The population of the city is ethnically and culturally diverse. The city is home to a significant number of virtually all of the country’s ethnic group, though the Mende people make up the largest ethnic group. Like in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language is the most widely spoken language in Bo and is used as the primary language of communication in the city.

The city is the primary home of Njala University, the second largest university in Sierra Leone, after the Fourah Bay College in Freetown. The city is home to the Christ the King College, one of the most prominent colleges in Sierra Leone. Bo is also home to The Bo Government Secondary School (commonly known as Bo School), which is one of the biggest and most prominent secondary schools in Sierra Leone.

This is a picture of Bo-Town's shopping center that we visited. Notice the women in forefront.

* 1 History
* 2 Government
* 3 Geography and climate
* 4 Links
* 5 Education
o 5.1 Notable Secondary Schools in Bo
* 6 Media
* 7 Sport
* 8 Crime
* 9 Demographics
* 10 Bo Airport
* 11 Notable people from Bo
* 12 Namesakes
* 13 References

[edit] History

Centrally located, Bo lies on the main rail line east and south of Freetown which was closed in 1974. From 1930 until independence 1961, it was the capital of the Protectorate of Sierra Leone. The city is the administrative center of the Southern Province. After Freetown, Bo is the leading transportation, commercial, and educational center of Sierra Leone. Bo began its modern development with the coming of the railroad in 1889 and became an educational center in 1906, when the Bo Government Secondary School was established.

The inhabitants of Bo are known for their resolve, resistance and hospitality. The town was named after its generosity. An elephant was killed close to what is now known as Bo Parking Ground. People from the surrounding villages came to receive their share. Because the meat was so large, the hunter spent days distributing it and the words “Bo- lor” (which in Mende language means “this is yours,” with reference to the meat) was said so much that the elders and visitors decided to name the place Bo. “Bo-lor” in Mende also translates to “this is Bo.”
[edit] Government

The city of Bo is governed with a city council form of government, which is headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city and for seeing that all laws are enforced. The mayor is elected directly by the people of Bo. The current mayor of Bo is Wusu Sannoh, he is a member of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). The city and the entire Bo District is a stronghold of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party. In the second round of the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election, the incumbent vice president of Sierra Leone Solomon Berewa and candidate of the then ruling SLPP party got 67% of the vote in Bo District, while the leader of the main opposition party and current president of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People’s Congress (APC) got 30% of the vote in the second round in the district.
[edit] Geography and climate

Like the rest of Sierra Leone, Bo has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. Average annual precipitation varies from 5,080 mm (200 inches). The prevailing winds are the SW Monsoon during the wet season and the northeastern Harmattan which is a dust laden wind from the Sahara Desert during the dry season. Average temperature ranges in Bo are from 21 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.
[edit] Links

In 1981 Bo District formed ‘One World Link’ (OWL)[2] (see UKOWLA) with Warwick District and Leamington Spa in the UK. This was inspired by a desire for justice, equality, human understanding and mutual support. Over the years it has helped to strengthen both communities and their awareness of global and development issues. The many outcomes of the link include women’s groups, school links, an online archive, an education programme[3] and the opening, in 2008, of a Community Centre in Bo city. Immediate plans include collaboration on a pilot environmental programme for the collection and disposal of waste. There is also a youth wing which has 20 registered youth groups, that serve over 1000 young people.[4]

The Bo District Development Association (BODDA – UK) was formed in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2003 by a group of natives from Bo District in Sierra Leone. The primary purpose for the formation of this organization is for its membership to explore every possible lawful avenue to solicit generous donations in cash, food, clothing, educational and agricultural.

Bo District Development Association (BODDA – UK)has been involved in various projects including sponsorships in Sierra Leone and the UK e.g.Introduction of the BODDA Civic Award – in which the people of Bo are annually awarded for their contributions towards Nation building and Community Development (this is an effort to encourage the people of Bo in national development and citizenship; Donation of two hundred computers and other School materials to various Schools in Bo in 2007; Donation of medical equipments to the Bo Government Hospital and books to the Bo Regional library in January 2010; In August 2006 in partnership with the British Council Sierra Leone, They were able to facilitate a one month tour for six artists from Bo with the aim to promote awareness of global issues through music and encourage global citizenship through the linking of youth groups in the UK and Sierra Leone.

The Organisation also award scholarship to students from poor family background who are unable to meet their educational needs. You can visit BODDA – UK website on http://www.bodda.org.uk
[edit] Education

Like in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone, the Krio language is widely spoken in the city Bo, although English is the official language spoken at schools and government places. Bo has one of the highest literacy rates in Sierra Leone. The city is home to many primary schools as well as several secondary schools, including one of the elite secondary schools in West Africa, The Bo Government Secondary School (commonly known as Bo School). The school was founded in 1906 by British educationist Leslie Probyn to educate the children of Bo Town. The school has a long history of producing the elite of Sierra Leone, especially the country’s top politicians.

Bo School is sited on 13.5 acres (55,000 m2) of land in the heart of Bo Town. The school itself is situated in pleasant surroundings and within walking distance of the government hospital, government post office, police station, and the main shopping center of Bo Town.

A football field, volleyball court, basketball court, long tennis court, and cricket pitch enrich the recreational facilities the school provides. There are plans to rehabilitate the school swimming pool.

Bo School also maintains a unique tradition of seniority which has consistently augured well for social cohesion among the students. Maggots/Greeners/Rustics are either junior or newer members of the school (specifically those with more recent admission numbers). They are expected to always observe all rules of deference association with their positions and comply fully with specific instructions from senior students.
[edit] Notable Secondary Schools in Bo

* Christ the king College secondary school.
* Bo Government Secondary School
* Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School
* Queen of the Rosary Secondary School
* Comprehensive Secondary School
* St. Andrews Secondary School
* Bo Commercial Secondary school
* SLMB Secondary School
* St. Pauls Junior Secondary School

[edit] Media

Bo is the second most important city in Sierra Leone, after the capital Freetown. The two main local radio stations in Bo are Kiss FM 104, and Radio New Song 97.5. The local service of the national broadcaster, SLBS, transmits on 96.5. Commercial station Capital Radio uses 102.3 and BBC World Service also has an FM relay.
[edit] Sport

Like the rest of Sierra Leone, football is the most popular sport in the city. Bo has two football clubs in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, Bo Rangers, and Nepean Stars. Both clubs play their home games at the Bo Stadium. Another club from Bo Town called the Kakua Rangers plays in the Sierra Leone National First Division, the second highest football league in Sierra Leone, after the Sierra Leone National Premier League. There are several clubs from Bo Town in the lower divisions of Sierra Leone league system.
[edit] Crime

Since the end of the civil war in 2002, there has been an increase in homicide, armed robbery, home invasion and carjacking in Bo Town. Petty crime and pick pocketing of wallets, cell phones, and passports are very common in the city. Over the past year, criminal exploits have become more aggressive. Increasingly operating in numbers and while heavily armed. Like in most West African countries, local criminals target expatriates due to their perceived wealth.
[edit] Demographics

Bo has an ethnically diverse population, although the Mende make up the majority. The city is home to all of the country’s ethnic groups as well as a large Liberian community. Bo is home to large groups of Muslims and Christians.
[edit] Bo Airport

Bo Airport serves the Bo District and the Southern Province. There are regular connections from Bo to Freetown, and other major cities in the country.[5]

AmaduWurieKhan
Based on a long-term study from 1987 to the present and incorporating storytelling apprenticeship, ethnographic fieldwork, and (largely informal) interviews, this paper discusses the dynamic nature of oral art as manifested through Themne storytellers’ efforts to vary the oral performance. It explores the relationship between multimedia resources, both intrinsic and external to the performance environment, as well as artistic variation and social aesthetics, along with the audiences’ appreciation and interpretation of oral performances. It argues that the impulse toward social aesthetics is responsible for the oral artists’ deployment of multimedia resources and their varying of oral narratives during storytelling. Specifically, it examines how sociability, the physical setting of performance, and belief systems or worldview function as paradigms of social aesthetics, focusing on their influence on artistic variation and creativity among the Themne of Sierra Leone.
This is dedicated to “BNT”(Bush and Town)
Bush being the Village and Town the City..This is very pronousned now
in Africa especially after the local genocide war.
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With the City having learned in 2008 about the unique vision emerging through collaborative work centered at the MUYAFRICA Project and identified BOTOWN Park as a principle focus for informal settlement upgrading innovation, the students had a diverse set of project partners with whom to interact. They also faced challenges borne of the sometimes difficult process of aligning the agendas and capabilities of diverse redevelopment stakeholders. The teams nonetheless analyzed and advanced plans in each of their thematic areas, enjoyed interacting with community members and others, and built this website as a basis for ongoing exchange of ideas, research and experiences relating to life in informal settlements and the search for positive futures.

Currently there are some 1.2 billion people worldwide experiencing “income poverty,”meaning they live on the equivalent of less than one dollar per day. The United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) has estimated that 1.1 billion people are living in inadequate housing conditions in urban areas alone. UNCHS has estimated that some approximately 21 million new housing units are required each year in developing countries to accommodate growth in the number of households during the period between 2000 and 2010 period. Some 14 million additional units would be required each year for the next 20 years if the current housing deficit is to be replaced by 2020.

In Latin America, households need 5.4 times their annual income to buy a house. In Africa, they need an average of 12.5 times their annual income. Less than 20 percent of households in Africa are connected to piped water, and only 40 percent have piped water within 200 meters of their home. In cities of the developing world, one out of every four households lives in poverty. Forty percent of African urban households are living below the locally defined poverty line.

# The Problem With Buildings
Using products made from renewable resources like green construction materials and plantation-grown woods helps mitigate the stress human consumption places on our global ecosystem.

“Green building’ is the next wave, and it’s here to stay.” An excerpt of a speech by Kenneth D. Lewis, CEO and President of Bank of America.

Buildings Use…
40 percent of raw stone, gravel and sand; comparable share of other processed materials such as steel, adding to
landscape destruction, toxic runoff from mines and tailings,
deforestation, air and water pollution from processing

25% of virgin wood is used for construction, adding to
deforestation, flooding, siltation, biological and cultural diversity losses

40% of total energy use, adding to
local air pollution, acid rain, damming of rivers, nuclear waste,
risk of global warming

16 percent of total water withdrawals, adding to Water pollution; competes with agriculture and ecosystems for water

Comparable in industrial countries to municipal solid waste generation, adding to landfill problems, such as leaching of heavy metals and water pollution

Poor air quality in 30 percent of new and renovated buildings, adding to higher incidence of sickness—lost productivity in tens of billions annually

Source: World Watch Institute

With over $175 billion in new commercial construction annually, the environmental burden imposed by the construction and operation of buildings will continue to rise. Therefore, a new model for design that takes into account environmental impact over the life of the building is necessary. Sustainable design evaluates every design decision in order to evaluate potential impact on the environment, occupant health and comfort, and the bottom line.

Fortunately, many of the concepts and technologies that may be employed to reduce environmental impact in construction and operation can be implemented at no extra cost. Life-cycle cost accounting, which looks at long-term cost and return on investment, as well as environmental costs, makes some design options look more attractive once they are evaluated on other than just first cost.

PHOTO GALLERY

ECONOMIC IMPACT

There are many factors which influence the cost of building a house however, in South Africa a saving of at least 30% can easily be achieved by utilizing the
EcoBuild Building System. In addition, the result will be a quality and more ecologically friendly house.
Accepting that time is money, the EcoBuild System has a very rapid construction rate.
When using the EcoBuild patented cladding instead of plaster, the house can be
ready for occupation within days.

CONTACT US

3 Hawkins Ave.
Epping,
Cape Town,
South Africa

Tel. +27 21 531 7043
Fax +27 21 531 7043
e mail info@ecobuildtech.co.za

* Eco-friendly
* Green House (Carbon footprint much less than conventional construction)
* Up to 70% superior thermal properties
* 3 Times greater mass than conventional building
* Aesthetically pleasing
* Superior acoustic qualities
* Versatility of the building process allows for multiple
applications
* All services can be accommodated in the walls
* Minimal building waste or losses on site
* Creates job opportunities
* Low skill levels required in the initial construction phase
* Ease of transport
* Ease of construction
* Low transportation costs
* Ecobeams can be manufactured anywhere
* Between 20 to 30% lower building costs than conventional building
* Patented technology

ecoBUILD Product Range
ecoBEAM – Ecobeam is a trademark for a lattice beam constructed with
parallel chords of sawn timber and inclined web members formed from
a continuous metal strip in zigzag con?
guration.

ecoBAG – The sand bag building method consists of Ecobeam units as
studs between sand ?lled polyester bags dry stacked to form a wall
system. The wall is completed with sand – cement plaster or cladding
boards externally and internally.

ecoFENCE – Ecofence is lightweight but incredibly strong
Ecofence can be painted, epoxy coated or left “natural” as required

* Frame constructed from upright forked logs with cross beams
* Walls filled with mud and clay
* Roof thatched with leaves or, later, tree bark
* Wooden chimney lined with clay to prevent fire
The other name I can call this is:
Wattle and daub (or wattle-and-daub)
that is a building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is still an important construction material in many parts of the world. Many historic buildings include wattle and daub construction, and the technique is becoming popular again in more developed areas as a low-impact sustainable building techniqu
This method of construction is used in Africa with great success
in the rural areas. Sticks of a very unique strength are cut
from the village and woven in lattice pattern then dabbed with
clay or mud. This system is to my opinion is better and durable
than sun dried mud.

Basic mud bricks are made by mixing earth with water, placing the mixture into moulds and drying the bricks in the open air. Straw or other fibres that are strong in tension are often added to the bricks to help reduce cracking. Mud bricks are joined with a mud mortar and can be used to build walls, vaults and domes.

At its simplest, mud brick making involves placing mud in moulds which, after initial drying, are removed to allow the bricks to dry slowly (not in direct sun). Moulds can be made from timber or metal – anything that can be shaped to provide the desired size for the bricks.

Virtually all the energy input for mud brick construction is human labour (indirectly, fueled by the sun) and after a lifetime of use, the bricks break back down into the earth they came from. The most effective use of mud bricks in building healthy, environmentally responsible housing, comes from understanding their merits and accepting their limitations. Mud brick construction is often referred to as ‘mudobe’ which is an Arabic and Berber word brought by Spaniards to the Americas, where it was adopted into English.

The use of earth construction is well established in energy efficient housing. There are many aspects to earth construction and despite the fact that most of the world’s buildings are made of earth and it is one of the oldest known building materials, there is much about its properties and potential that remains undeveloped and poorly researched.
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
Appearance

The appearance of mud bricks reflects the material they are made from. They are thus earthy, with color determined by color of clays and sands in the mix. Finished walls can express the brick patterns very strongly at one extreme or be made into a smoothly continuous surface.
Structural capability

With thick enough walls, mud brick can create load bearing structures up to several stories high. Vaults and domes enable adobe to be used for many situations other than vertical walls. The mud brick may be used as infill in a timber frame building or for load-bearing walls, although its compressive strength is relatively low. Typically, Australian adobe structures are single or double storie. In the Yemen there are buildings 8 stories high and more that have stood for centuries! [See: 5.5 Construction Systems]
[See: 5.6 Construction Systems]
Thermal mass

Adobe walls can provide moderate to high thermal mass, but for most Australian climatic conditions, as a rule of thumb, walls should be a minimum of 300mm thick to provide effective thermal mass. [See: 4.9 Thermal Mass]
Insulation

Contrary to popular belief mud bricks are not good insulators. Since they are extremely dense they lack the ability to trap air within their structure, the attribute of bulk insulation that allows it to resist the transfer of heat. Insulation can be added to adobe walls with linings but is not intrinsic to the material, and, depending on the building design may not be needed in some climate zones. [See: 4.7 Insulation]
Sound insulation

A well-built adobe wall has very good sound insulation properties. In fact, it can be almost equivalent to a monolithic masonry structure in its capacity for sound attenuation. [See: 2.7 Noise Control]
Fire and vermin resistance

Since earth does not burn, and earth walls do not readily provide habitat for vermin, mud brick walls generally have excellent fire and vermin resistance.
Durability and moisture resistance

Adobe walls are capable of providing structural support for centuries but they need protection from extreme weather (eg. with deep eaves) or continuous maintenance (the ancient structures of the Yemen have been repaired continuously for the centuries they have been standing). As a general rule, adobe needs protection from driving rain (although some adobe soils are very resistant to weathering) and should not be exposed to continuous high moisture.
Breathability and toxicity

Mud bricks make ‘breathable’ walls but some mud brick recipes include bitumen, which potentially results in some outgassing of hydrocarbons. Ideally earth should be used in its natural state or as near it as can be achieved.
Environmental impacts

Mud bricks have the potential to provide the lowest impact of all construction materials. Adobe should not contain any organic matter – the bricks should be made from clays and sands and not include living soil. They require very little generated energy to manufacture, but large amounts of water. The embodied energy content of mud bricks is potentially the lowest of all building materials but additives, excessive transport and other mechanical energy use can increase the ‘delivered’ embodied energy of all earth construction. [See: 5.2 Embodied Energy]

In a similar way, the greenhouse gas emissions associated with unfired mud bricks can (and should) be very low. To keep emissions to an absolute minimum, the consumption of fossil fuel and other combustion processes have to be avoided. [See: 5.1 Material Use Introduction]
Buildability, availability and cost

Mud bricks provide a forgiving construction medium well suited to owner-builder construction. There are a number of proprietary mud brick makers and builders able to provide good information and a strong owner-builder oriented network. There are good networks in the world over including a broad based national organisation,
The materials for making mud bricks are readily available in most areas and may be sourced directly from the site of the building in some cases.

Low costs in construction can only be effectively achieved by self-build, reducing the labour costs associated with manufacture and/ or laying of bricks. Commercially produced mud brick construction can be as expensive, or even more expensive, than brick veneer.

| Home | Acknowled

Since 1970, Peru has been hit by five powerful and deadly earthquakes. The latest struck Peru’s coast exactly two years ago with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale.

It fiercely shook the capital Lima, but its devastating epicentre was about 200km (124 miles) to the south, near the town of Pisco, a small fishing port built largely of adobe – mud bricks which Peruvians have used for thousands of years.

More than 500 people were killed and about 75,000 homes were left uninhabitable.

For Peruvian engineer Marcial Blondet, it was the devastating quake in 1970 that first motivated him to develop earthquake-resistant buildings, particularly for those who could least afford them.

Some 70,000 people died in the mountainous region of Huaraz, many of them in an avalanche of snow, ice and rock which obliterated the town of Yungay. It was the deadliest earthquake in Latin American history.

‘Tragic combination’

“Adobe and earthquakes are a perverse and tragic combination,” says Mr Blondet.

“We are right in the middle of the most seismic area in the world. We’ve had many, many huge quakes and we are still waiting for the super big one.

“But a very large percentage of the people here are poor, so adobe is the only thing they can use to build their homes. Unfortunately, that’s the case for millions of people in seismic zones around the world.”

During more than 35 years of research, Mr Blondet and his team have tried a range of natural and industrial materials to try to reinforce weak mud-brick structures. Bamboo cane was one option, but there is not enough of it.

The people on the street are killed by the walls that fall out, the people inside are killed by the roof that falls in
Marcial Blondet

Mud-brick structures are tested vigorously on shaking tables which simulate earthquakes in the structural engineering laboratory at Lima’s Catholic University.

Watching the simulations, it is easy to see just why adobe houses, home to about 40% of Peruvians, are such death-traps.

First a vertical crack appears, then the outer wall falls outwards, before the other walls crumble and the roof caves in.

“The people on the street are killed by the walls that fall out, the people inside are killed by the roof that falls in. It’s terrible,” says Mr Blondet.

“No-one should live in a house that behaves like this. A house is a place where we go when we want to feel protected and safe, so it’s unbearable, completely unacceptable – an abomination – that your house kills you.”

Finally, Mr Blondet and his team found a solution in an industrial plastic mesh used by mining companies to hold back earth on slopes. It is strong, cheap and easy to use.

Securely enveloping a normal mud-brick home in the mesh can prevent the walls from collapsing in an earthquake. The building wobbles but it does not fall down

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Sulaiman Too gets global recognition. (David Trilling for EurasiaNet)

Long a center of pilgrimage in the Ferghana Valley, in recent times Osh’s Sulaiman Too mountain has been subject to both Soviet revisionist history and picnickers keen to leave their mark.

Now, the spot — where pre-Islamic rituals are blended with formal Muslim worship — has been declared Kyrgyzstan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 295-hectare complex, including the mountain, surrounding cemeteries and old residential districts, was chosen at a meeting on June 26 in Seville, Spain, for its historical and cultural significance to the Ferghana Valley.

First appearing in the region in the 17th Century, the name refers to the prophet Sulaiman of the Old Testament. Some say Sulaiman — better known in the West as King Solomon, builder of Jerusalem’s first temple — is buried on the mountain. ’Too’ means mountain in Kyrgyz.

Sulaiman Too “dominates the Ferghana Valley and forms the backdrop to the city of Osh, at the crossroads of important routes on the Central Asian Silk Roads,” reads a UNESCO statement.

Home to 101 “sites with petroglyphs representing humans and animals as well as geometrical forms . . . The site numbers 17 places of worship, which are still in use, and many that are not.”

“Cult sites” on Sulaiman Too “are believed to provide cures for barrenness, headaches, and back pain and give the blessing of longevity. Veneration for the mountain blends pre-Islamic and Islamic beliefs. The site is believed to represent the most complete example of a sacred mountain anywhere in Central Asia, worshipped over several millennia,” the statement continues.

Visitors are active participants in old superstitions, whether for conviction or fun. At one spot on the smooth stone edifice, guests reach inside a cave the width and length of a human arm in order to heal all sorts of aliments; at another, women are encouraged to slide down a magic stone worn smooth by centuries of female visitors seeking to conceive.

Stairs lead to the higher of the two peaks where a small mosque is said to have been built by the Emperor Babur — founder of the Moghul Dynasty — in the 16th Century. It was mostly destroyed in Soviet times and reconstructed during the Perestroika era.

Below, a Soviet-era museum carved out of the rock houses local artifacts.

UNESCO has twice before considered adding Sulaiman Too to its list of sites with universal cultural and natural value. The list now includes 890 properties throughout the world.

At a press conference announcing the listing on July 1, Culture Minister Sultan Raev said he hoped Osh’s increased fame would draw tourists and suggested a direct flight from Istanbul to Osh could soon commence.

Editor’s Note: David Trilling is the Central Asia Coordinator for EurasiaNet.

Posted July 10, 2009 © Eurasianet

http://www.eurasianet.org

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In the Judeo-Christian region of the Middle East there are four primary sacred mountains: Mt Ararat in eastern Turkey, the traditional landing place of Noah’s ark; Mt. Sinai in the Sinai peninsula, the peak where Moses received the Ten Commandments; Mt. Moriah or Mt. Zion in Israel, where lies the city of Jerusalem and the temple of Solomon; and Mt. Tabor in Israel, the site of the transfiguration of Jesus. Mt. Sinai, also called Mt. Horeb and Jebel Musa (the ‘Mountain of Moses’) is the center of a greatly venerated pilgrimage destination that

includes the Monastery of St. Catherine and the Burning Bush, Elijah’s Plateau, and Plain of ar-Raaha.
Moses, the traditional founder of Judaism, was born in Egypt, the son of a Hebrew slave. The Hebrews had been in bondage in Egypt for four hundred years from approximately 1650-1250 BC. Near the end of this period an Egyptian priest in the service of the Pharaoh made a prophecy that a child would be born to the Hebrews that would one day free them from their slavery. The Pharaoh, on hearing this prophecy, ordered that every male child born to the Hebrews should be killed by drowning. In hopes of preventing his death, Moses’ parents placed him in a small basket, which they set adrift on the Nile. He was found by the daughter of the Pharaoh and subsequently raised as an adopted son of the royal family. During his upbringing he was extensively educated in the esoteric and magical traditions of the Egyptian mystery schools. At the age of forty Moses discovered that his original people, the Hebrews, were in bondage to the Egyptians. Enraged at this cruel treatment, he killed an Egyptian overseer and fled into exile into the Sinai wilderness.
Approximately forty years later, while grazing his flocks on the side of Mt. Horeb, Moses came upon a burning bush that was, miraculously, unconsumed by its own flames. A voice speaking out of the fire (Exodus 3:1-13) commanded him to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt and return with them to the mountain. Upon his return Moses twice climbed the mountain to commune with god. Regarding the second ascent, Exodus 24: 16-18 states: And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day God called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. During this time on the mountain Moses received two tablets upon which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments, as well as precise dimensions for the Arc of the Covenant, a portable box-like shrine that would contain the tablets. Soon thereafter, the Arc of the Covenant was constructed and Moses and his people departed from Mt. Sinai.
The Arc of the Covenant and its supposedly divine contents are one of the great mysteries of antiquity. According to archaic textual sources the Arc was a wooden chest measuring three feet nine inches long by two feet three inches high and wide. It was lined inside and out with pure gold and was surmounted by two winged figures of cherubim that faced each other across its heavy gold lid. Some scholars believe that the Arc may have contained, in addition to the Tablets of the Law, pieces of meteorites and highly radioactive rocks. In the ensuing two hundred and fifty years, between the time it was taken from Mt. Sinai to when it was finally installed in the temple in Jerusalem, the Arc was kept for two centuries at Shiloh, was captured by the Philistines for seven months, and then, returned to the Israelites, was kept in the village of Kiriath-Jearim. During this entire time it was associated with numerous extraordinary phenomena, many of which involved the killing or burning of often large numbers of people. Passages in the Old Testament give the impression that these happenings were divine actions of Yahweh, the god of the Hebrews. Contemporary scholars, however, believe that there may be another explanation. Writing in The Sign and the Seal (concerning his search for the lost Arc of the Covenant), Graham Hancock suggests that the Arc, and more precisely its mysterious contents, may have been a product of ancient Egyptian magic, science and technology. Moses, being highly trained by the Egyptian priesthood, was certainly knowledgeable in these matters and thus the astonishing powers of the Arc and its ‘Tablets of the Law’ may have derived from archaic Egyptian magic rather than the mythical god Yahweh.
Currently there is no archaeological evidence that the 7507 foot (2288 meter) granite peak of Jebel Musa on the Sinai Peninsula is the actual Mt. Sinai of the Old Testament and various scholars, such as Emmanuel Anati, writing in his comprehensive study, The Mountain of God, have proposed several alternative locations. The association of Jebel Musa with the Biblical Mt. Sinai seems to have first developed in the 3rd century AD when hermits living in caves on the mountain began to identify their mountain with the ancient holy peak.
On the peak of Jebel Musa stands a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This chapel, constructed in 1934 on the ruins of a 16th church, is believed to enclose the rock from which God made the Tablets of the Law. In the western wall of this chapel is a cleft in the rock where Moses is said to have hidden himself as God’s glory passed by (Exodus 33:22). Seven hundred and fifty steps below the summit and its chapel is the plateau known as Elijah’s Basin, where Elijah spent 40 days and nights communing with God in a cave. Nearby is a rock on which Aaron, the brother of Moses, and 70 elders stood while Moses received the law (Exodus 24:14). Northwest of Elijah’s plateau hardy pilgrims visit Jebel Safsaafa, where Byzantine hermits such as St. Gregory lived and prayed. Beneath the 2168 meter summit of Ras Safsaafa stands the Plain of ar-Raaha, where camped the Israelites at the time Moses ascended the mountain and where Moses erected the first tabernacle.
The assumed identification of Jebel Musa with the Biblical Mt. Sinai was a powerful attraction to hermits and pilgrims of the early Christian era. Certainly the most famous of these pilgrims was Helena, a 4th century Byzantine empress who confirmed her belief in the authenticity of Jebel Musa by constructing the first church in the area. Traditionally called the Chapel of the Burning Bush, it was constructed at the exact site where grew a rare specimen of Rubus sanctus, the still-living shrub which the monks believe is the original Burning Bush. A monastic community soon developed around this chapel and, to protect both the monks and the chapel from the attacks of roving Bedouin marauders, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I built a fortress-like basilica around the chapel in 542 AD. The basilica was called the Church of Transfiguration, in memory of the transfiguration of Jesus in the presence of Moses and Elijah on sacred Mt. Tabor.
The Monastery of the Transfiguration is also called St. Catherine’s Monastery after the early Christian martyr, St. Catherine. Born as Dorothea of Alexandria in 294 AD, she was later tortured and beheaded by the Roman emperor Maximus for incessantly criticizing him for his worship of pagan idols (which was merely an age-old veneration of earth-spirit deities). Legend says Catherine’s body miraculously vanished and was transported by a band of angels to the top of Jebel Katerina, the highest peak in the Sinai Peninsula. Three centuries later, monks found her supposedly uncorrupt body and brought it down to the Monastery of the Transfiguration, where some of her relics and certainly her name remain to this day.
After the Empress Helena, the next famous pilgrim to the Jebel Musa and the monastery was the Prophet Mohammed. Being well treated by the Orthodox Christian monks, Mohammed gave his personal pledge of protection, which then became incumbent on all Muslims thereby ensuring the monasteries continued existence. through the 14th centuries many thousands of pilgrims came annually and that the journey from Cairo took eight days by foot and camel. Following the Reformation, the popularity of Christian pilgrimage drastically declined and until the mid 1900′s no more than 80-100 pilgrims made the arduous journey each year. In the 1950′s the Egyptian government paved roads leading to oil fields and mines along the western Sinai coast and also developed a dirt track to the foot of Jebel Musa and the monastery, which allowed increasing numbers of secular tourists to travel in taxis from Cairo. The Israeli occupation of the Sinai in 1967, the return of the region to Egypt in 1980, and the completion of a paved road further increased the number of visitors to Jebel Musa. Bus service to and from Cairo became available on a daily basis in 1986 and today it is not uncommon for a hundred or more pilgrims and tourists to visit the ancient sacred site in a single day. Currently Greek Orthodox monks tend the monastery and its extraordinary collection of Byzantine art.

Alternate possible locations of Mt. Sinai

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief Synthesis

Sulaiman-Too Mountain dominates the surrounding landscape of the Fergana Valley and forms the backdrop to the city of Osh. In mediaeval times Osh was one of the largest cities of the fertile Fergana valley at the crossroads of important routes on the Central Asian Silk Roads system, and Sulaiman-Too was a beacon for travellers. For at least a millennium and a half Sulaiman-Too has been revered as a sacred mountain. Its five peaks and slopes contain a large assembly of ancient cult places and caves with petroglyphs, all interconnected with a network of ancient paths, as well as later mosques. The mountain is an exceptional spiritual landscape reflecting both Islamic and pre-Islamic beliefs and particularly the cult of the horse. Sulaiman-Too corresponds closely to iconic images in the Universe of Avesta and Vedic traditions: a single mountain with a peak dominating four others, standing in the virtual centre of a vast river valley, and surrounded by and related to other mountains in the landscape system.

Criterion (iii): The rich concentration of material evidence for cult practices preserved on Sulaiman-Too mountain from pre- and post-Islamic times, together with its ‘ideal’ form present the most complete picture of a sacred mountain anywhere in Central Asia.

Criterion (vi): Sulaiman-Too presents exceptionally vivid evidence for strong traditions of mountain worship which have spanned several millennia and been absorbed successfully by Islam. It has had a profound effect over a wide part of Central Asia.

Integrity and Authenticity

The authenticity of the mountain, its cult places, uses and functions are without doubt, even given the numerous interventions over the past 50 years. However, since the sacred associations of the mountain are linked to its dramatic form rising from the surrounding plain, it is highly vulnerable to continuing new development on it and around its base. In order to protect its majesty, spirituality, visual coherence and setting and thus the full authenticity of the property, great vigilance will be needed in enforcing protection of its setting. The integrity of the mountain relies on protection of the cult places and their connecting paths as well as their visual linkages and views to and from the mountain.

Management and protection requirements

The management of the mountain and its setting is coordinated by a Site Management Council who oversees the implementation of the Management Plan and Action Plan. Its effective protection relies on approval of an agreed zoning arrangement within the Osh Master Plan. To protect the property and its buffer zone against modern developments during the period before the completion and final approval of the Legal Protection Zoning Document and the Osh Urban Master Plan, a map showing the agreed boundaries of the nominated area, of the buffer zone and its sub-zones have been distributed as a reference to the responsible agencies of the Osh oblast, Osh city, Karasu district and Kyzylkyshtak rural area.

Polyglout:
Polyglot may refer to:
Polyglot (person), someone who aptly and with a high level of fluency uses many languages. The word derives from the Ancient Greek πολύγλωττος (poluglōttos, “’many-tongued, polyglot’”), from πολύς (polus, “many”) + γλῶττα (glōtta, “’tongue, language’”)
Polyglot (book), a book that contains the same text in more than one language
A polyglot Bible, an edition of the Bible with the texts in different columns in different languages, especially those in which early versions of the text exist; several versions have been produced.
Funningly , this is what most people call me.
My email is darhomes@yahoo.com……if U want to know more.!

Bulletin 2:
The American dream of Home Ownership, are Muslims part of this ?.

The central tenet of the ownership society is that we tend to take best care of the things we own, and through which we exercise our liberty; property rights inspire people to act responsibly, to treat one another with dignity and respect, and to create wealth for themselves and others.

Are the Muslims being denied from this liberty and rights because of Interest charged on
home mortgages ?
The irony of this is that I was not given this same civil liberty when I lived in Saudi Arabia
for over 15 years, and now that I am a permanent residence in the USA , I find that the
system deprives me from home ownership because it is “Haram’ or not permissible to
pay interest.

“All Men are animated by the Passion of acquiring and defending Property, because Property is the best Support of that Independency, so passionately desired by all Men.Property is a necessary condition for independence. “
If this is true and I have no doubt that that is so….Then I where again , I have lost my
independence by living in a Western society.
This brings me to a debate that I had with a Muslim brother in Makkah,when he learnt that
I was leaving Saudi Arabia for a permanent residence in the USA.He said that this was
”Haram” an d I should consider my decision.Well, here I am now in the USA and I agree with
the brother.
James Madison, primary author of the U.S. Constitution, directly connected property and rights, for “as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights.” Indeed, the terms “property” and “rights” are used virtually interchangeably during the Founding period.
Without ownership of printing presses, paper, and ink, there can be no free press. Without ownership of land and buildings, there can be no freedom of association, no freedom of common worship, no freedom of action generally. A free society is of necessity an ownership society.

If this is the case, where does this leave Muslims that can not owe property because of their
belief. Are we to surrender to the system and say that there is no way out.?

Our Communities need to do better than just lay back and accept the conventional banking
mortgage system of the western world with the excuse that we do not have a choice.
We need to establish our own Islamic Financial Institutions to cater for home ownership, business finances, insurances i.e An Islamic Bank in USA. Or an equivalent ..

What is an Islamic Bank or financial Institition?

The best known feature of Islamic banking is the prohibition on interest. The Qur’an forbids the charging of Riba on money lent. It is important to understand certain principles of Islam that underpin Islamic finance. The Shari’ah consists of the Qur’anic commands as laid down in the Holy Qur’an and the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). The Shari’ah disallows Riba and there is now a general consensus among Muslim economists that Riba is not restricted to usury but encompasses interest as well. The Qur’an is clear about the prohibition of Riba, which is sometimes defined as excessive interest. “O You who believe! Fear Allah and give up that remains of your demand for usury, if you are indeed believers.” Muslim scholars have accepted the word Riba to mean any fixed or guaranteed interest payment on cash advances or on deposits. Several Qur’anic passages expressly admonish the faithful to shun interest
Though Interest-free banking is of very recent origin. The earliest references to reorganization of banking on the basis of profit sharing rather than interest are found in Anwar Qureshi (1946),
I look forward to your participation in this debate with ideas,

Jazaak-Allah- Kairan

Ibrahim Khadar
La-Riba Corp.

.

Programs that work in the name of:”microfinance ” and claim to serve poor clients through Micro Finance banks in Latin America, Africa, , and the Middle East war zones and post-war zones, in areas where AIDS and HIV are rampant, and in areas torn by ethnic strife.Is on the
increase. A project started by a Professor in poor Bangladesh has
spread like the Californian fire and is attracting the POOR.
My question is this:Why the POOR?
What is the interest charged?
To be continued….Ibrahim Khadar (Darhomes@yahoo.com)

The Village Banking is the latest programs that claims to work closely with our low-income clients, providing them with the tools to raise their incomes and enter the global economy. We at MUDOBE offer an array of microfinance services, and we tailor those services to local circumstances and to what clients say they want.i.e : In a small
village in Sierra Leone , West Aftica we are starting an Islamic Micro
finance www.ebaitalmal.com
Do you want a free website tutorial? Call brother Ibrahim Khadar at
darhomes@yahoo.com(my email address-no phone calls , please.

Website Design, Promotion, Revenue and Scripting Tips – Lots of free tips, tutorials and articles on every aspect of your website. It’s a one-stop comprehensive guide to managing your site.