Somalia - Food Aid

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Thinker said:
Just watched a news report about food aid sent to Somalia to feed refugees is being sold in the markets after being bought from corrupt officials. The report showed mountains of sacks of maize etc all stamped WFP and USfoodaid. Why isn’t the Muslim world (who are also their neighbours) feeding the Somalis?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6499155.ece
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:sl: They haven't helped us even in 1991-1993, when the famine broke out and General Caydiid took it hostage. That's also around the time black hawk down happened.

This isn't suprising, Somalia is an extremely corrupt and poor country. No country has any interest in it, not even our own Muslim brethren (countries). :rollseyes
 
So how do Muslims (and (black hawk down) Somalians in particular) reconcile America and the ‘west’ being the great Satans yet it is aid from America and the west that is feeding the Muslim world. Where is the Muslim zakah going to; is all the zakah being spent on building mosques and arming dissident groups?
 
Thinker said:
Just watched a news report about food aid sent to Somalia to feed refugees is being sold in the markets after being bought from corrupt officials. The report showed mountains of sacks of maize etc all stamped WFP and USfoodaid. Why isn’t the Muslim world (who are also their neighbours) feeding the Somalis?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6499155.ece
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Do you ever have anything positive to say? Being balanced. You should try it once in a while.
 
Thinker said:
So how do Muslims (and (black hawk down) Somalians in particular) reconcile America and the ‘west’ being the great Satans yet it is aid from America and the west that is feeding the Muslim world. Where is the Muslim zakah going to; is all the zakah being spent on building mosques and arming dissident groups?
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Zakah is special for feed poor people only. Not allowed to used for build a mosque or buy guns for Mujahideen. The right question is : Why Muslim world forget Somalians ?.
I think this question has many answers, and maybe one of those answer is .......because we can find 'Not for re-sale food' in market.

I have read that article. I am sure those WFP staff who sell those food are local staf, and they are Muslims. After I read that article, the only word that I can say is 'Astaghfirullah al adzim'.
 
Faizah said:
Do you ever have anything positive to say? Being balanced. You should try it once in a while.
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As a person whose taxes are used to pay for the aid, I am entitled, to ask. I ask the questions because I want to know the answers. I ask the questions because I want Muslims who ‘bury their heads in the sand’ to ask themselves these question.

I want to know why, with all the oil wealth in the hands of Muslims, it necessary for the kafir to feed hungry Muslims? I’d like to know where the aid from Muslim countries goes (presuming they have some kind of aid programme, maybe they don’t)? I’d like to know what the Somalian’s that killed Americans think when they are looking at the sacks of food given by America? I’d like to know why the Muslim countries bordering Somalia don’t send their troops into Somalia to sort the country out or at least stop the piracy? I don’t expect that I can’t get answers to all my questions here but I don’t have access to anyone else who is more able to give me better answers.

I’d like to know why you aren’t asking these questions?
 
Thinker said:
Just watched a news report about food aid sent to Somalia to feed refugees is being sold in the markets after being bought from corrupt officials. The report showed mountains of sacks of maize etc all stamped WFP and USfoodaid. Why isn’t the Muslim world (who are also their neighbours) feeding the Somalis?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6499155.ece
Click to expand...

I suspect the 'Muslim World' is a partner in the World Food Program, so I'm sure they are helping as well.
 
Thinker said:
As a person whose taxes are used to pay for the aid, I am entitled, to ask. I ask the questions because I want to know the answers. I ask the questions because I want Muslims who ‘bury their heads in the sand’ to ask themselves these question.

I want to know why, with all the oil wealth in the hands of Muslims, it necessary for the kafir to feed hungry Muslims? I’d like to know where the aid from Muslim countries goes (presuming they have some kind of aid programme, maybe they don’t)? I’d like to know what the Somalian’s that killed Americans think when they are looking at the sacks of food given by America? I’d like to know why the Muslim countries bordering Somalia don’t send their troops into Somalia to sort the country out or at least stop the piracy? I don’t expect that I can’t get answers to all my questions here but I don’t have access to anyone else who is more able to give me better answers.
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And what? Muslims don't pay taxes? Do you ask so many questions when your 'tax money pays for meaningless wars? Would it bother you so much if the money was going towards non-Muslims?

I’d like to know why you aren’t asking these questions?
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Don't assume anything about me. Just because I don't go posting on forums of other faiths with the sole intention of painting a negative picture of those faiths, that doesn't mean I don't ask questions. Oh wait, maybe it just seems like you do that, but you really have 'pure' intentions?

[/sarcasm]
 
KAding said:
I suspect the 'Muslim World' is a partner in the World Food Program, so I'm sure they are helping as well.
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The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid branch of the United Nations. WFP operations are funded by donations from world governments, corporations and private donors. In 2008 the Programme received over $5 billion in contributions. All donations are completely voluntary.

Donor contributions for 2008 see . . . . http://www.wfp.org/node/7359


Top 10 donors
1 USA 2,076,430,362
2 Saudi Arabia 503,752,713
3 European Commission 355,434,578
4 Canada 275,392,315
5 UN CERF Common Funds and Agencies 217,578,609
6 Japan 177,898,745
7 United Kingdom 168,960,902
8 Private Donors 144,745,059
9 Netherlands 117,435,477
10 Spain 116,943,829

Amazing fact 1. Some of the donor countries are also recipients of aid.

Amazing fact 2. Out of a list of 98 donors only 11 are Muslim countries, who in total contributed just 11% (if you take out Saudi that drops to 1%) of the total and of those 11 countries many of them received more in aid that they donated.

Amazing fact 3. Some Muslim countries (e.g. Iran) who have received aid have not made any contribution

Amazing fact 4. Although the USA is by far the largest donor they still give through their own US aid programme and in the case of Somalia, I saw as many US aid bags of food as I saw WFP bags.

I'd like to add that I am impressed by the contribution from Saudi Arabia.
 
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Muslim countries given aid in 2008

Country Millions (US$)
Afghanistan . . . . . 135
Azerbaijan . . . . . . 3.8
Bangadesh . . . . . .71.5
Chad . . . . . . . . . .115
Djibouti . . . . . . . .8.3
Egypt . . . . . . . . .8.9
Indonesia . . . . . .40.6
Iran . . . . . . . . . .2.3
Iraq . . . . . . . . . . 46
Palastine . . . . . . .56.7
Pakistan . . . . . . . 37.8
Somalia . . . . . . . .133.3
Sudan . . . . . . . . .750.4
Syria . . . . . . . . . .9.9
Tajikistan . . . . . . .11.6
Yemen . . . . . . . . .14.1
total . . . . . . . . . . .$1,445,200,000

In 2008, Muslim countries donated 11% of the WFP budget and received 28% of the aid.

http://one.wfp.org/appeals/projected_needs/documents/2008/Table_1.pdf
 
Faizah said:
And what? Muslims don't pay taxes? Do you ask so many questions when your 'tax money pays for meaningless wars? Would it bother you so much if the money was going towards non-Muslims?
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Does that include the war against the (Christian) Serbs to protect the (Muslim) Albanians?
 
Thinker said:
Does that include the war against the (Christian) Serbs to protect the (Muslim) Albanians?
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No, I meant the one that was for WMDs. Oh wait, there weren't any? Oh right, it was actually because SH had connections with Al Qaeda (?!), but we're getting off-topic now. This thread is about your 'concern' for Somalians.
 
I believe the fact that many muslim countries are recipients of aid and the fact that the aid they actually mete out is minor has to do with the fact the majority of muslim countires are poor, apart from certain parts of the arab world. and the fact that they are poor has to do with a combination of a history of colonization and at the present corrupt government officials, the same with africa. you will not see many muslims defending the actions of most leaders of the muslim world because i think it's common knowledge that they are corrupt puppet's of western powers.
why certain areas of the muslim world are ignored while others are given priority that is something we as muslims need to ask ourselves because there seems to be a great deal of hypocrisy in that regard.

as to america's help in somalia, most somali's were okay with the americans at that time, it was the canadians and the belgians in somalia who were neo-nazi's that were torturing and killing somalis. but when the americans entered somalia and started to kill somali's indiscriminately the somalis turned on them, they were angry about the other peacekeepers and americans killing them compounded that anger and they took it out on them even the pakistani troops were killed and they were muslims too.

I'd like to know what the Somalian’s that killed Americans think when they are looking at the sacks of food given by America?

with all due respect do not go there, somalis didn't come to america and kill americans it was the other way around. i doubt starving people are philosophying about actions that occured almost twenty years ago.
america has done a great deal of good but wherever america goes it's reputation precedes it, american foreign policy has made america a hated country and american's have no one to blame for that but themselves.

what were your intentions in posting this topic? were you concerned and disgusted by the food aid meant for starving people being sold for profit, or were you just trying to take a dig at muslims, because in a way you do have a point but if the latter was your intention please don't use the situation of the destitute of the world as a facade to get your point across. these are real people.
 
Lisa0 said:
what were your intentions in posting this topic? were you concerned and disgusted by the food aid meant for starving people being sold for profit, or were you just trying to take a dig at muslims
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First let me say that although I don’t agree with all you have said, what I read is a well balanced post and I thank you for that.

You asked what were my intentions in posting this topic? You ask am I just having a ‘dig at Muslims?’ You are not the first to suggest that my asking difficult or embarrassing question is done specifically to ‘have a dig at Muslims.’ That is not true but I fear that no matter what I say some will believe what they want to believe.

I am not just seeking to ‘have a dig at Muslims;’ I have sincere respect for the majority of the members of this forum.

It happens like this . . .I sit watching the news or a I read a post here that shocks me and I respond with a question. The question I pose is posed for two reasons, first because I really would like to know the answer and second because I would like to know how Muslims respond to the question. This thread typifies that situation, the questions stand by themselves (and I would like to know the answers) but I am also interested in how those like Faizah respond, her response shows that Muslims are discomforted by the question and have no answer and are angry at having no answer; she lets loose her anger on me for asking the question rather than those who created a situation whereby the question had to be asked.

And, I suspect that there’s a few Somali members of this forum who would like to know why the Muslim world has abandoned them.
 
Thinker said:
So how do Muslims (and (black hawk down) Somalians in particular) reconcile America and the ‘west’ being the great Satans yet it is aid from America and the west that is feeding the Muslim world. Where is the Muslim zakah going to; is all the zakah being spent on building mosques and arming dissident groups?
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lol, you kill, colonize, rape, destroy everything, and are the root problem of somalia and africa in general , yet you want praise and think your so saintly now for giving them some food? lol ok.
 
The_Prince said:
you kill, colonize, rape, destroy everything, and are the root problem of somalia and africa in general
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I'd be grateful if you could explain to me how or why you think colonization is or was the reason that Somalia or Africa is the mess that it is?
 
the question you should be asking is why certain parts of the muslim world are given priority while other's are ignored. kashmir, chechnya, the uighurs, the muslims in thailand, the starving in africa etc. who protests for these people? where is the anger and the tears for these people? like i said before that's a problem and we as muslims people need to recognize it.
and the question above i believe deserves an answer and should have been posed on it's own, without statistics of western vs muslim. posting numbers comparing the aid given to the muslim world and given by muslims is condescending and does not paint the whole picture. the situation of the muslim world needs to be taken into account. the western world today is far ahead of most areas of the most muslim world in regards to infrastructure, the conditions of living, the goverments etc. muslims, jewish, hindu it doesn't matter suffering people are suffering people if your giving aid of the goodness of your hearts there's no need to brag about it and this post does come across that way. if you wanted your question to seem genuine you shouldn't have made it a west vs muslim question and because you did, it cast's doubt's on your intentions.
somalia is not the perfect example because many people muslim countries have actually donated alot of money to the somali government and to rebuild the infrastructure of somalia if not direct aid to the people. particulary countries in the arab league and in that particularly saudi arabia even if their intentions aren't the most pure.
i cannot speak for all somali's but i do not believe somalia is ignored and i do believe that most somali's recognize that the muslim world is weak poor and divided. so no i don't believe we were abandoned, could there be a little more concern? yes, but that's a different issue.

as to the question you posed to bro prince, yes colonization and the history of africa have a very large part to play in the state of africa today, people tend to forget that colonization and slavery did not occur that long ago matter of fact they occured in the very recent past. however somalia's problems were caused for the most part by somalis themselves.

salam
 
Thinker said:
but I am also interested in how those like Faizah respond, her response shows that Muslims are discomforted by the question and have no answer and are angry at having no answer; she lets loose her anger on me for asking the question rather than those who created a situation whereby the question had to be asked.

And, I suspect that there’s a few Somali members of this forum who would like to know why the Muslim world has abandoned them.
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Somali members like myself?

Like I said, don't assume so much. You sound so patronising. You assume so much about Muslims... on this forum and around the world. That's what 'angers', and 'discomfort' Muslims like myself, and that is what portrays your post as negative digs. Why do you think these kind of posts are constantly directed at you, and not some of the other non-Muslims on this forum? Because they never ask questions? Seriously, think about it.
 
Lisa0 said:
the question you should be asking is why certain parts of the muslim world are given priority while other's are ignored. kashmir, chechnya, the uighurs, the muslims in thailand, the starving in africa etc. who protests for these people? where is the anger and the tears for these people?
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Not sure of the relevance of that statement unless you are suggesting that aid and or assistance is denied the above people because they are unimportant to the ‘west’? With regards the Africa, I have tried and failed to find out how much has been given in aid, this article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123758895999200083.html ) suggest 50 billion every year. And that’s year after year after year and life for the most is no better now than it was 50 years ago.

Lisa0 said:
the question above i believe deserves an answer and should have been posed on it's own, without statistics of western vs muslim. posting numbers comparing the aid given to the muslim world and given by muslims is condescending
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I didn’t post those stats for that reason, I asked about where Muslim aid money went and someone posted a suggestion that probably went to the WFP. I looked ay their site and was surprised by what I found and thought it might interest others.

Lisa0 said:
as to the question you posed to bro prince, yes colonization and the history of africa have a very large part to play in the state of africa today,
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That has been said here before but is a hollow accusation with little or no evidence to support it. Name me one African country where the general population has become more prosperous after gaining independence. A few years back I spent some time in Zimbabwe and I asked lots of black Zimbabweans about their life ruled as a colony and their life since independence and EVERY one cursed the day they became independent.
 

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