July 2008

Dear fellow bloggers who read this blog, please spread the news wide and far. For now, you can get information here and here. Once I’ve got enough I’ll have a longer post about this.

I though I’d share this comment I made over at AfricanLoft so that you guys can get a better understanding of my stance on the ICC. I’m replying to BRE, a fellow African blogger whom I’d like to thank for his kind and encouraging support. You can see the exchange I had with him over here.

Believe me BRE, I hate the bastard more than you do. I still remember the “lovely” old days in Khartoum and I know well the pain family members had to go through under this regime, but I think you’re being short-sighted.

I don’t have much faith in the UN or the ICC like you do. Plus, keep in mind that we’ve got beloved Russia and China on the UN Security Council.

However, let’s say you’re right, and Bashir does indeed go down. Let’s just consider that the UN and the ICC finally get enough balls to actually *do* things and *enact* them. What happens next? Are we even prepared for that? Just look at Darfur’s rebels. They’re so divided, it’s frustrating and sometimes even utterly pathetic that it makes me sad. Look at the tensions within the SPLM. With a power vacuum and people emboldened, you can easily have a very nasty situation.

I liked how pressure was being applied systematically when the Bush administration’s focus was adequate and Sudan’s hero, John Garang was still alive. There was a clear long term agenda, and more importantly it was getting implemented step by step. It wasn’t the kind of thing that risked chaos.

“You’re looking at a regime change in Khartoum Dude, or at least a change of the head-of-state.”

No BRE, I disagree. What we’re seeing now is a clumsy strategy that’s very risky and can cause huge potential chaos. Think Somalia, but on a larger scale. Regime change entails a plan or at least a good idea on how a new entity replaces the old one. Once all these people staunchly backing the ICC tell me of how the replacement is going to happen relatively “smoothly” without a Somalia-like scenario, I might be willing to change my mind. Until then, me not convinced.

Yup, me not convinced, but… I’m all ears. Thoughts?

Sorry, make that filthier. This time they’re glorifying Samir Al-Quntar, and it is inexcusable and utterly disgusting.

Excuse me while I go and puke.

Here’s the talented Ben Harper singing his heart out and dreaming of “libertarianism.”

Read the lyrics. The man is a hilarious genius! World peace here we come baby!

Let us burn one, from end to end.
And pass it over to me my friend.
Burn it long, but burn it slow,
to light me up before I go.

If you don’t like my fire, then don’t come around.
Cause I’m gonna burn one down.
Yes I’m gonna burn one down.

My choice is what I chose to do;
and if I’m causing no harm,
it shouldn’t bother you.
Your choice is who you chose to be;
and if your causing to harm, then your alright with me.

If you don’t like my fire, then don’t come around, cause I’m gonna burn one down.
Yes I’m gonna burn one, down.

Herb the gift, from the Earth,
and what’s from the earth is of the greatest worth.
So before u knock it, try it first.
and you’ll see it’s a blessing and it’s not a curse.
If you don’t like my fire, then don’t come around,
cause I’m gonna burn one down.
Yes I’m gonna burn one.

Yes, Sudan’s internet generation is alive and well on Facebook, not so much the blogosphere anymore.

Here’s my GV roundup.

… in return for 2 dead bodies.

While I can somehow predict the epithets and wild accusations, I’ve got to say, I can’t help but be amazed at the value Israelis place on their soldiers’ lives and apparently even corpses. Add that on top of the previous unsatisfied Israeli sentiments against Olmert accusing him of supposedly mismanaging the 2006 war against Lebanon.

Meanwhile, here’s Michael J. Totten on the latest developments in Lebanon.

And thank you for all the good you’ve done.

The Facebook group is called “معا ضد المحكمة الجنائية الدولية . فلنتحد لنصرة الرئيس عمر البشير” (translated, “Together Against the ICC. Let’s Unite for President Omar al-Bashir’s Victory”) and I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The only thing that gave me some decent hope was the quality of rational debate amongst a sizeable minority of group members. As for the others, I don’t even know where to start, but it was the same, old, typical, ridiculous garbage. Reactionary nationalism. Jewish conspiracy theories. Rejecting responsibility by pointing to Bush, Bush and more Bush, when the topic is Darfur. Turabi-loving Islamists. You name it.

My favorite argument, one which I thought to be extremely unique, was someone basically arguing that the ICC’s decision is based on secular laws and not God’s laws, therefore it’s haram (sinful) to support the ICC in any way.

Kudos to the group’s creator though for keeping the group open to all kinds of diverse opinions even retarded ones or ones he didn’t agree with. I’ll be posting quotes from Sudanese blogs, the Facebook group (and other Facebook groups I can find) soon for a roundup post at Global Voices. But for now, the two pictures sum up the extremes of Sudanese opinion on the matter rather well.

Guess which picture is my favorite?

Read my PJM piece about the latest drama here.

According to the Washington Post, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is now seeking an arrest warrant for the Sudanese dictator, Omar al-Bashir, charging him with crimes against humanity for his role in the mass killings that engulfed Darfur during the last five years.

The real dimwits here are the guys in the UN who coordinated things so badly with the ICC, that the ICC is now causing them trouble and forcing them to tighten security.

Meanwhile, Sudan Watch’s Ingrid Jones is back after a long, long absence with a blog post about this dumb, imprudent move, and some dirty revelations involving beloved China.

UPDATE: Okay, so the news is out already. It’s official everyone, let the “entertainment” begin.

PARIS — The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court on Monday formally requested an arrest warrant for Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the last five years of bloodshed in his country’s Darfur region.

Too Huge World, a Western aid worker in Sudan, has this to say:

[click to continue...]

Say hello to one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s so soulful, so beautiful to the point of being almost spiritual. If you don’t like it, then you and I aren’t friends anymore.

… and then later had to apologize for the crude remarks which he didn’t know were being recorded. Jackson might have had a point about Obama not addressing black issues enough if he wasn’t so wrong and frankly even stupid for having such a position in the first place.

Obama is not MLK. He’s not out there dedicating so much time and effort solely to help advance the cause of civil rights, equality and justice, a cause people like Malcom X and Rosa Parks worked tirelessly for. He’s not running for the President of the United Black States of America. He’s running for the President of the USA.

Enough said.

Here’s Irshad Manji with a rant about a disgusting practice that still sadly continues today.

I’ve also blogged about how progressive non-Muslims contribute to such injustices. In the name of showing cultural “sensitivity,” they often tolerate the intolerable. Read this commentary.

Read it all here.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, “honor” killings are not an Islamic thing. They’re cultural and take place even in Hindu and Sikh communities.

He was just a click away from here. The man actually left a comment on a blog post by Naseem of the popular Jordanian blog, the Black Iris, which I’ve got listed in my sidebar. I can only imagine how excited Naseem was when he received a phone call verifying the comment’s authenticity. This sort of gets me a little excited too. King Abdullah’s comment is just below mine, which means he very, very probably read what I said about him. Heck, he definitely read it! If anything, this whole incident has only increased my respect for the king. Plus, now Jordanian bloggers can be comforted by the fact that he supports them.

Yaaay to blogs and people-powered new media!

Check out my latest round-up for Global Voices Online and scroll down to see some pretty pictures of Port Sudan.

Related:

• More Nubian Pyramids
• Wonderful Pictures from South Sudan
• Lovely Scenic Pictures of Darfur
• More than Just “Genocide”