Gabayadii hore Ee Isaaq Sheegaya Inuu Dir Yahay

GABAYADA ISAAQ KU SHEGAYAAN CIDA AY YIHIIN OO AY TIRIYEEN AFTAHANADA BEESHA ISAAQ

Abwaanadaas ku gabyey gabayada kore dhammaan waxay cadeeyeen isir ahaan ciday yihiin oo ah Daarood…

Ismaaciil Cigaal Bulaale(isaaq)

Adaa Dir iyo Daarood dhex dhigay dab iyo baaruude

Dacar gelisey reerihii ahaa ul iyo diirkeede

Mugga haatan dirir uumiyuhu waa is dilayaaye

Maxamuud Dheeg (Isaaq)

Dir iyo Irir baanu nahay labada daamoode

Dabatada faraha dheer leh iyo Diini iyo Boontu

Meeshay kasoo dalabsadeen yeyga degi wayday.



Axmed Ismaaciil Diiriye (Isaaq)

Miisaannay Ciisow tixahaad madalka keenteene
Macaan baa Ilaahay ka dhigay Malabki Doocaane
Dhegtii maqashay oo idili way mahad naqaysaaye
Madmadoow ma gelin xaajadaa soo mudh-bixiseene
Mabsuud buu ka yahay reer Isaaq meelu joogaba'e
Waad mahadsantiin dhalashadaad muruq u yeesheene

Axmed Ismaaciil Diiriye (Isaaq)

Na soo gaadhe Ciisow tixahaad soo gudbinayseene
Geeraarradiinii hellnay iyo gabayadiinniiye
Una guuxnay hawraarta guud, hiilna loo garaye
Maansadu godkii ay lahayd maydun gees marinne
Alle waydin garansiiyey oo gob iyo caadkeede
Garna waad u leediin tolkiin inad gargaartaane
Gacmihii walaalaha ahaa waysku gunuddeene



Abwaanadaan iyaguna waxay cadday nayaan isir raac ciday yihiin oo ah Dir labada gabay ee Axmed Ismaaciil Diiriye gabaygiisa waxaad ka dhan dhansan kartaa ehelinimada ay isku reerka yihiin Ciise(Ciise oo qabiil Dir ah) oo uu marna walaal tinimo ku tilmaamay marna wada dhalasho oo Abwaanadu gabay ahaan inta badan u isticmaalaan wada dhalashada iyo walaaltinimada dhanka abtarsiinyaha…

Qamaan Bulxan (Ogaadeen)

Iidoor Dir weeyee hadduu duulan soo kiciyo
Dunji Habar Magaadluhu hadduu dabarka soo gooyo
Dunbuq iyo rasaastana hadduu debecsanuu siiyo

Gaygaan waxaa tiriyey Abwaan Daarood ah oo ku tilmaamaya Isaaq inay Dir yihiin mana dhicin gabyaa Isaaq ah oo beeniya gabaygaas Dir nimada ku tilmaamay waxaase dhacday in Gabyaa la Oran Jiray Yawle xaqiijiyey oo ku gabayey, gabay aanan helin hal sadar ka badan oo ahaa… Isaaq waa Dire e hadduu duulaan soo kiciyo…

Isku soo wada duuboo waxaad ka garan kartaa gabayadaas isir raaca ay kala ahaayeen Qabiilada (Harti, Ogaadeen, Abuskuul), iyo Isaaq oo kala ahaa Daarood iyo Dir… waxaa kaloo jirta in markii Somalidu shirar ama wax qaybsi isugu timaado in beesha Isaaq ku qayb qaadato qabiil ahaan qabiilka la yiraahdo Dir oo ah qabiilka Abwaanadii hore ku gabyeen in Isaaq yahay qabiilkaas. Wax garadka, Isimada Beelaha Somaliyeed oo aan ahayn Isaaq markaad waydiisid Qabiilka beesha Isaaq reerka ay isir raac galaan waxay kuu cadaynayaan in Isaaq isir ahaan yahay Dir. Haddii aad odayashaasha iyo wax garadka beesha Dir waydiiso cidda Isaaq isir ahaan galo waxay si toosa oo aan gabasho lahayn kuugu sheegayaan inuu galo Isaaq Habare Xiniftire Maahe Dir.

Aqoonta loo lahaa beelaha Isaaq isir raacoodu markuu ahaa Dir waxaa ayaamahaan danbe soo shaac baxday oo yar iyo wayn beesha qabiilka Isaaq shaaciyeen in ay yihiin Carab oo ka soo jeedaan Haashimiyiin arintaasi waxay keentay jaah wareer aan la garanayn cid la rumaysto Isaaqa hadda sheegaya inay yihiin Carab, ma odayadii hore ee Isaaq oo sheegayey inay yihiin Dir, ma wax garadka iyo Isimada beelaha kale ee sheegaya in Isaaq yahay Dir!!!.

Waxaad ka garan kartaa Dadka taariikhda wax ka qora oo aan ahayn Somalida inay jaah wareer ka qaadeen oo qoraaladooda laba bog oo ay isku mid kaga hadlayaan aadan ka helayn mararka qaar waxaad arkaysaa hal qaafiyad (baaragaraaf) oo iska hor imanaya oo marna leh Dir marna leh Carab, waxaadba ila eegtaan labadaan qoraa ee Biritishka u dhashay…

Richard Burton oo ka qoray Isaaq wuxuu buugisa taalaabooyinkii koowaad 1846 ku qoray….

In sheikh Isxaaq oo ka soo jeeda xatramuut kayimi dhulkiisii isagoo ay weheliyaan 44 shiikh magaalada la yiraahdo Met(Myadh) oo ah meesha uu hadda ku aasan yahay, wuxuu guursaday naag xor ahayd oo la oran jiray Magaden(Habar Magaado) waxayna u dhashay Garxajis Awal and Arab; waxaa kaloo wax udhashay islaan adoon ahayd waxayna u dhashay jeclo(Habar Jeclo sambur(sambuur) iyo Rambad. Kadib qabiilooyinka waa wayn ee habar garxijis iyo Awal ayaa waxay doorbideen magaca habar oo sheegaya ama tilmaamaya Hooyo mar haddii aan la garanayn aabahihii(waa siduu u qoray).

Waasida uu qoraalkiisa udhigay Richard Burton, isagoo sii wata qoraalkiisii wuxuu qoray…

Raad raaca abtirsiinyaha ilaa hadda Somalidu utaqaan waa Dirr(Dir), Aydur(?) Darud(Daarood) iyo Hawiye, markii loo eego qaybo magacyada qabiilada Dir iyo Aydur oo aan la hubin laakiin magacyadoodu waa Eese(Ciise), Gudabirsi, Ishak(Isaaq) iyo barsuuk…

Richard Burton or Richard Francis Burton (British consul, explorer and Orientalist, was born at Barham House, Hertfordshire, on the 19th of March 1821 Died 20-Oct-1890… Sexual orientation: Matter of Dispute) In his book, The first Foot Steps 1846 wrote …

Sherif Ishak bin Ahmed left his native country Hazramaut, and, with forty-four saints, before mentioned, landed on Makhar,—the windward coast extending from Karam Harbour to Cape Guardafui. At the town of Met, near Burnt Island, where his tomb still exists, he became the father of all the gentle blood and the only certain descent in the Somali country: by Magaden, a free woman, he had Gerhajis, Awal, and Arab; and by a slave or slaves, Jailah, Sambur, and Rambad. Hence the great clans, Habr Gerhajis and Awal, who prefer the matronymic— Habr signifying a mother,—since, according to their dictum, no man knows who may be his sire(sire = male parent, male ancestor).



The old and pagan genealogies still known to the Somal, are Dirr, Aydur, Darud, and Hawiyah, according to some Dirr and Aydur, of whom nothing is certainly known but the name, are the progenitors of the northern Somal, the Eesa, Gudabirsi, Ishak, and Bursuk tribes.

Waxaad halkaas ka garanaysaa in ninkaa qoraaga ahi ku jaaah wareeray oo marna leeyahay waa Xatramuuti oo la yiraahdo Sharif Ishak bin Ahmed marna waxuu qoray wuxuu ku tilmaamayaa inay ka soo jeedaan qabiilka Dir…

Waxaa kaloo jira nin kale oo isku dayey inuu wax ka qoro qabiilada Somalida ninkaas oo la yiraahdo I M Lewis isagoo ku jaah wareersan wuxuu ku qoray buuggiisa blood and bone….

Markii loo eego Qabiilka Isaaqu waxay sheegtaan inay ka baxsan yihiin oo ay isir raac toosa ay yihiin Carab, kaliya ay kula xiriiraan qabiilka Dir la yiraahdo guur Aabahood ka guursaday. Somalida kalase waxay u tixgaliyaan ama u arkaan inay si buuxda u yihiin Dir. Marka waxay u muuqaataa in Isaaq Carab ka dhigeen Isir raacooda si u helaan ixtiraam una ilaashadaan kobcinta awoodooda iyo isku filaanshahooda iyagoo 400, 000 qof 1958 kii ahaa.

Isla qoraagaasi wuxuu buuggiisa kale ee fahanka bulshada Somali iyo Somaliland( Culture History and Society-Ioan M Lewis P- 4) wuxuu ku qoray…

Dhab ahaan markaan u hadalno Isaaq waxay ka soo jeedaan Dir kuwaaso iyaga iyo Hawiye laysla xiriiriyo oo laysku yiraahdo Irir.


Ioan M. Lewis in his book blood and bone p104 wrote:




Thus while the Isaaq regard themselves as a separate clan-family tracing their agnatic origins directly to Arabia and only acknowledge a connexion by marriage with the Dir, other Somali regard them as of full Dir affiliation. It would appear that Isaaq have Arabicized their genealogy as a means of acquiring prestige and in keeping with their growing strength and their separate identity as an independent group numbering some 400,000 souls (in 1958)



I.M Lewis states, ” strictly speaking the Isaaq are derived from the Dir, who together with the Hawiye are linked as “Irir” at a higher level of genelogical grouping.” In his book, Understanding Somali and Somaliland Society : Culture History and Society-Ioan M Lewis P- 4

Buugiisa kale ee la Yiraahdo Nomadic Democracy wuxuu ku qoray in Somalida oo dhammi Isaaq u tixgaliyaan isir raac ahaan Dir waxuu kaloo ku caddeyey in waayadaan danbe soo baxayso inay gooni ka yihiin oo ay isir raac ahaan ka soo jeedaan Carab

I M Lewis states, “all Somalis regard the Isaaq as lineal descendents of Dir” and he notes their recent development of ,”independent agnatic descent from Arabia. (P-142, Nomadic Democracy)



Jaah wareerkaasi maaha mid ku kooban dadka aan u dhalan Somalida oo kaliya ee waxaa iyana ku jaah wareeray oo ay dhinacay u qaadaan garan waayey Somalida Abwaano ka mid ah. Taasna waxaad ka garan kartaa Abwaano Somali ahi oo aan ahayn Isaaq gabayo ay tiriyeen iyagoo mid ay u raacaan garan waayey Dir iyo Carab waxaana ka mid ah Gabayadaas…

Gabaygaan oo aanan garanayn Magaca Ninka tiriyey Qabiilkiisu se waa Daarood

Taariikhda duuga ah markaan, dib uga faaloono
Diiwaanka waxa kuugu yaal waa, Dir baa nahaye
Maantana Durriyad baan nahay, baad nagula doodeene
Hadba inaad dad noo sheegataan, waa dayuusnimo e

Gabaygaan oo uu tiriyey Abwaan la Yiraahdo Fakad(Daarood)



War Dir haddii aad tihiin amase Irir, ma aanan diideene

Dab qaraabo idinkoon ahayn, haysku soo darine

Anigaaba kaa diir xigoon, duray wadaagnaaye

Doonbiro dirkii ay dhashayoo, duuban baa nahaye

Dad is raba inaad kala dishaan, waa habeen dumaye

Adunbaase dorraad nagu lahaa, duul kalaan ahaye

Durriyadaydun noo sheegateen, diide maanatana e



Waxaad ka garan kartaa gabayadaas, in jaah wareer ka jiro isir raaca maadaama ay marba meel sheeganayaan Beesha Isaaq oo aanay fadhiyin waayadaan danbe isir raac meel loo qaado waxna iska bedeleen sidii waayadii hore lagu ogaa ee ahayd Dir inay yihiin.

Haddaba markaad eegto intaas arimood oo kala bedelan, Odoyaashii hore ee beesha Isaaq oo sheeganaya inay Yihiin Dir Odoyaashii qabiilada kale oo uga markhaanti ka caya inay ahaayeen Dir iyo wararkaan danbe ee baahday oo ay beesha Isaaq ku sheeganayaan inay isir ahaan yihiin Carab. Qoraayaashii ajnabiga ahaa oo ku jaahwareeray ciday ku sheegaan iyo Abwaanadii danbe oo iyana jaah wareer ka qaaday… Waxaa haddaba is waydiin mudan qof hadduu hadba reer kuu sheegto qofkaas hadalkiisu mala rumaysan karaa oo arin Dhab ah maloo qaadan karaa?!!!... hadday jawaabtaadu maya noqoto maxay noqonaysaa beel dhan oo hadba reer sheeganaysa hadalkoodu soo waxaan dhab ahayn oo dhalanteed ah maaha?!!!!..

Akhdam Yemeni "untouchables" ISMAIL JABERTIS

AKHDAM alternative called Jabertis are sewage and toilet cleaners of Yeman and are said to be of East African Ethiopian origin. The Yemanis called them the Jabertis or simply Akhdam. Ismail Jabartis are associated with menial work. In revolt, Yemeni "untouchables" hope for path out of misery Select Language​▼ Friday, March 09, 2012 SANAA, (Reuters) - The weakest of the weak in Yemen are using the language and techniques of the "Arab Spring" anti-government protests to combat prejudices that have left them on the margins of society for centuries. Scattered applause broke out as a dark-skinned man in a grubby purple shirt took the stage and coughed nervously into the microphone in Change Square, the epicenter of the uprising that felled President Ali Abdullah Saleh and now a popular gathering spot for political debate. "Institutionalized by the government and normalized by the people. We are Arabs, Muslims, Yemeni citizens, like you," said Nabil Al-Maktari, jabbing a finger at the crowd, his voice rising in anger. "So why are we made to feel inferior? Why are we treated like slaves? I came to this square because I wanted to feel equality. Instead I find discrimination in every corner. "This is racism in its worst form," he said. The experience of helping to force Saleh from office after 33 years has energised some of Yemen's least powerful, including minorities and women, to try and change their fate. But dismantling rigid social structures may be even harder than bringing down an autocrat. Maktari is one of those Yemenis known as the Akhdam, or "servants," and had been invited by the camp's stage committee to deliver a speech on Yemen's revolution and equality. He was the first member of the Akhdam to set foot on the stage since it was assembled by protesters almost a year ago. Distinguished by their African features and the jobs they perform - notably cleaning the streets - the Akhdam are so marginalised that they have been compared by anthropologists who study Yemen to the "untouchable" caste of India. Widespread prejudice places the Akhdam at the bottom of Yemen's social ladder without specifying what makes them different beyond the colour of their skin and the menial tasks they perform. Jamal Al-Obeidi, a secondary school mathematics teacher amongst those listening to Maktari's speech in early March, expressed typical views in answer to a reporter's questions. "I have nothing against him," he said. "I would talk to him in the street, I might give him some of my money, but I would not invite him to my home. He is a Yemeni, but he is also a Khadim (servant). God meant for it to be that way." Demeaning myths, inherited over generations, have helped entrench this way of thinking. Many Yemenis, asked about the origins of the Akhdam, say they are descendants of Ethiopians who crossed the Red Sea to conquer Yemen before the arrival of Islam some 1,400 years ago, and that makes them outsiders in their own country. Prevailing prejudice holds that the men are lazy and unscrupulous, unfit for respectable work; the women, unclean and promiscuous, scrounge off the generosity of others, the conventional wisdom goes. "If a dog licks your plate you should clean it," advises a proverb, "but if it is touched by a Khadim, then break it." RUBBISH AS TOOL OF PROTEST Yemen's 1962 revolution, which ended a 1,000-year-old Islamic principality and sought to implement a republic based on equality between citizens, officially abolished ancient status categories but the Akhdam retained theirs. Working as house servants, emptying mosque latrines and, more recently, collecting the country's garbage, the Akhdam, most of whom live in fetid slums on the outskirts of the capital, are all but invisible to most Yemenis. The protests against Saleh that broke out last February dragged them into the public sphere, perhaps for the first time. On March 3, hundreds of Akhdam street-cleaners encircled the chief prosecutor's office in Taiz, demanding that a Yemeni police officer be brought to justice for what they claim was the racially motivated murder of a street-cleaner. Demonstrator by day, street-sweeper by night, Shaefi Al-Shami was one of hundreds of Akhdam who joined the pro-democracy movement. He camped out in a small, red tent along with thousands of others in Change Square. Despite being on crutches - he still has shrapnel lodged in his shin after he was caught in the crossfire during a sniper attack on protesters in Sanaa last March - Shami was instrumental in organising a nationwide strike last month amongst the country's street-cleaners, largely Akhdam. That workforce performs one of the lowest-paid jobs in a poor country, without contracts working for local municipalities, subject to dismissal or denial of pay at the whim of the authorities. By day three of the strike, with the capital swimming waist-high in piles of festering garbage, the authorities caved in, paying each of Sanaa's 4,000 street cleaners 15,000 rials ($70) to return to work and promising to make them permanent staff of the civil service. Shami says that if the promise, delivered to them by Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa, is not fulfilled by 15 March, they will do the same again. "I think the strike reminded people of just how reliant they are on us, people were having to burn trash on their doorsteps just to get in and out of their houses," he said. BURIED BY NIGHT The military clashes that followed the eruption of protests against Saleh fed fears of a civil war, and led the country's wealthier Gulf neighbours, with U.S. backing, to engineer the succession of the president by his deputy. The new president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, will work with a government that includes opposition parties but also leaves Saleh's relatives in key positions in the military. It has also ruled out prosecution of the former president and his allies for the death of hundreds of demonstrators. In the view of many protesters, the pact rewards a political elite that appropriated their cause and has ruined the prospect of real change. Salwa Usman, a haggard, 60 year-old Akhdam mother, living in Mahwa Aser slum, a warren of tin-huts swimming in a sea of mud and raw sewage on the outskirts of the capital, is not optimistic. The youngest of her nine children, who all work as street beggars, died last week from Hepatitis E, a water-borne viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver. "We buried him in the Bani Hewat graveyard at 3:00 a.m., before sunrise," said Usman. "If others saw us they would say he was too dirty to be buried next to their dead." (Editing by Joseph Logan and Sonya Hepinstall). Source: Reuters ================================================================================================== IsmailJabarti of Yemen
http://www.yementimes.com/00/iss36/culture.htm
The Sweepers: Fighting Centuries Old Isolation

Part 1 of 2

Sweepers or "Akhdam" as they are known used to live the lowest social level of life since the past 900 years in Yemen.
In the past they were oppressed. Today also they are oppressed but to a lesser degree. Today's Akhdam are quite different in many ways.
In the past their entire conditions were tragic and heartbreaking. Today their conditions are better.
In the past the way they were treated contradicted with the teachings of Islam and even the human principles which call for human rights, preservation of freedom and dignity of human beings. Today these contradictions have reduced and their rights are preserved; at least as human beings and as Yemeni citizens enjoying their full civilian and political rights.
Have we preserved the rights of today's rebel youth sweeper who wants to affect changes in his life. We always allege and keep calling for rights . But have we given any attention to the revolution of youth sweepers? We keep calling for peace, affection and unity in between us. Do these include sweepers?
What made the society in the past deny their rights? Do we still deny their rights today?
In the 21 provinces of present day Yemen, the conditions of akhdam differ from one province to another. If countrymen have moved to the capitals of each province in search of livelihood, this included the akhdam. Then we saw that Sana'a, Taiz, Hodeidah, Aden and Mukalla (Hadhramaut) became overpopulated due to the exodus. In other words, out of the 21 provinces only four to five provinces today bear the burden of overpopulation, including the akhdam.
For instance now in Sana'a they have five main and permanent 'settlements', (one in Bab-al-Yemen, another in Bab-al-Sabah, third in 45km Road, fourth in Sha'oub and fifth at Al-Mahareq in Asser area). In Taiz they have five (One in Oosaifra, another in Al-Shammasi suburb, third in Mafraq Maweeya, fourth in Al-Haseb and the fifth in Al-Janad). In Aden they have six: (one in Tawahi, two in Maalla, one in Crater, one in Mimdara and one in Little Aden). They also have their permanent settlements in Hodeidah at Al-Barhameiya, Labor City (Madinat Al-Ommal), Al-Baida, Al-Salkhana and other places. In Hadhramaut they could be seen at 14th October Zone of Al-Mukalla. In Shabwa their main settlement is in Al-Gol area.
Do all provinces with their capitals, districts, remote areas and 'uzlas' (hinterlands) need the akhdam to carry out for them the essential services connected with sanitation? In some areas people have their own way of life. Their latrines are open-air but 'hidden'. Farmers use their fields. In coastal areas too citizens have their own way of disposing off their waste. Such being the case, we do not find any trace of akhdam in such areas.
However, akhdam have two genuine reasons for their exodus. First is that they detest the old professions of their forefathers, grand fathers and fathers who were engaged in very low ranking jobs. (Cleaning of latrines, removing blockages from drainages etc.) The second is that development has almost obliterated old system of sanitary. Sewerage system here and there has subsequently forced the new generation to find another source of living. However, a third reason for exodus could be attributed to the 'swollen' population of sweepers with difficulties of accommodation and livelihood.
Even the European and Arab as well as other states, cannot dispense with the services of sweepers, no matter their historical background and no matter how people there look at their sweepers. Our topic concerns sweepers of Yemen only.
Akhdam
In Arabic language, "Akhdam" is the plural of sweepers. The singular is "khadem". The verb is "khadama" (serve). In the past Akhdam usually served their "Asyad" - masters. (The singular is "Syeid"). "Asyad" considered themselves higher in social rank. Today, hardly 5-10% of akhdam come under the mercy of their "asyad" but normally, today, they are independent. The importance of their presence and their cleansing works could be judged by putting a question to ourselves: "What would happen if akhdam go on strike?" In some cases we have reasons to believe that akhdams were able to dictate their conditions of service; their jobs being of different nature.
Jabarti
Until recently this off shoot of lowest class of sweepers have become extinct. Living in one area, the regime through the ruling machinery which included the municipalities, would divide them into groups. In the past they used to appear late hours at night going from house to house cleaning the "zawali" (latrines). They used to be seen carrying their tin canisters on their head with a bent iron strip used for collecting wastes from unpopulated areas where 'homeless' used to go for toilet. These jabartis are not seen in many areas as most of them are believed to have immigrated.
In The Service of The Imam
In Sana'a, before the 1962 Revolution, sweepers were housed in a place still known as "Samsra", situated at Bab-ul-Sabah Gate. They are still there. The Imam could not deny their services; but would not tolerate their being homeless as they used to defy that time's dusk-to-dawn "Sukat" (daily curfew); thus they were housed at "Samsra" which was a one-time shopping mall. The mall's glamour was gradually drained into a permanent resident for 5-10 sweepers families.
Oosaifra & Shammasi
In Greater Taiz, sweepers lived in Upper and Lower Oosaifra. Sweepers of these two areas took active part in the arsons and riots which took place in December 1992 violent demonstrations in protest of the first price hike after Unification. After the conditions came to normal, the affected 'capitalists' avenged by arranging torching sweepers areas. As a result Upper Oosaifra was immediately vacated and sweepers moved to a new 'colony' in Al-Shammasi suburb. Lower Oosaifra still has few of these sweepers while Upper Oosaifra witnessed construction works in favor of the 'capitalists'.
45km Road
Situated in between Al-Sab'een Hospital area and Taiz Road, this area is famous for its "Saeela" - water passage -, where rain waters block traffic always. The area is hardly ten years old with a population of 3014. It shelters sweepers and citizens who have built hollow-bricked small houses. The land on which these houses have been built have two different stories. Some people say that the owners are Yemeni immigrants who are out of Yemen at present. Others say that during the 1997 parliamentary elections the General People's Congress, as a part of election campaign, 'presented' the land, said to be State estate, to the residents and allowed them build their residences. Therefore most residents here are sweeper GPC members. We do not know the real story but should the real owners reappear, problems will crop up. Of course, this will result in the demolition of sweepers' temporary abode.
When the area 'aakel' was asked what would he do in case real owners of this land appear, he said: "We shall either buy these lands from them or pay them rental."
Peaceful Sweepers
They do not possess weapons and they do not carry "gambias". Whenever humiliated, they succumb to their oppressors.
Origin
Studies differ in defining their origin. Some relate them as Ethiopians who arrived into Yemen during the sixth century following the Ethiopian invasion of Yemen.
One unconfirmed account claims that after the end of the Ethiopian rule, the remnants who could not flee Yemen remained trapped. They were turned into slaves and were forced to perform low-rank jobs which included cleaning of latrines and doing all works connected with sanitation. The account claims Yemenis avenged a one-time ruler. This makes us inquire: was not there any sweeper in Yemen before the Ethiopian invasion? Were Yemeni sweepers relieved of their job? Where did they go? Did they mingle in the Yemeni society? Did they migrate?
Perhaps their complexions assist in this assessment as they have, in most, African characteristics in as far as the color of their skin, snub nose and tough, short curly hairs are concerned.
Dr. Qayed Al-Sharjabi, in his research stated that they were outcast in Ethiopia itself. On arrival in Yemen they did not change.
Aged sweepers deny any relations with Ethiopia. They claim to be sons of Yemen. A Sinan Muhammed Omer Al-Wasabi confirmed that his grand father hailed from Wisab Al-Aali in Dhamar Province. When asked about his great grand father he said: "I do not know where from he came."
In Yemen, Western Tihama Coast is considered to be their homeland. They do not have lands of their own. They prefer to live in deserts and abandoned areas.
They always lived in groups and formed their own 'settlements'. As time changed their 'settlements' continue to exist with their locations changed but their old time tents, shack, huts or mud-straw-mixed houses have now been replaced by mud or stone-made houses. They usually live 'sandwiched' in their small houses.
The problem of small houses should be a separate subject as it concerns the Yemeni people as a whole. However, in sweepers life, small houses, congested with family members, have created immodesty.
Religion
Sweepers believe in Islam. Its teaching is that human beings are equal; but despite this we see the Muslim community today looks down at sweepers without any genuine reason. They harbor pent up antagonism against sweepers. They do not mention them in their discussions and never talk about their rights and duties. Haunted by discrimination, sweepers, in the past, used to perform their 5-time prayers at their homes . Few who cared to keep themselves clean, did attend mosques for prayers. Today we can see them in all mosques. Sweepers never felt the need to build their own mosques as if telling people that prayers never differentiate between the high and low rank people. It is not a surprise to find that at a certain mosque in Alhujarriyah-Al Zarraiqah area, the Imam of a mosque there is a khadem. In the past there were no preachers who, through their sermons, could draw the attention of people to avoid detesting akhdam but today, international, regional and local laws have tackled such a detest under human rights and other conventions. Akhdam did not even have learned-men or any representation in the State bodies (viz. parliament etc.) to advocate their case and demand justice in the face of discrimination.. They are ignorant of most important affairs of Islam. They are excluded from "Da'wa" (The Call).

Tribal Affiliation
Akhdam do not belong to any tribe of Yemen. Within their own society they have their own 'grades'. In each of their settlements they have their own 'aakel' (aged learned man) who settles their disputes.
The fact is that one by one they start gathering in certain area. Then they marry inbetween them to form families. If one family comes from Aden, the second could be from Shabwah and the third from Hodeidah. It is the joint and common need - employment - which makes them assemble in one area. Actually they never belong to the area where they establish their settlement. As the number of families increase, they have their 'aakel' to look after their affairs.
In Wisab Al-Aali (Dhamar) sweepers' settlement area stretched from one end to the other of this considerably large district. The number of 'uqqals (plural of 'aakel') is around 12-15. In between them, these 'uqqals' have elected a Shaikh. His name is Qaed Muhammed Al-Kaboudi who does spend 2-3 months in Sana'a settling all pending issues of his fellow-clan-men. We do not know to which extent the official circles recognize his 'sheikhdom' but he is really a strong man with authority. His services are always needed during elections.
All police stations throughout the Republic have their own special ways and means to solve sweepers' 'special natured' disputes such as bad language, daily scuffles and adultery etc.
Language
Until recently sweepers used to be distinguished through their Tihama accent and phonation. Those who left Tihama area long ago, those who got merged in the society of different provinces and those at schools could not be distinguished easily now as their accent and phonation have changed.
To be continued next week.. search google tihama imiges DJIBOUTI | ERITREA | ETHIOPIA | KENYA | SOMALILAND | YEMEN Destinations Tihamah Distance from Sana'a the closest point from Sana'a 170km. (3hr) Climate in winter (30-25) and in the summer(40-50). Some weather experts say that the highest temperature ever recorded on earth was in Tihama. Geography It extends all the way from the southwest of Yemen to the boundary of Saudi Arabia. The region of Tihamah is the entire stretch of valley on the west coast of Yemen that is full of many agricultural activities While driving in Tehama you can see the marvelous difference between the desert and the costal plains that really prove the amazing nature of this area. Cultural highlights The region has an African atmosphere due to the mostly African inhabitants that live in Tihama as well as to what historians refer that the area was part of Africa 10000 years ago. Many houses that are built of reed can be seen spread all over that valley, and for once you will feel like you are in Africa due to the massive African impact on that part of the country. Tihamah adds a special sweetness to Yemen that one just has to taste to understand. Things to see and do: Zabid It's a UNISCO heritage due to the various and unique archeological and historical sites that belong to the town. A huge castle with Turkish arcticture can be visited which was built by the Turkish occupation in the 17th century and was used as well by the Imam. The castle includes the grain storage which is now used as a museum that shows some traces of the different eras that once were fond there. Zabid has a very rich religious heritage with around 12 mosques that date back to the early time of Islam especially Ala'ishar mosque that goes back to the first century of Islam existence. Al-Lahyah Al-Luhayyah is located to the north of Al-hudaydah. It has a nickname which is “Pearl of the Red Sea” for exporting pearls, and it also competed with the city of Mokha to the south in exporting the famous famous Yemeni coffee. The sea port was established in the 15th century. Bait Al-Faqui This city is located in your way to Al-hudaydah city through driving in the valley of Tihamah. It's famous for the old traditional way of sewing the "Maqtab" which is a traditional dress in the western part of the country. Also, an old beautiful castle can be visited as well that goes back to the Turkish era. Al-Kawkah It’s a costal town that is around 60km southwest of Al- Hudaydah city. Here, you can enjoy some real sun showers in the clean read sea shores. The city is famous is well for the reed cottage that are spread along the shore. There are many good hotels where you can sleep an over night enjoying the costal life even for one day. Al-Hodidah Capital of the Tihamh valley and known as “the Bride of the Red Sea”, this city gained its reputation during the height of the coffee export era during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. A major port of Yemen, its importance increased during the second half of the 20th century with the inauguration of its modern port. Important sites within this area are the nearby beaches of Al-Katheeb and Irj, also the old town and fishing markets should be visited. Hudaydah is the main port for local fishermen who work in the Red Sea. http://www.yemenidreams.net/Destinations.aspx?lang=en&name=tihamah are on print

Wuhan SOMALIS Guangzhen Somalida Dalka Shiinaha Joogta

Videos from Wuhan Somali Students Association-29 May 2010

Shir balaaran oo ay isugu yimaadeen Soomaalida ku nool dalwaynaha Shiinaha. Waxaa dhawaan ka dhacay Magaalada Wuhan ee Gobolka Hubei ee dhul waynaha shiinaha, kulan balaaran oo ay isugu yimaadeen soomaali ku kala nool Gobolada kala gadisan ee shiinaha. Kulankaan ayaa waxaa ka soo qeyb galay safaarada Soomaalida ee dalka shiinaha, Ganacsato soomaaliyeed ee ka kala ganacsatada Gobolada Ganacsiga ee YIWU iyo Guangzhou iyo ardey soomaaliyeed ee wax kabarata Jaamacado ku kala yaala Gobolo kala gadisan oo wadanka shiinaha ah. Shirweynahaan ayaa u jeedadiisu ay ahayd sidii ay isukaashan lahaayeen Jaaliyada soomaaliyeed ee ku nool wadanka shiinaha oo aan horey taariikhda sidan oo kale meel isugu wada imaan dad intaas tiro le’eg oo soomaali ku nool wadanka shiinaha oo ka kala timid gobolo kala gedisan. Shirkan ayaa waxaa soo qaban qaabiyey Ardeyda Soomaaliyeed ee wax ka barata magaalada wuhan Jaamacadeheeda kala ah Huazhong university of science and technology, Wuhan University, china Geo-science university iyo Tongi Medical Collage.

Kulamada ayaa bilaambay 01/02/2010 waxayna ku ekaayeen 02/05/2010 iyadoo inta badan aan loo kala kicin shirar badan oo is xig xigey Ergedii ka soo qeyg gashey Shir weynaha Soomaalida ee wadanka Shiinaha waxay kala ahaayeen :- 1. Qunsulka Safaarada soomaaliyeed ee Wadanka Shiinaha Mudane Cawaale Cali Kulane 2. Gudoomiye xigeenka Gudiga Ganacsatada YIWU Mudane Siciid Jaamac Mire 3. Hogaamiyaha Ergada Guanzghou Mudane Cali Macow Xaaji 4. Dr. Xuseen Abshir Xasan 5. Gudoomiyaha Ardeyda Soomaaliyeed ee WUHAN Maxamed Cabdiraxmaan Faarax Qooje 6. Gudoomiyaha Ardeyda Soomaaliyeed ee Jilin Maxamed Rashaad Sh. Cali 7. Wakiilka Ardeyda Xian Cabdiweli 8. Ganacsade Guangzhou Cabdullahi Mumin 9. GanacsadeGuangzhou Cabdiraxmaan Jeylani 10. Ganacsade Guangzhou Cali Catoosh 11. Ganacsade YIWU Maxamuud Saney 12. Ganacsade YIWU Maxamuud Salaad. 13. Ardey Cabdulqadir Faarax Maxamuud Jilin 14. Ardey xasan Axmed Ibraahim Jilin 15. Ardey Cabdullaahi Haadi huanghou 16. Gudoomiye Ku xigeenka WSSU Feysal Axmed Salaad 17. Xiriirayaha WSSU Cabdifataax Cumar 18. Waacidka Wuhan University Axmed Maxamed Cal 19. Xogahay Tongi Maxamed Cumar Shirarka qaatey mudadi labada bari ah oo ahaa kuwa kala gooni gooni u ah ugu danbeyntii hal meel la isgu yimid ayaa waxaa la iskula gartey mudo sadex bil gudaheed ah in jaaliyada soomaaliyeed ee ku nool dalwayaha Shiinaha loogu sameeyo Maamul. Waxaana Habeenimadii Isniinta oo taariikhdu ahayd 02.05.2010 dhamaan Ergadu ka qeyb galeen Xaflad aad u balaaran oo ay ku sugayeen ardey Gaareysa 300 sadex boqol oo wax ka kala barta jaamacadaha Wuhan, kuwaas oo halkaas ay kula hadlaan wafuuda kala gadisan ee ka kala timid gobolada. Dhamaan dadkii ka hadlay xaflada ayaa u soo jeediyey ardeyda Waano iyo talooyin ku aadan waxbarashadooda iyo isku xirnaanta soomaalida wadankaan. -In wax barashadooda ay ku dadaalaan. -In lagu dadaalo diinta iyo ku dhaqankeeda -In ay dhowraan shuruucda iyo dhaqanka dowlada ay martida u yihiin -Iney dhowraan sharafta Somaalida inta ay joogaan dalka shiinaha -In baahi loo qabo isku xirnaanta Soomaalida ku nool dalka shiinaha Dr. xuseen Abshir Xasan oo ka hadlay xaflada ayaa tilmaamay Muhiimada uu leeyahay Kulankaan oo aan Abid taariikhda wadankaan horey uga dhicin maadaama dadka soomaaliyeed ay sanadihii u danbeeyey ku soo badanayeen wadanka shiinaha, Gudoomiyaha Midowga Ardeyda Soomaaliyeed ee Wuhan Maxamed Cabdiraxmaan Faarax ayaa uga mahadceliyey dhamaanba sida ay u soo ajiibeen waqtigana u dhowreyn qeybihii kala duwanaa ee lagu casumey shirkaan. Qooje waxuu ku tilmaamay Ganacsatada Soomaaliyeed kuwa ah aqoonyahono isla markaana horey u soo ahaan jirey ardey garanayana Xaalada ardeyda, waxayna mar walba si hagar la’aan ah u garab istaagan yihiin ardeydooda soomaaliyeed iyagoo u arka iney yihiin Mustaqbal wadanka Soomaaliya . Qunsulka Safaarada Soomaalida ee Shiinaha Mudane Cawaale cali kulane oo ka hadlay Xaflada ayaa isna si diiran u soo dhaweeyey howsha ardeyda waxuuna ku tilmaamay mid si aad ah uu ugu faraxsan yahay, waxuuna balan qaadey in ardeyda ay safaaradu mar walba garab istaagan tahay. Intii ay socotey xafladaan ayaa waxaa Midowga Ardeyda Soomaaliyeed ee Wuhan ku soo bandhigeen Riywaayado, heesta calanka barnaamijyo iyo waliba Muxaadaro diini ah oo si toos ah khadka Teleefoonka uu uga soo qeyb qaatey Shiikh Cabdirsaaq Aaadam oo Magaalada Muqdisho Jooga. Maxamed khadar

Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong guangzhou africans

Guangzhou africans African Trade China and AsiaStealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy African

Development Challenges, South-South Solutions: July 2010 Issue Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy African

Africans in Guangzhou (1): Yuexiu Market--the Dynamic "Chocolate City" At the end of the 90s in the 20th century, the first batch of Africans came to Guangzhou, their first stop being Canaan clothing market [Clothes Trading Center]. Now, however, with Canaan clothing market as the center, many goods for export markets have sprung up in the surrounding one kilometer area. The people of Guangzhou have gradually come to call this area “Chocolate City”. China has been the biggest trade partner of Africa and the trade volume exceeded $110 billion in 2010[i]. Besides the purchase of oil and minerals done by Chinese government, a lot of Chinese goods also flew into local markets in Africa. We often see western media blaming on the negative economic impact of these low quality Chinese goods on the local markets in Africa.

When Nelson, a Nigerian, arrived in Guangzhou, he lived a typical “luggage bag” life—-carrying several tens of thousand of yuan here to purchase goods and then afterward stuffing them all in a few large luggage bags to fly back with him to Africa. “If I’m lucky, I can get on the plane without it being overweight and having to ship it.” Nelson says that the money for the his airplane ticket and for the goods to be purchased was pooled together by his entire family, that he must earn money, otherwise he will be looked down upon when he returns to Africa. Photo is of Nelson at a motorcycle parts store selecting goods.

Many Chinese shop owners say they don’t like to do business with Africans because they drive such a hard bargain and pay less than other foreigners or Chinese clients. Favour decides not to buy after she cannot get the price she wants at a shop in Guang Da, one of the largest wholesale markets in Guangzhou. San Yuan Li marketplace

But pay attention to the assumption of this argument: because the goods are made in China, the goods must be brought to Africa by Chinese merchants or Chinese government.

Is this assumption true? Africans in Guangzhou (1): Yuexiu Market--the Dynamic "Chocolate City" By JINGHAO LU on July 9, 2011 11:03 PM| 0 Comments| 0 TrackBacks China has been the biggest trade partner of Africa and the trade volume exceeded $110 billion in 2010[i]. Besides the purchase of oil and minerals done by Chinese government, a lot of Chinese goods also flew into local markets in Africa. We often see western media blaming on the negative economic impact of these low quality Chinese goods on the local markets in Africa.

But pay attention to the assumption of this argument: because the goods are made in China, the goods must be brought to Africa by Chinese merchants or Chinese government. Is this assumption true?

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Guangzhou's African Community

One of the biggest cities in China, Guangzhou locates at the southern coast of China, near Hong Kong and Macau. People here are crazy about eating. They like to go for "morning tea", which looks like a brunch. Everyone orders a pot of tea and countless delicious steamed food. Old people usually sit here for a whole morning, chatting with each other while refilling their teapot endlessly. Not known by many outsiders, also in this city, more than 100,000 Africans work and live here[ii]. Many are undocumented immigrants. Most of them come and purchase Chinese goods in large quantity from the manufacturers all over China, and ultimately ship the goods back to their motherland. Within a whole week, I spent my days and nights with these Africans, trying to figure out what is happening since the wind of globalization blew into this part of China. Guangzhou people gave the African community a distinctive name--"Chocolate City", directly referring to the skin color of these residents. This community is around the Xiaobei Station area, an extremely crowded trade center of many Chinese commodities--wigs, electronic products, apparels, shoes and many others. More than a dozen of specialized market buildings are here. Each is several stories tall and as wide as a U.S. high school building. Africans can be found everywhere, walking on the street, trading with others inside the buildings or chatting in Chinese and Middle-East restaurants. This is my first impression of the Chocolate City. Inside a Market Building Every specialized market building looks messy. In an apparel market, the ground was covered with trash and wrapping tapes. Loud music was played--sometimes African highlife music, sometimes African American raps, and sometimes Chinese love songs. Shops and shops are so close to each other, making it hard to walk through the corridor. Jeans, shirts, suits, ties, bags, shoes, perfumes and flags were hung on the wall outside of each shop. Buyers come from all over the world, mainly from Africa, Middle East and other regions in China. There were, however, not many buyers in the market today. Shop owners were chatting to each other, no matter what nation the other comes from. Nigerian shop owners on the ground floor Most of the Africans here were nice to me. They grabbed my hand and asked me to sit. They praised that I appeared to be nicer than many Chinese they encountered. To them, a lot of Chinese merchants were wicked and wanted to cheat them. They also complained to me that business was uneasy. The immigration regulation was tough, dollar is getting weak, and sometimes police will disturb them. Also, all the African shop owners do not really own their shops because foreigners are not allowed to do so. They actually rented the shops from Chinese. What is more, not every African is approachable. Some looked at me cautiously. I know many Africans in Guangzhou are illegal immigrants (I will explain this point in my later entries). They probably thought I was a Chinese police because Guangzhou police often raided the market without their uniform in order to make their inspection effective. African kid, Chinese kid, Chinese business owner, Chinese safeguard Besides Africans, I also talked to more than ten Chinese shop owners. All of them said they like Africans. Increasing number of African merchants means more business opportunities. Plus, many of these Chinese business people are not from Guangzhou, but instead from central Chinese provinces like Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei. They are immigrants themselves, and thus they are more sympathetic to the foreign immigrants. In this market I found Chinese shop owners made friends with many Africans within the region. A couple of them told me they had visited or planned to go to Africa as a result of the invitation from their African clients. More than that, I met at least five cases of interracial marriage, with one from China and the other from Africa. Usually the husband comes from Africa and the wife comes from a city other than Guangzhou. But there were exceptions. I also saw mix-blood babies walking around and playing with their African "uncles". A mix-blood child with her Chinese mom in the market

In all, Chinese-African Relationship within the Market looks good. I ended my day by eating African food at an African restaurant on the first floor of this apparel market. The owner is from Africa, and most of the customers are also Africans. Muslims join together for annual festival

GUANGZHOU -- Festivity was in the air as more than 10,000 Chinese and foreign Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha or the Qurban Festival at four mosques in Guangzhou Tuesday. The Huaisheng Mosque and the Abu Waggas Tomb had to hold prayers twice on Tuesday in order to accommodate the number of worshippers. Among them were many African Muslims celebrating the festival with their brothers and sisters from China and other parts of the world. "This is my third Eid al-Adha in China. The festival here is just like that in my country, though I was only able to understand a small part of the imam's exhortations in Chinese," Sissoko Adama, a businessman from Mali, said. Sissoko said he came to Guangzhou because of the good environment for international trade. Like many other Africans in the city, he exports clothes, shoes and other commodities to Africa. "Though we are going through a financial crisis, I thank God my business is still doing well," he said. Guinean Conde Bangaly, 39, also has a company in Guangzhou. A devoted Muslim, he prays at the city's mosques almost every day, and Tuesday offered a sacrifice to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which means Festival of Sacrifice. "I killed a sheep as a sacrifice to Allah. I do it every year, whether in Africa or China," Conde said. He has been living in Guangzhou for the past five years. Since 2000, there has been a surge in the Muslim population in Guangzhou, most are engaged in trade or in the halal food business. The Guangzhou Islamic Association estimates the number of Muslims living in Guangzhou to be between 50,000 and 60,000, though the actual number may be higher. About half of the Muslim population comprises foreigners, with Africans being the largest group. The Xiaodongying Mosque, near Huanshi Middle Road where the offices and apartments of most Africans are located, has become a mosque dominated by them. Bai Lin, an imam at the mosque, said Africans account for about 70 percent of the worshippers. As the mosque is small, many have to pray on the sidewalks outside, he said. "The African Muslims in Guangzhou usually come from western African countries such as Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Niger. Most of them are very devout and humble," Bai said. Although language and religious differences make it difficult for most African Muslims to integrate into Chinese society, some of them are succeeding. Conde for example, has married a Chinese woman Wei Qiuhua, and is planning to buy an apartment in Guangzhou. The couple met two years ago in Guangzhou. Wei said at first her parents were against their marriage, but they later relented. "I have converted to Islam because I love Conde," the 24-year-old said. She has taken the Muslim name of Jamila. The wedding will be held today in Wei's hometown of Shanwei in southeast Guangdong. "Many of my relatives want to toast our marriage with a sip of wine, but I have told them it will be a wedding banquet without alcohol because we are Muslims," Wei said. They will hold another wedding ceremony in Guangzhou, where Conde will invite his African and Chinese friends. They are also planning to hold a ceremony in Guinea when they visit his parents next year. "I don't know whether we will live in China for the rest of our lives. Everything is decided by God," Conde said. ->buy clothes and computer parts ->Canaan market The Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences has estimated that there are around 30,000 legal migrants from Africa in the city. Its senior researcher Dr Peng Peng said the number of Africans arriving grew by around 30% to 40% annually between 2003 and 2008, but now appeared to have peaked. Local media have suggested there could be 100,000 African residents in total. The Red Guest House of Yiwu chinadaily.com.cn The red vinyl banner hanging from the front of Canaan market, a multi-storey wholesale emporium of cheap jeans and hair extensions, begins promisingly "Welcome to Guangzhou" and concludes, less warmly, "Please have your passport ready for checks by police". This southern city in China's Guangdong province has drawn hundreds of thousands of immigrants from across Africa in the last decade: from Burkina Faso and Somalia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, Tanzania and Angola. The banner and the dwindling numbers of traders here attest to an immigration crackdown that has alienated many and left young men injured and languishing in detention, community leaders say. Between 30,000 and 100,000 Africans, mainly young men, are living here. Most are traders lured by the cheapness and variety of goods made in the surrounding Pearl River Delta. In complexes such as Canaan, they purchase nappies, tractor parts, luxuriantly floral shirts, stock cubes, mobile phones, air conditioners, and pirate DVDs. In the Chinese-run cafes around the buildings they eat plantains and fufu as well as rice. Scant funds, don’t care about brands, loves to bargain, likes low-end products are characteristics of the large groups of African businessmen. Over time, these characteristics have led to Chinese businessmen to discriminate and become impatient with them. “[They're] the most practical in doing business the most practical, whereas you can see those European and Americans and Arabs are just different,” a Chinese seller said. Nevertheless, the trade market’s business is very flourishing every day, and the African demand for cheap goods have allowed the processing factories around the outskirts of Guangzhou to prosper. Photo is of a Chinese seller wiping the nose of an African buyer’s infant; using “friendliness” to get business. In Xiaobei, not far from the trading market, is Guangzhou’s largest African neighborhood. Many Africans coming to China for the first time will stay here, living with several or even over a dozen people in a room, beginning their “gold rush” here. Why have they collectively chosen Xiaobei? One long-term researcher of Africans in Guangzhou says: “This place has Guangzhou’s first proper Muslim restaurant.” And in Africa, those who believe in Islam are the majority. Photo is of an African youth eating at a food stall. The expansion of the African’s export business has also spawned African restaurants, African logistics, African intermediaries and other supporting businesses. African businessmen have also brought African laborers and African service staff. Photo is of locals who are no longer unused to seeing Africans. Muslims Yiwu Yiwu Mosque Guangdong and Fujian provinces Fujian, located across the China Straits from Taiwan, is the ancestral home of many Taiwanese. Guangdong Province is adjacent to Hong Kong and the ancestral home of many Hong Kongese. Both Guangdong and Fujian provinces were some of the first areas opened to foreign investment in China and were some of the first locations for sino-foreign joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises engaged in the manufacture of famous international brands of consumer products. Hong Kong-LoWu border-Shenzhen http://homepage.fudan.edu.cn/dzcheng/files/2011/09/8.5-Organized-crime-local-protectionism-and-the-trade.pdf Five major wholesale markets in China: Hanzhen Jie in Wuhan City, Hubei Province; Linyi Market in Linyi, Shandong Province; Nansantiao Market in Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province; China Small Commodities City in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province; Beijing,hundreds of small retail vendors swarm the Tianyi wholesale market And Wuai Market in Shenyang,Liaoning Province. Together, these markets serve the entire coastal region of China and its most populous urban areas including Guangzhou in the south, to Shanghai in the east, and Beijing and Tianjin in the northeast. A branch of the China Small Commodities City market of Yiwu located in Wulumuqui in Xinjiang Province serves as an export post for the Middle East and Eastern Europe. These markets (represented by circles) and their relationship to the manufacturing centers (shaded areas) are set forth in the map below. In 1982, the Yiwu AIC established the Zhejiang China Small Commodities City Group, (Shang Cheng Ji Tuan in Chinese, and hereinafter SCJT), a wholesale market specializing in trading small commodities. China Small Commodities Market (CSCM) Management Company One SCJT subsidiary, the CSCM Management Company, actually engages in the trading of counterfeit goods and serves a major role in distribution of these products to the SCJT’s branch markets. Based upon the author’s own experience, at least 90% of the products sold in the China Small Commodities market are either counterfeit or infringing products. In some cities, such as Yiwu discussed below, the entire local economy is connected to the trade in counterfeits. Role of Yiwu in distribution. Yiwu serves a central distribution center for counterfeit goods to markets around the country. At the center of town, two large transportation companies occupy two open-area transport areas, both the size of football fields. Around the perimeter of these areas are representative local transport offices from cities and towns all over China. Operating continuously day and night, trucks and lorries unload counterfeit products made in southern China in factories financed by criminal organizations in Hong Kong and Taiwan in one open transport area for storage and sale in Yiwu’s wholesale markets. In the other open transport area, other trucks and lorries load counterfeit products already bought from these wholesale markets in for delivery to all parts of China. ============================================================================ http://www.tradekey.com/product_view/id/84992.htm Introduction of Yiwu Market --China Commodity City The Yiwu market is the largest consumer goods market in Asia area. Now most overseas Chinese businessman and more than 3000 foreign traders purchase goods every day from Yiwu market and sell ( transport ) to Mid-East, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. And many traders from Korea, Taiwan, Hongkong, Malaysia and Singapore do business at Yiwu market. Why do they choose Yiwu market? Because Yiwu market has the largest variety of products found anywhere in the wholesale market place, the cheaper price comparing to other market, convenient transportation and many other advantages. They can purchase two or more ctns per item. Yiwu market is divided into many different markets, including: 1. Art & crafts market---- glass gifts, wooden gifts, crystal goods, bead & stone goods, Christmas gifts, and all kinds of handmade goods etc. 2. Stationeries Market ----pencil, fountain pen, ball pen, pencil box files and all kinds of office supply. 3. Accessories Market---- handmade ring, earring, necklace, hair pin, wig, and all kinds of imitation jewelry etc. 4. Clocks & watchs Market---- all kinds of electric/machine clocks& watchs 5. Sports Goods Market-all kinds of sports and leisure goods( football, volleyball, badminton, stpper, bicycle, running machine, etc? . ) 6. Textile Market --- clothes, cloth material, towel, and tie etc 7. Socks Market--- all kinds of socks( 100% cotton, nylon materials) 8. Tool Market---- screw driver, forceps, electronic tools, hand tools, garden tools, and all kinds of tool set 9. Toys Market---- all kinds of toys (woolen toys, wooden toys, plastic toys, electronic toys etc. ) 10. Electric Products Market----all kind of radio recorder, vcd/cd/mp3 player, earphone, microphone iron etc. There also are Glasses Market, Umbrella Market, Kitchenware Market, Artifical Flower Market, Lace & Ribbon Market etc. Yiwu is very close to Shanghai, the largest city of china. It takes 4 hours by train or car, and only 30 minutes by air to Shanghai city. Generally, we ship our goods from Shanghai and Ningbo international port which have transportation lines to all the major ports of the world. Now we are setting up the partner and customer database. We welcome more honest and powerful partners to do business with us. If you are interested in Yiwu market, please feel free to contact us, we will do our best to make your shopping in Yiwu market the most enjoyable, reliable, and hassle free experience. The goods from China Commodity City spread to 160 countries and regions, are salable in Southeast Asia, Middle East, Occident etc, yearly export volume has strongly reached 50% of total trading amount, in which, the export volume of predominant industry goods such as craftwork, ornament, small hardware, glasses, etc is 70% above, in the markets, above 60% merchants have supplying business of foreign trade, so now permanent foreign merchants in Yiwu are more than 5000, foreign commercial institutions are over 200. In May 2002, Shi Guangsheng, former minister of State Foreign Economic & Trade Ministry, drove the quill to write down pigraph of "face to the world, serve the whole country". wholesale marketYiwu Markets is the biggest commodity woholesale markets in the world,it is … train from shanghai to yiwu,You can find anything in Yiwu Wholesale Markets. Yiwu is the largest commodity city in the planet,famous for commodity city and huge products range in the market.The whole yiwu city like a supper market, the booth not only inside markets,but also spread out the streets. There are total 320,000 kinds of commodities in over 1,502 categories of 34 industries spreat out in 4 main markets, and ship to over 200 countries and regions. The boothes is around 40,000 in these 4 main markets, don't including the boothes spread out some street in yiwu. Currently Yiwu market consist of 4 main markets, Yiwu huanyuan market,Yiwu socks market (Knitting market),Yiwu binwang market,Yiwu international trade market(Yiwu futian market). Yiwu Huanyuan market Fashion scarf,Fashion belts,Daily use items,Footwear,Trimming,Lace,Caps,hats,Glove Yiwu Socks market ( Knitting market ) Socks ,stocking,Toe socks,Leg warmers,Tights,it is all about hosiery products. http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/05/5770170-need-fridge-magnets-in-bulk-no-prob Yiwu Binwang market Necktie,Men's Dress shirt,Towels,trimming and lace (food stuff,garments in this market is most for domestic sale) Yiwu International trade city market ( Yiwu Futian market ) This market consist of 4 main buildings,the 4th building will be completed in Oct.,2008. all the above boothes in Huanyuan market and Socks market will move to this market after October,2008. 1st building ( consisit of District A,B,C,D,E with 4 floors ) Artificial flower,Toys,Fashion jewelry,Hair accessories,Jewelry fittings,Arts and crafts,Photo frame,Crystal items,Holiday items. 2nd building ( consisit of District E,F with 4 floors ) Ladies bags,Wallets,Hardware,Kitchenware,Locks,Scooters,Bikes,ATV,Watches,Clocks,Mobile acessories,Home appliance. 3st building ( district H ) Cosmetic,Stationery,Sports items,Fitness equipments,Garments accessories,Zipper,buttoms,gifts packing materials. 4th building is under construction, will be completed in Oct.,2008. As we said before, also there are a lot of shops along the street, there are some stree famous for one products and become a street market, we call it "professional street", here is some famous professional street in Yiwu: Scarf professional street, it is all about scarf,shawl, it is outside of Huanyuan market, along Huangshan street,Wutai street. Belts professonal stree, it is all about belts,men's belts,woment's belts, it is outside of Huanyuan market, along Chouzhou middle Road. Picture frame,photo frame professional street, it is near International trade market China Railway High Speed train ( CRH) Now there is two shifts per day CRH to Shanghai and Hangzhou, it only take 40 mins to Hangzhou, 2hrs to Shanghai. Yiwu to Shanghai: Train #: D686 10:00 AM 12:13 PM Train #: D92 11:50 AM 13:08 PM Shanghai to Yiwu: Train #: D685 07:25 AM 9:40 AM Train #: D665 13:12 PM 15:25 PM http://www.yiwumarketagent.com/2011/08/yiwu-wholesale-market/ Yiwu Huangyuan market including 1.Socks & Stocking market,about 3000 booths 2.Underwear market,about 200 booths 3.Scarfs & Gloves market,about 1500 booths 4.2 Daily-use markets,about 2000 booths 5.Shoe market,about 500 booths II Yiwu Binwang market including 1.Garments market,about 1000 booths 2.Towel market,about 200 booths 3.Necktie market,about 200 booths 4.Bedding market,about 300 booths 5. food and beverage, about 300 booths III Futian market first phase including 1.Arts and Crafts market about 2000 booths 2.Artifical flowers & garden decoration market,about 1000 booths 3.Toy market,about 6000 booths 4.Imitation jewelry & hair ornament market,about 7000 booths 5.Christams items market ,about 500 booths 6.Gife market ,about 500 booths 7.Photo frame & picture frame market,about 500 shops 8.Jewelry accessory market about 200 boths IV Futian market second? phase including 1.Glasses Market,about 200 booths 2.Stationery market,about 3000 booths 3.Bags & suitecase market,about 2000 booths 4.Cosmetic market,about 800 booths 5.Lighter & shaver market,about 300 booths 6.Hardware & handtool market,about 2000 booths 7.Electric & electronic,about 1000 booths 8.Kitchenware market,about 300 booths 9.Clock & watch market,about 400 booths 10.Raincoat & umbrella market,about 400 booths 11.Sports and Entertainments market ,about 400 booths V Special business steets including 1.Zipper steet,about 300 booths 3.Auto accessory street,about 300 booths 4.imitation jewellery street,about 400 booths 5.Arts and Crafts street ,about 300 booths 6.lighter street, about 300 booths 7.Plastic items street ,about 100 booths 8.Picture and Photo frame steets ,about 200 booths Now we have complete the seeing of all the market in short time because in? Yiwu there is very Convenient traffic,so one market and the next one by taxi only 10 or 15 min is enough. http://www.anxin-yiwu.com/market/index.asp http://www.anxin-yiwu.com/product/product_view.en.asp?version=en&id=1403 =============================================================================================== Yiwu City Yiwu City in the middle of Zhejiang Province, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, is. Jinqu the eastern edge of the basin, geographical coordinates of latitude 29 ° 18 ', longitude 120 ° 04'. The total area of ​​1105.46 square kilometers, of which urban area of ​​90 square kilometers (2010). Household population of 740,000, the resident population of 1.234 million, registered a population of 190.79 million (end of 2010). Yiwu Municipality seven streets, six towns: crowded city streets, Beiyuan street, Choujiang street, Jiangdong Street, after the house street, west street, Niansanli streets; on the town, Yiting, the temple town, Chian town, the Soviet Union Town, Dachen. County government in crowded city streets Street 21. Dominated by hills, South East, surrounded by mountains, the southern border of the Big Chill Yongkang sharp elevation of 925.6 meters, the city's highest peak, a large northern river tile Chen shook his head, elevation 41.9 m, as the city's lowest point. Qiantang River is a river, the longest river within the Yiwu River, there is a large and Chen Jiang Hong patrol the river and other rivers. There Yankou reservoirs. Subtropical monsoon climate, annual average temperature of 17 ℃, the average annual rainfall between 1100-1600 mm, annual average sunshine 2129.7 hours, frost-free period of 243 days. Yiwu the biggest supermarket in the world for small commodities wins accolades when it comes to connectivity. It is well-connected with other important cities in the country. Astounding infrastructure enables very easy access from farthest of the places to Yiwu. World-class airport, frequent flights, railways and roadways- everything connects the shoppers paradise to the rest of the world. Moreover, premium hotels and restaurants with international standards are just impeccable. Many people also prefer to approach Yiwu trade agents who provide one-stop solution. They plan your entire itinerary and even provide translation and shipping services. The city also strikes balance as it is beautifully developed as a green city. Regardless the tremendous commercialization, there are lush greens spread all over Yiwu. There are various tourist places as the city offers a glimpse into the past glory of China. Many tourists come to visit Yiwu City for its rich history and culture. http://www.yiwuagentchina.com/ ================================================================================================ www.yiwushoes.com http://xiamenyiwu.en.alibaba.com/productgrouplist-211869370/Beach_Slipper.html http://xiamenyiwu.en.alibaba.com/ Xiamen Yiwu Import & Export Co., Ltd (Footwear) is a leading supplier of varies footwear in Fujian province. Our company enjoys a high reputation for high quality products and considerate services. Our main products include eva clogs, slippers & flip flop, sandals,sport shoes,football shoes,canvas shoes,Shes Upper, Shoes Vamp,shoe accessories, shoes moulds, shoe making machines. We are registered export company which authorized by our government, License no: 350211200002159.With a shoes manufacturing factory which covers about 3,000 square meters, we employ approximately 100 high quality talents and 300 specialized workers. Meanwhile we also carry out a strict quality management system in accordance with ISO9001 requirements. You can have a wide selection to choose from our Xiamen Showrooms including slippers, sandals, sports shoes, shoe materials. Our current annual capacity is 5 million pairs. ================================================================================================ http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/ Bambo Diapers Mamy Poko Unicarm Diapers Supuy Mall online Bubchen Milk Cream Pigeon Cotton Swabs

Chungking Mansions Africans Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong guangzhou africans

Chungking Mansions is a building located at 36-44 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Chungking Mansions is a building located at 36-44 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The building is well known as nearly the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong with a single bed of US $8 one night. Though the building is supposedly residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops, and other services. The strange atmosphere of this building is sometimes called by some "the scent of Kowloon's Walled City". Chungking Mansions features a labyrinth of guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices. It often acts as a large gathering place for some of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, particularly Indians, Middle Eastern people, Nepalese, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Europeans, Americans, Pakistanis, and many other peoples of the world. The building was completed in 1961, at which time Chinese residents predominated. Now, after more than four decades of use, there are an estimated 4,000 people living in the Mansions. is 17 stories tall and consists of 5 blocks, A, B, C, D, and E.

There are two elevators in each block, one of which serves even-numbered floors, the other one odd-numbered floors; there is often a queue for this lift. The price of a flat in the Chungking Mansions ranged from HK$1,000,000 to HK$2,000,000 as of August 2006. While the Chungking Mansions are nominally intended for residential use, there is a large variety of commercial establishments in the building. Chungking Mansions contains the largest number of guesthouses in Hong Kong in one building, with 1980 rooms in total. The rent ranges from HK$60 to HK$380 per day (as of 2006). Since it offers some of the cheapest rates in town, it has become a legendary haunt for backpackers and budget travellers. The age of the building, the diverse ownership, and management structure are the cause of the building's reputation for being a fire trap. The unsanitary conditions, security, ancient electrical wiring, block staircases contribute to the hazards. On February 21, 1988, a fire broke out in the building. A Danish tourist who was trapped inside was killed. The fire in this building, as well as a blaze in a similar building provoked a review of rules and regulations concerning public safety. CUHK anthropologist Prof. Gordon Mathews revealed that there are people from at least 120 different nationalities who have passed through Chungking Mansions in the past year.

With this lively mix of guest workers, mainlanders, local Chinese, tourists and backpackers, the Chungking neighbourhood is one of the most culturally diverse locations in Hong Kong. Chungking Mansions was elected as the "Best Example of Globalization in Action" by TIME Magazine in its annual feature The Best of Asia, although racial tensions are known to boil over occasionally. It is also known to be a centre of drugs, and a refuge for petty criminals, scammers, and illegal immigrants. For example, in a Police swoop in June 1995, about 1,750 people were questioned, 45 men and seven women from various Asian and African countries were arrested on suspicion of offences including failing to produce proof of identity, overstaying, using forged travel documents, possessing equipment for forging documents, and possessing dangerous drugs. In "Operation Sahara" in 1996, 52 men and seven women from 14 countries were arrested for violating immigration regulations NTDTV Gordon Mathews Anthropologist who studied Changking Mansions An estimated 20 percent of sub-Saharan African phones originate from Chugking Mansions, a dilapidated complex of thousand flats, guest houses and businesses located on some of Hong Kong's prime real estate. Traders from all over the world come here to source cheap Chinese goods, but overwhelmingly the trade has been in mobile phones destined for Africa. Mohamed Ali Diallo moved his phone dealership from the Chinese mainland three months ago. [Mohamed Ali, Owner, Brothers Co. Ltd]: "Chungking Mansions is very well known and is, I can say, the other end of the bridge linking Africa to China and most of the phones going to Africa, 20-30 percent came from this house." As a free trade area one trader who asked not to be named said buying phones already in Hong Kong cuts out the hassle of Chinese customs. "Sometimes you feel, why go through the stress of going over to the factories (on mainland China) yourself when you could have the middle man do that? So it's an easy way to for us to come over to Hong Kong and get these things easily from the locals." Having studied Chungking for years, Professor Gordon Matthews says traders come here because Hong Kong provides a degree of protection. [Gordon Matthews, Chinese University Professor]: "Mobile phones, from what I hear, China is not to be trusted. Because you might get goods that don't work very well. Hong Kong tends to be trusted much more and many of the dealers, most of the dealers give some sort of guarantee. You can much clearer, in a certain way, be certain of what you're getting. So Chungking Mansions has emerged as this major centre for buying phones." Granted a 15-day stay, dealers scour Chungking's 90 outlets for deals, making competition stiff. Nevertheless, an estimated 10 million handsets left Chungking Mansions for Africa last year. Phones are transported by air, or either sent by cargo - but like Oury from Guinea, most are carried home in luggage. [Barry Mamadou Oury, Mobile Phone Dealer]: "We can have 60kg to go for the airplane. Now we can take 60kg, for the phone, take small watch. 60kg for we go Africa." But the economic downturn has hit the business hard, with fluctuating exchange rates and slowing remittances making mobile phones a luxury to many Africans. African Traders in China and Substandard Goods photo credit: Evan Osnos, The New Yorker .. One of the primary complaints I hear on China-in-Africa is the issue of substandard Chinese goods in African markets. Clearly, Chinese traders are bringing in a lot of these goods. But an under reported factor is the role of African traders in the supply chain. As many as 20,000 African traders and entrepreneurs live, visit, and work in a suburb of the city of Guangzhou (Canton) called by locals "Chocolate City". The suburb is divided into different neighborhoods -- Nigerian, Malian, Benin and so on. From time to time the local police crack down on traders who have overstayed their visas. A report by Bill Schiller in The Star (Canada) on a crackdown last year caught my eye recently because it contained an illuminating reference to practices of some of the African traders and how substandard goods enter African markets. A Nigerian trader explains: "My brother came here first to seize the opportunity. So I came, too. Everything is so much cheaper here," he said one recent afternoon. He and other African buyers tour local factories regularly, he says, looking to buy "seconds" with minor imperfections. A pair of blue jeans can be had for as little as 15 Chinese yuan, the equivalent of $2.45, he says. These he can sell right here at his stall for 28 yuan, or about $4.60. But back home they can fetch as much as 45 yuan or $7.35, maybe even more. Other reporting elaborates on these practices. Here's an excerpt from the English translation of an article on Chocolate City that appeared in Southern Weekend (courtesy of Africafeed.com): “Every day after noon, “Chocolate City” begins to turn lively. Tens of thousands of black people seem to erupt from the ground in groups of twos and threes. Carrying large black plastic bags or wearing backpacks, they look through the stalls along the street. The stalls are filled with “tail goods” (excess production that did not meet quality standards) from thousands of small factories throughout Guangdong: blue jeans, unbranded television sets, hand-assembled cell phones.” For more visuals on Africans in China, click here for Evan Osnos's great slide show from the New Yorker. Complaints about substandard Chinese goods in African markets abound. Here's one way these goods enter, and why. The price differentials also help explain why African manufacturers are having such trouble competing with Chinese firms. In a future post I'll link to a paper on ways in which consumers in one Tanzanian market are successfully dealing with these challenges.

Counterfeiting China: Effects of Intellectual Property Infringement and Indigenous ...

China: Effects of Intellectual Property Infringement and Indigenous ... By Alexander Hammer (ed), Katherine Linton (ed) Counterfeiting in the People's Republic of China By Ulf Kramer

Africans in Guangzhou (1): Yuexiu Market-Chocolate City

Africans in Guangzhou (1): Yuexiu Market--the Dynamic "Chocolate City" At the end of the 90s in the 20th century, the first batch of Africans came to Guangzhou, their first stop being Canaan clothing market [Clothes Trading Center]. Now, however, with Canaan clothing market as the center, many goods for export markets have sprung up in the surrounding one kilometer area. The people of Guangzhou have gradually come to call this area “Chocolate City”. China has been the biggest trade partner of Africa and the trade volume exceeded $110 billion in 2010[i]. Besides the purchase of oil and minerals done by Chinese government, a lot of Chinese goods also flew into local markets in Africa. We often see western media blaming on the negative economic impact of these low quality Chinese goods on the local markets in Africa.

When Nelson, a Nigerian, arrived in Guangzhou, he lived a typical “luggage bag” life—-carrying several tens of thousand of yuan here to purchase goods and then afterward stuffing them all in a few large luggage bags to fly back with him to Africa. “If I’m lucky, I can get on the plane without it being overweight and having to ship it.” Nelson says that the money for the his airplane ticket and for the goods to be purchased was pooled together by his entire family, that he must earn money, otherwise he will be looked down upon when he returns to Africa. Photo is of Nelson at a motorcycle parts store selecting goods.

Many Chinese shop owners say they don’t like to do business with Africans because they drive such a hard bargain and pay less than other foreigners or Chinese clients. Favour decides not to buy after she cannot get the price she wants at a shop in Guang Da, one of the largest wholesale markets in Guangzhou. San Yuan Li marketplace

But pay attention to the assumption of this argument: because the goods are made in China, the goods must be brought to Africa by Chinese merchants or Chinese government.

Is this assumption true? Africans in Guangzhou (1): Yuexiu Market--the Dynamic "Chocolate City" By JINGHAO LU on July 9, 2011 11:03 PM| 0 Comments| 0 TrackBacks China has been the biggest trade partner of Africa and the trade volume exceeded $110 billion in 2010[i]. Besides the purchase of oil and minerals done by Chinese government, a lot of Chinese goods also flew into local markets in Africa. We often see western media blaming on the negative economic impact of these low quality Chinese goods on the local markets in Africa.

But pay attention to the assumption of this argument: because the goods are made in China, the goods must be brought to Africa by Chinese merchants or Chinese government. Is this assumption true?

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Guangzhou's African Community

One of the biggest cities in China, Guangzhou locates at the southern coast of China, near Hong Kong and Macau. People here are crazy about eating. They like to go for "morning tea", which looks like a brunch. Everyone orders a pot of tea and countless delicious steamed food. Old people usually sit here for a whole morning, chatting with each other while refilling their teapot endlessly. Not known by many outsiders, also in this city, more than 100,000 Africans work and live here[ii]. Many are undocumented immigrants. Most of them come and purchase Chinese goods in large quantity from the manufacturers all over China, and ultimately ship the goods back to their motherland. Within a whole week, I spent my days and nights with these Africans, trying to figure out what is happening since the wind of globalization blew into this part of China. Guangzhou people gave the African community a distinctive name--"Chocolate City", directly referring to the skin color of these residents. This community is around the Xiaobei Station area, an extremely crowded trade center of many Chinese commodities--wigs, electronic products, apparels, shoes and many others. More than a dozen of specialized market buildings are here. Each is several stories tall and as wide as a U.S. high school building. Africans can be found everywhere, walking on the street, trading with others inside the buildings or chatting in Chinese and Middle-East restaurants. This is my first impression of the Chocolate City. Inside a Market Building Every specialized market building looks messy. In an apparel market, the ground was covered with trash and wrapping tapes. Loud music was played--sometimes African highlife music, sometimes African American raps, and sometimes Chinese love songs. Shops and shops are so close to each other, making it hard to walk through the corridor. Jeans, shirts, suits, ties, bags, shoes, perfumes and flags were hung on the wall outside of each shop. Buyers come from all over the world, mainly from Africa, Middle East and other regions in China. There were, however, not many buyers in the market today. Shop owners were chatting to each other, no matter what nation the other comes from. Nigerian shop owners on the ground floor Most of the Africans here were nice to me. They grabbed my hand and asked me to sit. They praised that I appeared to be nicer than many Chinese they encountered. To them, a lot of Chinese merchants were wicked and wanted to cheat them. They also complained to me that business was uneasy. The immigration regulation was tough, dollar is getting weak, and sometimes police will disturb them. Also, all the African shop owners do not really own their shops because foreigners are not allowed to do so. They actually rented the shops from Chinese. What is more, not every African is approachable. Some looked at me cautiously. I know many Africans in Guangzhou are illegal immigrants (I will explain this point in my later entries). They probably thought I was a Chinese police because Guangzhou police often raided the market without their uniform in order to make their inspection effective. African kid, Chinese kid, Chinese business owner, Chinese safeguard Besides Africans, I also talked to more than ten Chinese shop owners. All of them said they like Africans. Increasing number of African merchants means more business opportunities. Plus, many of these Chinese business people are not from Guangzhou, but instead from central Chinese provinces like Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei. They are immigrants themselves, and thus they are more sympathetic to the foreign immigrants. In this market I found Chinese shop owners made friends with many Africans within the region. A couple of them told me they had visited or planned to go to Africa as a result of the invitation from their African clients. More than that, I met at least five cases of interracial marriage, with one from China and the other from Africa. Usually the husband comes from Africa and the wife comes from a city other than Guangzhou. But there were exceptions. I also saw mix-blood babies walking around and playing with their African "uncles". A mix-blood child with her Chinese mom in the market

In all, Chinese-African Relationship within the Market looks good. I ended my day by eating African food at an African restaurant on the first floor of this apparel market. The owner is from Africa, and most of the customers are also Africans. Muslims join together for annual festival

GUANGZHOU -- Festivity was in the air as more than 10,000 Chinese and foreign Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha or the Qurban Festival at four mosques in Guangzhou Tuesday. The Huaisheng Mosque and the Abu Waggas Tomb had to hold prayers twice on Tuesday in order to accommodate the number of worshippers. Among them were many African Muslims celebrating the festival with their brothers and sisters from China and other parts of the world. "This is my third Eid al-Adha in China. The festival here is just like that in my country, though I was only able to understand a small part of the imam's exhortations in Chinese," Sissoko Adama, a businessman from Mali, said. Sissoko said he came to Guangzhou because of the good environment for international trade. Like many other Africans in the city, he exports clothes, shoes and other commodities to Africa. "Though we are going through a financial crisis, I thank God my business is still doing well," he said. Guinean Conde Bangaly, 39, also has a company in Guangzhou. A devoted Muslim, he prays at the city's mosques almost every day, and Tuesday offered a sacrifice to celebrate Eid al-Adha, which means Festival of Sacrifice. "I killed a sheep as a sacrifice to Allah. I do it every year, whether in Africa or China," Conde said. He has been living in Guangzhou for the past five years. Since 2000, there has been a surge in the Muslim population in Guangzhou, most are engaged in trade or in the halal food business. The Guangzhou Islamic Association estimates the number of Muslims living in Guangzhou to be between 50,000 and 60,000, though the actual number may be higher. About half of the Muslim population comprises foreigners, with Africans being the largest group. The Xiaodongying Mosque, near Huanshi Middle Road where the offices and apartments of most Africans are located, has become a mosque dominated by them. Bai Lin, an imam at the mosque, said Africans account for about 70 percent of the worshippers. As the mosque is small, many have to pray on the sidewalks outside, he said. "The African Muslims in Guangzhou usually come from western African countries such as Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Niger. Most of them are very devout and humble," Bai said. Although language and religious differences make it difficult for most African Muslims to integrate into Chinese society, some of them are succeeding. Conde for example, has married a Chinese woman Wei Qiuhua, and is planning to buy an apartment in Guangzhou. The couple met two years ago in Guangzhou. Wei said at first her parents were against their marriage, but they later relented. "I have converted to Islam because I love Conde," the 24-year-old said. She has taken the Muslim name of Jamila. The wedding will be held today in Wei's hometown of Shanwei in southeast Guangdong. "Many of my relatives want to toast our marriage with a sip of wine, but I have told them it will be a wedding banquet without alcohol because we are Muslims," Wei said. They will hold another wedding ceremony in Guangzhou, where Conde will invite his African and Chinese friends. They are also planning to hold a ceremony in Guinea when they visit his parents next year. "I don't know whether we will live in China for the rest of our lives. Everything is decided by God," Conde said. ->buy clothes and computer parts ->Canaan market The Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences has estimated that there are around 30,000 legal migrants from Africa in the city. Its senior researcher Dr Peng Peng said the number of Africans arriving grew by around 30% to 40% annually between 2003 and 2008, but now appeared to have peaked. Local media have suggested there could be 100,000 African residents in total. The Red Guest House of Yiwu chinadaily.com.cn The red vinyl banner hanging from the front of Canaan market, a multi-storey wholesale emporium of cheap jeans and hair extensions, begins promisingly "Welcome to Guangzhou" and concludes, less warmly, "Please have your passport ready for checks by police". This southern city in China's Guangdong province has drawn hundreds of thousands of immigrants from across Africa in the last decade: from Burkina Faso and Somalia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, Tanzania and Angola. The banner and the dwindling numbers of traders here attest to an immigration crackdown that has alienated many and left young men injured and languishing in detention, community leaders say. Between 30,000 and 100,000 Africans, mainly young men, are living here. Most are traders lured by the cheapness and variety of goods made in the surrounding Pearl River Delta. In complexes such as Canaan, they purchase nappies, tractor parts, luxuriantly floral shirts, stock cubes, mobile phones, air conditioners, and pirate DVDs. In the Chinese-run cafes around the buildings they eat plantains and fufu as well as rice. Scant funds, don’t care about brands, loves to bargain, likes low-end products are characteristics of the large groups of African businessmen. Over time, these characteristics have led to Chinese businessmen to discriminate and become impatient with them. “[They're] the most practical in doing business the most practical, whereas you can see those European and Americans and Arabs are just different,” a Chinese seller said. Nevertheless, the trade market’s business is very flourishing every day, and the African demand for cheap goods have allowed the processing factories around the outskirts of Guangzhou to prosper. Photo is of a Chinese seller wiping the nose of an African buyer’s infant; using “friendliness” to get business. In Xiaobei, not far from the trading market, is Guangzhou’s largest African neighborhood. Many Africans coming to China for the first time will stay here, living with several or even over a dozen people in a room, beginning their “gold rush” here. Why have they collectively chosen Xiaobei? One long-term researcher of Africans in Guangzhou says: “This place has Guangzhou’s first proper Muslim restaurant.” And in Africa, those who believe in Islam are the majority. Photo is of an African youth eating at a food stall. The expansion of the African’s export business has also spawned African restaurants, African logistics, African intermediaries and other supporting businesses. African businessmen have also brought African laborers and African service staff. Photo is of locals who are no longer unused to seeing Africans.