Axmed Kale Allow Keen!

O God, Give us another Ahmed!

Dad Allow ogaada     Adhaxdaan u liitaa Afka yaa i awdan Aarankaa dur duriyee Anigoo ildaran baan Joogaa Itoobiya Alla yaabkan nagu dhacay Allaylkii markay tahay Arrin ban la taahaa Miyaan kuu imaadaa Axmedow walaalow? Addis baan ku raagee Agagaarka laabtaad Axmadew ku taalaa Ku amaani maayee Arrinkan an leeyahay In uu runtey yahay Aadmigoo dhan baa garan Anna daacadnimadii Waan yara asqaysnoo Abaar baan dareemaa Abaal badan inoo gashay Abid aanan gudi karin Balse adi xusuustaa Waannu xusi doonaa  Addis dacaladeedaan Ubax kuugu beeree Alfa iyo Omegaha Aad agtiisa joogtaa Arrinkayga garanoo Araxdaan ka jabanahay Geeridaada awgeed Balse aniga iimaan Yaa Ilaah isiiyee Muslimiinta gaanka ah Aan Eebe garanayn Kuu ooyi adigaan Aad ugu ilmeeyaa In ay Erayga raacaan Injiilka ay rumeeyaan Balse adiga Axmedow Ardaydaad daryeeshaa Amaan kuu hibaysee Intii aad arsaaqday Ama aad difaacday Cilmi aad u tira badan Uurkooda gelisaan Ku ilaabin abidkood Adna inan Ilaahoo Eed la’ baad ahaydoo Ilaahay agtiisiye Aadanaha kaleetaba Waad ku eed la’dahay Dhammaan agahooda Injiilkaad akhrisay baa Ummadeena gaaroo Nabadaad dhigaysaa Aan u wada riyaaqnoo Oon kugu xusuusani Ilaah baan baryaayaa Axmed waa na deeqee Haddii uu inaga tegay Axmed kale Allow keen Innoo dhiga Injiilka Agoontana difaaci Amba qaadi nabadana Aargoosan abidkiis Cafis lagu aqoonsado Aamiinna ila dhaha Ilaah yaa aqbaliye

Let all people know That my back aches I am unable to articulate Only the healthy walk well I live in Ethiopia Unwell and awfully sick We are in utter shock Even in the darkness of night I mourn because of your death May I come and join you O Ahmed, my brother? I have been in Addis too long In the center of my heart That is where I keep you I am not praising you What I am stating The veracity of it Is known to all people I am being honest Fatigue has seized me I feel famine in me You bestowed favor upon us We will never be able to repay it But your memory We will always commemorate In the environs of Addis I planted flowers in your memory The Alpha and the Omega In whose presence you dwell Knows my deep anguish My backbone is broken Because of your death But I have a Faith Given to me by God The multitudes of Muslims Who do not know God Who are mourning for you I shed tears for them in prayer That they embrace the Word Accepting the Gospel But you, O Ahmed The students you educated Dedicate praises to you All the people you fed Or the ones you defended The indispensible knowledge You instilled in their hearts These will never forget you You are a son of God Blameless in every way The Creator Judge And the created judges Declare you blameless In unanimous agreement The Gospel you proclaimed Has penetrated our nation The peace you taught We accepted it with delight We will always remember you I beseech God with all my heart Ahmed has blessed us Since he departed from us O God, give us another Ahmed To teach us the Gospel To defend the orphans To maintain peace Who will never take revenge Whose trademark is forgiveness Say “Amen” with me For God to accept this prayer

Waxaa curiyay

Composed by

JF


Waxaa shaqal tiray
Proofreading by ASHA

English translation by Brother Warsameh

Somali community in Toronto hosts book launch

Mary Ellen Leaman - 08/25/11

Eastern Mennonite Missions

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When Ahmed Ali Haile’s memoir, Teatime in Mogadishu, was released the day after his death on April 26, 2011, friends from the Somali community in Canada began making plans to honor him with a book launch. 

Asha Ahmed, left, in pink dress and matching head cloth, catered food for the occasion from her business, Wiff Restaurant in Toronto. Her family had a similar business in Mogadishu before the war. Photo provided.

Canadian planners Mohamud Togane and Abdi Hosh invited David Shenk, the author who penned Haile’s story, to speak, and booked the community center in Etobicoke in northwest Toronto for July 30. 

Around 50 people attended the event. Many were from the Somali community; others included Haile’s wife Martha and her sister Linda, as well as many former missionaries to Somalia.

Hosh, a Somali politician who had hoped to be present, was called away to Mogadishu where he is working on reconciliation efforts. But he took the time to connect with the assembled group via telephone.

Togane served as master of ceremonies for the launch, which featured original poetry by a young Somali poet, stories from Haile’s life, and a description of how the book came to be – spiced with lots of savory Somali food and conversation. 

Martha Haile spoke of the peace, truth, and hope expressed in her husband’s life. She experienced him as a man who created a home across cultures, with Jesus at the center. 

Others shared memories of Haile as mentor, a friend across clans, a man of hospitality, a peacemaker willing to iron out differences between himself and a brother, and one who was humble enough to ask for forgiveness. 

Referencing the current crisis in Somalia, Barbara Reed, a former EMM worker in Somalia, said, “Our hearts bleed for Somalia. Today is Friday, the day of crucifixion, suffering and death, but Sunday is coming, the day of resurrection, restoration, and hope. That’s what I believe for Somalia.” 

The theme of peace ran throughout the event as Shenk and others stressed Haile’s keen desire that both Christians and Muslims would know more fully that “Christ is our peace.” 

Shenk explained that the title of the book referred to tea being offered to clan leaders who had excluded Haile and came to his home to challenge him. After efforts of persuasion, they finally accepted hospitality from Ahmed and Martha and drank tea together.

Opposing the Use of Force in Libya

Christians are given no leave to choose between the lesser of two evils. They must simply choose between right and wrong.

By Jonathan D. Fitzgerald, March 23, 2011

.... 

As a junior in college, four short months after 9/11, I had the opportunity to study abroad at Daystar University, a Christian college in Nairobi, Kenya. Although my thoughts on war and peace were still in formation, I knew that the language of revenge that erupted from the White House and the news media sounded nothing like Jesus' language of peace and justice.

With these thoughts swirling in my head, I enrolled at Daystar in "Christian Perspectives on War and Peace," taught by Ahmed Ali Haile, a Somali who had lost his right leg. Here was a man who had been shot by a rocket and was practically exiled from his home country, but who believed very deeply in the Gospel message of peace. As it turns out, Professor Haile was also a Mennonite and introduced me and my classmates—students from all over Africa, including several Sudanese refugees—to the writings of the Christian pacifist John Howard Yoder. 

It is difficult to see Jesus' call to lay down one's life for another as metaphorical in the presence of a man who did it for real. Likewise, it seemed impossible to justify a violent response to 9/11 while sitting in a classroom full of students who, in the face of genocide, still chose peace.

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Jonathan D. Fitzgerald is the managing editor of Patrolmag.com, and writes on the various manifestations of Christianity in culture. Follow him on Twitter or at his website, www.jonathandfitzgerald.com.

Fitzgerald's column, "In Progress," is published every Wednesday on the Progressive Christian Portal. Subscribe via email or RSS.

I am a Famine Survivor

By Amanda Koech

October 2011

Recently, I read a memoir of the life of Ahmed Ali Haile, a great Somali who I was blessed to meet earlier in Daystar University, Kenya where I attended my undergraduate studies. Haile taught me a course on Understanding Islam, a course that would positively influence my relations with Somalis with whom I work.

In his memoir, Haile narrates his experience of famine in 1965, as a 12 year old boy in Central Somalia. His family and community coped by migrating, but today’s situation with the continued conflict has clearly cut off this pattern, and the consequences are devastating.

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An excellent book by the late Prof. Ahmed Haile

Front cover

Back cover

Book Review by Kanga

“Give your enemy fresh milk.”  This memorable Somali aphorism from will stay with me for a long time—a highlight of the powerful life story of Ahmed Ali Haile.  In  Teatime in Mogadishu: My journey as a peace ambassador in the world of Islam, readers can discover the reconciliation work and faith journey of this Somali-born peacemaker.  His story, part of the “Christians Meeting Muslims Series,” is told with the help of David W. Shenk, who has lived in East Africa and works with Eastern Mennonite Missions.

Throughout his life Haile has given witness to the power of love and forgiveness.  The book’s title refers to the priority Haile has given to hospitality—setting an example for others of a loving home, expressing God’s love to everyone (even when it might not feel “convenient”). In his effort to live a life in keeping with the peacemaking teachings of Jesus, Haile describes Romans 12 as “an ethical manifesto” for his family, and, truly, his life exemplifies the call to live in harmony with one another, and to overcome evil with good.  This book provides inspiration for those of us who long to listen for God’s call in our lives, and to live out that call with integrity and passion.  

Born into a loving, pious Muslim home in central Somalia in 1953, Haile grew up with an awareness of God’s blessings and a desire to serve God.  As a serious student of his religion, Haile was interested in learning more about the monotheistic faiths that preceded Islam, and which are mentioned throughout the Qur’an.  When he had an opportunity to study the Bible, the life of Jesus spoke to his heart and he decided to convert to christianity.  At that time, the political regime in Somalia forbade the practice of any religion except Islam. Within this environment, it was heartening to read that Haile’s parents were very supportive of his decision.  They knew Haile was not rejecting the religion of his birth, but rather that he felt called by God to follow the path of Jesus.

During the 1970s, while Somalia experienced revolution and war with Ethiopia, Haile had the good fortune to receive a scholarship to study peacemaking and development in the U.S.  When he returned to Africa in 1982, Haile worked to nurture healthy relations with the Muslim community and his extended family, meeting weekly with elders from his clan.  “We ate and fellowshipped and conversed vigorously together.  In that way, our covenant of peace was renewed each week.”  This kind of relationship-building is an important foundation for restorative justice, and builds on pre-islamic clan traditions.

Through his studies and his life experiences, Haile determined that neither traditionalist nor modernist forces would bring peace to Somalia—only God could do that, for true restorative justice requires the healing work of the Holy Spirit. Even after losing his leg to a violent attack in 1992, Haile continued to work tirelessly for peace, and, as part of the Somali diaspora in the U.S., he continues his efforts still.

Once again, Mogadishu is in in the news, and at the center of humanitarian crisisand violent conflict. Ahmed Ali Haile’s story demonstrates that we must persist in working for peace, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.  This inspiring book includes discussion questions for each of its short chapters, which will be very helpful for book groups and Sunday school classes that use this book as a resource.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge from Herald Press. No fee was received for writing this review.

Source: http://lighttoreadby.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/teatime-in-mogadishu/

Teatime in Mogadishu: My Journey as a Peace Ambassador in the World of Islam 

Available at Amazon.com 

Axmed Xayle Geerida Ku Timid – The Ahmed Haile We Lost

Axmed Xayle geerida ku timid,                   The death that took away Ahmed Haile

ee galbisay maanta                                      which made him disappear today                 

Geyigeena waxay uba ahayd,                      It meant catastrophic disaster                 

Guuldariyo hooge                                        for our motherland

Nabadoon gar gala buu ahaa,                     He was an elder and a peace maker

geesi gacan wayne                                       known for his courage and generosity 

Agoon gaawa maran baynu nahay,             We are now broke and orphans

ginina aan haysan                                        we are indeed empty handed

Afar uu gob ku ahaa balaan,                        Let me mention four things

goobta ka caddeeyo                                      for which he was respected

Dadkoo gees u kala boodayoo,                    People girding up their loins for war  

nabadu geed fuushay                                    and peace vanishes away                 

Hubkoo laysu guranahayoo,                        People arming themselves to the teeth

gawrac laysla maagay                                 to be ready for a mass slaughter  

Garaad iyo Islaan iyo Malaaq,                    When chiefs, elders and other leaders

Midiba gees raacay                                      add fuel to the fire

Isagoon gabanahayn haddana,                    He was there fearless and determined

ridayn gartii eexo                                         just and impartial

Geeshkii gulufka u fadhiyay                         He counseled the warring factions

Qoloba gaarkeeda                                       reasoning with each group                 

Garansiiyay inay kala galbadaan,              Convincing them to disband

nabadu waa guul e                                      for victory is in peaceful coexistence

Nin ragoo gabanno uu dhalay,                   A father unable to feed his own children

uu gambo u waayay                                    who is penniless and empty handed

Gurigiisu uu maran yahoo,                         And there is no food in his home

gaaridii ay yaabtay                                     his wife is bewildered

Gurbood aan wax garano aqoon,              Little hungry children 

gaajo lagu seexdo                                       unable to sleep

Axmed Xayle yaa loo gudaa,                      That is when Ahmed Haile’s home

guriga kiisaahe                                           receives such needy visitors

Wixii Guule siiyay buu yira,                       He gives to them sacrificially

buuxso gacantaada                                    until they are not hungry anymore

Cilmi kii la garan waayo oo,                     When an academic solution is needed

galti bixin waydo                                        and novices are confused

Isagaa loo gayn jiray xaajadii,                   That is when they called him

garasho loo waayo                                      for he was well prepared  

Jaamacado nin galay buu ahaa,                 He attended a number of universities

Oo gunaanadaye                                         and graduated with honors

Masaladi la garan waayay buu,                  He provided the solution needed

gaanka ka cadayne                                      with clarity and eloquence

Aqoon gaamurtay buu lahaa,                      The wise man we lost

garasho dheeruhuye                                     was well educated

Kaftan aan gedaafe lahayn,                         When it was time for lighthearted jokes  

Gogosha uu joogo                                        and he is there with the people

Googaalaysi iyo sheeko ay,                          Elders start with riddles and stories

guud caddu bilowdo                                     these are the respected leaders  

Gebi aftahan intii isu fishaa,                         When all the gifted people speak

Goobta wax ka sheegto                                 in idioms with figurative meaning

Guurow iyo wixii gabay halkaa,                   Poems with evocative qualities

geeraar laga sheego                                      are well recited

Gebagebada isagaa lahaa,                           The conclusion was rightfully his

Guubaabiyo sheeko                                       with stories and commendation

Maantase haddii uu galbaday,                      But he left us today

waa xaq geeriduye                                         for all will die as ordained by God

Nebiyadii Eebbahen ee go’uu,                      He is fellowshipping today

gogol la joogaaye                                         with the departed prophets of God

Inna sida gobti yaan u caban,                      and we mourn in dignity

Guulaha awoodda le                                    for God is almighty and powerful

Ummadduu gargaarka u aha,                     The nation whose succor he was

Yaa guhaad badane                                     is in great anguish today

Geyigooda nabad uga yeel,                         Bestow peace and stability

goor iyo ayaanba                                         on our motherland

This poem was composed and translated by Brother Warsameh

May 04, 2011

Proofreading by MG

Teatime in Mogadishu

Teatime in Mogadishu is the last formal interview given by the late Prof. Ahmed Ali Haile.