Sudan Flag
Homer knew of Sudan, and his countrymen used to barter spices, clothes, and wines from the Sudanese. Well-known for its cotton and dry fruits till today, Sudan meaning ‘land of the black’ (named by the Arabs), is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. With more than 578 tribes and 145 different languages it is also one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse nations. ‘Sudan is not really a country at all, but many. A composite of layers, like a genetic fingerprint of memories that were once fluid, but have since crystallized out from the crucible of possibility’ a writer named Jamal Mahjoub had once said. It is because of this very diversity in culture that the Sudanese identify themselves more with their tribes than with themselves as a nation. Hundreds of these Muslim tribes have co-existed peacefully over a span of decades.
A day in the life of an average Sudanese begins on the farms, crop fields and cotton plantations. After a hard day of work the Sudanese return to their homes in which they live in large extended families. The family members sit on the floor, on pillows around a large circular table and enjoy the day’s meal together. Sudanese are colorful and vibrant. They have a rich and unique tribal musical culture. In the field of literature, the indigenous Sudanese literary tradition is oral rather than written and includes a variety of stories, myths, and proverbs. The written tradition is based mainly in the northern regions of Sudan. Sudanese writers of this tradition are known throughout the Arab world. Several Sudanese born Muslim basketball players have played in the American National Basketball Association (NBA). Sudan also has the oldest soccer league in the whole of Africa. Since the majority of the population are Muslims, the holidays – Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are joyous occasions in Sudan. The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is primarily a children’s holiday, celebrated with special desserts: pink sugar dolls and sticky sweets made from nuts and sesame seeds.
Map of Sudan
Islam has been the predominant religion among the Sudanese since the early tenth century. Islam progressed in Sudan consistently and gradually over the years through intermarriage and contact with Arab merchants and settlers. However, southern Sudan is mainly home to Christians and men following other indigenous religions. Despite the long lasting animosity between northern and southern Sudan, a united body (the Graduates’ Congress) was formed in the 1940s to pave the path towards the independence of Sudan from the British and Egyptian rule in 1956. The Sudanese have a long history of being ravaged by wars with the Egyptians and the British. After having lived through such conflicts and having resolved its north-south disparities; today Sudan faces an internal crisis. The Sudanese Muslims are fighting with one another in Darfur and the situation has exacerbated to such an extent now, that the U.S. government has termed the conflict as ‘genocide’. The Darfur conflict started out with initial clashes between the pastoral tribes in the 1970s. The rebels blame the central government in Khartoum for neglecting the Darfur region economically. As a result the Sudanese military, Janaweed (Sudanese militia group formed mostly by Afro-Arabs) and the rebels, Sudanese Liberation War Movement/Army have been against each other in warfare since 2003. Thus civilians in Sudan, especially in the Darfur region are victims of murder, rape, and man slaughter, robbery of land and herd of livestock. The Sudanese government has even been accused of covering up mass civilian graves in Darfur. Many young Sudanese men flee from their own country to escape the atrocities of the war and live the life of refugees in Chad, a neighboring country. This is not however the end to the many difficulties Sudanese Muslims struggle against. Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country is so hugely burdened with foreign debts that it was almost expelled from the International Monetary Fund. In 2004, 70,000 Sudanese starved to death in a period of six months. Half the population is deprived of basic primary education. Since the majority of the Sudanese are farmers, frequent droughts leave them without a stable income source.
War, oppression by the British and Egyptian rule, and civil strife blotches the pages of history of Sudan with blood stains. The colourful
Sudan Culture
way of Sudanese livelihood, the festive celebrations of all the Muslim tribes together, somewhere gets lost in the harrowing tales of the victims of these wars. Ever since the inception of Sudan as a nation, prolonged periods of conflict have never allowed the country to form its own stable skeleton. Sudan lacks basic infrastructure. However, studies show that despite the wars, Sudan has been growing economically. Literacy rates have been steadily rising since independence. Various aid organizations and NGOs are at work in the economically and socially deprived regions of Sudan. Perhaps Sudan will one day rise from its ashes.
Ansha Zaman