Sourgrapers can go on and on about all the negative “truths” that they think they see and gloat when someone is having a bad day.

Still, the optimist always picks up their chin and moves on no matter how hard and tiring something is. They are magically boosted with so much energy that they have a zest for many new and more challenging things. That’s what optimists are. They are always on the go and always ready to see what's over the next horizon.

Now think again. Which one of these people are you? Sure, all of us would want to belong with the optimists and to have a better outlook on life. A lot of good things can be gained by having an optimistic heart. It gives you a better chance for a healthy and longer life. It gives you a better disposition in life and causes you to be more productive and more successful.

Even if you fail, you don't really care because you know you did your best and that is all that can be expected. If you are truly an optimist. khayr doon ah, then you probably recognize your own weaknesses and have already been working to try and make yourself a better person. You will always stand up and try until you finally succeed.

Failures make an optimist work even harder. Failures are the inspiration and the motive to reach higher and an optimist knows they will eventually succeed and that they already are succeeding just by getting up and trying again.

There's a bit of an optimist in all of us but sometimes that seed has to be watered and given some sunlight, si aynu isku badelno. It takes courage and willingness, adkaysi, and the perseverance to continue each day. How you deal with your setbacks is the most important thing.

Are you going to choose to hide and run away from your problem sidii Cigaal shidaad or be brave enough to face them with arms wide open. Whatever way you want it, it’s only up to you. Have the heart of an optimist and someday you’ll be the kind of person who appreciates life 110%! Allha noo fududeeyo Amiiiin

Date Rape: When Friend Turns Foe

The story of sexual assault in our culture is not just about rape. Rapists are not born, they are made, And remade. And the culture which makes "them" also makes "us". The question of why (some) men rape is thus connected to the question of why sexual violence is tolerated.

This connection exists at a double intersection: between attitudes and actions, between violence and notions of masculinity. We are all connected to these intersections because this is where we have grown up as men

There are many sad stories of girls who have been violated by someone that they know. They almost all begin with a wonderful night and eventually get taken advantage of. The woman in the situation may feel as though she asked for it. The male may feel as though she didn't say no, so if I do this I am doing nothing wrong.

It is horrifying how many times this has happened to a woman. Men take their strong, masculine image and use it to their advantage. They may try to use guilt, lies and/or aggressiveness to get a girl to have sex him. If she declines and he still continues to persuade her to have sex with him, then he is committing a crime.

Rape is a very strong word. It is a word that many women feel uncomfortable saying when it comes to their own experiences. Many women have been raped and may not even know it. This is called date or acquaintance rape. Someone the victim knows or is aquatinted with commits this rape. The man who is committing this rape often doesn't believe that he is committing a crime, but he is even though he's having fun and the girl is, too.

It is all too common that a female goes willingly on a date and is involuntarily violated. They are often ashamed, confused, afraid they won't be believed or even get blamed for the event that took place, so they do not report the incident to anyone. Teenage girls are especially at risk for date rape because they have nice little tits, and perfect package. 38% of all rape cases reported the victim's range in ages fourteen to seventeen. This to me is a high percentage for such a small age range.

Amina was a situation that she felt to be fine. Ahmed, a guy she knew from school, had asked her out on a date. Unsuspecting she agreed to go. They went to a movie and on the way home they stopped on an abandoned road to talk. They talked for a little while and then Ahmed began to come on to her. Amina politely declined his gestures. Ahmed began to get angry and began touching Amina forcefully.

Amina continued to tell him no, but Ahmed continued to force her to have intercourse. After he dropped her off at home and acted as though nothing had happened. Amina felt confused and ashamed and had a big smile on her face. She had many unanswered questions and felt as though she had no one to turn to. She kept this incident to herself.

Amina should have reported this incident. What Ahmed did was called rape. She didn't even think that what had happened was rape. If Amina had been more informed about the subject, Ahmed could have got in trouble by the police or even sent to jail. This happens to many women and many men walk away with no punishment for violating women's rights.

Women need to watch out for themselves in sketchy situations. If she feels uncomfortable then she should try to avoid the situation before it is too late. Pushy men should not violate women. Rape doesn't always have to a violent crime; it can also be almost subtle. If you or someone you know feel as though you have been date raped then you should tell someone about it. Date rape is all too common to avoid or feel ashamed about. Be careful my little Somali sisters yaa

How Do You Look Abaayo

Do you look in the mirror and pick yourself apart? Do you constantly worry about what you look like? You might be thinking, “Sure, no big deal.” But, the way you look at yourself and how you talk to yourself on a daily basis can have a huge impact on your life.

One of the largest influence on Somali girls is the media.The media pushes body image, clothes, and fast food. At the same time they push weight lose with unrealistic results. The combination of all the above leads our teenage girls down the road to eating disorders and a confusing self-image. When you are not happy with who you are it is hard to be a good friend and a good student.

If your mind is on what you don't like about yourself and your body, then you are ignoring the good things that make you experience life positively, leaving you with a negative view of the world. This outlook affects how you treat other people, how you do in classes, and how you deal with problems on a day to day basis.




Just imagine what you are missing when you are spending all of your time thinking about how you look! There is a common problem among teenage girls eating disorders. Eating disorders refers to seeing your body and food in a negative way. For instance, if you were to eat a piece of chocolate cake, then go to the mirror and tell yourself that you ate more than you should have, you are looking at food in a negative way.

Food keeps you alive. Without the right amounts of vitamins and minerals, your body won't work well. Yet many women, especially teenagers, see food as the enemy. In the process of saying that food is the enemy, the media is saying that fast food is the quick and easy way to eat. Their target audience are teenagers.

In essence, Somali teenagers are getting a mixed message. Eating fatty food on the run, look good, and the only way see how to do this is by unrealistic means. Girls are taught from a young age that the key to success is beauty.




The commercial media, for example, pays no attention to girls' minds and life goals. Instead, they show us Naomi Campbell, Nikki Taylor, Iman Danyeer, Weris Dirye of Desert Flower, or Ayan Hirsi of Caged Virgin Nacalatulaahi(She is not model, but shaydaan model), and other popular models, telling us that this is what you should go for.

As the well-known Body Shop slogan says, There are three billion women who don't look like supermodels and only eight who do. Yet millions of women skip meals, skip dessert, and treat food as their enemy just to look like the impossibly thin women on the covers of today's magazine, including Somali Playboy(I seent it, if you didn't).

Even those who love and support you might be accidentally leading you into hurtful behaviors. When you see a parent or loved one going on strict diets or exercising a lot, you might feel that what they are doing is normal. You might even be encouraged then to diet and exercise as much as they do. While they think they are trying to teach you good habits, they might actually be teaching you to do things that hurt your body.

If you look in any nutrition book, (kaarka nafaqada), you will find something about Recommended Daily Allowances of vitamins and minerals. Now, look at the labels on the food you eat. Often, when you go on diets, you eat foods that are low in the nutrients you need like calcium and iron. These things keep you energetic and strong.

Your body does not work as well without them. While calories might seem bad to a dieter, when you have less calories in your diet, and less nutritious food, you are really taking out one of the things your body needs to store energy. So what do you do? While it is hard to change your body, it is easier to change your body image.

Counseling, for one, is very important. To change the way you see your body, you need to understand why you feel the way you do. Are you just a self-critical person, or does someone you know make you feel bad about yourself? It takes work to look at a model in a magazine and realize that she is probably airbrushed, meaning that photographers and artists used computers and programs to erase any blemishes and often to add certain shapes to her body. Old Iman from Somali is one of them, yaab dheh.

Those girls on the covers of magazines may not have the great abs you are led to think they do. With the right lighting and some computer work, anybody can look like a model. Body image has a tremendous impact on Somalia girls in America and Europe.

Whether they grow up to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, house wives, or Jaad traders, the pressure of how the look causes girls and young women to turn to eating disorders and extreme behavior. It’s upsetting that teenage girls feel this way, but it is the reality of today.

How can this problem be changed? There could be more regular and plus sized models in magazines and on television. Less ads for diets that cause people to lose massive amounts of weight in a short period of time, only to have it return. I don’t know the answer to this problem, but it does need to be solved. Abaayoos, forget to change your beautuful body and accept how God made your image and keep it that way until you take your last breath.

What is Internet Addiction

A Growing Epidemic in the world including Somali: Internet Addiction The Internet has become one of the most universal methods for communication with over 100 million users worldwide.

From e-mail to the possibly billions of web pages, there is an infinite amount of information flowing. And another enticing aspect of the Internet, is the opportunity to interact with other people

Chat Rooms and MUD (Multi-User Dimensional) games offer the person the ability to talk and mingle with others online. But with this newfound freedom, also comes the possibility of abuse and addiction. Internet addiction, also known as Pathological Internet use, has emerged as a very destructive force in today’s society.

But what causes Internet Addiction? There are many different causes, but one of the most essential, is thought to be a personality disorder. Dr Cali Faraax, an author in Psychology Today says, “The lone, bored, depress, introverted, lacking self-esteem, or have a history of addictions are most vulnerable.” This group of people seems to be the most susceptible to all mental disorders, psychologically or physical.

These people need to fill the void that has been created by not having any real life relationships, so they turn to the Internet, just as if someone would turn to drugs. Mr Faarax thinks “people feel closer, quicker to the people they communicated with online than in real life; time passes freely, and people like the anonymity.”

A study conducted by Dr Cali Farax had some interesting findings. Twenty-five percent of the surveyed Somali participants in Minneasota say that web time has reduced their time spent with friends and family and participating in events outside the home. They also found that nearly 60% of the surveyed cut back on television viewing also, in which Faarax added that “the Internet could be the ultimate isolating technology that further reduces our participation in communities, even more than TV did before.”

This is a relatively new disorder, and there hasn’t been much studying or research of it. So how does one know if he or she is a pathological Internet user? There are a few symptoms that are good indicators of a problem.Neglecting family activities, social events, work, school in order to spend more time on the Internet is probably the biggest sign of Internet addiction.

But also suffering withdrawal symptoms, not being able to limit time online, constantly thinking about the next online session, and preferring to talk to cyber-friends rather than face-to-face conversations are also signs. There are about 3 distinct situations in which internet addiction can take form although they all are based on the need of personal contact, and ability to change personal status to gain peer recognition Online games, chat rooms, and cyber-sexual addiction.

Dr Farax tries to identify these separate cases. “One way a person becomes addicted to the net is through online games. It is a fantasy world where the player takes on the name of a character and they battle other on-line players accumulating “points” and status from other players. While online, the player feels in control of their destiny, yet off-line they feel less competent and maybe awkward when not playing.”

I, as jaakoole, have been part of this MUD gaming system, and I must say that it was exciting. Although I wasn’t that really interested in it after a few times of play, because the others were a lot better than I was, and I would lose almost every match almost indefinitely.

I didn’t feel a real need to return to the site to continue the game mostly due to the fact that I wasn’t successful in it. But if I would have better at it, and had fun, it could have been a different story. A more taboo type of addiction presented by the Internet is the cyber-sexual addiction. The Internet provides pornographic images to anyone, and there is almost no sort of safeguard to young children.

This sort of freedom makes it hard to stop. Also there is always the expectation to find a better site. With the Internet, there is always another link, another banner, and always something better to find. Chatrooms, like the one we use in somalinet, are more accessible to a bigger range of people, which makes them probably the most abused part of the Internet. The only requirements is being able to communicate effectively and having a computer.

chat rooms create imaginary relationships, which to the user seem to be more ideal than those in real life and becomes more important. But once contact has been made, and the online mate didn’t turn out the way he or she planned, they are in turn drawn back to the Internet in the perpetual hunt for a perfect mate.

All those cyber chatters are drawn to others who are depressed or lonely like them. This is often one of the most destructive in relationships. Users start off causally surfing the web, perhaps stumble upon a chat room. They find a room that they can relate too, and begin chatting. A contact they talk to begins to turn into a relationship-based bond. If this person is involved in a relationship, such as dating partner, or marriage, it could turn into disaster.

There are numerous cases of divorce accounted to the Internet. Take for instance Badel and Nimo, a Seattle couple. Badel began receiving credit card bills with $350 charges for online services. Soon he began neglecting household chores, stopped joining Nimo for dinner, and would stumble into bed late at night.So it was apparent that Badel had chosen his virtual life over his real one, so Nimo finally left.

Internet addiction has been growing more and more, and there is a small chance that it has affected you in your life. But if it does, do you know how to cure this ailment? Obviously, the most used treatment, is to just limit use of the Internet. But this is like asking a smoker to quit cold turkey; it usually isn’t a good diagnosis.

Dr Faarax says there are two main options in therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). “CBT is a familiar treatment based on the premise that thoughts determine feelings. Patients are taught to monitor their thoughts and identify those that trigger addictive feelings and actions while they learn new coping skills and ways to prevent a relapse.” So they are taught to ask themselves which are more important, the relationships online, or the real ones.

Another treatment is Motivational Enhancement Treatment (MET). “MET is less familiar. Its aim is to help patients acknowledge that they have a problem and need to change their behavior. The stages of change are contemplation, determination, action, maintenance, and contemplation again after a relapse.”

Therapists also assess the computer the use of patients in great detail and reaffirm their acknowledgment of the need for help. Therapy groups are the most advised way for treatment. When you can relate to others with others who also have the same problem.

The Internet has opened the door of the information age to many people. Actually, the information age was created due to the Internet. Yet, the negatives will never out shadow all the positives that the Internet has done for the world probably, and the Internet is almost assuredly here to stay.

So people must be able to use it, without abuse. This isn’t the first time that something has been reared a society-destructive force, and it probably won’t be the last. It is just another way that people can escape the real world, and enter their own sort of utopia. Whether drug-induced or via e-mail, its all the same.

Female Genital Mutilation

FGM is a social custom, not a religious practice. However, in most of the Muslim countries where it is practice, FGM is often justified by a controversial saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed that seem to favor sunna circumcision involving minor cutting of the clitoris.

The authenticity of these sayings are unconfirmed, and some scholars have refuted them. Even if true, they only permit the practice; they do not mandate it.

Picture this, Halima,a young innocent girl, between the age of eight and twelve, running around, playing, and having a good time. Then she is snatched away to a foul hut, whose floor is nothing but dirt. Once in the hut, the helpless girl is stripped of all her clothing and pinned to the dirt floor. Her tiny legs are spread and held wide apart with a tight grasp. Soon afterward, an old man, with no education in human anatomy or medicine, enters the hut and says a prayer (Soo duceeya).

While the young girl is held down in this most vulnerable position Aw Jaamac, the operator, takes a handful of sand and rubs it all over the girl’s genitals. With no anesthetics and a jagged rock, that merely has a sharpened edge, the old man begins to cut on the most tender area of the young girl.

Aw Jaamac cuts away the clitoris and the tissue at the entrance of the vagina. When the old man is finished cutting and perfecting his excision, he takes a thorn bush needle and sews from the head of the clitoris all the way down to the vaginal opening with the exception of one small place where a sliver of wood is placed. The wood is put into place so that when the scar tissue forms a minute opening is left for urine and menstrual flow to escape.

After the raw edges have been sewn up a mixture of butter and herbs is placed over the wound. This is done to cease the blood that is now gushing out of this helpless young girl.

The above is only a brief description of a type of mutilation that millions of girls encounter every year in Somalia. What is it that would cause parents to inflect such pain on their little girls? Female genitalia mutilation consists of four principal types. One type of FGM is very similar to the type of circumcision that is performed on males. This includes cutting around the perimeter of the hood of the clitoris in order to remove it, but leaving the body of the clitoris in place. This form of FGM is called female circumcision or Sunna circumcision.

Another form of female genitalia mutilation is called excision or clitoridectomy. Removing the entire clitoris and either part or all of the labia minora is performed in this type of mutilation.

Intermediate circumcision, another form of FGM, is very similar to a clitoridectomy. The difference is that in addition to the removal of the clitoris and part or all of the labia minora, that part or all of the labia majora is also removed.

The last and most severe form of FGM is called infibulation or pharaonic circumcision. This includes the removal of both the clitoris and the labia minora, as well as much of the labia majora. Then the remaining sides are sewn together.

This ritual begins with the facilitator praying and singing praises. Then, as a girl identified as Halima retells her dreadful experience, she was instructed to lie down on a mat. Halima says that no sooner had her frail, young, legs hit the mat they were tightly grasped by heavy hands and spread wide apart. Her legs and arms were both immobilized.

Next, she tells that a foreign substance was rubbed all over her genital organs and that it caused a very unpleasant sensation. She later discovered that the foreign substance was sand and that it was used in order to assist in the operation. Halima goes on to tell that as a hand grasped a part of her genital organs her heart seemed to miss a beat. She would have given anything at that moment to be a thousand miles away; then a shooting pain brought her back to reality as her excision had begun.

This operation is performed under extremely poor hygienic conditions. The facilitator of this excision will often use an UN-sterile knife or a rock that merely has a sharpened edge. In addition, the entire process is done without any form of anesthetics.

When Waris Dirie retells her memory of when her body was sliced and mutilated she whispers “It’s not a pain you forget.” In her account, she retells how she was held down, blindfolded and crying, by her mother so that a gypsy could perform this brutal rite of passage on her. The gypsy used a filthy dull razor and no anesthetic to perform the operation.

Depending on the type of mutilation, Sunna circumcision, clitorictectomy, intermediate circumcision, or infibulation, the so-called FMG operators will begin cutting from the top and go to the bottom of the small lip. Next, they will scrape out the insides of the large lip while having an assistant female stick her finger inside the wound to verify their work.

All the while the girl twists and wails in anguish. According to Halima, the operation seems to go on forever, as it has to be performed “to perfection.” She tells how she was suffering through an endless agony, torn apart both physically and psychologically. After the operator is finished with the cutting, he will use a thorn bush needle to sew the raw edges together to encourage the growth of scar tissue.

A small sliver of wood is placed in the vagina to ensure that an opening will be left for urine and menstrual flow to escape. Weris Dirie also describes how the ragged edges of her wound were sewn together, leaving her only a minute opening for urination and menstruation. She tells how menstruation became so painful that she would routinely faint.

Once the operator has completed sewing up the wound, a paste of butter and herbs is spread over the wound. This is done to cease the blood gushing out of the young girl. After the mutilation, the girl’s legs are bound together for up to a month to ensure proper healing. As a result of the poor hygiene used in this procedure, the young girl will often have problems with her wound and will continue to experience intense pain. One such problem is the loss of a large amount of blood.

During and sometimes following the mutilation, the young girl will have torrents of blood pouring out of the wound. As a result of the loss of blood and the excruciating pain she has just experienced, the young girl may go into shock and may ultimately die. There is also the possibility of infection.

Following the mutilation procedure the girl will often develop gross-wound infections. This is of course a direct result of the unsanitary conditions that the operation was preformed under. The girls may even acquire tetanus or septicemia (blood poisoning) from the unhygienic conditions. As a result of having chronic infections, many girls will develop pelvic inflammatory disease. Some of the infections are due to urine and menstrual retention.

Directly following the excision, the girl will almost always have urine retention. This is due to the swelling of the tissues, which causes severe pain during urination. When the girl holds her urine in like this, it can cause urinary tract infections. In addition to retaining urine, she might also retain menstrual blood. The opening that is left behind is at times too small for the blood to escape; thus there is a retention of menstrual blood.

After experiencing this operation, many girls find that menstruating alone is intensely torturous. Indeed, some may pass out from the pain. Over a longer period of time, other problems can occur from this ghastly tradition. One such major problem is the formation of keloids and cysts. Keloids can cause problems with intercourse and with delivering babies.

Keloids can make it impossible to consummate a marriage; the man can not penetrate the vagina as a result of the keloids. Infact, in many cases, when the man tries to penetrate he will cause lacerations to his penis. The only way to correct this is to have the keloids removed. The formation of cysts is also a problem. Cysts can result from external skin being sewn into the circumcision wound. These cysts can grow to become huge masses and can form abscesses.

In addition, they will almost always require surgery to be removed and they can get infected. Both of these problems can cause damage to the urinary canal, vagina, and to the rectum. Doctors also say that “stones,” which are formed from menstrual debris and urinary deposits, can cause similar damage. They say it will cause tears in the tissue that separates the vagina from the urinary tract, and in the tissue that separate the vagina from the rectum. These tears cause urine and feces to leak out of the girl.

In addition to physical problems, this custom can also cause psychological problems. Girls who experience this mutilation can encounter anxiety, depression, neuroses, and psychoses, a total change or disorganization of their personality. To say the least, this tradition causes a great deal of harm to generations of girls.

It has begun to be seen as a form of child abuse in many countries. Exactly what is the reason for these parents having their baby girls endure such pain and humiliation. FGM is a tradition practiced mainly in African and muslim countries, like Somalia where I orginally came from.

It is believed that clitorictomies were used among high social ranking people in Ethiopia and Egypt during the fifth century BC. However, infibulation was usually performed on slave girls to ensure that they remained virgins. This was because virgin slave girls would receive a high price when sold or traded. Today, however, if you ask a Somali person what is the purpose of FGM. the answer will be easy. "To confirm her virginity"

There are numerous reasons why this tradition is still practiced. One such reason that dates back to one hundred years ago says that clictorictectomies were prescribed to help cure aches and pains, I guess you could say it would be our equivalent of Tylenol. It was also believed that clictorictectomies were even suppose to help remedy emotional disturbances, an approach to helping psychological disturbances that Freud never thought of.

Other sources say that due to droughts and there not being enough water for everyone, clictorictectomies were used as a way to control the opulation. Women, who have been mutilated in this manner, would find it very difficult and painful not only to have sex, but also to deliver a child.

In addition, it was also believed that an uncircumcised woman was nasty and not suitable for marriage. Even today the same feelings toward women who are not circumcised are present. An uncircumcised woman is often the outcast of the village. She may not be invited to ceremonies and quite often will never get married. Thus the consequences of either having the operation done or not puts a tremendous psychological strain on these young girls.

A woman being circumcised is a necessity to the religious beliefs, society, and culture of the people in these African countries. It was a tradition that was used to prepare young girls for womanhood, a “rite of passage.” Many members of the Muslim faith have considered FGM to be a requirement of our faith; however, Muslim theologians have constantly rebutted this belief. Moreover, this tradition is rarely seen to be practiced in the area where the Muslim faith first begun.

Nonetheless, fifty percent of men surveyed in the Somalia said that female genitalia mutilation was a requirement for the Muslim faith. There are other reasons for FGM that have nothing to do with religion but instead are based on aesthetics. Some view the vagina as ugly and perform FGM to remove the unattractive parts of the female’s natural structure. Walaahi it is true. That is the only reason I, as Jaakoole,hate an uncircumcised woman.

Some cultures believe that if a woman’s genitals are not circumcised, they will begin to grow. It is believed that the female clitoris will grow long enough to touch her thighs. Thus, when it is time for her to have sex, the man will not be able to enter because of her own erection.

When some Somalai mothers were asked why they still continued to have this tradition performed on their daughters, they said that they thought what they were doing was helping their daughter. This is believed due to the fact that uncircumcised girls are considered to be social outcasts.

Many of them said that female genitalia mutilation is a good tradition. It improves a girl’s chance for marriage, it improves fertility and morality, and it protects virginity. This horrendous mutilation usually occurs on children between the ages of four and twelve. However, it has also been performed on infants and babies as soon as they are born.

Traditionally, the people who perform this procedure are birth attendants, midwives, or elderly man, and woman in the village. All of these operators have experience in doing the operation. However, hardly any of them have medical training. Despite how unprepared, how unhygienic, or what problems, physical and mental FGM causes these families continue to perform this ritual due to social pressures and there culture.

Thinking of Her

Finding a dead body on the edge of the park first thing in the morning wasn't my idea of how to start a day. Actually, it wasn't how I started my day. First, I had rolled out of bed, then I had a glass of orange juice, and followed that with donning my jogging suit, the thickest pair of socks I owned, my beat-up old tennies and my boy hat — as my ex-girlfriend liked to call my knit cap decorated with tassels and cute little flowers.

I had opened the door of my cottage prepared to brace myself against one of the coldest winter storms Burnsville had ever experienced — because like it or not, I had to jog or I didn't function through the day — and had been shocked by the incredibly still air...until I closed the door and stepped out, then wind gusted up and almost knocked me flat.

But finding a dead body, half in the park, half out...seeing her hair splayed across the pebbles, the snow piling up on her body, the back of her parka puffed up and floating like a buoy, the murder weapon — a blood-drenched rock, only inches away — made the orange juice rise to my throat and turn sour.

Help! Who in their right mind other than myself was out for a jog at six a.m.? It was, after all, still so dark that the seagulls hadn't shown up for their breakfast of minnows. Thank Allah. I'm not sure if I could've handled seeing a dozen birds scouring her body for food. Oh, Farxiyo. I wanted to touch her, to hold her, to bring her back to life. I'd only known her two weeks. She had been the sweetest Somali singer I'd ever encountered, and I'd encountered a few over the past five years of living in Burnsville, few of them sweet.

I looked back at Farxiyo's swollen body and my stomach lurched. If I only had a blanket. To keep her warm. To do something. Help, someone! Farxiyo had recently arrived in Burnsville to find herself...it's like a recurring nightmare for many of us up here. She had left her boyfriend of three years somewhere back in the Bloomington, near Mall of America, the famed mall, that you, the reader, probably knew or heard it.

On an impulse, I leaned down next to her to say a quick prayer. That's when I saw a partial track left in the almost-frozen mud by her head, the welts of hiking boots filling with silt and lapping water. Evidence, I mumbled, wishing to Allah I had a camera so I could record it before the near-freezing waters of lake eroded it into nothing.

Whoever had done this hideous act had covered all his tracks except one. Did he know? Would he be back? Help, Damnit! I wasn't willing to run up to the road and leave her. She needed me with her. I'd want someone with me if I — I covered my mouth in an effort to lock in the throw-up, and remembered how when Farxiyo had gotten off early one day, we had taken a run down a black diamond slope together — kindred spirits, she had called us.

I got all the low-down on her boyfriend on our first meeting, not that it was that much information. In fact, I can be rather chatty on the ski slopes, and I think Farxiyo may have gotten my entire life history in that brief period instead of the vice versa. Obviously, I don't have a huge life history if it only takes fifteen minutes, but hey. Anyway, I don't think I learned much more about her except she and he had talked about marriage, but then had decided against it.

I recalled how Farxiyo had clammed up then. Said something like her mother wouldn't have approved. We had made promises that we would ski together on her next day off, but neither of us had followed up on the plan. So much for kindred spirits. And now she laid before me...dead. Her brains bashed in. Her once-lovely face purple. Her eyes wide open, staring at the sky in obvious shock that someone would take her life. And I felt the tug of kindred spirits, like I was destined to help her and wouldn't go to heaven myself if I didn't.

Guilt can be quite a motivator. Please, someone, can you hear me? I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping to heaven someone would answer. I didn't want to let her lie here, and I didn't dare move her. I've watched episodes of murders in soap operas — there had to be at least one a season for ratings — enough to know that you can't move a murder victim and screw up the crime scene. There were always technical advisors on the set that filled us in on these little details.

Who did this to you, Farxiyooy? I whispered, as if speaking to her spirit on some other plane. Pretty little farixiyo, who always said, Have a good day, every time I got on the chair lift, who smiled every time a child skied up. It didn't matter if it was one of those kids with attitude on snowboards in baggy pants or a tiny tot with chapped lips, sunburned red face and snot hanging out its nose, she smiled.

She was the essence of purity and innocence. Dead. Somebody, help! I was getting angry. Why in the hell wasn't anyone up and around to help? Where were the police? What's going on? I heard a woman shout from the railing above. Dead body, I yelled, as if every day there was a dead body. I couldn't believe how calm my voice sounded. The flare of a flashlight blazed a path down the freshly fallen snow, then I heard the woman dashing down the hill, crunching the frozen ice beneath her feet, only to realize it was Safiyo Haji, the hottest looking cop in ski pants, the only friend I had in town other than Farxiyo.

Safiyo raised her beam to my face, then said in a hoarse whisper, Jaakoole, you look like crap. I don't look as bad as Farxiyo. You know her? Safiyo asked, turning the light on the girl's body. She shuddered sound, then gasped, a sound like all the air being let out of a tire. Farxiyo Ali. I couldn't feel my fingers in my gloves so I clapped my hands together. Moved here two weeks ago.

Safiyo bent closer, examined the hair without touching it, then shut Farxiyos eyes. Poor kid. She's been murdered, Safyooy. I can see that. Safiyo haji's impatience was renown. Not once but three times I had seen Safiyo bust a door down with the heel of her boot — she always wore hiking boots in the winter, black ones, with thick soles and heavy laces, unless she was skiing, and then they were streamlined white Nordicas, top of the line.

She brushed a strand of her thick black hair off her face, reached into her stylish black parka, pulled out a walkie-talkie and switched it on. Well, what do we do now? I asked. We...do nothing. I call it in. Just out for your run? I nodded. Me, too. Good thing I came this way. I nodded again, feeling like one of those Chinese dolls you find at the tourist stores, where the head bounces up and down on a coil but never seems to find its bearings.

She'd just broken up with her boyfriend, I offered. Safiyo was busy licking her finger and wiping off a ketchup stain from her classy black jacket. She looked up, grinned. I was a slob at breakfast. Then she covered the mouthpiece of the walkie-talkie and said, Got a name? Farxiyo — I meant for the boyfriend? Dumbly, I shook my head. Farxiyo and I hadn't gotten around to fine-tuned personal items.

After another three minutes, I heard the wail of sirens, followed by the skidding of a team of boots down the icy stairway. Keep a distance, Waryaa, Safiyo barked. The arrival of reinforcements seemed neatly timed with sun-up, but it wasn't until I was asked to move to the side that I started to really take in the view.

The storm had moved on, and the crystal clear morning rose, enhanced by a perfect orb of blazing orange peeking over the Nevada side of the lake's celebrated mountain ring. Gloriously the sun was focusing its shimmering path of gold across the lake — a deep blue like you've never seen anywhere else in the world — straight to Farxiyo's body, as if it was a pathway back to Janatul Fardowza. I hoped that was where she was going to go.

As I said, I didn't know her all that well. Nobody had asked me to leave, so I brushed the early morning snow off a huge boulder and sat my cold ass down, surprised at the groan I made, more surprised at the creak from my knees — turning 33 was hard— and I watched as Safiyo Haji directed her subordinates to take notes, snap photographs, put up a yellow tape barring onlookers. Each movement seemed choreographed, even though the underlings were unaccustomed to homicide in the serene town of Burnsville City — where the norm included picking up hitchhikers and talk of another fine ski day to be expected at all the local bars.

Serenity at its best. Of course, that wouldn't be the norm during summer, but it was the middle of February, President's Day weekend, the height of the ski season, and my mind can only cope with one season at a time. Safiyo crouched down to peer at Farxiyo's face, I cried out, Safiyo, stop! A print. There's a print in the water! What an idiot to forget so soon! Safiyo looked up, startled, her face a mixture of pain and loathing.

What in the hell? Then it dawned on me. I'd never seen Safiyo on a morning run, and as I said, I ran daily. I suddenly remembered making fun of her the day we met saying that she probably fought like the butterfly Mohammed Ali had referred to in his poem. Fierce, but with grace. But she claimed she never exercised. I stared at Safiyo, knowing the lines of worry must be cropping up all over my sunburned face.

How had I missed the obvious? The slightly turned up nose, the hard arch of the brow, a devilish glint in Safiyo's eye that looked mischievous in Farxiyo's. Safiyo Haji Abdalla. Farxiyo's mother, the mother who wouldn't approve of Farxiyo's boyfriend. I blinked, trying to take the whole picture in. The smudge on her jacket — not catsup, but it sticky and red...like blood. The footprint — the deep welts filling with icy lake water, an exact match to Safiyo's more than likely.

When I could see the tips of her boots a few inches from mine, I looked up. Her breath stunk of bile. Her cheeks were flushed crimson. What happened? was all I could croak. I don't know. It was like a blind — Safiyo gulped in the cold air. I envisioned the raging storm earlier, the way the wet wind cut sideways through the streets, Safiyo tossed and turned by frantic emotions. I loved her, Jaakoole. More than my own life. The creases around Safiyo's eyes made her look every day of her forty-eight years.

She'd grabbed the rock. She swore she'd kill me. I tore it away from her. Her hands clenched like claws. Then something evil crawled inside me, every memory of my nightmare with her father, the way he beat me, the way she watched with tears in her eyes while clutching her blankie. Safiyo sighed deeply. He beat her — Her father? No, the boyfriend. Safiyo sounded both exhausted and irritated. But she wouldn't leave.

I screamed and screamed at her to wake up — see what would happen. Then there was a blackness, and all I remember is seeing her lying in the water, her sweet head bleeding. Safiyo bent over her shoes and retched. I was going to get a blanket. I had to leave her to get a blanket. Safiyo Haji started slapping her chest with her right palm, harder, faster. What have I done? I took Safiyo's hands in mine, then drew her into my arms and rocked her, knowing I could never remove the pain nor the guilt.

When the racking sobs subsided, she pushed away from me, wiped the tears from her face then smiled sadly, pulled her gun from her holster and blew a hole in the side of her head. It was all so fast. So unbelievable. A seagull screeched above. I looked up, but the image was blurred by the moisture flooding my eyes. **** It's weeks later, and I am still in the business of writing, but about what I can't understand.

Hey waryaada it just a fiction (ladhoobdhoobey. Dont take it serious heedhe because if I ever see a dead body in real life, I would have been thrown into jail. I got the eyes of a killer, according o my friends, and that is a good witness, soo ma'ahan yaah. Maybe it is time to get a makeup to change my pretty-like dadqalato eyes to something else.