Puntland’s media poodles versus watchdog media
By Bashir Goth
Puntland’s media poodles versus watchdog media
With the recent decision to suspend the reporters of VOA and ban VOA affiliate FM relay stations from broadcasting in its domain, the Administration of Somalia’s autonomous region of Puntland has shown its preference for supine media poodles to objective media watchdog.
It seems Puntland leaders have found great contentment in taking the paternalistic path of feeding their people with government censored information in the fashion of socialist and dictatorial states rather than giving them the choice to make their own judgments through free and diversified media.
What astonishes me is that both the President Abdirahman Faroole and his interior Minister and former rival for the presidencey, General Abdillahi Ahmed Jama (Ilka-Jiir) spent quite some time in countries where freedom of speech is guaranteed and that they enjoyed the full privilege of speaking up their mind if they wanted to.
It is equally astounding how African politicians crave for media attention when they are on the road to elections yet make a dramatic turnaround once they get the power. It reminds me of the Somali anecdote of the woman whose camel has lost its balance due to the weight on its back. She made the camel sit down so she could adjust the load. But travelling alone with only her young son, she prayed to the soul of Sheikh Abdulqadir Jilani, the founder of the Qadiri sufi order to which most of Somalis adhere to for help, saying: “Jiilaniyow ii gurmo, O’ Jilani come to my rescue.” When she managed to adjust the load and the camel stood up again and moved around without any problem, her son asked her: “Hooyo, Jiilaani muxuu inoo yahay? Is Jilani related to us?” to which the mother retorted: “waxba inooma aha ee awrkeena uun baan ku kacsanaynay...He is not related to us but we were just using him to help us with our camel.”
I remember when Faroole and Ilka-jiir were running for election; they seemed to be champions for free speech, eager to talk to any media outlet and obviously would not have liked it if the media was banned from talking to them. I spoke to General Ilka-jiir when he was transiting in Dubai on his way to Puntland and he sounded to be a very intelligent and open-minded man; the kind of a man that you thought would bring freedom and hope to his people. It is disappointing, however, to see media freedom deteriorate during his reign as Minister of Interior and Faroole as President.
In less than a year of their coming to power, the government has silenced reporters, arrested them, beaten them in courts and even closed stations, the latest of which is the VOA.
To cite some of the known cases, the director of the Somali ETN television based in Bosasso was arrested in March 2009. It was reported that Abdiwali Sheik, the ETN Director, had been detained him from his office.
In Mid July, Puntland police attacked Aweys Sheikh Nur, a local reporter, during a court session, act described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as “utterly unjustified,” and called upon Puntland government to “…punish the guards and ensure that journalists can do their work without fear of being attacked.”
Aslo in June, Puntland’s Minister of Information Deputy Minister Abdishakur Mire Adan acting at the behest of the son of President, Mohamed Abdirahman Farole told Horseed Media to remove a story hinting to a link between Puntland officials and pirates. Horseed Media refused to take the article down as reported by CPJ.
Puntland Journalists Protection (PJP) also reported the detention, arrest and torture of a number of bloggers and conventional journalists.
Puntland officials usually cite these reports as reflecting negatively on Puntland and accuse the reporters of instigating instability in the region. But among the VOA reports that angered the authorities was an interview with a cleric, a member of the anti-Al Qaeda Sufi order known as Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’ah, who claimed that his group has a presence in Puntland and a report on August 25 of a former governor’s son who killed a man in broad daylight.
The CPJ and other international and local media organizations have denounced these rogue actions by Puntland authorities.
Looking at all these actions, one may wonder why the educated leaders of Puntland who lived in the west and experienced the benefits of media freedom are acting like militia warlords who have more skeletons to hide than truths to share with their people. One thing, however, that Puntland leaders have to know is that it is not only brutal and thuggish to beat arrest or even ban the media but it is also a bad PR for their image and reputation as a responsible government. The best way that any government can challenge any biased reporting if any is not to gag the media but to be honest and transparent with their people, to tell their side of the story and to invite more diversified media to report about truth on the ground. Banning the VOA or any other independent media and relying only on the government’s official media will only create suspicion about the government’s actions and will incite the real media watchdogs to sniff around the lies that the media poodles are trying to bury.
As I was concluding this piece I read that Puntland authorities have permitted VOA to resume its operations. According to statement by the Ministry of Information: “His Excellency, the President of Puntland State, granted the VOA Somali Service to resume its news broadcasting operations in Puntland today as a good gesture to U.S. Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Michael E. Renneberger’s participation at the Puntland Diaspora Forum Conference to be held in the U.S. State of Minnesota, 10 – 12 October 2009.” This is further evidence of the Somali woman’s Jilani story that I related earlier. Puntland Officials need to show a real change of attitude towards media freedom than just cosmetic and self-serving tactics.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Somaliland is rescued by foreign friends and a watchful media
By Bashir Goth
Sept. 28 , 2009
With its latest decision to extend or should I say reject the extension, depending on where one stands on Somaliland’s slippery political landscape, of the President’s term of office; the Somaliland Guurti (Upper House of Elders) have loosened the noose on all parties.
As the political crisis tightened, the President placed himself into a foxhole, thinking that this will protect him from the many snipers that demanded his head. Equally ineffective, the opposition leaders also ended up making empty howls and toothless snarls when responsible action was needed.
Bereft of any leadership capacity, the House of Representatives (The Lower House) ridiculed themselves for their rowdy escapades and street behavior while the Election Commission sheltered itself in house of straws, waiting for the winds to come and blow off the roof or even their heads at anytime.
As the major stakeholders and the greatest losers if the explosive situation was allowed to develop into a civil war, it was only the people of Somaliland led by the business community, the Sultans, traditional elders and other notables that showed wisdom and tried to rein in all the political players before the situation deteriorated into chaos and the tribal genie was out of the bottle. However, it seemed that this time Somaliland’s famed bottom up remedy was not working and that the situation was in need of the top-down foreign concocted potion that had been tested with varying degrees of success and failure in other regions of Africa.
It was therefore the six-point proposal put forward by Somaliland’s foreign friends that the Guurti House endorsed as the ultimate remedy for the Somaliland problem and all the stakeholders including the people upheld them as Somaliland’s Six Pillars of Survival.
Congratulatory cables poured as the Guurti and Somaliland people at home and abroad had breathed a sigh of relief. But the question still hanging on everyone’s head is whether the problem is over? Did each and every one of the political players achieve their goals? The answer is NO and YES. It is NO because neither the President nor the opposition leaders achieved what they wanted. It is also YES because the self-imposed nooses have been temporarily loosened from their necks and they have been given a new chance to either make a real progress and work for the country’s interest or start another episode of their farcical game. We shall see if they seize the opportunity or they become like the fool who was lost and when he was found and he saw the people celebrating said: “Maxaa la igaga farxi berriba wan lumiye”( Why do they celebrate because for sure I will lose my way again tomorrow).
One party, however, that has emerged as the biggest winner is the Somaliland media which have regardless of their political inclinations stayed focused, held their torch on the issue and refused to let the politicians off the hook. It was through their vigil and constant reporting on the developments as they unfolded that kept Somaliland’s friends updated and enabled them to make a timely action. I applaud Somaliland’s media, both print and online, both conventional press and blogosphere, regardless of being pro or against the government for keeping us informed and enlightened. My congratulations specially go to those reporters who worked against the odds, who patiently waited in vain for hours and days before closed doors, who were selectively segregated and denied the opportunity to cover major events in government houses. I say to them keep up the vigil and know that as the Americans say it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
By Bashir Goth
Sept. 28 , 2009
With its latest decision to extend or should I say reject the extension, depending on where one stands on Somaliland’s slippery political landscape, of the President’s term of office; the Somaliland Guurti (Upper House of Elders) have loosened the noose on all parties.
As the political crisis tightened, the President placed himself into a foxhole, thinking that this will protect him from the many snipers that demanded his head. Equally ineffective, the opposition leaders also ended up making empty howls and toothless snarls when responsible action was needed.
Bereft of any leadership capacity, the House of Representatives (The Lower House) ridiculed themselves for their rowdy escapades and street behavior while the Election Commission sheltered itself in house of straws, waiting for the winds to come and blow off the roof or even their heads at anytime.
As the major stakeholders and the greatest losers if the explosive situation was allowed to develop into a civil war, it was only the people of Somaliland led by the business community, the Sultans, traditional elders and other notables that showed wisdom and tried to rein in all the political players before the situation deteriorated into chaos and the tribal genie was out of the bottle. However, it seemed that this time Somaliland’s famed bottom up remedy was not working and that the situation was in need of the top-down foreign concocted potion that had been tested with varying degrees of success and failure in other regions of Africa.
It was therefore the six-point proposal put forward by Somaliland’s foreign friends that the Guurti House endorsed as the ultimate remedy for the Somaliland problem and all the stakeholders including the people upheld them as Somaliland’s Six Pillars of Survival.
Congratulatory cables poured as the Guurti and Somaliland people at home and abroad had breathed a sigh of relief. But the question still hanging on everyone’s head is whether the problem is over? Did each and every one of the political players achieve their goals? The answer is NO and YES. It is NO because neither the President nor the opposition leaders achieved what they wanted. It is also YES because the self-imposed nooses have been temporarily loosened from their necks and they have been given a new chance to either make a real progress and work for the country’s interest or start another episode of their farcical game. We shall see if they seize the opportunity or they become like the fool who was lost and when he was found and he saw the people celebrating said: “Maxaa la igaga farxi berriba wan lumiye”( Why do they celebrate because for sure I will lose my way again tomorrow).
One party, however, that has emerged as the biggest winner is the Somaliland media which have regardless of their political inclinations stayed focused, held their torch on the issue and refused to let the politicians off the hook. It was through their vigil and constant reporting on the developments as they unfolded that kept Somaliland’s friends updated and enabled them to make a timely action. I applaud Somaliland’s media, both print and online, both conventional press and blogosphere, regardless of being pro or against the government for keeping us informed and enlightened. My congratulations specially go to those reporters who worked against the odds, who patiently waited in vain for hours and days before closed doors, who were selectively segregated and denied the opportunity to cover major events in government houses. I say to them keep up the vigil and know that as the Americans say it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
Friday, September 11, 2009
An open letter to Mr. Dahir Rayale Kahin, President of Somaliland
By Bashir Goth
My cousin, Mr. President, let go with dignity
At the outset I should congratulate you on a work well done. Your overall performance is highly commendable, given to the difficult circumstances prevailing in the region and the insurmountable challenges you face at home. The fact that you have maintained the peace and stability of such an impoverished, unrecognized and tribal house of cards over seven years is nothing short of a miracle. You did this through your renowned patience, your tolerance and your proverbial choice of prayer over power even when your life was at stake. It is not my intention here Mr. President to enumerate your achievements nor pinpoint your failures, but I have no doubt that history and people will remember you with kindness and appreciation.
It is the ending, however, like anything else in life that lingers in memory. This is why I would like to urge you today Mr. President to quit. I know this is not an easy thing to do and I am sure the knee jerk reaction of your inner circle to my advice will be an outright anger and a total dismissal. They may not even bother to read this piece to assess my reasoning. Only the title will suffice for them to negate me and consider me as a newcomer trying to jump on the bandwagon of the Rayale bashing brigade.
Mr. President, it was not easy for me as well to write this piece. It is only after a long deliberation that I concluded as Martin Luther King Jr. said that “in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” So I decided not to watch you in silence while you teeter on the edge of a steep and resounding downfall but to raise a friendly voice and warn you about the dangers I see from my vantage point of being an outside observer able to see the cracks on the wall. The cracks are wide and deep Mr. President for every observer to see. The signs of the imminent collapse of the house of cards are everyone. I know you cannot see them Mr. President because your inner circle advisory have built a fortified wall around you; a wall that hides you from seeing the political reality of the country but cannot definitely protect you from the oncoming deluge. And when that moment comes, when the fake levees break, all your inner circle advisers will disappear and you will be all alone to face the flood.
Mr. President, history is replete with examples. I don’t want to give you examples, but you are heading on the road to infamy; the road taken by many unfortunate kings and leaders who were blinded by the false walls built around them by their kitchen cabinet members. It is not easy to hear the rumblings and commotion outside when all you hear and see is what happens in the four walls of your palace when all the reports and stories that reach your desk tell you that everything is fine and that people still glorify you.
Mr. President, I am sure you think you know everything and nothing I say would be of any value to you. But one thing that you may not be aware of is that you have been on the chair too long. The fuss, however, is not all about the chair Mr. President; it is about being the custodian of the only source of income. Seven years are not a big deal if your country was wealthy, if the majority of citizens had jobs and if the government was only one of several sources of income. The problem here as in many other less developed countries is that the government is the only source of income. And this is why the hungry public can be easily incited by equally hungry opposition politicians to rise against the gatekeepers of the state treasury. It does not matter if the treasury is empty, what matters is that the State’s begging bowl should be passed around. This is why seven years is too long for the begging bowl to remain with one person or one group. This is the source of all wars in Africa as I have expressed it a long time ago in a poem I addressed to my son while he was still in the womb
“dhawrtay isku laayeen tolkay dhiigna loo qubaye, waxa dhagarta loo galay anaan dhiilka lay shubine...”
Mr. President, I urge you to quit not because I see the opposition figures as better leaders and definitely not because you would not be able to defeat them in a national election. I am calling you to quit because I want you to expose the opposition leaders and deny them the only cause they have for plunging the country into a chaos and civil war. You have invested a lot of energy and time to prevent the house of cards from falling apart. It was never an easy task, but with your sagacity and patience you have managed to hold the cards together despite the forces that were trying to pull them apart. It is therefore your interest Mr. President to see that status outlive you and pass it on while the house still stands despite the damages it sustained through the years. And the only feasible way you can do that is to call it a day. You can do this with finesse in a televised speech to the nation. You can explain your reasons for quitting with all clarity and transparency. It will be your greatest legacy. It will be a speech worth listening to and I promise you it will go down in memory as one of the greatest moments of the history of Somaliland. Anyone who comes after you would then be just an irrelevant appendage. I say this not because I want to slight the importance of the opposition but because I see all they care about is how to reach the chair. Instead of building their political careers on smart political agendas and well planned national strategies, they hung their political destiny on one single objective – to dethrone you. They have shown that they can unscrupulously stoop too low, even to the point of appealing to tribal sentiments and inciting civil war to see you go. They use the conventional explosive tools of tribalism, poverty and ignorance to convey their message.
Unfortunately, Mr. President, this kind of acrimonious message is making inroads to the hearts and minds of the hungry nation. And there is one way you can reverse the tide, one way you can pull the rug out from under the opposition’s feet. It is simply to quit. If you want to bring change, you can bring it by letting it go. If you want to see in retrospect how good or bad you did during your term there is no better way than to quit, let others take the reins and watch their performance from afar. Sometimes Mr. President we must let go our beloved children to allow them to forge their own way. Somaliland has been your child for seven long years, it may be time for you to let go to see whether you were a help or hindrance to its growth and development; or as the anonymous saying goes “Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to.” So let go Mr. President, let go to show the world that Somaliland is not just another African country with a leader unwilling to pass the power.
READ MORE on Wardheernews,hiiran,awdalpress
By Bashir Goth
My cousin, Mr. President, let go with dignity
At the outset I should congratulate you on a work well done. Your overall performance is highly commendable, given to the difficult circumstances prevailing in the region and the insurmountable challenges you face at home. The fact that you have maintained the peace and stability of such an impoverished, unrecognized and tribal house of cards over seven years is nothing short of a miracle. You did this through your renowned patience, your tolerance and your proverbial choice of prayer over power even when your life was at stake. It is not my intention here Mr. President to enumerate your achievements nor pinpoint your failures, but I have no doubt that history and people will remember you with kindness and appreciation.
It is the ending, however, like anything else in life that lingers in memory. This is why I would like to urge you today Mr. President to quit. I know this is not an easy thing to do and I am sure the knee jerk reaction of your inner circle to my advice will be an outright anger and a total dismissal. They may not even bother to read this piece to assess my reasoning. Only the title will suffice for them to negate me and consider me as a newcomer trying to jump on the bandwagon of the Rayale bashing brigade.
Mr. President, it was not easy for me as well to write this piece. It is only after a long deliberation that I concluded as Martin Luther King Jr. said that “in the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” So I decided not to watch you in silence while you teeter on the edge of a steep and resounding downfall but to raise a friendly voice and warn you about the dangers I see from my vantage point of being an outside observer able to see the cracks on the wall. The cracks are wide and deep Mr. President for every observer to see. The signs of the imminent collapse of the house of cards are everyone. I know you cannot see them Mr. President because your inner circle advisory have built a fortified wall around you; a wall that hides you from seeing the political reality of the country but cannot definitely protect you from the oncoming deluge. And when that moment comes, when the fake levees break, all your inner circle advisers will disappear and you will be all alone to face the flood.
Mr. President, history is replete with examples. I don’t want to give you examples, but you are heading on the road to infamy; the road taken by many unfortunate kings and leaders who were blinded by the false walls built around them by their kitchen cabinet members. It is not easy to hear the rumblings and commotion outside when all you hear and see is what happens in the four walls of your palace when all the reports and stories that reach your desk tell you that everything is fine and that people still glorify you.
Mr. President, I am sure you think you know everything and nothing I say would be of any value to you. But one thing that you may not be aware of is that you have been on the chair too long. The fuss, however, is not all about the chair Mr. President; it is about being the custodian of the only source of income. Seven years are not a big deal if your country was wealthy, if the majority of citizens had jobs and if the government was only one of several sources of income. The problem here as in many other less developed countries is that the government is the only source of income. And this is why the hungry public can be easily incited by equally hungry opposition politicians to rise against the gatekeepers of the state treasury. It does not matter if the treasury is empty, what matters is that the State’s begging bowl should be passed around. This is why seven years is too long for the begging bowl to remain with one person or one group. This is the source of all wars in Africa as I have expressed it a long time ago in a poem I addressed to my son while he was still in the womb
“dhawrtay isku laayeen tolkay dhiigna loo qubaye, waxa dhagarta loo galay anaan dhiilka lay shubine...”
Mr. President, I urge you to quit not because I see the opposition figures as better leaders and definitely not because you would not be able to defeat them in a national election. I am calling you to quit because I want you to expose the opposition leaders and deny them the only cause they have for plunging the country into a chaos and civil war. You have invested a lot of energy and time to prevent the house of cards from falling apart. It was never an easy task, but with your sagacity and patience you have managed to hold the cards together despite the forces that were trying to pull them apart. It is therefore your interest Mr. President to see that status outlive you and pass it on while the house still stands despite the damages it sustained through the years. And the only feasible way you can do that is to call it a day. You can do this with finesse in a televised speech to the nation. You can explain your reasons for quitting with all clarity and transparency. It will be your greatest legacy. It will be a speech worth listening to and I promise you it will go down in memory as one of the greatest moments of the history of Somaliland. Anyone who comes after you would then be just an irrelevant appendage. I say this not because I want to slight the importance of the opposition but because I see all they care about is how to reach the chair. Instead of building their political careers on smart political agendas and well planned national strategies, they hung their political destiny on one single objective – to dethrone you. They have shown that they can unscrupulously stoop too low, even to the point of appealing to tribal sentiments and inciting civil war to see you go. They use the conventional explosive tools of tribalism, poverty and ignorance to convey their message.
Unfortunately, Mr. President, this kind of acrimonious message is making inroads to the hearts and minds of the hungry nation. And there is one way you can reverse the tide, one way you can pull the rug out from under the opposition’s feet. It is simply to quit. If you want to bring change, you can bring it by letting it go. If you want to see in retrospect how good or bad you did during your term there is no better way than to quit, let others take the reins and watch their performance from afar. Sometimes Mr. President we must let go our beloved children to allow them to forge their own way. Somaliland has been your child for seven long years, it may be time for you to let go to see whether you were a help or hindrance to its growth and development; or as the anonymous saying goes “Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to.” So let go Mr. President, let go to show the world that Somaliland is not just another African country with a leader unwilling to pass the power.
READ MORE on Wardheernews,hiiran,awdalpress
Thursday, April 16, 2009
America Balks On Cuba
By Bashir Goth
Lifting the Cuban travel ban is a commendable step but as I 'advised' President Obama in an earlier post, it's not enough. As Fidel Castro said, Cuba needs more than charity. Lifting the travel ban will no doubt benefit Cuban exiles and their families back home but it would leave the rest of the Cuban people out in the cold.
One can only admire the positive steps that the Obama administration has taken thus far in improving America's image and restoring its status as a responsible global leader. But one wonders why, if Obama's administration can extend a hand in peace to countries that are far and distant, why can't it do a little more for its small neighbor?
Cuba has a highly educated workforce and could prosper with full bilateral ties to America. That's not much to ask from a neighbor that, despite the current economic crisis, often squanders its money on the world's most hopeless areas.
By lifting the travel ban on Cuba, the Obama administration has taken a step in the right direction. But why offer the cake half-baked when they can deliver it fully baked?
Postglobal
By Bashir Goth
Lifting the Cuban travel ban is a commendable step but as I 'advised' President Obama in an earlier post, it's not enough. As Fidel Castro said, Cuba needs more than charity. Lifting the travel ban will no doubt benefit Cuban exiles and their families back home but it would leave the rest of the Cuban people out in the cold.
One can only admire the positive steps that the Obama administration has taken thus far in improving America's image and restoring its status as a responsible global leader. But one wonders why, if Obama's administration can extend a hand in peace to countries that are far and distant, why can't it do a little more for its small neighbor?
Cuba has a highly educated workforce and could prosper with full bilateral ties to America. That's not much to ask from a neighbor that, despite the current economic crisis, often squanders its money on the world's most hopeless areas.
By lifting the travel ban on Cuba, the Obama administration has taken a step in the right direction. But why offer the cake half-baked when they can deliver it fully baked?
Postglobal
America Balks On Cuba
By Bashir Goth
Lifting the Cuban travel ban is a commendable step but as I 'advised' President Obama in an earlier post, it's not enough. As Fidel Castro said, Cuba needs more than charity. Lifting the travel ban will no doubt benefit Cuban exiles and their families back home but it would leave the rest of the Cuban people out in the cold.
One can only admire the positive steps that the Obama administration has taken thus far in improving America's image and restoring its status as a responsible global leader. But one wonders why, if Obama's administration can extend a hand in peace to countries that are far and distant, why can't it do a little more for its small neighbor?
Cuba has a highly educated workforce and could prosper with full bilateral ties to America. That's not much to ask from a neighbor that, despite the current economic crisis, often squanders its money on the world's most hopeless areas.
By lifting the travel ban on Cuba, the Obama administration has taken a step in the right direction. But why offer the cake half-baked when they can deliver it fully baked?
Postglobal
By Bashir Goth
Lifting the Cuban travel ban is a commendable step but as I 'advised' President Obama in an earlier post, it's not enough. As Fidel Castro said, Cuba needs more than charity. Lifting the travel ban will no doubt benefit Cuban exiles and their families back home but it would leave the rest of the Cuban people out in the cold.
One can only admire the positive steps that the Obama administration has taken thus far in improving America's image and restoring its status as a responsible global leader. But one wonders why, if Obama's administration can extend a hand in peace to countries that are far and distant, why can't it do a little more for its small neighbor?
Cuba has a highly educated workforce and could prosper with full bilateral ties to America. That's not much to ask from a neighbor that, despite the current economic crisis, often squanders its money on the world's most hopeless areas.
By lifting the travel ban on Cuba, the Obama administration has taken a step in the right direction. But why offer the cake half-baked when they can deliver it fully baked?
Postglobal
Friday, February 06, 2009
Goodbye to Awdalnews devotees
By Bashir Goth
A goodbye often carries a dual meaning. On one side it conveys a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction and on the other it bears a harrowing feeling of depravation. It is with this mixed feeling that I would like to bid farewell to the devoted readers and valued contributors of Awdalnews.
From the moment we launched and I took over its editorial stewardship in July 2003, I made it my task to enable Awdalnews Network to stand out with punching editorials, hard-hitting opinions and critical news coverage. Aware of the mushrooming Somali online news sites and blogosphere, it was my duty to make Awdalnews immediately recognizable for meeting the issues head-on.
We placed top priority in providing Somalis scattered around the world and wherever they call home as well as the international community with reliable critical news and views on current issues in both Somali and English languages.
Awdalnews quickly gained friendships and signed cooperation agreements with a number of international news outlets. Awdalnews editorials attracted wider readership from the international community and many of them were republished by respectable media channels. We also won the trust of scholars who are an authority on Somali history such I.M. Lewis and John Drysdale. It was a source of pride for us to have carried their analysis and their essays. Awdalnews also prided itself on being an open forum for some of the best Somali opinion writers, analysts and commentators of diversified backgrounds and political affiliations.
It was through Awdalnews that the world has learned about the views and political outlook of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as Chairman of the Somali Islamic Courts (ICU) in the interview we conducted with him on 9th June 2006:
Exclusive Interview- Sheikh Sherif welcomes dialogue with Washington
Although, we put great emphasis on making Somaliland's quest for recognition as our paramount mission, we never allowed this view to comprise our journalistic professionalism; hence we refused to silence the voices of those who oppose the secession of Somaliland. I made sure that Awdalnews under my helm should be a forum where serious intellectual debate takes place. Despite the pressure that was placed on us on many occasions, I refused to make Awdalnews a mouthpiece for any authority or serve the interests of any political party in Somaliland or elsewhere.
Now after six years, the time has come for me to step down as the editor of Awdalnews and to say goodbye to its devoted readers and contributors. It is my firm belief that without your loyalty and support, Awdalnews would not have become such a trusted media source. You deserve my salute and deep gratitude.
My thanks also goes to our international affiliates, UN Agencies, and Somali and Somaliland newspapers and websites who cooperated with us over the years and more than often reproduced the editorials and important interviews carried by Awdalnews.
Last but not least, I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the core editorial team of Awdalnews, namely Farah Jeelal and Hashim Goth, who gave me their unwavering support for my editorial line which I am sure had at times put them in hot waters, cost them friendships and denied them political favors. My last word of thanks also goes to the many volunteers and deep-throats who worked as critical sources of reliable news and information for us whenever we needed their help.
As the saying goes “Every good-bye makes the next hello closer” and I promise that it will not be that far when we shall meet again in another forum where we would renew our commitment to each other and advance our shared philosophies of life. Until then I would like it to be known to all that I left Awdalnews as of January 22, 2009 and the editorial “Editorial: May Obama’s hope message touch every village” was the last I wrote for the website. The editorial leadership of Awdalnews has passed to my former partner Farah Jeelal who is based in Ottawa, Canada. So I wish him and his new team every success.
Email: bsogoth@yahoo.com
Note: Interested readers can access my old and future writings at the following links:
1- Newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal
2- Onlineopinion.com.au
3- My blog: Hanua
By Bashir Goth
A goodbye often carries a dual meaning. On one side it conveys a deep sense of fulfillment and satisfaction and on the other it bears a harrowing feeling of depravation. It is with this mixed feeling that I would like to bid farewell to the devoted readers and valued contributors of Awdalnews.
From the moment we launched and I took over its editorial stewardship in July 2003, I made it my task to enable Awdalnews Network to stand out with punching editorials, hard-hitting opinions and critical news coverage. Aware of the mushrooming Somali online news sites and blogosphere, it was my duty to make Awdalnews immediately recognizable for meeting the issues head-on.
We placed top priority in providing Somalis scattered around the world and wherever they call home as well as the international community with reliable critical news and views on current issues in both Somali and English languages.
Awdalnews quickly gained friendships and signed cooperation agreements with a number of international news outlets. Awdalnews editorials attracted wider readership from the international community and many of them were republished by respectable media channels. We also won the trust of scholars who are an authority on Somali history such I.M. Lewis and John Drysdale. It was a source of pride for us to have carried their analysis and their essays. Awdalnews also prided itself on being an open forum for some of the best Somali opinion writers, analysts and commentators of diversified backgrounds and political affiliations.
It was through Awdalnews that the world has learned about the views and political outlook of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as Chairman of the Somali Islamic Courts (ICU) in the interview we conducted with him on 9th June 2006:
Exclusive Interview- Sheikh Sherif welcomes dialogue with Washington
Although, we put great emphasis on making Somaliland's quest for recognition as our paramount mission, we never allowed this view to comprise our journalistic professionalism; hence we refused to silence the voices of those who oppose the secession of Somaliland. I made sure that Awdalnews under my helm should be a forum where serious intellectual debate takes place. Despite the pressure that was placed on us on many occasions, I refused to make Awdalnews a mouthpiece for any authority or serve the interests of any political party in Somaliland or elsewhere.
Now after six years, the time has come for me to step down as the editor of Awdalnews and to say goodbye to its devoted readers and contributors. It is my firm belief that without your loyalty and support, Awdalnews would not have become such a trusted media source. You deserve my salute and deep gratitude.
My thanks also goes to our international affiliates, UN Agencies, and Somali and Somaliland newspapers and websites who cooperated with us over the years and more than often reproduced the editorials and important interviews carried by Awdalnews.
Last but not least, I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the core editorial team of Awdalnews, namely Farah Jeelal and Hashim Goth, who gave me their unwavering support for my editorial line which I am sure had at times put them in hot waters, cost them friendships and denied them political favors. My last word of thanks also goes to the many volunteers and deep-throats who worked as critical sources of reliable news and information for us whenever we needed their help.
As the saying goes “Every good-bye makes the next hello closer” and I promise that it will not be that far when we shall meet again in another forum where we would renew our commitment to each other and advance our shared philosophies of life. Until then I would like it to be known to all that I left Awdalnews as of January 22, 2009 and the editorial “Editorial: May Obama’s hope message touch every village” was the last I wrote for the website. The editorial leadership of Awdalnews has passed to my former partner Farah Jeelal who is based in Ottawa, Canada. So I wish him and his new team every success.
Email: bsogoth@yahoo.com
Note: Interested readers can access my old and future writings at the following links:
1- Newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal
2- Onlineopinion.com.au
3- My blog: Hanua
Obama, Watch Your Words
By Bashir Goth
The biggest foreign policy mistake that Barack Obama could make during his honeymoon will be to follow the same political discourse of the Bush administration. Bush was plagued with language disaster. One of his first slips of the tongue was describing the war on terror as a crusade. This was a loaded word that inadvertently endorsed Samuel Huntington's ill-conceived clash of civilizations and invoked a legacy of horrors in the Muslim world.
Other fluid generalizations and arrogant expressions such as war on terror and Islamic terrorism, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', 'We shall nuke them out', have only further intoxicated the political atmosphere between the Bush administration and the Muslim world.
Precision of political language is therefore as important as precision of smart bombs. Any misstep in any one of them will end up in dire consequence.
A fable says that Confucius was once asked what he would make his priority if he was appointed as an advisor to the Emperor. He replied that the most important thing for him would be to use the correct words. The reason he said was: "If we don't use the correct words, we live in public lie. If we live in public lies, the political system is a sham."
The political disasters committed by Bush's regime prove the truth of Confucius' wisdom. Language is not only the key to mutual human understanding but it is also the key to either healing old wounds or inflicting new ones. In order to avoid any pitfalls, Obama should therefore use a language that heals the deep wounds caused by Bush administration's vitriolic language. In the same way that he united the American voters behind him and gave them hope and faith, he should also use the same rhetoric that could spread hope across the world.
The Muslim world in particular will be closely watching the language of Obama's foreign policy and how he chooses his language will either repair or deepen the political fractures left behind by Bush's administration.
Newsweek/Washingtonpost/Postglobal
By Bashir Goth
The biggest foreign policy mistake that Barack Obama could make during his honeymoon will be to follow the same political discourse of the Bush administration. Bush was plagued with language disaster. One of his first slips of the tongue was describing the war on terror as a crusade. This was a loaded word that inadvertently endorsed Samuel Huntington's ill-conceived clash of civilizations and invoked a legacy of horrors in the Muslim world.
Other fluid generalizations and arrogant expressions such as war on terror and Islamic terrorism, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', 'We shall nuke them out', have only further intoxicated the political atmosphere between the Bush administration and the Muslim world.
Precision of political language is therefore as important as precision of smart bombs. Any misstep in any one of them will end up in dire consequence.
A fable says that Confucius was once asked what he would make his priority if he was appointed as an advisor to the Emperor. He replied that the most important thing for him would be to use the correct words. The reason he said was: "If we don't use the correct words, we live in public lie. If we live in public lies, the political system is a sham."
The political disasters committed by Bush's regime prove the truth of Confucius' wisdom. Language is not only the key to mutual human understanding but it is also the key to either healing old wounds or inflicting new ones. In order to avoid any pitfalls, Obama should therefore use a language that heals the deep wounds caused by Bush administration's vitriolic language. In the same way that he united the American voters behind him and gave them hope and faith, he should also use the same rhetoric that could spread hope across the world.
The Muslim world in particular will be closely watching the language of Obama's foreign policy and how he chooses his language will either repair or deepen the political fractures left behind by Bush's administration.
Newsweek/Washingtonpost/Postglobal
Obama, Watch Your Words
By Bashir Goth
The biggest foreign policy mistake that Barack Obama could make during his honeymoon will be to follow the same political discourse of the Bush administration. Bush was plagued with language disaster. One of his first slips of the tongue was describing the war on terror as a crusade. This was a loaded word that inadvertently endorsed Samuel Huntington's ill-conceived clash of civilizations and invoked a legacy of horrors in the Muslim world.
Other fluid generalizations and arrogant expressions such as war on terror and Islamic terrorism, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', 'We shall nuke them out', have only further intoxicated the political atmosphere between the Bush administration and the Muslim world.
Precision of political language is therefore as important as precision of smart bombs. Any misstep in any one of them will end up in dire consequence.
A fable says that Confucius was once asked what he would make his priority if he was appointed as an advisor to the Emperor. He replied that the most important thing for him would be to use the correct words. The reason he said was: "If we don't use the correct words, we live in public lie. If we live in public lies, the political system is a sham."
The political disasters committed by Bush's regime prove the truth of Confucius' wisdom. Language is not only the key to mutual human understanding but it is also the key to either healing old wounds or inflicting new ones. In order to avoid any pitfalls, Obama should therefore use a language that heals the deep wounds caused by Bush administration's vitriolic language. In the same way that he united the American voters behind him and gave them hope and faith, he should also use the same rhetoric that could spread hope across the world.
The Muslim world in particular will be closely watching the language of Obama's foreign policy and how he chooses his language will either repair or deepen the political fractures left behind by Bush's administration.
Newsweek/Washingtonpost/Postglobal
By Bashir Goth
The biggest foreign policy mistake that Barack Obama could make during his honeymoon will be to follow the same political discourse of the Bush administration. Bush was plagued with language disaster. One of his first slips of the tongue was describing the war on terror as a crusade. This was a loaded word that inadvertently endorsed Samuel Huntington's ill-conceived clash of civilizations and invoked a legacy of horrors in the Muslim world.
Other fluid generalizations and arrogant expressions such as war on terror and Islamic terrorism, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive', 'We shall nuke them out', have only further intoxicated the political atmosphere between the Bush administration and the Muslim world.
Precision of political language is therefore as important as precision of smart bombs. Any misstep in any one of them will end up in dire consequence.
A fable says that Confucius was once asked what he would make his priority if he was appointed as an advisor to the Emperor. He replied that the most important thing for him would be to use the correct words. The reason he said was: "If we don't use the correct words, we live in public lie. If we live in public lies, the political system is a sham."
The political disasters committed by Bush's regime prove the truth of Confucius' wisdom. Language is not only the key to mutual human understanding but it is also the key to either healing old wounds or inflicting new ones. In order to avoid any pitfalls, Obama should therefore use a language that heals the deep wounds caused by Bush administration's vitriolic language. In the same way that he united the American voters behind him and gave them hope and faith, he should also use the same rhetoric that could spread hope across the world.
The Muslim world in particular will be closely watching the language of Obama's foreign policy and how he chooses his language will either repair or deepen the political fractures left behind by Bush's administration.
Newsweek/Washingtonpost/Postglobal
Editorial: May Obama’s hope message touch every village
By Bashir Goth
As Obama takes office, an unprecedented wind of hope and optimism sweeps around the world. In fact, Obama recognized this in his inaugural speech:”And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.”
From the strife stricken streets of Mogadishu to the gates of hell in Gaza; from the fear gripped alleyways of Baghdad to the terror dominated hills of Afghanistan; from the festering wounds of the Balkans to the internecine bloodletting in Africa’s darkest corners; from the hobbled people of Cuba to the recognition seeking people of Somaliland; from those groaning under the tyranny of Mugabe in Zimbabwe to the freedom loving people of the Caucuses countries, dreams are being woven around Obama’s Presidency.
It was benevolent of Obama to acknowledge this in his speech: “…To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
Realizing the devastating effect the world economic meltdown has on poor people in developing nations, Obama had a word of promise for them:“…To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”
Given to the enormous responsibilities waiting for him both at home and overseas, Obama may neither find the time nor muster the support to realize his dreams for the world, but the fact that an American President talks with such compassion and empathy to the world after eight years of arrogance and disaster is itself a moment to cherish.
Awdalnews
By Bashir Goth
As Obama takes office, an unprecedented wind of hope and optimism sweeps around the world. In fact, Obama recognized this in his inaugural speech:”And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.”
From the strife stricken streets of Mogadishu to the gates of hell in Gaza; from the fear gripped alleyways of Baghdad to the terror dominated hills of Afghanistan; from the festering wounds of the Balkans to the internecine bloodletting in Africa’s darkest corners; from the hobbled people of Cuba to the recognition seeking people of Somaliland; from those groaning under the tyranny of Mugabe in Zimbabwe to the freedom loving people of the Caucuses countries, dreams are being woven around Obama’s Presidency.
It was benevolent of Obama to acknowledge this in his speech: “…To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
Realizing the devastating effect the world economic meltdown has on poor people in developing nations, Obama had a word of promise for them:“…To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”
Given to the enormous responsibilities waiting for him both at home and overseas, Obama may neither find the time nor muster the support to realize his dreams for the world, but the fact that an American President talks with such compassion and empathy to the world after eight years of arrogance and disaster is itself a moment to cherish.
Awdalnews
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