It’s been hard for me to let go of #SudanRevolts; a real tough pill to swallow. When the protests first sparked in mid-June, I had no doubt in my mind that they would come to fruition. For two months I gave up almost everything that mattered to me and dedicated to #SudanRevolts – a movement that gave the most meaning to my life at the time – my utmost and undivided attention. Sceptics, NCP-apologetics and some random Facebook friends christened me a “romanticizer of the so-called Sudanese revolution”. When I look back now, I feel that for the entire duration of the protests I heard, read and received nothing but criticism surrounding the revolts from Sudanese people. Some called it an “online revolution” and I even read one article that was titled “What Revolts?” that made me both disappointed and angry at the same time. One Sudanese commentator, whom I am convinced is confused about his political orientation, referred to the youth movement Girifna as antagonistic merely because it uses popular colloquial language to call on people to join the street protests. It was shocking to see how well some international media outlets received #SudanRevolts as opposed to self-proclaimed Sudanese patriots who took it with a pinch of salt.
What baffles me the most is the disapproval directed at #SudanRevolts by self-appointed critics/commentators/analysts or whatever they choose to call themselves. At the risk of sounding condescending, they write, opine and talk about the protests when their knowledge about the underlying triggers and subsequent events is close to non-existent. I’ve seen it happen during the Arab Spring and was actually warned about this phenomenon by a friend of mine who is an Egyptian activist. He told me, “just you wait, the more frequent the protests become, the more these elitists will surface”. He was right. What he failed to mention though was that, they will continue to harass #SudanRevolts and its supporters even if/when after the protests come to a halt. This did happen and still is happening.
Why am I surprised at this reaction? I often ask myself this question. Non-constructive criticism and in-depth analyses that lack vision and offer zero solutions seem to be the specialty of my people. I think my surprise stems from my conviction that #SudanRevolts, though short-lived, elicited a cultural revolution among the Sudanese public both in Sudan and in the Diaspora. It prompted many people who never would’ve thought a post-NCP era possible to take to the streets. I remain at my conviction; however, this cultural revolution I am referring to has not extended to as wide an audience as I had hoped.
Activists in Sudan have enough struggles on their plates. Notwithstanding, they still have to suffer from the infectious negativity of those whom I like to refer to as the tanzeerivists of the Sudanese community. This population of tanzeerivists is huge, mind you, so the activists are often overwhelmed. “We are sustaining crackdowns from the NCP, and from them as well,” some activists jokingly complained at times.
The fact of the matter is, #SudanRevolts happened. The factors that catalyzed it still remain in place. The main reason behind the protests, namely the country’s deteriorating economic condition and the consequent struggle of average citizens to eke out a living is still continuous. The country lacks a proper healthcare infrastructure. Our children are being sent out to schools to receive skimpy education. In Blue Nile and South Kordofan, people are still being displaced. The Darfur struggle has not been forgotten. The south is gone. The NCP trades with Islam to manipulate minds. In a nutshell, we are being treated as slaves in our own land.
On another note, what I hope one day the #SudanRevolts tanzeerivists will understand is that exuding unconstructiveness and disapproval is another form of administering oppression. Like the NCP, they are reigning dictatorship on Sudan’s freedom fighters. What needs to get through to their heads is that we need Sudan’s revolutionaries. They have spent months in detention fighting for our rights, only to encounter a #SudanRevolts discrediting campaign upon their release. Nevertheless they remain persistent and adamant on bringing change.
They are regrouping now and are telling the world that the revolution is currently under construction. #SudanRevolts lives on, even if the tanzeerivists finish all the ink in the world in an attempt to slur it.
Tweet
Sad, but THAT's the true article I am waiting for. For weeks most commentators has claimed that the "Sudanese Revolution is not dead but its on hibernation". I wish what they say was true but as you can see, the reality is far from what we think.
ReplyDeleteIf the Sudanese Revolution is really on hibernation, don't tell me they were asleep for more than one year after the 30 Jan 2011 protests? I mean what were they doing all the time? And what about the recent 24 June revolt? Why didn't they continued even until now? I saw the Saudis in Qatif has continued their protests just yesterday when they stop during the Ramadan, while the Bahrainis are calling for mass demo on Friday, and now the recent Palestinians calling for overthrow of the West Bank Prime Minister Salem Fayyad, and also the Syrians. Don't forget, the #SudanRevolts aren't the only revolt which wasn't cover by international media, the Bahraini uprising is also another example, yet the youth can still manage to protests almost daily on regular basis. If they can do it bravely, why can't the Sudanese? It seems the Sudanese are too afraid and scared to go out, and the worst is the lousy power-hunger freaks opposition leaders like Sadiq al-Mahdi hopes to establish "national unity government" with the genocidal maniac regime. I mean, WTF?
Dear Myronberg,
DeleteWe cannot compare the protests in Sudan with those taking place in various other countries. While we may all share the painful reality of being ruled by dictatorships, the triggers and events that follow peaceful marches vary from one country to the other. Indeed the #SudanRevolts isn't dead, if anything it has only started despite recently becoming sluggish. It's interesting that you ask what the people were doing for a whole year following the Jan 30 protest; but I would like to ask you the same thing: what were you doing in preparation? There were grassroots movements building up throughout that one year that you may not be aware of; they should not go unnoticed simply because they were not advertised. I urge you not to fall into the trap of underestimating our country's revolutionaries. Behind the scenes, a lot of work was and still is being done on the ground though it may lack much-needed coverage. By no means are we less brave than those in Bahrain or Syria; you may want to read up on testimonies of ex-detainees who have been detained for weeks on end and even months (some for years) and sustained unimaginable forms of torture.
Dear Maha
ReplyDeleteI both honour & respect your opinion. Like any Sudanese citizen, you have a right to express what you see & criticise what you don’t like about our government & the situation our country faces. But I have a few points to make.
Firstly, I want to put dreams, aspirations & ‘Yes we can speeches’ aside & talk facts. Yes #SudanRevolts was an enthusiastic youth movement but it was mainly an internet revolt by ‘Borderline Activists’ (http://voices.mckinseyonsociety.com/social-advocate-profiler/borderline-activist/). The vast majority of supporters were online & from countries like the US, UK and Gulf states (I would hardly call them Diaspora). I consider them country men & women, brothers & sisters. Without questioning their patriotism & allegiance to our shared culture, values and traditions, the majority of them can be divided clearly amongst political line. From the older generations, their affiliation to particular political groups such the Communist Party, Popular Congress Party, SRF forces (which you can subdivide into different factions that base themselves on tribal & ethnic lines) & others such as Mubarak Al-Fadil, Yasir Arman, Malik Agar & Aziz Alhilu are mere pawns & political parasites. The younger generations were very excited. You can see this clearly in their social media contributions on Facebook, Twitter and the many blogs that I had followed closely since the beginning of the events. In my view this was influenced and the effects of a combination of things but mainly the exposure to the so called ‘Arab Spring’ epidemic that was spreading in the region & a global youth lead ‘Activism’ which had become a fashion since the famous Obama days of promise & change. I have reservations on both.
Dear Maha , it’s a shame because you fall into the same trap of which you underestimate some of your critics. The way in which you naively claim people who have a different opinion as expressing Non-constructive criticism, lack in-depth analyses or vision is both insulting & patronising. I can easily argue the same about you. Just because of your Self-proclaimed ‘Activism’ does not make you knowledgeable & a visionary spokesperson for the millions & grassroots of Sudan. I can confidently state that your opinion is honestly of a very small minority of Sudanese & has probably seen the light only because of geopolitical attention & negative Western attraction to any critic of Sudan policies & government. You can put forth many counter arguments of media shut down and lack of freedoms in Sudan for your message not spreading. But honestly do you think that the majority of Sudanese, even in the most remote country-side villages did not hear of the events in Sudan & neighbouring countries. Revolutions, movements and change are spontaneous yes but it also has to be accepted to grow and be a force. Not forced down peoples throats with your own extreme views of change. This revolution lacked momentum because the Sudanese (no matter how simple they may seem) have strong opinions, experience & background probably dating thousands of years, not just the 2 decades of your existence. The factors that catalysed the so called revolts you boldly claim still remain in place; have been there for hundreds of years, the tribalism, ethnic divides and central government with marginalised peripheries. Your (parroting Western) list of Sudanese woes from Darfur to the secession of South Sudan and the new south Sudan (B.N & S.K) & ailing Sudanese economy are by no means the governments fault only, but those many parties internal & external fuelling these devastating conflicts & intentionally draining the resources, lives & prosperity of our people. If you can’t see that, go do your homework.
ReplyDeleteDear Djjl,
DeleteThank you for the thorough response. I also respect your thoughts and opinions; though I do not share many of them. What I find interesting is that you immediately countered my argument of those whom I referred to as non-constructive critics by stating that I am naive, condescending and insulting; when it is very apparent that the only person doing the insulting here is you and I am the recipient. You rush to call me a self-proclaimed activist when I indicated nowhere in this post or anywhere in my blog or the outlets that I write for anything of this sort. You may want to re-read my blog post, as my reference was not of general critics of #SudanRevolts, but of those who offer nothing other than criticism and no visions/solutions. I myself have my own criticism of #SudanRevolts but given that I am a writer and I reach out to a certain audience I try my best to highlight the good that has come out of #SudanRevolts as opposed to solely focusing on the "bad", which you are so adamant on focusing on, even though you are slightly delusional and the negatives that came out of this movement most certainly do not tip the scale. Again, I did not claim that I am a spokesperson or a visionary, and your comments prove just how offended you are by my blog post, meaning there is truth to what I stated that you were able to relate to so you rushed to defend yourself. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion, as am I, but your attempts to defame me for having an opinion are unconcealed and not at all subtle. You conclude asking me to 'do my homework' again proving how little informed about how deeply I am involved in politics and coming off purely condescending (asking someone to do their homework implies you are ahead of them in terms of knowledge and exudes arrogance). Though I have nothing to prove to you, I still respect your opinion and will not respond in the same manner that you did, by hailing insults and coming off chauvinistic, patronizing and ignorant.
You probably already labelled me in your mind as what you stated in your article as one of those Sceptics, NCP-apologetics or self-appointed critics. But I am none; I’ll give you a brief biography. I have one thing in mind when I express my view and that is the concern for my country & people. We are probably from the same generation. I have faint memories of the Khartoum floods, the waiting in lines with my older cousins for bread & food rations from my very young years. Afterwards my family had travelled to many countries from the Middles East, Gulf, US & Europe as my fathers work in the UN consistently forced us to move. I started my University studies outside Sudan, but decided to return & complete it in Sudan. Like many graduates then I had 2 choices; stay in Sudan with the limited job prospects or immigrate for a more likely better future for myself. This phenomenon is not unique to Sudan but a global dilemma facing many youths especially in Africa & the developing world. I chose to leave & complete my post graduate training in the UK. From a young age I was exposed to many Sudanese & non-Sudanese views on the world we are living in today. Like most families in Sudan, mine was no different. Where you would find a rainbow of political & religious views but some were even leading figures in political parties, Army, President, Sufi Sheiks and student leaders; from liberal (antigovernment) to religious (pro-government). I have family living simple Sufi traditional life in the country with its beauty of tolerance & harmony & in contrast the opposite extreme with modern, ‘fashion’ and forward nuance views. I had made friends from modest backgrounds to elite life styles. I lived in & witnessed the living conditions of what some people might call slums to grand lavish royal estates. I never saw myself belonging to a political party/affiliation, Social group/class, neither religious fundamentalist (I am Muslim) nor do I see myself free even I as live in the so called lands of freedom & democracy. I despise others who conveniently take on this downward looking attitude towards their past & origins to fit into a new role & be accepted into this so called class of ‘fighters of democracy & freedom of expression’.
ReplyDeleteYou also seem to offer zero solution or only one; removal of NCP & everything will be wonderful. How simple ! As most Sudanese, we expect more than some flashy speeches of change and promises of a better future without any explanation and detail. The majority of us are not as naïve and gullible as the American masses with a new president coming every few years with same firing speeches of change only to find out later those things are worse or the same. The alternative unfortunately are the dinosaur lead political parties that have been tried, failed and have their own narrow personal interests in mind and not the Sudanese people. Unlike the revolts in Egypt & Tunisia; Sudan is surrounded by many hostile countries and rebel groups with arms that will make any change a living hell for many innocent Sudanese. I DO NOT want to see my country go down the path of Libya or Syria. No change is worth that price! Anyone that states that it is worth the struggle is fighting someone else’s war against our Country. Stop this narrow minded approach and try & look at the bigger picture. Not just Sudan, but what is aspiring in the world with the moral & fundamental changes happening around us. Question who is driving this push, this divide and is it genuinely better to our (I won’t say politics) faith, traditions and history dating back millennia
Dear Djjl,
DeleteThank you, doctor, for posting your biography here on my blog. You have obviously accomplished so much in your lifetime and I applaud you for that, as do the readers I reckon.
Yes, removing the NCP is my solution. At least I offer one as opposed to you and many other (self-proclaimed critics, skeptics and NCP apologists). It is a stepping stone though we have a lot of work ahead of us. Your argument that you do not want Sudan to be a repeat of Libya/Syria is invalid because there are already thousands of unreported deaths in Nuba Mountains, Darfur and other marginalized regions in Sudan that don't have the luxury of being broadcast on television for the likes of you to learn about. You may want to read a little on that too.
To conclude a quote from the glorious words of Allah from the Quran - Simple translation:
ReplyDeleteIn the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Say: “Shall we tell you who are the greatest losers in (no matter) whatever they may do?”
(18:103) “(They are) those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works." (18:104)
Explanatory translation:
“(They are) those whose efforts have been wasted in the worldly life (because they devoted all their efforts in the pursuit of worldly things without the consciousness that all their labour and efforts were futile since they had gone astray), while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works (i.e., they believed that their achievements were marvelous and that they were rightly guided).”
Commentary:
So much so, then, for the spurious claims of the modern ‘white’ western civilization and its ‘coloured house slaves’ around the world, that mankind is witnessing unprecedented progress, that the present is the best of all ages, that the world keeps on growing better and better, and that modern ‘white’ western civilization has rendered all previous civilizations, including Islam, moribund and obsolete! So much so, then, for the ‘Modern Activists’ who criticize the establishment of Muslim society while insisting that Muslims must remain a part of ‘mainstream society’ - even when that mainstream is heading for the garbage bin of history!
Suggested reading:
Sudan: Protests and the Politics of Regime Change
http://www.globalresearch.ca/sudan-protests-and-the-politics-of-regime-change/
The Failed State Lobby
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/07/09/the_failed_state_lobby?page=full
Special Report: The wonks who sold Washington on South Sudan
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/11/us-south-sudan-midwives-idUSBRE86A0GC20120711
Imperialist rivalry behind the Darfur crisis
http://www.marxist.com/imperialist-rivalry-darfur-crisis041004.htm
Mahmood Mamdani
Good Muslim, Bad Muslim
Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror
http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10863
Alex de Waal
The ICC, Sudan, and the Crisis of Human Rights
http://africanarguments.org/2009/03/05/the-icc-sudan-and-the-crisis-of-human-rights/
So you are saying that low qualitiy health care, opression of people and a weak economy are more desireable for Sudan?
DeleteYou hate the white people, because they appear more powerful to you? At least you can still look down to the southern Sudanese and the Ethiopians and some other low qualitiy tribes in Sudan.
I don't even want to start talking about the ways many of you do business with each other.
Dear Djjl,
DeleteThanks for the references and for the Quran quotes and translation. Great stuff.
We will revolt one day! We are in no hurry!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that our people have learnt their lesson from previous revolts. Sudan started to decline just after the revolt that removed Gen. Abbood from office. The British left us with the best civil service an African nation can dream of. But things started getting ugly when we overthrew Abbood. Things leveled out (in a quagmire-like situation) during Nimiri's rule; and resumed its steep declination after the second revolt that sent Nimiri out of the country. That's why our people are afraid to revolt and sacrifice their lives in the process and result would be more poverty and corruption. We need some one to give us hope (REAL HOPE) that the alternative is going to be better and we will revolt.
Thank very much for all your efforts on this magnificent blog.
Abbas Abbakar
One issue is, that whomever replaces the goverment will suck out the people just like the current government.
DeleteI also disagree on this argumentation. In my opinion it was the civil wars that took your country down. With Darfur, Blue Nile and S. Kordofan you still have too many sources of trouble and military force alone will not solve anything. You need peace to move on.
Ya Abbas,
Deleteasma, this is a gross falsification of history. There is plenty of evidence in official archives that there was large-scale corruption under Abboud. His regime was the one that introduced political killings into Sudanese power plays when it executed the officers of the first failed coup. The war in the South started in 1963, not 1955, escalated by Hassan Beshir Nasr and Mohamed Ahmed Irwa. The British messed it up in the first place. The October revoultion was one of the few glorious moments of Sudan's history. It was promising until Sadiq's feudal-sectarian Umma, which had delivered power to Abboud on a silver plate, toppled the leftist first transitional government of Sirr El Khatim El Khalifa by gathering armed Ansari protesters in February 1965. I have two official sources which strongly suggest, I think they actually give evidence, that these demonstrations were funded by a foreign power, West Germany. The image of the Abboud era as a technocratic development regime is based on a myth.
Ambrose Chapel
Although not as verbal as Dr. Djjl, I still share some of his points and not least because of your direct reference to my blog post as making you 'disappointed and angry'. This is a scenario that I have come across more than once and in subjects other than the revolts, where people automatically categorize me as being against them just because they have a different opinion or point of view on something we BOTH believe in. We all wanted the revolts to work out and we all took part in it in our own ways, and I have no reason or intention to prove my loyalty to its cause to you or anyone else. However, the fact that they were so small-scale it was a joke and that it was obvious they were dying long before they even got global attention was just that: a fact. And stating that fact should not be considered destructive just because it wasn't what you wanted to hear. I didn't want to hear it either, and yet, it was right there in front of me. Furthermore, it became screamingly clear along the way that, even if this revolution did succeed, it was going to be somewhat of a downhill ride without a driver. There was no backup plan, no substitute, no consensus on who will be in-charge during the void or what will happen. Yes, our main aim and hope was that the NCP yighoro min washana, but common sense said that we need to have a system in place for when they're gone. This was something that the other parties should have agreed on, but of course they were too busy watching from the sidelines waiting for their chance to take control to actually sit at a table and put it into action.
ReplyDeleteMy point is this ya Maha: first of all you people need to learn to respect other people's opinions and modes of expression even if you don't believe in them, because frankly its irritating and insulting the way you simply trash everything that doesn't go inline with what you say. Not all of us label ourselves as activists even though we sacrifice a lot more than most of you for the same ultimate goal. Second, the revolution is not just about taking to the streets and tearing the system down, because like it or not these people aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and if you have any doubts about that just try and work in a governmental facility for one day so that you can see just how deep this cancer goes. If you really want to make a change, roll up your sleeves and get down into the mud and DO it. There are hundreds of places to start, and chipping away a small bit at a time eventually does make a difference, even if its not as fast as you would like.
Dear Reem,
DeleteJust like you blogged about your disappointment by #SudanRevolts and referred to it as a non-revolution, I blogged about the disappointments I faced following #SudanRevolts. You talk about respecting other people's opinions, which I always do even when they are in disagreement with mine granted they are delivered in the correct manner, you seem very offended by my blog post and are denying me the so-called respect you just rooted for. It's a little ironic.
It's also ironic that what you concluded from my blog post is that I wanted you to explain your involvement in #SudanRevolts. I never did; please go back and re-read the post. I simply stated you are misinformed and lack a lot of information. This was apparent from your blog post. I read it and I immediately felt that there is a lot that you don't know about. You can call me whatever you want, and you can argue that you wrote "what I didn't want to here", but I am merely stating facts here. You claim the protests were small and scattered, yet at one point in Umdurman the number of protesters reached 5,000. Your blog post and comments imply that the protesters/revolutionaries of #SudanRevolts are cowards and I found that offensive given all the sacrifices they had to make.
I share most of your concerns about what the #SudanRevolts lacked particularly post-revolution when the NCP is gone. But this is not what my blog post is about. It is about the movement itself and how it was received by Sudanese people and specifically online activists who have the luxury of being heard by many people who are interested in learning about what's going on in Sudan, but they are poorly utilizing it by reflecting only negative notions.
Your point is well taken, and not sharing all of your opinions does not mean I do not respect them. This is not about 'how fast I would like the revolution to succeed' or how badly; if that's all you gathered from this post then you are completely missing the point.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI find Dr Djjl (The Muslim) to be one of the most fascinating examples of pathological thought I have ever read from Sudanese nega-holics. He graces us with his insights and 'experiences' and spares no time pigeon holing himself into traps of thought Mimz highlighted in this post.
ReplyDeletePeople, this is oppression begetting oppression
Dr Djjl, I don't think Maha has a solution to the country's problems. She shouldn't have the solution. There's a difference between activism and political opposition. The latter should have the solution, and they don't. If you have a solution - a 23 year solution - put it forward. Until then, do your part, and let others do theirs, regardless of how ambitious.
ReplyDeleteReem, yes, people must respect others' opinions, but in times like these, opinions themselves are luxuries. Most of us who have the luxury of having our opinions read online by others should keep it as constructive as possible. Activism and struggle for survival are two completely different things. Those of us with access to blogs are giving our opinions on what we think is right or wrong, some of the people who protest are there because they can't afford to live. Keep that in mind next time you witness a small-scale protest in Sudan.
Dear Dr. Djjl,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. You obviously care deeply to have written such a thorough response.
However, it saddens me that the very real lives being slowly starved to death and murdered in cold blood in the Nuba Mountains and the myriad other geographies within our beloved (and wealthy) Sudan seem to be an after thought in your pontificating. I pray you don't think standing against those that murder and oppress "'freedom'" (as you put it) are amongst those "whose efforts are wasted in this life" (sadaqa Allahu al3azeem).
How dare you insult us and insult those murdered by this savage government by warning us about what is happening in Syria and happened in Libya, when this savage regime's crimes dwarf the formers'. (I'm not trying to compare, but you raised those examples. Any innocent life lost anywhere is priceless).
With all due deference to your life experience (and title): have some shame and don't simply brush aside the countless mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, neighbors, and friends that needlessly lost their lives at the hands of this (Islam-prostituting) government.
Another thing, those "hostile" "rebel" forces that "surround" Sudan (I assume you mean Khartoum?) are the forsaken sons and daughters of this nation-state that were driven to this unforgiving eventuality.
Put simply, your criticism and backward arguments wreak of racism. Please descend from your ivory tower.
As always, the struggle continues, athawra mustamirah and #SudanRevolts -- with or without your help.
Yours, Dooda
PS. Next time you want to criticize those (inside and outside Sudan; online and offline) calling for change (i.e. positive and democratic transformation), do take a moment to offer a solution yourself and please don't criticize blindly.
Dear MR/Ms Anonymous
ReplyDelete"Most of us who have the luxury of having our opinions read online by others should keep it as constructive as possible."
There is no such thing. Opinions are given because they are opinions, not because what they are supposed to mean to other people, and your definition of 'constructive' could be as far as possible from mine and anyone else's. I'm not sure if you read the aforementioned post, but if you did, it was written as a complaint about WHY the revolution was so small scale, and WHY those people who cannot afford to live aren't in it, and WHY everyone is just standing passively from the sidelines instead of actively taking part and leading this revolution to the success that it should be. Regardless of everyone posting pictures of their support online liked to think, the revolution was going nowhere, and stating this fact or hiding it did not change a thing about it. I don't know where you were during the riots, but I was here on the ground chasing every rumour of one around until I finally caught up with one and got gassed with everyone else, and I had a first row seat to the entire town standing on the other side of the road with their arms crossed just watching our pathetic procession get scattered. Spare me your heroic statements please, and like I said, if you want change then do it. Its just so easy for everyone to shout their slogans and blame whoever and whatnot, when there is actual work on the ground to be done and that will make a difference. And for the last time: just because something is being said differently than how you would like, does not mean that its against your common goal. We don't need to have been beaten up or detained to have the right to have a say in this: we were just as involved and like I said we sacrificed as much as we could, so stop judging and move on.
Reem, no one is judging you. Being part of the protests, beaten up or detained has nothing to do with this. If you've been to the protests and got gassed then that's good for you. Mind you, had the protests escalated to a full on revolution, you wouldn't be able to say what you're saying now. Boasting your self-proclaimed clairvoyance and saying "the revolution was going nowhere" is not really helpful. The bigger picture is not about rights being breached, it's about lives being lost. So yes, criticism about the success of the protests is not very helpful whether you like it or not. You can be critical all you want about where the protests are going, just don't get offended when people respond with hostility, after all, everybody is entitled to an opinion, are they not?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteNaturally, if the protests had escalated to a full-on revolution, I wouldn't be able to say what I'm saying now simply because the fact would be the opposite of what actually happened.
Thank you Mimz for keeping the discussion alive, I always thought this is one of the pros of the hibernation/under construction state that #SudanRevolts is in.
ReplyDeleteI have a few points to make after reading the post and all the comments.
The denial that armed conflicts are not happening outside of the capital is something, but denying that it has and will always have massive effects on our economy and social fabric is another. Those conflicts were not televised or written about, but there is not excuse for you to say that in 2012 they 1-don't exist and 2-don't affect us internally and externally. Internally: resources in conflict areas are not used for economical benefits, they are demolished or depleted unsustainably or deemed too risky to exploit (yikes) due to the war waged around them. Externally: our image outside Sudan is that of warmongers, racist ethnic cleansers. There is no visible opposition movement to the outside world, thus we are boxed with this vile government in everything that they do, as if that is representative of the people. Few people walking this planet actually know that societies are often not represented by their rulers. I will not even go into the oil issue/revenues/management etc.
The fact that Mimz is reporting on the current state is something diaspora (not sure what we should call them according to Dr. Djjl)and even those inside Sudan should be thankful for. She is keeping the discussion alive, the flame burning and is the kind of pro-change journalist that inspires and will continue to do so with her writing. If you are looking for vivid imagery about why people should revolt and why they aren't, check out Reem's blog post. I personally liked her way of delivering the message, which is ultimately pro-change. To be honest, after reading all your comments here, I've realized you've grown bitter towards the movement and harbored contempt against everyone on the sidelines. These are counter-revolutionary features, in my opinion, so instead of reprimanding, perhaps try to rationalize why the side-liners are not part of the discussion and lure them in by making it personal for them, the way it was evidently personal for you at some point.
Just like Mimz and Reem, there are other blogs which report on other sides of Sudan, such as economic issues and humanitarian issues that plague us. To each his own, so don't expect one blog to have a certain set of material, do YOUR homework right and place the blogger in the right category.
I've personally also lived abroad, and the one thing I learned is that we can't ALL give back optimally when we are here, so don't judge those abroad as having given up on the cause. Disengagement is a choice some might make, and that is their freedom. Those who left, regardless of their reasons being political harassment or socio-economic desperation, have all rights to reserve these reasons. NCP regime has a stronghold on the country, from every aspect and you don't have to specify where people should go to get their dose, it's everywhere. Respect people's reasons and the means through which they have reached their conclusions. That is democracy. If you have a problem with A and not B then you are selective and selfish, not comprehending that A and B are tied - this applies to everything in Sudan and I'd like to raise a challenge for anyone to break this correlation.
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One last point, I'm not a politician nor do I formally or informally support any Sudanese political party/movement, but I demand change through a political (and social) revolution. I'll protest for that, but when the regime is toppled, I will step back and let ORGANIZED political parties take the lead. We currently don't have elements that would make the current opposition optimally advantageous to us. From their NCP inked agreements and their non-existent lobbying efforts we should not expect much in those regards. However, they were and remain an organizational force with a considerable amount of people in their membership. They can make or break this revolution, so instead of shaming them NOW, how about reminding them of their role as leaders? as powerhouses with members cross cutting all (or most?) strata in Sudan.
ReplyDeleteWhen the environment is toppled into one that favors democracy, leadership and growth - then we should expect them to persevere over those manifestos and talk tangible projections.
Counter-revolutionary thoughts,opinions and ideas are poisonous, and while many strive to re-organize the #SudanRevolts movement, we owe it to them to either be constructively critical or revise ourselves as to why we think there shouldn't be a revolution, when even a few hundreds to the estimated thousands, think otherwise.