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 howshe 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 Texasafter 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