Al-Bashir and the ICC - The Intense, Heated Sudanese Facebook Debate Summed Up In Two Pictures That Speak 2,000 Words

Posted on July 17, 2008
Filed Under Sudan, Darfur, UN, Sudanese |

USsoldierThe 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? :)

bashirarrested

Comments

6 Responses to “Al-Bashir and the ICC - The Intense, Heated Sudanese Facebook Debate Summed Up In Two Pictures That Speak 2,000 Words”

  1. Aaron Stewart on July 17th, 2008 5:46 pm

    I stopped reading after seeing this bit.

    “They succeeded in Iraq and they want to have their go in Sudan now.”

    I think this person has a much different interpretation of the word “succeeded” than I do. My head hurts.

  2. digital on July 17th, 2008 7:16 pm

    Wow!!! some of the comments on that facebook group are down right “mentally deficient”!

    Really, I wonder how many many Sudanese people are so out of touch with reality to argue that the ICJ is in essence “haram” and equates to “kuffur”.

  3. Halalhippie on July 17th, 2008 11:09 pm

    “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.”

    So , whatever decision NOT based on God’s laws is haram….? That should have a lot of implications, if taken to it’s full. Everything’s forbidden, if not explicitly allowed. Reminds me of the Soviet Union.

  4. Drima on July 18th, 2008 12:50 am

    I am really not exaggerating when I say I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after going through many of those retarded discussions, especially the religious ones.

  5. charlie 316 on July 21st, 2008 9:50 pm

    “Together Against the ICC. Let’s Unite for President Omar al-Bashir’s Victory”

    Are you sure you translated that correctly? Surely no-one still comes out with such dated 1950s North Korean style cant these days. You would be embarrassed half to death on their behalf if someone came up to you on the street and said that with a straight face.

    Perhaps al-Bashir could have the next cell to Mugabe and they could have endless pleasure in comparing their atrocities and the billions they have got stashed away in the their numbered bank accounts.

  6. charlie 316 on July 22nd, 2008 8:55 pm

    Better yet, Mugabe and Al Bashir could have Karadzic for company. The stench would be awful, but thanks to the Dutch for hosting this human cess pit.

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