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Bashir Goth

Somalia/UAE

Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals. Close.

Bashir Goth

Somalia/UAE

Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. more »

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Prophetic Middle East Poetry

Somalia/UAE - By delving into the Arab literary wisdom one stumbles on the prophetic manner in which Arab and Muslim poets and philosophers through history have predicted the present situation with precision.

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All Comments (34)

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VIJAYAN.P:

Dear sir, veryhappy to note that the contentis
quite informative and enlightening
poems chosen are very representative and inkeeping with the sprit of the place and psyche of the people.

Alex:

Shalom Freedman Jerusalem Israel:
Regarding your quote:
"ONE SIDE ALONE

We say 'peace'
and they say 'war'
We say 'love'
and they say 'hate'
We want life together
and they tell us 'death is holy'
We hold out our hand
and they a sword"

You are talking about the Arabs who wanted peace right? After all the Arabs lived in the land side by side with the Jews UNTIL Israel was FORCED onto Palestine. Israel didn't exist until 1948. Who was forced onto who? Have you heard of Nakba or the Palestinian Holocaust. Ben G. and his Israeli minions, decided that a Jewish state cannot be created with so many Arabs living (peacefully) in the holy land. So how did they solve that problem? Ethnic Cleansing.

Time to face the facts. Think about it!

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jonny14:

jonny18

Jvd70, Amsterdam NL:

I am Koheleth; I was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
And I applied my heart to inquire and to search with wisdom all that was done under the heaven.
It is a sore task that God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
I saw all the deeds that were done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and frustration.

Kohelet / Ecclesiastes
Solomon / Suleiman

Some things are timeless.

Anju Chandel, New Delhi, India.:

A wonderfully written piece!

Today's world needs to look at India and learn to live in unity in spite of diversities!

Also, please learn from the teachings of Gita (an amazing Hindu Holy Book which talks about the Art of Living!) and Mahatma Gandhi - the great soul - the architect of India's Independence who 'fought' for freedom with peace and non-violence.

If only every disturbed country had a Mahatma Gandhi today and every individual followed Gita's way of life, our Earth will become a Paradise !

"Live and Let Live" - I simply practice this simple mantra of life and if the world adopts this sooner, we shall be able to prevent the humans from getting relegated into the pages of history.

A happy 2007 for all the inhabitants of our Earth - our Paradise :)

Shaloom Elfalastini, USA:

I do not believe the people who criticize the Palestinians know much about them. Have they asked themselves, did they ever listen to the Palestinian side? Or have they ever bothered to read what others write and say? Unless you are happy with the brainwashing material, then go and LOOK for the TRUTH.

kennytal:

considering all the wise men that live there, it is strange that they cannot find peace.

yknot:


Is the Golda Meir mentioned the one who was born in Madison, Wisconsin to a Russian gypsy family and became a kindergarten teacher?

Or is it the Golda Meir who claimed that her family was thrown out of Palestine by the British police for lying about being from a Russian gypsy tribe wanted in Kieve for abusive language in fortune telling?

so why is Kagan, one of the contributors to:

Project For a New American Century, becoming a continuing writer for the Washington Post?


do you all support preemptive strikes and disinformation as a formal policy decision?

texmati, rice USA:

There is a point at which infamy becomes familiar.

That point has been reached and surpassed within the United States at this time.

The president is not weary , but caught..

He is the period that must be considered infamy as a resplendent trout of indulgent distortion...


Pillfering portal of distrust..

I Michigan:

To o k smith, baltimore, USA
Your quote is Golda Meir's
"When the arabs love their children's lives more than they hate us[Israelii's] than there will be peace."
Maybe when the Israeli's accept the fact that Palestinians have been there for hundreds of years, it was NOT a land without people, and right their wrong, maybe than there will be peace in Israel-Palestina. From a Palestinian American.

I Michigan:

It is sad that the Muslim/Arab world is suffering so much these days. To those who hate all Muslims, you are just ignorant, and I hope one day you will be enlightened. Please pray for peace in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Somlia and Sudan. May 2007 bring peace to the entire world. From a Palestinian American.

o k smith, baltimore, USA:

My quote is Golda Meir's
"When the arabs love their children's lives more than they hate us[Israelii's] than there will be peace."
This quote to me summarizes the future hope and the present reality. What it doesn't tell me is how we reach the valuation of life that would rule out suicide killings and random bombings etc.

James McGraw:

muslims are vile, violent people. i hate them all

Shalom Freedman Jerusalem Israel:

ONE SIDE ALONE

We say 'peace'
and they say 'war'
We say 'love'
and they say 'hate'
We want life together
and they tell us 'death is holy'
We hold out our hand
and they a sword

'Great is he who makes a friend of an enemy'
say our sages,

But after thirty- two years here
I know
One side alone
offering Peace
is not enough.

shayan-UAE:

"All that belongs to desert , must return to desert" a Beduoine saying

reynolds,annapolis,USA:

All the Middle East's options are bad- I think they are living hell on earth. Put a little less faith in fate, unburdon God with your problems and help yourselves.

Persian Redneck:

Look into the philosophical writings of Molana j, Rumi (Turks write it as Mevlana) and or Omar Khayyam and other Persians such as Hafez, Saadi, Sohrevardi, Kharazmi, and others and you will see deep philosophical approach and not just sorrow and pessimism.

However, the writer's point on the overall negative atmosphere in the Middle East is noted. The only point to add is that this is all relatively recent, during the 2nd half of the 20th Century.....look deeper in the past and there are vast bodies of knowledge and thought, especially in Persia.

yknot.:

Poetry its been said is a form of escapism or as some others have said "fanciful imaginings".

In the case of the people that inhabit the region of the Middle East its both escapism and fanciful imaginings inflicted by people initially several hundred miles and now several thousand miles distant from the Nile, the Trigris-Euphrates, the Litani, the beginnings of the Nile and the resources in-between.

While in far off lands it took brother against brother to establish royal dynasties, revolutions for and against social systems, civil wars as in the case of the USA the whole lot has been brought by "outisder's intrusion" for control of the petroleum and other resources.

The poetry of the Middle East might be one of examplary misery but the killings and dying for the most part are induced and promoted by non Middle Easterner "poetry makers"..

Christ, Love Canal, USA:

A girl got a pet goat. She liked to go running with her pet goat. She played with her goat in her house. She played with her goat in her yard. But the goat did some things that made the girl's dad mad.

Ali, Vienna, USA:

A. Musa,

Good point. I might add (as a southerner) the current dream of Ethiopia to divide and concour Somalia will be short-lived. The invading forces of Ethiopia to Somalia soil will feel the pain inflicted by the sons of our great country, sooner or later.

Unfortunately, Bashir is among those who cheers Ithiopia's current activities in Somalia (air strikes, ground invasion, etc) according to his previous postings. But that is not new either. Sell outs and traiters have been highlighted in any nation's struggle against occupation or colonization.

A. Musa, Connecticut, USA:

My favorite proverb is Somali proverb that Somalis in the Southern regions use.In Somali it goes like this( MUKULAAL MILINKEED JOOGTA MICIYO LIBAAX BAY LEEDAHAY.)
In English : A cat at its home, has lion's teeth.
In the history of mankind that proverb was proven right, rich and powerful over and over again. Cases in point, the Great British Empire was beaten by poor Nomadic Afqanitans. The Afqans did again to the Soviet Union Super power.
Iragis had beaten badly the Great British Empire and they are doing now to the only Super power in the world: USA.
Hisbullah have shown the only Great military power in the middle East Israel could not and can not beat one in his homeland not matter how ill equiped they are.
Those of us from the Northern parts of Somalia used to redicule and laugh at the Southerners assuming they are not good in literature. This proverb is rich, powerfull and has universal applications.

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