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By Roble Bashir

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected on Monday to a four-year presidential term. There are plans to hold nationwide elections after his mandate ends in 2016. By then, every citizen will have the opportunity to vote for the candidate he or she supports.  Even so, such a goal is  a challenging task to attain in just over four years.

President Mohamud was an active member of civil society organisations since the collapse of  the government in 1991. He has taken part in several social development projects. The newly elected head of state used to work for UNICEF in Somalia and was dean of one of the local universities of Mogadishu before he became the leader of the Peace and Development Party (PDP).

President Mohamud’s election is  an important change for all Somalis since it puts to end eight years of transitional rule, which impeded governments to function properly.

It ends as well the interference by neighbouring countries in Somali’s internal affairs. This meddling by foreign powers has been one of the biggest obstacles in getting the country back on its feet after two decades of civil war. In fact, interim governments were formed outside the country. This made Somalis sceptical that the country’s best interests were being served. President Mohamud’s government is the first one ever elected by parliament inside the country since the early 1990s. The is not an interim government but a permanent one approved nationally.  This is very important matter to remember.

The new constitution was approved by the elders.

The new constitution gives more powers to the new president to exercise his authority. This is another factor that could help President Mohamud to tackle the challenges the country faces.

There are many reasons that give more confidence and hope that the new government will succeed in its aims. Most areas of the capital  and surrounding towns are now under the control of government troops with the backing of African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) forces.  Al-shabab’s influence has weakened after it lost a number of battles that forced it to give up control of many strategic towns and regions of the country. Al-shabab lost many economic resources as well such as harbours and export tax revenues from charcoal, when the USA banned this year such exports to Middle Eastern states like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This was a huge setback for Al-shabab and undermined its influence in the country and its ability to finance its war.

The weakening of this powerful group in Somalia will eventually help the new president to restore peace and stability. Of course, re-building Somalia is an ongoing process that can only happen when the country has a powerful enough army.  ”When the national armed forces take control of the whole country, we will no longer need troops from Africa, ” President Mohamud promised during his campaign.

Swedish-language daily HBL writes on Sunday that we must challenge the rhetoric of hatred by Counterjihadists. As everyone knows, the Counterjihadist hardcore in the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party comprises of three MPs: Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari and Olii Immonen. 

While many at Migrant Tales have valiantly challenged Counterjihadism in the past, populist radical right-wing rhetoric and hate speech in Finland, it is interesting that a major daily like HBL believes that we must now challenge such a threat.

As Maria Paaso’s report for Supo revealed, the Counterjihadist threat become more real after Norwegian mass murderer Anders Brevik went on the rampage on July 22, 2011, murdering 77 innocent victims.

If such a tragedy could happen in Norway, why not in Finland?

Migrant Tales wrote shortly after the tragedy in Norway that nothing was going to be the same for the Counterjihadists in the Nordic region after 22/7.

We wrote six days after the tragedy in Norway: ”What was acceptable before, like racist gaffes and jokes by politicians, their aides and common citizens, look terribly embarrassing today in light of Norway.”

Toby Archer is quoted as saying on HBL  that while elected politicians who are Counterjihadists are not a danger to society, it is up to the media and politicians to challenge them.

Contrarily, researcher Jussi Jalonen says that while we have elected Counterjihadist MPs in the Finnish parliament, it is a good matter that we can openly debate with them.

The downside — according to Jalonen — is that if the same hate rhetoric that is allowed in parliament by these Counterjihadists encourages the same mimicking in the streets.

HBL writes that the turning point for Finland’s Counterjihadists came in summer, when Halla-aho, the chairman of the administration committee, was forced to resign after the Supreme Court slapped him with a fine for defaming a religion and inciting ethnic hatred.

Other members of the PS have since then distanced themselves from the xenophobic Counterjihadists like Halla-aho, according to Jalonen.

 

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.
William Blake (1757-1827)

Of all the seasons that pass over the Nordic region, possibly fall is the most magical. But what makes it stand out from the rest?

Is it the pitch-darkness? Is it the vast universe above and its peppered celestial inhabitants that appear to gaze down upon us longer than usual? Yet again, could it be the sound of rustling leaves and rapid breezes that holds on for a moment to trees before losing steam?

I was certain on a late-Saturday afternoon two years ago that I’d finally succeed at finding where happiness lived.

Deep in the woods, I noticed a lone bird resting on a branch. Poor bird – I thought – it must have escaped from a farmhouse because toucans only live in the tropics.

“If you move fast and long enough you’ll be in different lands,” the bird said to my surprise in half-toucan, half- human. “In a way I envy stones because they know where their home is. They don’t move.”

“Don’t look surprised,” it continues. “There are other creatures from distant lands that inhabit these forests. Aren’t you from faraway as well?”

I followed the black bird with the brightly colored bill deeper in the woods.

The scenery looked familiar but then it started to change. A pine tree I passed had its cones pointing towards the sky and there was a spring that had the following sign: “Drink here and quench your thirst for dreams.”

There was also a modest shack that looked like a country store but only sold by the pound hugs, kisses and warm caresses.

A woman soon appeared before me just when I noticed the bird had vanished. She was blessed with so much beauty that it would take thousands of rainbows arched simultaneously in the sky to match her loveliness. I looked straight in her captivating eyes, which are like breathtaking views from space to Earth.

“So what brings you here?” she asks without malice.

“I’m searching for happiness. Can you help me find it?”

Silence and then an answer that twirls to the soft moist ground as an autumn leaf that parted from a branch.

“It’s useless for you to soar high enough by yourself… But with the help of the autumn woods we’ll show you that contentedness is right here and now.”

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Such, that how I am missing myself.
I know a man who is an addict, addicted to beer. He drinks so much beer, he is always drunk.He is dizzy, dizzy like social welfare service offices( no doubt) He comes and sits on a bench in front of our building, in the coldness and warm, in the middle of snow, wind and sleet, in the darkness of winter and lighting of summer, he is here all the time.
It looks like he is a lover of this region Kallio. Perhaps he thinks our building is the best building in this world. Unlike me because I think this is the worst house in this world.
My heart burns very much for him. His looks harp on my liver and says, “Help me, help me”.
I don’t know if I should cry and beat the breast for myself or for him

Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you have no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain

Its a poem by Saadi Shirazi, my darling Saadi

The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having created of one essence and soul

So I can’t look at him and be relaxed. He is a member of my world, of my earth.
We are friends with each other, a bit. I say ” hi” to him when I see him around. We talked a lot for almost one year and a half ago. He talked about his life. He has not any place for sleep, even in winter time he sleeps in the parks.
Freedom is good but not like this. People are so free to go and buy poison, alcohol, and punish themselves with it.
Sleeping Parliament * HELSINKI * should drink one pool of coffee, wake up and listen to these people, before our next generation becomes poisoned.
Why is that beer trade free?
Here in Finland???

Why does government abuse the LAW in the name of freedom???
Which law in Finland says that it is right to sale boxes of beer to these poor people????To youngsters and to our next generation?
People have problems. When a mountain of problems attack them, they feel fear and confusion. They lose themselves and in that time they find themselves in S market, K market, Siwa, etc. and alcohol will be their nerve and blood. It will destroy their lives, but this beer and alcohol will make some people rich. Those who this law and government support them. That is a bitter fact, but true.

They put salt on what is rotten.
But what about a day that salt is rotten???

You use salt to salt your food. You have government to keep people and society safe.
But when salt means government is rotten, how can you have a healthy society?

People complain about their problems to the law, but to who should they complain if the law itself is the problem?

Who knows? Maybe law is drunk and uses alcohol???