Perhaps the most telling sign of Somalia’s remarkable power shift is the rapid return to Mogadishu’s streets of the leafy twigs known as ‘khat.’
Traditionally chewed by most Somali men, but outlawed since June by hard-line Islamists, the mild stimulant reappeared within hours of Mogadishu’s recapture by government forces last week.
Normally chewed in the afternoons and evenings, the leaf releases a mild stimulant, although users later feel down. It has a central place in Somali social gatherings, and gives a livelihood to traders and importers.
But bent on introducing sharia, Islamic law, the Islamists angered Somalis who are traditionally moderate Muslims after they formally banned the popular khat in November.
The movement also sparked protests in some towns after it introduced other hard-line practices such as closing cinemas, prohibiting smoking and some music, and enforcing dress codes.
Is this part of Coke’s secret recipe? Should it be?
Stuff must grow fast, huh?
Now it’ll be another 24 hours or so until someone’s selling packets of (what purports to be) khat on eBay. Oboy! Something new for the prohibition bureaucrats to ban.
‘Scuse me, I gotta go get some stronger coffee.
Reason #26 to hate religious extremists:
The banning of drugs
Good for them.
If anybody is interested in understanding more about Khat, “Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia” by Tony Horwitz is a great read.
Alright, traders and importers will make some coin now.
Smart thing for the US to do? Send money to Ethiopia to sustain its effort.
sounds like fun stuff: ——Chronic use of khat produces undesirable side effects, including sleeplessness, nervousness, impotence, loss of appetite, constipation, and nightmares. malnutrition, immune dysfunction, inhibited urine flow, erectile dysfunction, & reproductive toxicity.
http://www.sidamaconcern.com/articles/abraham.htm
#8, I donno what the hell khat does to you, but that list sounds an awful lot like what the DEA told us about pot. Except that with pot, your dick would fall off.
8, that would be cool, and could solve ALOT of problems for we and Them…
stop over population, and sence they cant get it UP, they cant transmit STDs..
In the US, it would help with those in other countries and drop the over population and ALL the money we promise them.
#9 – and it would make you an insane killer of your family and friends and other innocent bystanders.
#10 stop over population
Stop Global Warming, Legalize Khat!
#11 I think I saw the movie!!
#11, LOL, forgot about that one.
Khat is legal and there is a small amount smuggled/shipped to the U.S. at this time.It has to be fresh to work so transport must be quick.We have a small Somali minority here in Wi.The drug is a little like weed with a capacino chaser.The crash is about 2 or 3 hours after you quit chewing and you just fall asleep for the night.Yes stupid people do stupid things on khat “like fire their AK47 at a 50 caliber machine gun”but overall it is not a problem here or there.
15,
HOW MUCH??
And what conditions to grow
#15 Khat is legal and there is a small amount smuggled/shipped to the U.S. at this time.
Since when was it legalized?
http://www.dea.gov/concern/khat.html
#7
That’s impossible.
A wasted Somalia is vital to aging rock bands.