I'm going to take a few days off
1- to write a series of Darfur posts called Darfur Diaries where I will introduce readers to one of Africa's most complex conflicts
I wil discuss 1-History of the conflict 2-The Janjaweed 3-The role of everybody in Darfur(governement,Janjaweed and so-called rebels) 4-The rape stories and violence 5-The role of the AU 6-The role of the international community and China 7-Reporting Darfur
i'm not writing a book, my posts will be sweet and short however, I'm doing some research now because I want to present all sides.
2-I'm going through rough times and I need some peace of mind. No biggie, I just have some personal problems but I'm glad I have some great friends.
A very good friend of mine offered to take me with her to a very popular resort here. I'm going to enjoy the beach, great company and staying up till 6 am for a few days.
I hope you like the Darfur posts:)
"Sudan is not really a country at all, but many. A composite layers, like a genetic fingerprint of memories that were once fluid, but have since crystallized out from the crucible of possibility" Jamal Mahjoub, a Sudanese novelist
Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Exciting...weird..interesting...hollywoodish...darfurian news
A few days ago, Darfur peace talks were held in Arusha,Tanzania(obviously). Everybody was there from rebels to international envoys to Darfur however, Suleiman Jamous, a co-ordinator for the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) was absent. It's not a big problem since a celebrity offered to "take his place". Mia Farrow,a goodwill ambassador for Unicef and the ex-wife of Frank Sinatra wrote a letter to Beshbesh, the Sudanese president and offered a Darfur Exchange. Since Jamous is getting medical care and can't attend the peace talks, she might as well take his place. I mean an actress can be in the shoes of a Darfurian rebel once in a while.
She seems like a great person but a Hollywood celebrity taking the place of Jamous is just too much!
ps:- great idea for a Hollywood movie!
She seems like a great person but a Hollywood celebrity taking the place of Jamous is just too much!
ps:- great idea for a Hollywood movie!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Why Such poor Arab journalism when it comes to Darfur?
Question:-"Arab mass media talk about journalists being killed in Iraq. But why don't you send journalists to be killed in Darfur?" a representative from the Darfur Liberation Front.
Answer:- " The nature of the crisis is different from Iraq or Palestine, In Darfur, you can walk a long time in the desert to reach the news, but in Palestine it's easy."
Good question. Bad answer.
The Arab coverage of Darfur is pathetic. Only recently did Al-Arabiya started doing some proper reporting on Darfur. Only recently did they add Darfur to the list of Arab countries we should pray for, donate money to. Only recently did people find out about a conflict which started nearly 4 years ago.udan is a member of the Arab league. It is considered an "Arab" country. If a crises happens in an Arab country, the Arab world rushes to help.They donate money to rebuild Lebanon. They send money to help Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. This is not done to Arab countries only. When the massacres happened in Bosnia, they had donation boxes in every supermarket in Qatar. They had to help the Bosnians, they are not Arabs but they are "Muslim". If this is the case, then Sudan should be helped not because it is Arab but because it is a Muslim country. Many western journalists travelled long distances to report in Darfur but where are the Arabs who are suppose to help the so-called Arab country called Sudan?
Nabil Kassem went to Darfur. Great job. Who else?
Samantha Power went to Darfur. She even convinced Barack Obama to go there . Nicholas Kristof went there many times.Paul Salopek of the Chicago tribune went there. There is more Jewish money going to Darfur than Muslim money.
Palestine,Lebanon and Iraq are the priority. I comprehend that, but just don't preach about how Arab countries should "help" Sudan because it is an Arab country because they simply don't care.Only in such a situation is the real status of Sudan within the Arab world noticed.
The Senegalese president once said " the Sudanese could've been the best Africans but they chose to be the worst Arabs". We didn't choose to be the worst Arabs, we chose to be the trash of the Arab world! We don't exactly look Arab but the fact that we speak the Arabic language fluently makes them compelled to accept us.
Nabil Kassem is one of a kind. An Arab journalist who travelled to Darfur and created an eye-opening documentary about the conflict. Too bad the documentary was killed. If you want to watch the documentary named "Jihad on Horseback" you have to watch it online.
The documentary was killed and the cries of Kassem about what the Arabs should do in Darfur were ignored. The situation in Iraq is constantly deteriorating and sometimes, you have to make a choice about what's more important to the audience. The choice was clearly made.
Iraq matters. What is happening in Iraq breaks my heart, I sympathize equally with Palestine but people are dying in Darfur too. Religion or ethnicity doesn't matter when people are dying.
I'm still looking for a good answer to the question why such poor Arab journalism when it comes to Darfur?
Answer proposed:- " The Arabs see the victims are not Arabs, and we don't care" Khaled Ewais, a political producer from Al-Arabbiya- an important news channel in the Arab world.
Good Answer.
The victims in Darfur are not Arabs, they are Africans. The Arabs are playing another role in Darfur. Definitely not the "victims".The Darfurians are Muslims but they are not "Arabs". Enough said." Sudan is a marginal country when it comes to the Arab region", Khartoum correspondant of Al-Hayat. Well Said.We shall collect the rest of our dignity( If there is any left!)and join the East African world. I don't think Africans will refuse to embrace Sudan. The problem is Sudan will rather be the trash of the Arab world than be considered African. Most of Darfur and the South/North peace talks (if not all) were in African countries(Only Libya hosted some peace talks). Did Arab countries ever hold peace talks in their country? No, we are non of their business.
This post is not anti-arab or anything but I just couldn't suppress my anger any longer. If the Arab world cares about the Sudan, they should do the minimum to ensure the final peace talks go well and support the peace-keeping forces. I'm not asking for alot.
Currently, Al Jazeera is reporting on the Darfur peace talks . Progress is happening:) or so it seems.
Answer:- " The nature of the crisis is different from Iraq or Palestine, In Darfur, you can walk a long time in the desert to reach the news, but in Palestine it's easy."
Good question. Bad answer.
The Arab coverage of Darfur is pathetic. Only recently did Al-Arabiya started doing some proper reporting on Darfur. Only recently did they add Darfur to the list of Arab countries we should pray for, donate money to. Only recently did people find out about a conflict which started nearly 4 years ago.udan is a member of the Arab league. It is considered an "Arab" country. If a crises happens in an Arab country, the Arab world rushes to help.They donate money to rebuild Lebanon. They send money to help Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. This is not done to Arab countries only. When the massacres happened in Bosnia, they had donation boxes in every supermarket in Qatar. They had to help the Bosnians, they are not Arabs but they are "Muslim". If this is the case, then Sudan should be helped not because it is Arab but because it is a Muslim country. Many western journalists travelled long distances to report in Darfur but where are the Arabs who are suppose to help the so-called Arab country called Sudan?
Nabil Kassem went to Darfur. Great job. Who else?
Samantha Power went to Darfur. She even convinced Barack Obama to go there . Nicholas Kristof went there many times.Paul Salopek of the Chicago tribune went there. There is more Jewish money going to Darfur than Muslim money.
Palestine,Lebanon and Iraq are the priority. I comprehend that, but just don't preach about how Arab countries should "help" Sudan because it is an Arab country because they simply don't care.Only in such a situation is the real status of Sudan within the Arab world noticed.
The Senegalese president once said " the Sudanese could've been the best Africans but they chose to be the worst Arabs". We didn't choose to be the worst Arabs, we chose to be the trash of the Arab world! We don't exactly look Arab but the fact that we speak the Arabic language fluently makes them compelled to accept us.
Nabil Kassem is one of a kind. An Arab journalist who travelled to Darfur and created an eye-opening documentary about the conflict. Too bad the documentary was killed. If you want to watch the documentary named "Jihad on Horseback" you have to watch it online.
The documentary was killed and the cries of Kassem about what the Arabs should do in Darfur were ignored. The situation in Iraq is constantly deteriorating and sometimes, you have to make a choice about what's more important to the audience. The choice was clearly made.
Iraq matters. What is happening in Iraq breaks my heart, I sympathize equally with Palestine but people are dying in Darfur too. Religion or ethnicity doesn't matter when people are dying.
I'm still looking for a good answer to the question why such poor Arab journalism when it comes to Darfur?
Answer proposed:- " The Arabs see the victims are not Arabs, and we don't care" Khaled Ewais, a political producer from Al-Arabbiya- an important news channel in the Arab world.
Good Answer.
The victims in Darfur are not Arabs, they are Africans. The Arabs are playing another role in Darfur. Definitely not the "victims".The Darfurians are Muslims but they are not "Arabs". Enough said." Sudan is a marginal country when it comes to the Arab region", Khartoum correspondant of Al-Hayat. Well Said.We shall collect the rest of our dignity( If there is any left!)and join the East African world. I don't think Africans will refuse to embrace Sudan. The problem is Sudan will rather be the trash of the Arab world than be considered African. Most of Darfur and the South/North peace talks (if not all) were in African countries(Only Libya hosted some peace talks). Did Arab countries ever hold peace talks in their country? No, we are non of their business.
This post is not anti-arab or anything but I just couldn't suppress my anger any longer. If the Arab world cares about the Sudan, they should do the minimum to ensure the final peace talks go well and support the peace-keeping forces. I'm not asking for alot.
Currently, Al Jazeera is reporting on the Darfur peace talks . Progress is happening:) or so it seems.
A new sudanese blogger
My sister joined the blogosphere.
She is a biology major and a psychology and enviromental science minor. Last summer, she worked in Kenya in HIV/AIDS peer education. She is a diver and is very interested in conservation work and coral reefs. Her blog will be very different than mine mainly because our interests are different.
If you want to read a sudanese blog about the enviroment,science etc...., visit her blog
http://scormnio.blogspot.com/
She is a biology major and a psychology and enviromental science minor. Last summer, she worked in Kenya in HIV/AIDS peer education. She is a diver and is very interested in conservation work and coral reefs. Her blog will be very different than mine mainly because our interests are different.
If you want to read a sudanese blog about the enviroment,science etc...., visit her blog
http://scormnio.blogspot.com/
Friday, August 3, 2007
My next post...hesitation
I'm writing a post about Arab coverage of Darfur. I'm just worried my post is too angry.
It will be finished soon.
It will be finished soon.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Meeting Najwa- a Sudanese refugee in Cairo
Leaving Things To God
Less than three years ago ,Najwa Ibrahim- a Sudanese woman in her early forties -was living comfortably in her house located in the peaceful town of "Hasahesa" in central Sudan. Central Sudan is one of the few places not directly affected by Africa's longest-running civil war. Her life was stable. Although her husband taught at a local school ,this didn't stop her from pursuing her own dream of getting a job and contributing to her family's growing needs. she is also the mother of three teenagers who received what she described as "good education" at a local school back home. Although living in her country made her feel comfortable among her family and loved ones, her sense of security was shattered by her husband's constant detentions, harassment's and interrogations by government officials. Her husband is like many Sudanese who are politically involved and are aiming at restoring the crippled Sudanese civil society. Sadly, his political involvement forced his family to leave the country for an undetermined period of time in October 2004. Their destination was Cairo, mainly because of its proximity to the Sudan and the family's fluency in the Arabic language. Accustomed to having a job back home and wanting to provide reasonable living conditions for her family, Najwa started looking for work. She was hoping to work for the UNHCR but she ended up working with a group called the "African Group". The group meets in a classroom at the American University in Cairo where they produce handicrafts and make things then sell them for some money. Najwa attends English classes at All Saints Church in order to improve her chances of getting a better job in the future.
Luckily, her husband was able to find a job too. He is currently working for "CARITAS", an organization that helps refugees.
Shortly after Najwa's family arrived in Cairo, Najwa tried taking her children to an Egyptian school but she had problems with her visa so she was forced to take them to a school based in St. Andrews church .That, Najwa's family are Muslims going to a Church school is a sign of the special relations between Muslims and Christian refugees in Cairo. In Cairo, all religions and tribes stand together as one and support each other unlike in the Sudan.
Najwa considers the many friends she made while working with the African group or attending English classes the main reason for tolerating living in Cairo, but her facial expressions, tone of voice and words express her unhappiness about living here. Najwa doesn't stop herself from telling me that living in Cairo is the worst thing that happened to her.
Najwa gets many harassment's here so she limited her life to work and attending English classes. apparently, her family stopped going out after being mistreated and called names by random people in the streets of Cairo. she recalls an incident last Eid where she went to a park with her family to have a nice time only to come back depressed. They were called several derogatory names, they left and never returned again.
Even though Najwa's story is bittersweet, she is optimistic about her family's future.
Recently, her son started going to Townhouse gallery where he meets other artists like himself and will soon be able to have his own exhibitions. Like many other refugees, Najwa is hoping to be resettled to a third country. Nevertheless, she expressed her willingness to move back to the Sudan if the government was changed.
Recently, she was issued a yellow card but her papers are taking a long time. while she is in Cairo, she is trying to make the best out of her time living here. when it comes to everything else, she helplessly exclaimed " I'm Leaving things to God"
Less than three years ago ,Najwa Ibrahim- a Sudanese woman in her early forties -was living comfortably in her house located in the peaceful town of "Hasahesa" in central Sudan. Central Sudan is one of the few places not directly affected by Africa's longest-running civil war. Her life was stable. Although her husband taught at a local school ,this didn't stop her from pursuing her own dream of getting a job and contributing to her family's growing needs. she is also the mother of three teenagers who received what she described as "good education" at a local school back home. Although living in her country made her feel comfortable among her family and loved ones, her sense of security was shattered by her husband's constant detentions, harassment's and interrogations by government officials. Her husband is like many Sudanese who are politically involved and are aiming at restoring the crippled Sudanese civil society. Sadly, his political involvement forced his family to leave the country for an undetermined period of time in October 2004. Their destination was Cairo, mainly because of its proximity to the Sudan and the family's fluency in the Arabic language. Accustomed to having a job back home and wanting to provide reasonable living conditions for her family, Najwa started looking for work. She was hoping to work for the UNHCR but she ended up working with a group called the "African Group". The group meets in a classroom at the American University in Cairo where they produce handicrafts and make things then sell them for some money. Najwa attends English classes at All Saints Church in order to improve her chances of getting a better job in the future.
Luckily, her husband was able to find a job too. He is currently working for "CARITAS", an organization that helps refugees.
Shortly after Najwa's family arrived in Cairo, Najwa tried taking her children to an Egyptian school but she had problems with her visa so she was forced to take them to a school based in St. Andrews church .That, Najwa's family are Muslims going to a Church school is a sign of the special relations between Muslims and Christian refugees in Cairo. In Cairo, all religions and tribes stand together as one and support each other unlike in the Sudan.
Najwa considers the many friends she made while working with the African group or attending English classes the main reason for tolerating living in Cairo, but her facial expressions, tone of voice and words express her unhappiness about living here. Najwa doesn't stop herself from telling me that living in Cairo is the worst thing that happened to her.
Najwa gets many harassment's here so she limited her life to work and attending English classes. apparently, her family stopped going out after being mistreated and called names by random people in the streets of Cairo. she recalls an incident last Eid where she went to a park with her family to have a nice time only to come back depressed. They were called several derogatory names, they left and never returned again.
Even though Najwa's story is bittersweet, she is optimistic about her family's future.
Recently, her son started going to Townhouse gallery where he meets other artists like himself and will soon be able to have his own exhibitions. Like many other refugees, Najwa is hoping to be resettled to a third country. Nevertheless, she expressed her willingness to move back to the Sudan if the government was changed.
Recently, she was issued a yellow card but her papers are taking a long time. while she is in Cairo, she is trying to make the best out of her time living here. when it comes to everything else, she helplessly exclaimed " I'm Leaving things to God"
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