salamucaleykum brothers and sisters. Let us pray to the muslims who are fighting and defending their land and religion from the aggresors and munafiqs who dont care about thier land. The Islamic Courts are the true defenders of Somalia. The weak government who had two  years to help the people ddint' even help the people they consist of warlords, that want to plung the country into chaos like the past 15 years just to get money. But as you can see the Islamic Courts restored peace in less than a year, and they united most of the Somali's under the Law's of Allah. They restored a lawless capital to prosperous one where the people living their enjoy peace, stability and security. Let us pray that the Islamic Courts become victorous and restore Somalia into a strong and peaceful Nation. We should not buy into what someone who doens't live in the country says about the Islamic Courts. These days most Islamic movements that restore peace get the title terrorists or Islamic fascists which is not true. Let us pray for the Somali's  that are struggling to restore peace and are defending their Country from the aggresors and warlords.

Peace to the world

On this board, displayed by what I am presuming are western european caucasians is really quite shocking.  As a close friend to many Somalis, I have alot of knowledge of the country and have managed to speak the langugaue at an elementary level.

The stupid posters who are mostly american/english working class scum need some educating.  If you can read Somali, I can recommend some websites.  Otherwise, take your ignorant/inferior eyes to the bbc website. 

Ethiopia has invaded a soverign nation.  It has violated boarders of Somalia and every Somali has the right to defend the country.  Not that the UN matters, but it gives the right for a country to defend itself against invasion.

I noticed the mocking tone of many so called contributors.  Perhaps, if any of you are from England, you will still be laughing when you walk through Walthemstow, Wembly, Ilford, Small Heath, Sparkbrook etc ie large parts of Birmingham and London which are now, in effect, run by Somalis.  Isnt immigration (?invasion) a wondefull thing?!

Think about that....you may not be laughing so much.

mack10

Point #1: HYPOCRISY REGARDING OUTSIDE AID

So far as the victory of the so-called "Islamist Courts" being indigenous, it ignores the massive aid from abroad without which these guys would never have gotten so far in the first place.

That aid has been of two sorts: financial and manpower--the latter in the form of fanatical and experienced volunteers.

I'd say the Islamists can hardly cry then if its opponents seek outside aid.

POINT #2: THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IS ISLAMIC RULE

I'd agree that the majority would favor--for now-- the rule of the Islamic Courts--over the present condition of chaos and anarchy over the warlords.

The point is that they'd favor almost anything over that.   Fascism and communism always boasted, as Islamists do, of eliminating crime.   Doing so is actually implicit in any totalitarian state because crime of any sort is contrary to the ruling clique's quest for total control.

A democracy could produce the same benefits without the downsides of fascism, communism and extreme Islam.

Also, the fact that the population might TEMPORILY favor the Islamists as preferable to a worse alternative isn't saying much.   The real test of the popularity of any Islamist regime (other than it's unproven claim to such) would be in its ability to survive open and free elections in which the voters have a chance to veto extremist measures having had a chance to experience them.

POINT #3: Given the past performance of such extreme Islamist regimes in giving shelter to Al Queda and assisting it in planning attacks on non-muslim nations, the latter have every right to see such regimes as a threat and to respond according.    These regimes, by their actions, make it the business of others.

re: "Given the past performance of such extreme Islamist regimes in giving shelter to Al Queda and assisting it in planning attacks on non-muslim nations, the latter have every right to see such regimes as a threat and to respond according. "

What I'm saying is that the extreme Islamists regimes of the Taliban type have proven themselves willing to assist in the planning of terror attacks like 9/11.   If that weren't so, the establishment of such regimes would be no business of the USA or other western regimes.

9/11, like later attacks (Bali, London) made it a self-defense issue for outside countries.   As 9/11 proved, the establishment of such regimes will lead to more 9/11s.   Therefore, the victims of such aggression have a right to defend themselves by preventing establishment  of Al Queda-allied states.

I think in some insight is in need of some non-orientalist, CNN reciting rhetoric.  Come on man :)

You are equivocating the Islamic Courts Union, something you probably 'Wikipedia-ed' to find out about, to facism.  One of the key premises of facism is the colonial-type transgression against the territories of other countries. 

How can you claim that Al-Qaeda is being harbored in Somalia?  Just because people have similar aspirations and a need for security, who also happen to be Muslim, does not make them Al-Qaeda or even extremist for that matter. 

Somalia has been in a state of constant turmoil for upwards of fifty years; we are lucky that the movements to take over are not a product of a deprived history.   We are looking at the same pro neo-colonialism that the U.S. has practiced almost world wide.  If we are going to point fingers at religions, why not point it as the Christian entity that has transgressed more territory and more lives than any idea that was ever created. 

In response to one of the orientalists (Bernard Lewis),   GRAHAM FULLER, who was the former head of the CIA, says that the best chance for democracy - in the greater Middle East and Africa - is to allow the grassroots "Islamist" movements to be voted in or take power as a result of popular support.  THE REAL FACISTS ARE THE NEO-COLONIALIST AND SOMETIMES FANATICAL CHRISTIANS WHO SEEK TO DOMINATE ANYONE WITH A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK!

How about them apples?

Ethiopia is making a mistake by killing the people in Somalia using the thieves in the U.S.'s weapons.  I hope the people in Ethiopia consider the consequences of their leader's action.

I find it interesting that The US is blamed in its entirety, when it reality the Russians have sold and maintained arms in to Ethiopia out stripping sales from other countires by a huge margin.

I have read over and over about how the US and its allies have a right to invade countries on the premise of rooting out Al-Qaeda operations because they were attacked. Yet throughout mans history caucasian christians have always been the global aggressor, have always disrespected the culture of others, have always raped,robbed, and waged war against the non white peoples of the world. So with that in mind doesnt the non white world have a right to attack all caucasian christian nations?If you take any group in the world,whites,blacks, muslims,christians,buddhists, who is without blood on their hands. Who has not committed some crime against another group. The native american people in North America,south America,and the outlying island nations were systematically tortured ,murdered ,exploited, and robbed of their land. According to US policy then the native peoples have every right to attack any and all people that live on the lands that are rightfully theirs.