Me: so how was Sudan? Tell me the good stuff first.
Lil sis: The first few days were damn boring but after big bro arrived from US it became really fun. He took me out to many nice places.
Me: Really? Cool. Which passport did he use this time?
Lil sis: his American passport so that when he leaves they won’t force him to pay the Zakat payments like they force many of the others to.
Me: hmmm… seems like things are still the same. Give us the Zakat. It’s your duty to pay it as a Sudanese Muslim bla bla bla. Too bad most of the Zakat money never even makes it to the poor people who deserve it. (My uncle had a big headache when he wanted to return to Saudi after his holiday. They made him pay a lot of money.) Oh well… tell me more
Lil sis: We also went for many wedding parties and met many old friends. The weather was good too. Oh ya and check out my henna. Nice right? Bla bla bla…
Me: Okay, now tell me the bad stuff.
Lil sis: (Lots of bla bla bla)… Oh ya and we had to go to this market place called Sa’ad Gishra and aunty told me I had to wear a hijab or else some people there would verbally start harassing me for not being dressed decently enough.
Me: thinking WTFish?! I mean seriously… add some chili and spices to it… now let’s try it again… WTFish????!!!!!! *Disgusted*. I thought Turabi wasn’t ruling Sudan with al-Bashir anymore. It’s none of those people’s damn freaking business if you wear a hijab or not.
Lil sis: I know!
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What are Zakat payments? A kind of ‘good charitable Muslim’ tax?
And I agree with you and your sis. It’s none of those peoples’ damn business if a woman wants to wear a hijab or not. It’s not *their* choice.
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. Any financially able Muslim is supposed to pay a small percentage of his or her income as charity to help poor people except that in Sudan it’s just a way for corrupted monkies to fill in their pockets with extra cash.
Ah. Much the same with Judaism, only we go for guilt-tripping people into giving charity these days, as the old tithing system died 2000 ago except as a ritual reminder of what used to be.
As for Sudan’s corrupt officials, that just plain sucks.
I heard an interesting take on “tithing”…
In the old days it made a whole lot of sense since, essentially, there was no organized tax system.
The Torah seems to take some shots at organizing set and “free will” tithing.
Nowadays….with the governments getting around 40% and in many countries, like Israel…much much more…charity takes on a whole different complexion. Governments often use tax money to do “charitable” work, help the homeless, welfare, indigent medical care along with all the army and infrastructure stuff etc.
Funny…if you pay your 40% taxes and 10% charity on top…man o man you are getting hit big…as most of us are.
Oh well…we could be living in Darfur
Hey Drima, kulu sana wa inta tayeb:)
I was in Sudan recently and seriously there is no obligation for any woman to wear hijab. The elder women just prefer that you go out covered, especially in market areas like Saad-gishra because you will be vulnerable to lots of lewd comments. The regime in Sudan has really messed up people’s minds. The whole ‘Islamic method’ has left lots of sexually frustrated men and women out there and now since that has lifted a bit, people are losing their heads and acting up, hence the increase of rape incidents and sexual harrassment, molestation etc
It’s such a shame and I hate myself for saying this but there were times when I just couldn’t wait to get back to Dar. Sudan has a long..long way to go. Don’t get me started on all the things one has to pay just to leave the country!
Gurl, welcome back… Yaaaaay! I missed ya!
I know that there are no laws anymore forcing women to cover up since Turabi got kicked out of power and the CPA got signed with the SPLM but I just hate the fact that even though those laws are gone, their “brainwashing” effect is still visible in some parts of Sudanese society. Excuse me for being crude, but I hate horny monkies like those retards.
It’s funny how they apply Islam in such a messed up way that instead of making people purer, it just ends making them more obsessed with sex.
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