Global Voices » SudaneseDrima

Sudan: Sudanese Activist, Alim Boushi, Freed from Prison

SudaneseDrima — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:36:09 +0000

A case that Sudanese bloggers and tweeps have been highlighting in recent days, indicating the current repressive state of affairs in Sudan, is the arrest of the Sudanese political activist and engineer Mohamed Hassan Alim, nicknamed Boushi. Alim was released on January 17, 2011 after 24 days in jail. He was arrested after publicly and harshly criticizing Nafi Ali Nafi, a prominent Sudanese politician, for corruption.

Before his release, Sudanese blogger, Mimz wrote a passionate post expressing her anger and explaining what happened to Alim.

Over the past couple of years, the Sudanese government illegally detained many political activists, opposition party members, anti-NCP revolutionaries, students and journalists who spoke up against injustice. What happens to these detainees at national security prisons or “Ghost Houses” is incomprehensible and beyond any sane person’s mental capacity.

… In mid-December, Alim stood in front of a podium at the University of Khartoum and courageously confronted Nafie Ali Nafie for his crimes against the Sudanese people. He spoke up for you, me and the millions of Sudanese citizens who are struggling day to day to put bread on the table, find jobs and live a well-deserved respectful life. He voiced some of the frustrations we are facing because of the current government, and confronted Nafie and co for their corruption.

For three majestic minutes, Alim was the voice of every oppressed Sudanese person who ever endured a hardship in their life while watching the government privilege its own members and their families by generously offering them money, jobs, and perks earned with the blood and sweat of the average Sudanese people like they were theirs to give.

A few days after his speech, which was recorded and uploaded on YouTube, Alim was arrested from his home. The video now has over 240,000 views. Amnesty International took note of the events and released a statement about Alim's detention.

On 26 December 2011, Mohamed Hassan Alim was arrested from his house in Khartoum by seven men dressed in plain-clothes, believed to be NISS agents. He was beaten by the men in front of his mother and taken away in a car. He has been held incommunicado at an undisclosed location since his arrest. He faces serious risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Sudanese bloggers and tweeps worried about Alim's fate. Mimz was also concerned and railed against Alim's arrest:

Alim’s freedom is our demand, and his blood is not only in Nafie’s hands, it’s in ours as well if we don’t speak up and demand his protection and his immediate release.

In a world where chivalry is dead and cowardice is spread like a viral disease, Alim stands out and is labeled Sudan’s Bouazizi.

The issues Alim took up with Nafie relate to corruption and favoritism… does this earn him an abduction and justify why his mother has to suffer not knowing his whereabouts, what is being done to him and if he will ever be released?

On the other hand, Zol Sudani, shared his thoughts on the matter in a blog post in Arabic, with an excerpt translated below.

بوشي كشفنا كلنا، كشف السودانيين فرد فرد، كشفنا أمام أنفسنا.. .. كشف نافع علي نافع و أصحابه مدعي التدين، فأثبت أنهم أضعف من أن يردوا الحجة بالحجة.. كشف الأمن الوطني، فهم ليسوا جهاز لحفظ أمن البلاد و المواطنين كما أقسموا أمام الله و الشعب، فأثبت أنهم موجودون لحفظ النظام ولو على حساب مواطن أعزل

Boushi exposed us all. He exposed the Sudanese, one bye one. He exposed us to ourselves. He exposed Nafi Ali Nafi, and his companions who claim to be religious. He proved that they're weak and unable to respond to an argument with an argument. He exposed how the national security is not dedicated to protecting the country and its people as they swore in their oaths. He proved that they're there just to protect the regime, even if this is at the expense of a weak unarmed citizen.

Sudanese on Twitter, like @daloya, tweeted with the hashtag #FreeAlim asking where Alim was.

@daloya: Boshi's mother, “I was promised 2 see Boshi 2 weeks after his arrest, I still have not been allowed 2 see him”. #FreeBoshi #FreeAlim #Sudan

Upon his release, Alim himself, said to Bloomberg News, “I didn’t know if I was going to be killed, held in prison forever, or if was going to see my family again.”

On January 1, 2012 Sudanese celebrated their country's 56th Independence Day. But some like Sudanese blogger, D3a Bin Kar however questioned what has ultimately been gained through independence:

we thought with independence, we would gain true freedom, equality, human rights and a chance to realize all the dreams our forefathers dreamed for our beloved Sudan.

For 56 years ago, Sudan has gone through a civil war, turmoil, drought, famine and recently a secession.

Millions have died unnecessarily, millions displaced, millions go to bed hungry every night. These are just not numbers but there are millions of individuals who need not to have gone through all of this.

All could have been avoidable.

D3a Bin Kar continues his post with a round up of key events that happened in Sudan throughout 2011, and ends on a more optimistic note.

Perhaps, 2012, will mark our true independence.

Sudan: President Announces North Will Be Ruled By Islamic Law If South Separates

SudaneseDrima — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:16:24 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage South Sudan Referendum 2011.

As the referendum on whether or not Southern Sudan will separate approaches, a few Sudanese bloggers have been busy commenting on the future prospects of their country.

Recent comments made by the Sudanese President, Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, about the implementation of Islamic Law in North Sudan if the South separates have sparked controversy:

A group of radical Muslim clerics on Friday overtly faulted the Sudanese government for accepting south Sudan’s referendum on independence, and demanded imposition of Islamic Shar’iah law in the entire country whether citizens of the mainly Christian region of south Sudan like it or not.

South Sudan, whose population mostly follows Christianity or traditional beliefs, is bound for secession from the Muslim-ruled north in a referendum vote due in January 2011, a plebiscite stipulated by the 2005’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which in 2005 ended nearly half a century of intermittent civil war between north and south Sudan.

Under the CPA, north Sudan maintained Islamic laws whereas the south was given extensive autonomy under a secular government led by the former southern rebels Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [SPLM].

The legitimate League of Muslim Preachers and Clerics (LLMPC), a group of radical clerics existing in parallel to the official clerical body known as the Association of Muslim Scholars, marched in protest on Friday, 24 December, and held a press conference in which the group’s leaders declared rejection to south Sudan’s referendum on independence and called on the government to implement Shari’ah law in full.

Yousif Magdi, a Sudanese Coptic Christian blogger had this to say about Al-Bashir's announcement:

The President of Sudan Omer El-Bashir recently said that if the 2011 referendum's result was the separation of the southern Sudan, then the Sudan's Constitution will be modified to make the new Sudan a country that doesn't (if I can call it) respect the coexistence of religions and races, and everyone will be ruled by the Islamic law “Sharia”. And Islam will be the official religion in Sudan.

Where doesn't that leave us as Christians, I feel that the situation will be exactly as it in Saudi Arabia.

The Future is very dark and isn't promising at all.

Over at The Sudanese Thinker, Drima blogged about a video of a young Sudanese girl getting flogged and voiced his support for a secular state in Sudan after expaining some of the nuances of Islamic law. The video of the flogging triggered outrage amongst Sudanese in Sudan and overseas.

Punishments such as flogging should be abolished completely:

What we should be outraged about is not how this punishment should have been applied “properly,” but instead, we should be outraged that such punishments continue to exist at all. Flogging should be abolished completely, and we should stop shying away from criticizing troubling aspects of all organized religions.

Yes, there are things about Sharia—dietary laws, the amount of money you should pay for charity, rules that eliminate the practice of usury—that in many ways are actually good and beneficial when we willingly apply them in our lifestyles, and they are not imposed on us.

However, deeply troubling punishments such as stonings, beheadings, and lashings are not good, not humane, and not fit for modern times, and we need to have a frank conversation about that. But when is it going to happen on a large scale? When? If anything, that conversation needs to happen now.

Muhanned, a Sudanese blogger in Khartoum, shares his thoughts on the video and tells a story about how he was once wrongly arrested by abusive policemen in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum:

The police media said that the girl that appear in video is lesbian ! , if she was in Islam she should punished by 40 hits using used whip and medium force ( not strong to kill and not weak ).
and the executioner should not raise his hand until his underarm can be shown . But in this video the police men exceeds the limits of Islam..
Maybe I don't know what really she did but I just want to tell you about what the police men did with me ..
One day I was walking between the Nile street and the Friendship Hall - main building of conferences- while I was walking a police car stopped near me and the policemen start hitting the people to make them go away from their places.. I just asked the lieutenant “What is going on?” but he ordered his soldiers to put me inside police car .. The soldier hit me by a stave and put me inside car..
When we went to police station - Almogran police station “alnezam alaam” - lieutenant pushed me into investigations room and start writing the accusations which is :
1- Intercepting the policemen while they was doing their job!!!!
2-Cursing and slanging using dirty words.!!!!
3- Hooliganism and incitement of the masses…
4- Reduce the prestige of the policemen…
5- Resisting arrest!!!
All of these because I said “What is going on!!!” , after that they searching on my mobile phone for sex videos and do the same with my laptop !!!
There was another lieutenant started shouting on me face and ordered me to sit on the ground when I refused he said “You are no respected man and your curiosity got you to police station…
Then I asked them to make a phone call to my family - Just to tell them where I am - but they refuse then I asked them to call my lawyer but they also refuse . Finally the major told them to let me go after 2 hours in station …
So until when we will still keeping silent while there is abuse of authority????

Regarding the referendum itself, Southern Sudanese blogger, Black Kush, discusses the subject noting that Khartoum is panicking:

The referendum for South Sudan independence is fast approaching and Khartoum is panicking. It is currently using all it has to either stop the plebiscite or disrupt it.

The recent complain at the Constitutional court is one of them. Saying that the referendum register should have been done before three months as per CPA and therefor the referendum is illegal is flawed. NCP is trying one of its last arsenals. The whole CPA was delayed tactically by the NCP. Going by that reasonging, even the census was illegal, the election was illegal and many others. There was no parliamentary debate to amend the dates, which was not necessary as per the CPA because it gave the Presidency to decide the most appropriate time. These challenges will fail.

In another post, he analyses propaganda tactics by the government in Khartoum:

All signs are that the NCP is panicking ahead of the referendum for South Sudan secession in January. The various statements coming from the NCP is a clear sign that they have failed to convince the South about unity and are now using blame tactics to deflect the blame for the upcoming secession of the South.

The following were some of the points and events:
1. Bombing south Sudan territory twice
2. Claiming that South Sudan is supporting the JEM rebels in Darfur
3. Claiming that the SPLM is preparing to topple the government in Khartoum

The claims are as baseless and ridiculous as the people who uttered them. I leave the first two to you but claiming that the SPLM want to attack the north and topple the government is more that ridiculous, but utterly bizarre.

The goal of the struggle of the people of South Sudan, notes John Akec, is to live in their own country as free citizens:

Those who know the history of the struggle of the people of South Sudan will recall how hundreds of combatants needlessly lost their lives when fight broke out in 1983 in Bilpham in Ethiopia between the forces of “separation” and forces of “unity” in the SPLM and Anya Nya II, as we were told later. Looking back in retrospect, it should be abundantly clear that the bloody confrontation was really a power struggle dressed up in form of differences over goals and strategies.

So what is the goal of the struggle of people of South Sudan? The goal was and still is for South Sudanese to live in their own country as free citizens with equal rights and dignity as the rest of Sudanese…

Put in another way, the goal is to have a country where no one is discriminated against on the basis of religion, tribe, ethnicity, or social standing. The goal, in the words of Dr. John Garang, is to have Sudan “where no body is above me, and I am above nobody.” And if I must borrow the Afro-American expression, it is basically a Sudan “where nobody is gona carry nobody!”

Give me such a Sudan, and I will see no reason to wage war on anyone nor do I see need for seeking to break away. This is not to say we have attained such a Sudan of equality.

Nesrine Malik , blogging at Comment is Free, manages to shed more light on the mood in Khartoum.

There is also a residual bitterness and dented pride. War has crippled the country for so long only to end in a relinquishment of the regions most wealthy in natural resources. Ironically, there is a view that the National Congress party (NCP), even though it is desperate to avoid secession, made a tactical error in its eagerness to sign the comprehensive peace agreement without establishing a strategic plan to avoid separation. Those in the north who actively support separation – the likes of the Al-Intibaha contingent – get no thanks from southerners for their attitude appears to be one of racist good riddance.

But the overall result is that there is no real current of opinion against separation but bubbling resentment and uncertainty, exacerbated by an administration that seems just as clueless. I cannot help but feel that the tables have turned. The south now enjoys the virtue of the victim.

As a people, the northerners are worried, not about the split but about their own day of reckoning when they will no longer not be able to use the south, the war, or western designs in the region as a pretext.

This post is part of our special coverage South Sudan Referendum 2011.

Sudan's First LGBT Rights Organization?

SudaneseDrima — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:44:28 +0000

Throughout 2009, the Sudanese blogosphere has been in slumber mode. However, many previously inactive bloggers are blogging again along with new ones that have arrived on the scene recently.

But that's not all. Sudanese blogger, Kizzie wrote about the website launched by Freedom Sudan, The Sudanese LGBT Association.

Freedom Sudan is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organization in Sudan. Our organization has been formed in December 2006. Our status is illegal. Homosexual behavior is illegal in Sudan and homosexuals facing the death penalty. That's why our organization was formed in secret and all our activities are carried out secretly, hoping that one day we will get accepted in our communities and even in our families, and hope that we can be FREE to be the way we are. Freedom Sudan is an organization run by volunteers only.

Our main goals are:

Recognition of homosexuality in Sudan.

Social acceptance of homosexuality and acceptance of the rights of homosexuals in Sudan.

Abrogation of the death penalty for homosexuals (Articles 148,151, 316 and 318).

Work together with other LGBT organizations in the world for a better LGBT rights.

The organization also has its own Twitter account here.

There haven't been any reactions to this news yet within the Sudanese blogosphere. Also, before Kizzie broke it out, she wrote about a Sudanese Facebook group encouraging participation in Sudan's upcoming elections this April, the first one in two decades.

The group is called Girifna, Arabic for “We're Disgusted” or “We're Fed Up” and it has more than 4,200 members. You can learn more about it at an article posted on its website called Q&A with girifna.

The here's what Kizzie wrote about the Girifna Facebook group.

Apparently, Sudanese people my age actually care about the elections! I wasn't very optimistic about my generation in my Menassat article published a few weeks ago. I even came up with a name for our generation…Generation Passive….the passive youth of Sudan.

Girifna is a beacon of light to be honest! It literally means “I am disgusted” (I can totally relate to their frustrations!)

Waad Ali, meanwhile, blogged a brilliant original post about the signs of genocide and analyzed the situation in Darfur. The signs of genocide according to Waad Ali are:

… The first sign is classification. Now of course all human beings classify; there’s always us and there’s them, there’s our group and there’s the others. This is not necessarily of course a genocidal step, but its absolutely necessary for genocide

… The second sign is symbolization, where we have words or symbols that express those classifications.

… The third sign is dehumanization. It’s where we equate the group that is targeted as being a cancer or microbes in the system. In other words, It’s where we begin to treat one group as somehow less than human.

… The fourth sign of genocide is organization. If a hate group is formed that is organizing to carry out hate crimes

… The fifth sign of Genocide is Polarization, in which the hate groups try to drive the society apart. Basically they try to drive out all the moderates who could stop the process.

… The sixth sign is what I call preparation. It is the stage were people are armed and militias are trained to carry out genocide.

… The seventh sign is what I call Genocide, “legally”.

… The eighth sign is denial. All the way through this whole process, the people who are committing Genocide Deny that they are doing it.

Moving from the topic of genocide, let's now take a look at a topic that many Sudanese bloggers covered recently in the wake of the Lubna trousers affair: what women wear.

Nersrine Melik, blogging at The Guardian, writes:

“I am averse to any legislation which dictates what women are allowed to wear as much as I am averse to the niqab. Although there is little consensus over its religious obligatory nature, this is a red herring that detracts from the more important question of personal liberty. However, there are situations where a full face cover poses security and identity questions. Freedom is not absolute when it encroaches upon the rights of others. Covering one's face whether that person is a man or a woman has simple practical ramifications.”

When the Lubna trousers affair erupted, virtually every single Sudanese blogger criticized Lubna's arrest by the authorities. Adil Abdalla has a different opinion though, and is actually critical of Lubna in light of her recent visit to France where she traveled to promote her new book “40 Lashes for a Pair of Trousers” written in French.

She was a shock to our distinctive culture.. in Sudan, conservatism is potted with open-mindness, where sky is the limit for your imagination, yet respect the fundamentals of our grassroots and common perceptions..

She was not that moral-driven one, nor dressed as modest as shown in press.. Police had caught her at midnight in a suspicious club.. A witness claimed her dress was totally different, almost naked; yet some activists helped her to change all to embrace the government in highly charged time of politics and power game..

Regretfully, she ashamed her country, and aided who want to shame Muslims.. She is too small to be any player, yet a tool for big players.. Now, she is immunized in Europe, and will be forgotten shortly.. but the hurt she caused will be deeper and wider to heal..!!

In another sign that the Sudanese blogosphere has grown from its tiny community of a dozen or so blogs, Drima at The Sudanese Thinker compiled a list of Sudanese bloggers he's managed to find so far.

Sudanese Bloggers React to ICC Arrest Warrant for President

SudaneseDrima — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:40:19 +0000

It's been more than two days since The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir making him the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges are based on the conflict in Darfur. In this post, we delve into the reactions of the Sudanese blogosphere to this historic event.

While all bloggers are no fans of the Sudanese President, most if not all, aren't too happy about the ICC's decision as they suspect it will only worsen an already terrible situation.

First, let's check what Nesrine Malik who lives in London thinks of this at the Comment is Free group blog of The Guardian newspaper:

Toothless and badly-timed as the indictment of Sudan's president may be, morally we cannot afford not to support it.

… The timing was unfortunate. Many in the Arab world are still reeling from the recent incursion into Gaza and governments are continuing to capitalise on anti-western sentiment. The ostensible hypocrisy of targeting Bashir when apparently Israel and the west are impune renders his martyrdom on the altar of international double standards convenient for Arab or African heads of state living in their own glass houses.

Second, we have Sudanese Optimist, a student in the United States, who isn't too happy and shares with us what the pragmatist in her wonders:

Every media outlet is giving a voice to a plethora of self appointed political pundits, common-sense-loathing activists, and confused citizens of the earth, all trying to make sense of the International Criminal Court’s issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Omar Al-Bashir. However, the one voice that seems to have been muffled by the pandemonium surrounding the issue is that of the Sudanese citizen. I ask: what about me Luis Ocampo?

(…)

… the pragmatist in me is questioning the effectiveness of the ICC’s decision, and the extent of ‘justice’ it will provide for the victims of the Darfur conflict. It could be too early for the man on the street to speculate, but I sincerely hope that Luis Ocampo and the ICC have a follow-up plan to assuage the commotion caused by the indictment of a sitting head of state. Does the ICC consider this the end result, or a starting point in the quest of peace and justice in Sudan? This question remains unanswered.

Now, let's see what AK, also a student in the United States, has to say.

The first thing that I noticed was the fact that the Court only charged him on two of three accusations, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The prosecutor did not get his third request for the crime of genocide. This is very telling. Both the first two crimes can be very easily proven and linked back to Al-Bashir, however, the third accusation (of genocide) cannot be as easily proven or linked back to the President.

… Also, the ‘Save Darfur‘ crowd in the United States cannot be happier. In fact, they are using this opportunity to raise funds, as if this arrest warrant is all due to their so-called “advocacy.” This is a snapshot of their website's home page taken after the arrest warrant was issued.

Along with most Sudanese I know, I am very critical of Save Darfur (et al.). They have been the strongest proponents of intervention in Sudan, something which will undoubtably exacerbate the situation for the worse. But I'll leave that for a later time.

(…)

Here is a clip of the scenes from Khartoum today:

AK also posted this video of Sudanese ICC supporters and Bashir supporters clashing in NYC.

At about 1:30 in the clip, you can see the clashes between the Bashir and ICC supporters.

Next up, we have Mimz with her thoughts and an important observation on what the ICC's decision could mean to this year's planned elections in Sudan.

I am not a big fan of El-Bashir, in fact I despise the man (would be an understatement) for what he has been putting our country and our people through for the past god knows how long. But the ICC just could not delay this decision, which we all knew was coming, and felt the need to make it today and ignore the fact that the first democratic elections in more than twenty years are expected this year.

Finally we have Path2Hope who isn't joyful either.

Now the warrant has been issued and exactly what this means for Sudan I do not know. But what I do know is that expelling the activities of 10 of the aid agencies does not help either. Hasn't the average Sudanese suffered enough? Now that these agencies can no longer do their work - who will step in and fill the gap? I am so angry at not only this reaction in Sudan but by the idiotic ruling of the ICC in the first place.

On a related note, here are Rob Crilly's latest Twitter updates directly from Darfur where he is right now.

10:07 AM Mar 5th # NGO staff held at gunpoint in Nyala on way to airport to leave. They were stopped by national security, very people kicking em out 7:07 AM Mar 5th

# Tired, smelly. Out of anti-perspirant. Word is Bashir coming here on Sunday but I need a drink 8:18 AM Mar 5th

# aid workers now stuck in Khartoum. Must wait for exit visas - the final irony 9:07 AM Mar 5th

# Unamid staff now being allowed out of base to go home after 48hr lockdown. All calm in El Fasher 2:10 AM Mar 6th

# three aid vehicles burned in Khartoum last night 3:01 AM Mar 6th

# Aid workers staying in khartoum for now as negotiations continue. No-one holding much hope. 6:00 AM Mar 6th

See past coverage of Sudanese blogger reactions to the ICC arrest warrant on Global Voices.

Sudan: Mourning a Great Novelist and Musings on the ICC

SudaneseDrima — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:35:31 +0000

After a long absence, a number of fascinating Sudanese bloggers, return to the blogosphere to rant, share their thoughts on recent events and vent. They're included in this roundup along with the usual suspects.

After a frustrated rant about Khartoum International Airport's unhygienic condition, Sudanese Optimist mourned the passing of the respected and well-known Sudanese novelist, Al-Tayeb Saleh.

Sudan has lost a dear citizen, who has contributed tremendously to Sudanese and Arabic literature. His most acclaimed work is the 1966 novel “Season of Migration to the North.” The novel was, at one point, banned in Sudan for its inclusion of sexual imagery, yet it was declared “the most important Arabic novel of the 20th century” by the Syrian-based Arab Literary Academy in Damascus.

Earlier this year, The General Union for Sudanese Writers, requested Al Tayeb Saleh to be preliminarily nominated to win the 2009 Literature Noble Prize.

Ras Babi Babiker mourned Saleh's passing too by reminding us about the great novel that made him a major name in the world of modern Arabic literature.

Season of Migration to the North (Arabic: موسم الهجرة إلى الشمال Mawsim al-Hiǧra ilā ash-Shamāl ) is a classic post-colonial Sudanese novel by the late novelist Al-Tayyib Salih. Originally published in Arabic in 1966, it has since been translated into English and French.

The novel charts individuation of the (un-named) narrator, who has returned to his native village in the Sudan having spent seven years in England furthering his education.

On his arrival home, he encounters a new villager (”Mustafa Sa'eed”) who exhibits none of the adulation for his achievements that most others do, and displays an antagonistically aloof nature. The villager betrays his past one drunken evening by wistfully reciting poetry in fluent English, leaving the narrator resolute to discover the stranger's identity. As it turns out Mustafa was also a precocious student educated in the west but simultaneously harbors a violently hateful and complex relationship with his western identity and acquaintances. The story of Mustafa's troubled past in Europe and in particular his love affair with a British woman, forms the center of the novel.

Meanwhile, as Drima mourned along with his fellow bloggers the death of his country's great novelist, he also blogged an in-depth analysis on the possible consequences of an ICC arrest warrant charging his country's president with crimes against humanity and genocide.

the ICC can’t do much on its own in terms of enforcing the arrest warrant (if it issues it at all) and the UN is a fangless paper tiger, but…

… given that we now have Susan Rice as the US Ambassador to the UN, Hillary as Secretary of State (she has her own blog now by the way), and a Blue Donkey administration in charge of running things, US policies towards Sudan will gradually become starkly different than they were just a few months ago when Bush was still in power.

An ICC arrest warrant issued within this new context will now have more weight, and hence its potential issuance will probably be more useful as a tool for pressuring Omar al-Bashir to act in favor of peace in Darfur and implementing the CPA.

Mimz, who returned to the blogosphere after a long absence, also recently mentioned the ICC arrest warrant and her adventures with Facebook.

“Dang!” doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s been almost a year and a half since I was last here. And a lot of things went down during that time. Here are just a few highlights:

1. I joined facebook.
2. There’s a global economic crisis going on and it’s on the rise.
3. Obama was elected president of the United States.
4. Israeli troops attacked Ghaza killing and injuring hundreds.
5. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Omer El-Bashir on charges of war crimes.
6. I graduated.
7. Sami El-Haj was released from Guantanamo Bay. (I obviously have a lot of editing to do).
8. Gillian Gibbons was arrested for a “teddy bear blasphemy case” in Khartoum.
9. The rebels reached Khartoum and attacked everyone.
10. I quit facebook.

Did I mention that I finally graduated?

Hipster, a Sudanese blogger living in the UAE, is now also back actively blogging again. She shares with us a little “Che Guevara” experience she had while driving to work.

Aggravated at the abrupt interruption, I glared at the monstrous vehicle, only to be completely amazed and amused at the sight of the colors and words adorning the spare tire case. Che Guevara’s renowned & symbolic raggedy face picture was sandwiched between words in bold letters namely “T.N.T” and “ Al Maafia”. I couldn’t help but look down at my paperback copy of “The Young Che: Memories of Che Guevara”, lying on the passenger’s seat, triggering me to ponder and wonder upon the mockery this revolutionary has become.
With my humble knowledge, I ask: What do “T.N.T” and “Mafia” have anything to do with the Soldier of the Americas?

And if you've ever wondered whether blogging is a form of therapy, you're not alone. Path2Hope shares those thoughts too.

And then it happened, the dam that was blocking my ability from putting down thoughts onto paper broke and everything wanted to come pouring out instantly. So much to write about, so many experiences to relate and then you sit infront of the laptop and wonder - who the heck cares? Everyone has their own battle that they are tackling - and well I suppose blogging really is a form of therapy and an excuse to self indulge.

As for JohnAckec, he reminded us today of the increasingly sad situation with education in Sudan.

With more than 30 universities in Sudan and with talk of declining academic standards and rising level of unemployment amongst university graduates in our country, one is led to believe that university education has lost its glitter and is now next to worthless. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On a happier note, Precious, wished everyone a Happy Valentine's Day.

Although I no longer beleive in romance and that passionate love I used to dream of, and although I no longer trust a man's fake “I love you”s, but you might still have a little hope. So anyway, I deeply and sincerely wish you a very Happy Valentines day, whether you are Single, dating, engaged or married. Enjoy the day and dont let anyone not even him/her, ruin it for you!

Sudan: Darfur and the Orphans of Mygoma

SudaneseDrima — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:50:11 +0000

In this roundup, we delve into the most recent thoughts streamed from the consciousness of the relatively small but intriguing Sudanese blogosphere.

After a period of absence, AK comes back with a blog post about a deeply moving documentary called “Orphans of Mygoma” which was originally televised by Aljazeera International. It tells the story of an orphanage in Sudan and illegitimate children.

Great documentery by Aljazeera's Witness program. Please watch both parts below.

To get a decent understanding about the social stigma surrounding illegitimate children in Sudan, read this comment by optimist on AK's blog:

The Mygoma oprhanage is truly one of the saddest aspects of Sudan. I think people might overlook the fact that not only are those children starved for affection and good health care, they are also faced with the biggest challange (if they survive to face it,) which is the intese social stigma of being a born-out-of-wedlock child. The Sudanese society is decidedly biased against illigitimate children, even though such behavior is not supported by Islam.

I really do hope things will change for the orphans of Mygoma.

Next, we have DZA with something more cheerful. Apparently, YouTube's block in Sudan has been lifted.

Youtube is unblocked in Sudan now, I don't know who to thank, maybe me for starting that group :p lol .. but ey, thank god
anyways ..

Meanwhile, Path2Hope was lucky enough to be in Kenya to witness all the celebrations there after Obama was announced winner of the US elections:

It's only been a few weeks since I arrived in lovely Nairobi but it already feels like home. I am surprised the place has grown on me this fast, especially after all the security briefing madness that I had to go through before coming here…but it was all worth it.

And how lucky am I to be here when they announced Obama's win? You really should have seen and felt the amount of joy that consumed this country! It was amazing to be part of it all.

When it comes to Obama's victory, not every Sudanese is happy like Path2Hope or Black Kush though. John Akec is more cautious:

President Clinton in most part had maintained a hand-off approach to Sudan conflict. His Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright once said: “Sudan war is not viable.” During his time, Al Qaeda was founded and fared. His actions in most parts were nothing but knee-jerk reactions such as missile strike of Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum in August 1998 as retaliation to bombing of two US embassies in East Africa that year. That action did nothing to promote the cause of peace and freedom in Sudan but only added fuel to the fire of anti-Americanism without serving any purpose.

With this abysmal Democratic record in view, the author fears that the coming Obama administration will be nothing but Clinton 2, courtesy of Obama.

Lastly, Drima makes a point about “the Muslim and Arab hypocrisy in regards to the Darfur conflict” in the following comic way:

Muslim minority: Hey, there are Muslims getting killed in Darfur.

Muslim majority: Really? By the evil Joooz?

Muslim minority: No, by other Muslims.

Muslim majority: …

Sudan: Returning to Sudan, US Politics and New Media

SudaneseDrima — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:40:19 +0000

In this round up of the Sudanese blogosphere, we delve into Sudanese commentaries on Sudan, US politics, and new media. It's good to see that Path2Hope finally overcame her writer's block. Apparently she needed a space to vent her anger after she returned to Sudan:

It really is amazing how a little bit of anger can do wonders for any writer's block. So I've been home less than a week and already something has happened that made my blood pressure hit the roof. I'm at the medical center to have some tests run and the lab person goes to get a syringe, which was humongous in size - so much so, that I thought I had gone to the vets by mistake but that's not the point.

Anyways, he tells this other woman to re-write my number on one of my samples (mistake number one)…and she looks a bit confused looks at the record book and jots down some number that isn't mine (mistake number two). What really annoyed me is that I was right infront of her, she could have just asked my name instead of going on some guessing spree…a lab is no place to practice one's clairvoyant skills!

… Why is it that we find it so hard to be professional in this country??

Meanwhile, John Akec has another complaint about Southern Sudan:

… In fact, we have been told by a respectful host of philosophers and educationalists that little knowledge is dangerous.

… By the way we conduct our affairs in South Sudan, we clearly display how much we need to seek and find wisdom: be we the ruled or the rulers. Without the exercise of wisdom by all concerned (stakeholders), it is impossible for me to imagine how we are going to survive as autonomous region in united Sudan or an independent sovereign state should we secede in 2011.

The complaints continued. However, this time Drima directed his towards John McCain after watching Palin's foreign policy interview with CBS (Drima is the author of this roundup):

Uh, um, chili is not cold, and I went to the supermarket because light travels from the sun when I yawn and then he disagreed since 1987 beyond Tom Cruise until monkey banana.

Gosh, this is so bad, it’s not even funny.

… Seriously McCain, given your not-so-young age, the least you could have done is pick a more articulate and qualified candidate for vice presidency, you know, just in case God forbid the situation arises.

Speaking of US politics, Kizzie had this question to ask:

9/11, Hurricane Katrina and now Hurricane Ike. Did Bush curse America?

As for Black Kush, he had this to say about America:

When America sneezes . . .

. . . the rest of the world catches a cold.

The current global financial crisis which strated in America will surely bite everyone. The high oil prices have made travel really expensive in Sudan. Paradoxically, it is cheaper to fly to Egypt and back than to Juba from Khartoum one way . . . Add that to the hike in food prices.

The cold is spreading.

Finally, Amjad commented on the attempted banning of YouTube in Kuwait:

A couple of months ago YouTube was officially blocked in Sudan. Today we hear that YouTube is officially blocked in Kuwait. Who's next?

While as of this moment the reason of blocking YouTube in Sudan is unknown, Kuwait has officially declared why it decided to block YouTube in Kuwait, even though the reason might not be valid to everyone. The reason Kuwait provided is that YouTube contains inappropriate videos offending our religion.

… UPDATE: Apparently the ban order has been reconsidered and got canceled for now. YouTube is not blocked in Kuwait.

Sudan: YouTube Blocked

SudaneseDrima — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:26:01 +0000

YouTube has been partially blocked for internet users in Sudan for reasons that are still unknown. Some Sudanese in the country report being able to access YouTube without any problems, while others report being sent to a page with the following message:

“Sorry, this page has been blocked by National Telecommunication Corporation.”

Too Huge World, a western aid worker in Sudan took a screen shot of the page and reports this:

In a fatal blow to our already lackluster sources of entertainment, the Sudanese government has blocked access to YouTube, the online video sharing Web site.

Over at The Sudanese Thinker (which is my blog), commenters dropped their thoughts in reaction to my post about YouTube's blocking in Sudan. The comments indicate that the blocking is being implemented by some ISPs and not others.

No Angel on July 26th, 2008 1:03 pm
hey,i wonder how that rumour got started?!
drima i could assure you that youtube is not blocked,im in Sudan,khartoum i read your post typed in youtube.com and surprise surprise ITS WORKING..
so what are you guys going to spread exactly?

Sudan on July 26th, 2008 4:26 pm
Youtube is working fine in Sudan, Drima.

digital on July 26th, 2008 4:44 pm
No Angel, Sudan……
What ISP’s are you on??

Cause on Sudani and Zain mDSL it is currently blocked??

Are you guys are on Sudatel?

Sudan on July 27th, 2008 1:36 pm
Youtube is working on Canar ISP

digital on July 27th, 2008 4:19 pm
Well Canar do have their own cable….

DZA on July 27th, 2008 4:28 pm
yes canar have its own network .. youtube is blocked on NTC networks

At Black Kush's blog, a short but good conversation took place about this issue too. It sheds more light on what's going on.

The Sudanese Thinker reports that Youtube has been blocked in Sudan. Just wanna let you know that I still have access to Youtube, through the Canar ISP. Maybe it has not yet been blocked.

Here is a screen shot.

In response to the post, Amjad shared his opinion on the matter, which prompted a reply from Black Kush.

Amjad said…

This only means/proves that Canar ISP is not regulated by the Sudanese National Telecommunication Corporation, which is a shock to me.

The block as reported was from NTC and not specific ISPs. So supposedly all ISPs regulated by NTC have YouTube blocked and they can't do anything about it. But YouTube being working fine on Canar only means that Canar is not regulated by NTC which I still find hard to believe.

Either ways, I think Canar subscribers are lucky, aren't they?

Black Kush said…

I still don't know how this came about, because other sites are blocked by NTC, showing that famous notice.

Canar users are lucky, for now!

From the above, one can safely assume that those in Sudan using Canar as their ISP have no problem accessing YouTube for now, while those using other ISPs experience the blocking.

Facebook group

In line with what's looking increasingly like a trend, Sudanese flocked to Facebook to voice their concerns in a group dedicated to the matter. The group is called “Unblock Youtube In Sudan Now” and at the time of writing it has 476 members.

Over at the group, numerous members have commented that people shouldn't get too panicked since YouTube can still be easily accessed via proxy software or sub-domains such as uk.YouTube.com

Speculations on the reasons

The reasons behind this block are still vague.

Initially, some bloggers speculated that YouTube had been blocked because it features some indecent, sexual videos of Sudanese girls, but the videos in question had only few views, and are also circulating by mobile phone.

In a press release on AllAfrica.com, The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information say:

YouTube has recently become a key tool for political activists. A number of video clips have been posted with footage of Sudanese security personnel beating and torturing minors, who were arrested and detained following the 10 May armed attack on the capital, Khartoum, by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels. Mass arrests in Khartoum of perceived supporters of the Darfur rebel group followed the attack.

This leaves us with the other possible and more probable reason behind YouTube's blocking in Sudan by the National Telecommunications Corporation.

ZoulcolmX shares his opinion on this.

I think it's just another attempt to suffocate freedom of speech, especially in times like these, with the international court after Omar, they don't want someone with the opposition to [interfere with] the official story about how every Sudanese citizen supports Omar. They don't want us to see the documentaries that have been posted lately about the “ghost houses” created to torture individuals who didn't support the “salvation revolution”, and with the elections coming, they don't want any anti-kizan* campaign, which is something not allowed on local newspapers, and the national TV is on their side 24/7, but YouTube, Facebook, and blogs give a free space for the truth, and this is what THEY fear the most.
This is not a moral issue, it is political. They have always profited from ignorance, and web 2.0 is against ignorance and those fascists really hates it, so I won't be surprised if they blocked Facebook or MySpace next. If they did, we'll have to do more than just creating a group on the web.

… * Kizan is a nickname for the National Islamic Front and the ruling party the National Congress members.

YouTube's blocking in Sudan has captured a good amount of attention which is a good sign indicating that people value the internet. Unfortunately, right now, there are many facts missing but with time, more of them will surface.

Sudan: Reactions to the ICC charges against al-Bashir

SudaneseDrima — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:38:18 +0000

Since the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor asked for an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan a few days ago, there haven't been many big reactions in the Sudanese blogosphere (although we covered reactions of several bloggers elsewhere in Africa in this roundup). Activity in the Sudanese blogosphere is at an all time low. However, the Sudanese debate has been alive and full of passion on Facebook.

Reactions from Sudanese bloggers
Three Sudanese bloggers, Ras Babi, The Sudanese Thinker (disclosure: it's me), and Black Kush, have been among the few that commented on the matter.

Black Kush rolled out a sequence of posts on the issue as it progressed where he wrote the following:

SO Bashir has been indicted by the ICC. So what comes next now?

The ICC prosecutor has taken the boldest step ever. Charging a sitting head of state fo genocide can get him a round of applause,but that is leaving lots of people wary of the future.

So far the armageddon predicted has not happened, yet. No UN staff has been shot in the street and no car-jackings reported in Khartoum. Were the fears groundless?

Not at all. There are lots of people out there in the street who are stupid enough to start anything. It may not be the official response of the government, but some lunatics may take the lawlessness into their hands and rick havoc.

I personally think it was a wrong move on the part of the ICC. Now that he has made his point, I think UN Security Council should suspend the possible arrest warrant from being issued.

Ras Babi, as he usually does, wrote a short poem:

is it true?
the Arabs support you…
is it true?
some Sudanese stand with you….
…
Hitler had his fans
Franco had his fans
it is true…
they have gone
…..
China will sell you
Russia became like you
too bad too trust
….
you brought to us
genocide
janjaweed
Russians and Chinese
polluting our land
stealing our resources

Sudanese Thinker published his analysis and shared two photos he found in a very active Sudanese Facebook group discussing the ICC's decision, which he thought summed up the extremes of Sudanese opinion on the matter rather well -from rational debate to rejecting responsibility and conspiracy theories.

Reactions from Sudanese Facebookers
The aforementioned Facebook group where the most heated discussions are taking place is called:

“معا ضد المحكمة الجنائية الدولية . فلنتحد لنصرة الرئيس عمر البشير” (translation: “Together Against the ICC. Let’s Unite for President Omar al-Bashir’s Victory”)

The group was started by a Sudanese and currently has over 2,700 members, virtually all Sudanese as well. While a sizable number of the members oppose the Sudanese regime, the group clearly leans on the side of condemning the ICC's decision. The following are some random quotes from a thread representing the diverse opinions in the group fairly well.

Gino Mino:

Did people forget that Al-Bashir took power by force, that he executed and murdered countless Sudanese, that under his watch Millions of Sudanese died in warfare and from extreme poverty, that he and his cronies dragged the name of Sudan to the gutter that today it's on every tongue as a terrorist sponsoring nation?

Wake up ya Sudanese… AlBashir is a criminal and it's about time that he is cornered!

Khadega Malik:

He deserves worse than international court. He deserves Allah's Justice. Where he would face soon in his grave
… I am with the international court if it can at least achieve the goal of embarassing him internationally.

Ayman Ayman:

You know nothing…..and u will be the first people to cry…..shut up
… Admin please kick them out

Khadega Malik:

Believe me, you will be the one to CRY, and I will remind you there INSHA ALLAH. Someone like you who is that blind, would be the one to CRY.

Gino Mino:

Why should we be kicked out? We have not used profanity nor have we insulted only one. We have expressed nothing but the truth… why are you so afraid of the truth!?!

… and sorry we will not shut up, I thought AlBashir is implementing democracy now in Sudan, so you are obliged to listen to our point of view :)

Sana Ali:

first of allll ya Gino and Khadega no hard feelings but am replying to this topic with all due respect to both of you guys! stating my opinion…ok? alright….I really am surprised that it came down to this and that the ICC finally found a way to try to get to sudan! I dont' noe about u guys but it almost seems like a plan to take down allllllll muslim countries and not only that but also stop the ones that are somewhat prosporing from moving forward and excelling! its kind of ironic…none the less, al bashir did everything to stand behind sudan and suport it ..he made sudan one of the VERY FEW countries that are not bowing dowing and kissin the feet of the US or the UN

Yassir A.gamma:

Man f*ck u and f*ck ur sick cheap sneaky disloyal thoughts too…

Khaled M. Khaled:

heeeey yasir dont flip out. it ain't worth it.every one has the right to express his own opinion.

Sally Osama:

Its so sad for me to see my fellow Sudanese rip each other off..even if we are against ElBashir political views how can you support US taking over our country??

Sara Ibrahim Haddad:

ok, people are really angering me right now….with all this “AMERICA WILL INVADE”

AMERICA
IS
NOT
AND
WILL
NOT
INVADE
SUDAN

so stop bringing up america because u want someone to blame because u dont want to hold accountable the REAL people to blame!!

Bashier is a devil!! shaytan!!! along with other african corrupted leaders…sudan's image is tarnished globally…..and we have people agreeing with bashier??! are u crazy? OR ARE U JUST SCARED OF HIM?

Moreover, it is a positive sign to see Sudanese flocking to Facebook - not so much the blogosphere - to express their opinions freely and without authoritarian restrictions.

A Sudanese Touristic Destination and Sudanese-American Soccer

SudaneseDrima — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:42:51 +0000

These last few weeks there was no distinct event that captured the attention of the Sudanese blogosphere. So, what I have here for you today is a nice and simple roundup of random posts from Sudanese blogs. Let's get started, shall we?

Amjad, who is now currently studying in the United States, blogged about the existence of something called the Sudanese-American Soccer League (SASL). Yes, there's actually one in America.

Colorado (blue) vs. Irving (red & white)
With the number of Sudanese-Americans growing, the Sudanese communities here have decided to create a soccer league for the Sudanese communities all over the United States. There is a good number of Sudanese-Americans in different states in the US, and so it was a good idea for each community in each state to establish its own team and join the Sudanese-American Soccer League (SASL).

Drima blogged about Obama's historic victory with excitement and gave his analysis for why he thinks the next President of the United States will be a Democrat:

We knew this was coming for a while. Win or lose, Obama has achieved the seemingly unachievable

… We’ve still got many months to go and a lot can happen. Potential controversies and campaign management on both sides will of course also be two factors in the final outcome, but at the end of the day, by looking at the midterm election results and the current circumstances, I’d say America is in the mood for a Donkey president.

JohnAkec in Southern Sudan shared his thoughts on a speech he attended by Mr. Pagan Amum, the secretary general of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM):

In his approximately one hour speech, Pagan Amum did not mince his word but put the responsibility for the Abyei’s carnage squarely at the door of NCP and president Omer Al Bashir: “All these atrocities were committed by the so called People’s Armed Forces which never fired a single bullet against a foreign army since Sudan’s independence in 1956!….President Bashir is responsible for the death and displacement of 100 thousand Abyei citizens 100% ” he told his cheering audience. I agreed with comrade Pagan 100%.

Sudanese Returnee told us that he's still safe and alive after returning to Southern Sudan and being absent from his blog for an extended period of time:

It looks like ages since I last posted anything from Juba, so much that I did not know what to blog about…

First there was the National Census that I so much longed to be part of. I am told the guys came home, but I am not too sure I have been counted.

Then came the SPLM Second National Convention (splmtoday.com) which I believe was historic to the SPLM.

And Khartoum got hit but JEM, Khartoum hit Abyei and SPLM re-elects Kiir as Chairman.

Juba is changing everyday. I promise to send you pics of before and after some time soon.

As for now, just wanted to show the blogsphere that i’m alive.

Rara Avis is still too busy to blog she says:

Since my last malnutritioned post, I have been so preoccupied with my busy academic and friends-full life, that I could only browse and browse and read other peoples' blogs and not updating mine.

Last but not least, allow me to leave you with these pictures of touristic destinations in Port Sudan. Kizzie blogged them:

Yes this post contains some shameless Sudan-promotion, but it's a beautiful country and you should visit Sudan it sometime. Sudan is not exactly on your list of “must visit countries” , but put aside your list for a bit and look at the pictures.

This is not about Sudan, but this is about port Sudan, one of Sudan's most beautiful cities.

It's the perfect place to visit….friendly locals, nice beaches, one of the world's best diving areas, nice hotels and resorts and the city is very tourist-friendly.

Remember, tourism is always good for the locals:)

Sudan: Sami al-Hajj Released, Khartoum Attacked

SudaneseDrima — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:55:17 +0000

This round-up highlights the two most talked about recent topics in the Sudanese blogosphere.

Let's get started with the release of the Sudanese al-Jazeera journalist Sami al-Hajj from Guantanamo Bay where he was held for six years without trial.

Eman was evidently happy:

إنتو حاسيـــن بالأنا حاسة بيهه؟؟
هل إنتو مبسوطيــــن زيي كدة؟؟؟

She asks “can you feel what I'm feeling?? Are you as happy as I am??”

Drima had this to say about the matter:

I’ve held a very simple position on this matter. Give the man a fair trial, and if he’s found guilty, lock him up behind bars for as long as possible. If he is found innocent, release him as soon as possible. That’s it. Full stop. Is that too much to ask?

Amjad blogged about Sami's release but then removed his post for a vague reason stated below:

I just want to point out that the post of Sami Al-Hajj's interview which I posted 2 nights ago is now removed. The post took another path other than the one it was opened for, and hence I thought it would be best to close it to avoid that path it was not opened for.

We believe that Sami Al-Hajj was released on humanitarian basis and we should all just hope that the entire world lives in peace regardless of race, religion or politics.

Thanks. :)

Daana, just like Eman, was also happy after hearing the news of the release:

Sami al Hajj is free….after 6 years in Guantanamo Bay
I haven't been this happy in a while

And now, let's move on to the news about the attacks on Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Drima blogged a thorough coverage of what happened:

The Darfurian rebel group Justice and Equality Movement mounted a bold attack on Khartoum less than two days ago but was stopped at the outskirts of the city by the Sudanese Armed Forces. It was a big battle involving helicopters and significant aerial bombardment.

… There are very mixed and heated Sudanese sentiments over this daring move with some (mainly the Southern Sudanese and some Darfurians) staunchly supporting it and others against it.

As for me, I strongly condemn the attack. The United States and the UN have condemned it too. I’m glad they’ve made it clear they won’t accept this kind of behavior. It undermines all efforts aimed at implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and finding a political solution for Darfur.

Andrew Heavens, a freelance writer based in Khartoum made a nice list of the possible reasons behind the attack:

A bloody PR move to get JEM some headlines

Retribution – to bring some of Darfur's suffering to Khartoum

Humiliation of Khartoum and exposure of holes in its security system

Chad-backed revenge for the two Khartoum-backed rebel raids on N'Djamena

The move of a mad, power-hungry warlord

A move to break the stalemate in the Darfur peace process AKA Operation Longarm

Distraction while JEM prepares for an offensive on El Geneina

A genuine coup attempt

The first stages of a coup attempt to test for support among army and opposition

Creating chaos in the capital leading to the breakdown of the state

Kizzie demanded that the government steps down!

The rebels are in the capital. Yes, innocent civilians are going to die and destroying the capital is not going to help the crises in Darfur in anyway, but it was going to happen…sooner or later.

What to do?
We need a transitional government right now, Bashir needs to STEP DOWN!
Hand over the power to a transitional government for the next year, until the 2009 elections.

If the government doesn't take this seriously and implement the darfur peace agreement, the whole country is going to collapse.

If the concerned international community cares about Sudan, they should pressure the government to step down.

She also posted the following pictures of the aftermath of the attack:

Meanwhile, JohnAkec published a long post about peace in South Sudan.

Sudan's Looming War

SudaneseDrima — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:01:20 +0000

Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement may possibly collapse if the bad pile up of misfortunes continues, but before we go into that, let's proceed with the good news first.

Drima is ecstatic about a new book by the Sudanese Muslim scholar Abdullahi An-Na'im whom Irshad Manji hosted as a guest recently at her latest initiative, the Moral Courage Project. An-Na'im's book is called “Islam and the Secular State” and here's what Drima had to say:

… from what I’ve read so far I know it will be super juicy.

These are some of the ideas Abdullahi presents in it:

* “I do believe that it is possible, indeed necessary, to reinterpret Islamic sources in order to affirm and protect freedom of religion and belief. This is my position as a Muslim, speaking from an Islamic perspective, and not simply because freedom of religion and belief is a universal human rights norm…”

* “The possibility of belief in anything logically requires choice in the matter, as one cannot believe in anything without the freedom and ability to disbelieve it.”

I don’t know about you but this certainly excites me - a book full of concrete Islamic arguments challenging the current Islamist status-quo of the Muslim world.

Amjad, a Sudanese student in Texas is impressed by the strict enforcement of rules on his university campus:

Our university police department is very strict regarding the speed limit on campus and parking at places you are not permitted to park at.

… I saw this car in front of my dorm with a locked wheel and a notice from the police department stuck in the window warning the owner of the car NOT to attempt to move his car

… Now this is really harsh but still great.

He's also amused by vending machines selling iPods.

On a totally random note, Zoulcolm X posted pictures of a Nubian pyramid in Northern Sudan and the burial place of a famous Sudanese Muslim religious leader. He seems to imply a relationship between the two photos:

Can you see?

Pyramids of The Royal City of Meroe (North Sudan) - Period: “Zaman lil deen” (too freakin old)

“Maqam” of Shikh Kabashy (Shrine) - A Sudanese Sufi Sheikh

what do you see?

And now for the bad news and worried sentiments.

Sudanese Returnee explains the dangerous situation eloquently:

Abyei, that oil rich region in the North-South border, is arguably one of the most sticky issues that threatens the CPA and could possibly draw the country back to the cycles of war!

Today, Northern troops entered Abyei after the NCP expressed their objection to the appointment of an SPLM Administrator for Abyei.

… Recently, SPLA soldiers were reportedly attacked by heavily armed Misseriya gunmen and fingers are being pointed at the NCP in Khartoum for arming them. Now the northern army is building up in Abyei and who knows what will happen tomorrow!

In case you're wondering, the Misseriya are a nomadic tribe regarded as ‘Arabs' by Southern Sudanese. As for the potentially deadly situation, Kizzie has an idea:

Dear government of Sudan and SPLM,

If you are planning to start another bloody civil war, evacuate a few villages and kill each other there.

Meanwhile John Akec isn't happy over Southern Sudan's seeming trend towards what he refers to as ‘assassination politics':

A well known South Sudanese secondary school teacher from Greater Bhar El Ghazal by name Mathon Mathon often said under Abakr Tree (The Wau's answer for London's Trafalgar Square):

“When a war breaks out in a county, it is not the earth that gets destroyed but people's morals.” In the South Sudan's war against the North, they did.

… Now, how far would you expect our morals to sink. All that because of our lust for power and feeling of extreme insecurity once in power. And a manner akin to King David of old, many of our leaders commit the sin and then murder to cover it up. Assassination is a virus once it infects, it spread like a wild fire and. Once started, it is hard to be stopped.

We now end this round up with another lovely short poem by Ras Babi:

she keeps her eyes down and whispers to me:
ras babi…
ras babi…
do you see this dressed in green and red man?
I feel her shaking from the in
I hold her hand in mine
she explodes crying
and crying
This man raped me with others
he killed my child
cut the head of my tent
that man is a devil son
do not buy their news
do something
tell the world

Sudan: The definition of a blogger and an open letter to the president

SudaneseDrima — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:40:53 +0000

Since this is another round-up of Sudanese blogs, it is only appropriate that we begin with a proposed definition of what a blogger is, one expressed with a picture.

The Definition of a Blogger… or to be more specific, a political blogger, especially in our super democratic part of the world.

Speaking of blogging, Sudanese Returnee has finally returned to it after his three months long absence. He talks about an interesting experience he had centered on killing positive ideas:

… I was dumbfounded to listen all that negativity! Maybe the new returnee was even more shocked than I was. He did not say much after that. The rest just went on with listing all classic excuses of the impossible, killing this new returnee’s positive ideas in the process.

When I sat in a bar some hours later downing some cold Henieken, I discussed with another older returnee and I came to believe that I was like that new returnee not too long ago. In Juba, or Sudan in general, you see things that you know can be improved. Most of the time you know how to improve the situation because you have seen it somewhere else. You’d want to help every begger in the street, ask every kid in the street why they are not going to school, give a lift to every sick person dragging themselve to the hospital, buy medicine for that mother who can not avoid and so on. Life can be very complicated!

In Juba, some people would think you are mad if you keep sharing positive ideas.

I still have to meet and talk to the new returnee and share notes. I will do want I can to help this sister, but I have also come to learn that there are those who want to be helped, and others who have given up.

Sudanese Returnee also shared his observations on Juba just as Drima, The Sudanese Thinker expressed his on calls by the president of Sudan to boycott anything Danish in response to the republication of the Muhammad cartoons.

Amjad, a Sudanese studying in Texas, was amused by a phone call he received from Obama urging him to vote even though he is not a US citizen:

I have never thought that I would really one day blog about the American presidential elections, until last ~~Thursday~~ Tuesday when I got that call from Barack Obama. After that call, I started listening to his speeches on his YouTube channel, and the video above is the speech he gave the other day at Texas primaries, here in San Antonio, TX. I don't know but I just started admiring him…

I heard that he was supposed to come here to my city but for some reason he didn't. I guess the only cities in Texas he was recently at are Houston, San Antonio, Beaumont and Dallas. (not sure about the latter). A few weeks ago we had Bill Clinton here, though. If Barack Obama ever came here I would love to take a picture with him…

Meanwhile Kizzie took time to write a passionate open letter to Sudan's president Omar Hassan al-Bashir:

Dear Mr. President.

I really can't tolerate your government any longer. It's a criminal regime in every single way.
For the last 19 years, you've tortured, killed, looted, traumatized and you've failed to stabilize the country.

… We don't trust you Mr. President. You've failed us too many times. You've dishonored too many “peace” agreements.

I don't feel safe in my own country anymore.

Millions are living like refugees in their own country.

If we complain, you prosecute us.

We've been silent for 19 years.

Now, it is time to speak. It's time for you and the world to hear our voices.

… We don't like your violent ways. Remember what you did in Nuba mountains, remember the Jihad in the South, remember Darfur, remember the ghost houses in Khartoum, remember the soldiers buried alive in 1990- no, they were not planning a coup, remember the mothers complaining about their 15 year old sons being forced to fight a war they don't believe in.

A war we never understood.

You've had your cake, you've licked the plate and you've broke the plate…now keep your shattered plate, we are buying a new one.

Jah Guide, also known as ras babi babiker, like previously, posted a short political poem about the Sudanese regime:

blood in their hands
For Darfur
blood in their hands and money in their pockets
they are selling our future
the mark of devil is on their heads
this is my black list
brothers and sisters
vote for it.

Sudanese Blogosphere Reaches New Milestone

SudaneseDrima — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:02:44 +0000

The Sudanese blogosphere is starting to build momentum. Blogs written in English are quite active now showing the genuine, diverse and raw face of Sudan to the world.

On the other hand, blogs written in Arabic have mushroomed at another corner of this vast online space. They’re just as important as those written in English (maybe even more important) and they’re explicitly leveraging the power of the internet to practice their right to free expression.

Sudanese Bloggers is an official community of Sudanese bloggers writing in Arabic. Amna is a member. She is a human rights activist and has a brave post translated by a friend of hers from Arabic to English about how she was sexually harassed by a journalist at a pro-government newspaper:

Then He asked me if I wanted to work with him and I told him that was what I wanted.

… He then, and in an unrespectable manners, went on mentioning that everything has its price while at the same time placing his hand on my knee.

… He jumped at me and tried to pull me towards the bench by the wall while murmuring with dirty comments. At this moment, even his looks changed and he became like a real monster. As I was resisting him, I told him I would scream loud and ask for help. But he laughed and told me to do whatever I wanted and that no body would come for my rescue.

Overwhelmed by fear, I slapped him very hard on his face using my hand. Surprisingly, he let go of me and I ran for my safety passing by the secretary and few others who seemed were not interested to notice anything unusual.

One blog in Arabic called Un-Masking Islam is vehemently anti-Islamist. Imad on the other hand chose the slogan of the Muslim brotherhood, “Islam is the solution,” for his blog. Both are members of Sudanese Bloggers. Even Black Gay Arab is.

As the Sudanese blogosphere continues to expand, bloggers discuss a variety of topics. Amjad is now getting settled in his university in Texas after leaving Oman. He had a few things to say about the color red:

While Saudi Arabia is banning all red items from sale until after February the 14th (Valentine's Day), everything in our university is turning into red because of this so-called Valentine's Day…

AK commented on Spielberg's withdrawal from his artistic role in the Beijing 2008 Olympics to protest what is happening in Darfur:

Someone is going to get mad and I think it's going to be China! I've heard speculations about this for months now, and Spielberg has been under a lot of pressure from various groups (Save Darfur, et. al.) to take this move. Obviously Beijing is going to try to play this down, but they will be furious.

… I can't wait to here the smart things Khartoum will have to say about this.

Drima (who is writing a book about blogging and freedom of expression in the Muslim world) was amused by Spielberg's news:

Ahahahahaha! It’s true!

… Like I said, the coming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are already too tainted. Seriously, let’s move the games to Taiwan.

Kizzie on the other hand however had a different opinion:

Spielberg, are you scared of George Clooney not acting in your movies again or what? Did Hollywood pressure you into doing it? well, bravo. Instead of reading about Darfur and using your brain, you did the dumbest thing ever!

And as usual Jah Guide drops his poetry:

God runs in me
God in the river and in the sea
someone like you Rumi
Sufi
beautiful
I see Rumi
just like that
love you
I see

Sudan: The Aftermath of the Teddy Bear Circus

SudaneseDrima — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 09:44:31 +0000

Not surprisingly, about a month ago the Sudanese blogosphere's main topic and attraction was the teddy bear circus which received a huge amount of media attention.

Drima, The Sudanese Thinker found it unbelievable:

The whole thing is just so unbelievably pathetic. Clearly it’s an honest and innocent mistake. Oh no, how stupid can I be, she’s a white British infidel so it must be a freaking Zionist CrUSAde and Jewish conspiracy. Right? Raaaight!

… This isn’t the first time the school finds itself in the midst of a controversy, albeit one surely not as big as this. Back in the 90’s when beloved al-Turabi was still in power and his version of Sharia was being shoved down our throats, the school came under pressure to change the girl’s uniform. Many Islamists hated the fact that girls wore skirts and mixed with boys. Now we have this.

Amjad was equally critical and shocked at what he called “stupid”:

Three words: This is ridiculous.

How on earth would a British teacher know that naming the teddy bear Mohammed would insult our prophet, especially that 20 out of the 23 children CHOSE to name the teddy bear Mohammed and she wasn't the one naming it?

Why are they assuming that the teddy bear was named after our prophet (PBUH)?

This is really stupid! And they closed down the school till January just because of this! oh my god.. I really can't believe this.

Kizzie, Wholeheartedly-Sudaniya clearly wasn't happy:

WHAT?!

A British schoolteacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of insulting Islam's Prophet, after she allowed her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

The police force doesn't have anything to go except arresting 54 year-old kind Gibbons!

Black Kush wasn't pleased either and wished the British teacher well:

Go well, Mrs Gibbons. I hope you dont bear grudges against the Sudanese people. The ragtag group into whose hands you fell are a minority and does not represent us at all. I wish you well.

Rara Avis offered her thoughts too and on a none related note, Sudanese blogger Path2Hope is now studying in the United Kingdom:

I must admit that no matter how much I abhor words like “deadline” and “assignments” there is something really refreshing about going back to student life. The solidarity that you feel with your classmates/colleagues transcends age and race and that’s truly something.