DOCSLIB.ORG

Conversions-Final 05-11-15

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Conversions-Final 05-11-15 CONVERSIONS FROM ISLAM TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE SUDAN by REINHOLD STRAEHLER submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY in the subject MISSIOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR C SAUER CO-SUPERVISOR: Prof JNJ KRITZINGER NOVEMBER 2005 Summary Conversions from Islam to Christianity in the Sudan by: R Straehler Degree: MTh – Master of Theology Subject: Missiology Supervisor: Dr C Sauer Co-Supervisor: Professor J N J Kritzinger This research project focuses on conversions from Islam to Christianity in the Sudan. It first gives a biblical and theological understanding of conversion and then introduces the sociological and psychological understanding of such a change in religious affiliation. It discusses conversion as a spiritual decision process and develops a spiritual decision matrix for evaluating conversion processes of Muslims. The heart of the study is an analysis of the conversion processes of six converts with a Northern Sudanese background from different Muslim tribes. The interviews that were conducted with these converts are analysed in terms of five parameters: reasons for conversion; factors that led to conversion; stages in the conversion processes; problems encountered during the conversion processes; and results of the conversion. These parameters are compared with existing data from six studies of Muslims in other geographical areas who also converted to the Christian faith. Key Terms Conversion; Reasons for Conversion; Factors leading to conversion; Conversion process; Spiritual decision process; Spiritual decision matrix; Problems encountered during conversion process; Results of conversion process; Sudan; Northern Sudanese; Islam; Christianity; Mission; Missiology. i Statement of Authorship I declare that Conversions from Islam to Christianity in the Sudan is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. ________________________________________ ii Preface The Sudan is a country that is influenced by Arab-Muslim culture in the North and diverse African cultures in the South. The majority of the population in the North are adherents of Islam whereas the different people groups in the South follow Christianity, Islam or Traditional African Religions. Even though Christians in the country are mainly from the African people groups of the South, the Christian church has spread in the North as well, due mainly to internal displacement of Southern Sudanese Christians as a result of two civil wars. This has led to a strong Christian presence in the North among the Muslim majority population. Usually Muslims do not change their religious affiliation and embrace the Christian faith. But over the past years individual Muslims have become Christians in different areas of the country. Only little information is available about how they became Christians and what their situation is now. This study discusses conversion as a spiritual decision process and develops a spiritual decision matrix for evaluating conversion processes of Muslims. The heart of the study is the analysis of the conversion processes of six converts with a Northern Sudanese background (one lady and five men), from different Muslim tribes. Analysis of conversion processes of Muslims who decide to follow Jesus Christ reveals certain principles and trends. Different factors may influence a person to gain more information about the Christian faith (the cognitive dimension) and to experience a change of attitude towards Christ (the affective dimension). Such a change is usually either a process that may occur over several years or take place within days. Distinct stages can be determined in such a decision process. Understanding the stages in these processes is helpful for Christian change agents because they will be able to communicate with the person in search of spiritual truth in a way relevant to that particular discerned stage. Muslims who embark on a conversion process towards a commitment to Jesus Christ will likely encounter problems with the family and society, as well as with the established church. An awareness of these problems will be helpful in better addressing and therefore limiting them. The results of conversion processes for Muslims to the Christian faith are another interest of this study. There may be a complete change, a determined transformation or a continuation of the past in regard to theological convictions, religious and cultural practices and social affiliation. In this regard this study is an example of how a particular group of people today experienced conversion as turning around in response to God’s saving activity. iii Acknowledgements Writing a research paper like the present one cannot be done without the help of other people. Therefore I am deeply grateful to all those who have helped me in one way or another to complete this task. First of all I want to thank my supervisor, Dr Christof Sauer, for his excellent work in guiding me through the process of conducting and writing this research. His countless professional suggestions, his personal encouragement, and the speed with which he returned parts of the paper that were sent to him for correction were remarkable. Even though we communicated by Email most of the time, his supervision was very personal and helpful. Next I want to thank my co-supervisor, Professor J N J Kritzinger, for his encouragement and guidance, particularly during my brief stay at Unisa when we discussed the way to conduct such a study. Other people without whom this work could not have been completed are Rev Colin and Mrs Brenda Salter, my faithful and most efficient language editors, who ensured that my ‘German’ English would be transformed into a readable British English. Thank you so much for your quick and professional work! My thanks go also to the Evangeliumsgemeinschaft Mittlerer Osten (EMO), my sending organization who encouraged me to arrange my schedule in a way so as to be able to work on this research, and the Gesellschaft für Bildung und Forschung in Europa (GBFE) who partly sponsored my trip to South Africa. Then I want to thank my wife Marie-Luise and our three children who were a strong support to continue with this work and who bore with me when I was busy writing more and more pages. It is great to be uplifted by such a wonderful family! As I complete this study, my sincere thanks goes to the five men and one woman from Northern Sudan who had the courage to let me share an important part of their lives. They were willing to participate in the interviews for this study. By reflecting deeply about the process of conversion through which they went, I got to know them on a much deeper level than I knew them before. They are wonderful people! With awe and thanksgiving I stand before God who is at work in their lives in a remarkable way and led them to become followers of Jesus Christ. I count it as a privilege that I am able to ‘ponder’ the works of God, as Psalm 111:2 aptly describes, in their lives. May it be a help and encouragement for the whole Church in the Sudan and beyond. I want to dedicate this research paper to all those Northern Sudanese who have undergone a process of conversion similar to the ones described here. Men and women who have been searching for or who happened to come across an alternative to their former beliefs, and who have become faithful followers of Jesus Christ. They often live in isolation, but they are part of the Church of Jesus Christ in this country. iv Table of Contents (Short) Preface iii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents (Short v Table of Contents (Amplified) vi List of Tables x List of Figures xi List of Abbreviations xii 1. Introduction 1 2. Conversion in Multiple Perspectives 10 3. Researching Conversions in the Sudan 34 4. Reasons for and Factors Leading to Conversion 44 5. Stages, Problems and Results of Conversion Processes 65 6. Conclusions and Recommendations 101 Bibliography 114 Appendices 120 v Table of Contents (Amplified) Preface iii Acknowledgements iv Table of Contents (Short) v Table of Contents (Amplified) vi List of Tables x List of Figures xi List of Abbreviations xii 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Preamble 1 1.2 The Background of the Country 1 1.3 Need for and Significance of the Study 4 1.4 Rationale of the Study 5 1.5 Demarcation of the Study 7 1.6 Logical Sequence and Overview of the Chapters 8 2. CONVERSION IN MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES 2.1 Biblical and Theological Understanding of Conversion 10 2.1.1 Repentance from Sin 10 2.1.2 Faith in Jesus Christ 11 2.1.3 Consequences of Conversion 12 2.1.4 Different Models of Conversion 13 2.1.5 Implications for Evangelism 15 2.1.5.1 Conversion is both, Once and Continuous 16 2.1.5.2 Conversion – Human Decision or Divine Gift? 16 2.2 Sociological and Psychological Understanding of Conversion 18 2.2.1 Definition of Conversion 18 2.2.2 Motives for Conversion 20 2.2.3 Factors that lead to Conversion 22 2.3 The Spiritual Decision Process 23 2.3.1 The Conversion Process as a Model of Different Phases 23 2.3.2 The Conversion Process as a Model of Centred Sets 27 vi 2.4 The Results of other Research about Conversion of Muslims 29 2.5 Conversion and Converts in the Sudan 33 3. RESEARCHING CONVERSIONS IN THE SUDAN 3.1 Research Question and Methodology 34 3.2 Sampling Design and Procedures 35 3.3 Ethical Considerations 37 3.4 Introduction of the Interviewees 37 3.4.1 Convert 1 37 3.4.2 Convert 2 38 3.4.3 Convert 3 38 3.4.4 Convert 4 39 3.4.5 Convert 5 39 3.4.6 Convert 6 40 3.5 Data Collection 40 3.6 Data Processing and Analysing Procedures 42 4.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Egyptinside 2018 Egypt - Top Emerging Market and Gateway
    EgyptINSIDE 2018 Egypt - Top Emerging Market and Gateway FEATURED Visit of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Interviews: Ministers Dr Sahar Nasr and Tarek Kabil SECC Infrastructure Master Plans Jewels of the Nile: Luxor & Aswan A SPECIAL PUBLICATION BY THE EMBASSY OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT IN SINGAPORE THE SMART WAY TOWARDS COMPLIANCE 0.5% SULPHUR COMPLIANCE STARTS IN FUEL TANK BENEFITS SIMPLE IMPLEMENTATION - No downtime/off-hire Simply pour into storage tank prior to - 6 months continuous treatment bunkering. Recommended dosage: 1 litre - Reduces commingling risks of Aderco 2055G per 55 metric tonnes. - Regenerates sludge into usable fuel - Minimises sludge disposal, docking costs and risks. Important: To condition the fuel tank and achieve KEY CHARACTERISTICS optimum results, initial dosage is 2 litres - 100% vegetal-organic, ashless, solvent-free and metal-free of Aderco 2055G per 55 metric tonnes. The - Classified as Non-Hazardous - no transport restrictions (flash point: 146°C) same applies when resuming treatment - Compatible with HFO, HSFO, Hybrids, MGO/LSGO/ULSGO and ADERCO L1050 after an extended period. Lubricity Improver for LSGO/ULSGO - REACH Compliant, BV Attested, EPA Registered - DNV-GL statement of fact compliance. [email protected] www.aderco.com PUBLISHER Publisher’s Note Sun Media Pte Ltd Often described as the ‘Cradle of Civilisation’ Egypt has a EDITOR-IN-CHIEF contemporary relevance as well, as a crucial corridor for Nomita Dhar trade betwen East and West ADVERTISING Swati Singh aith, forecasts and facts. Apart from the
    [Show full text]
  • Artist Rashid Diab's Self-Styled Mission to Revive Sudanese Culture
    January 7, 2018 23 Culture Egypt museum pays tribute to cartoons Ahmed Megahid toon and cartoonists are disappear- ing, too. Newspaper editors, faced with Tunis, Egypt ever-tightening budgets, have said they have no choice but to let car- n Egyptian artist is try- toonists go. Some of Sabbagh’s ing to make sure that the colleagues have stopped drawing. art of drawing cartoons, Others have changed professions to or caricatures as they earn a living. are known in the Arab Those conditions were in Abla’s world,A gets adequate recognition as mind when he turned the ground a modern art form and secures its floor of his home into a cartoon place as an important historical re- museum. He opened the museum cord of its influence in Egypt. almost ten years ago. His persever- Mohamed Abla, who once sought ance over the years has earned him to become a professional cartoon- one of the largest caricature collec- ist but is a prominent fine artist and tions in the country. sculptor, founded Egypt’s first mu- Abla said he tried to land a job as a seum of cartoons. cartoonist in one of the local news- The museum in Tunis, a village papers years ago but was unable to in the central province of Fayoum, find work due to a lack of opportu- boasts hundreds of cartoons, satiri- nities. Still, his commitment to cari- cally and artistically documenting catures was undimmed. almost everything that has hap- “This is not about me but about pened in Egypt in the past century.
    [Show full text]
  • Homeland, Identity and Wellbeing Amongst the Beni-Amer in Eritrea-Sudan and Diasporas
    IM/MOBILITY: HOMELAND, IDENTITY AND WELLBEING AMONGST THE BENI-AMER IN ERITREA-SUDAN AND DIASPORAS Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester Saeid Hmmed BSc MSc (OU) Department of Geography University of Leicester September 2017 i Abstract This thesis focuses on how mobility, identity, conceptions of homeland and wellbeing have been transformed across time and space amongst the Beni-Amer. Beni-Amer pastoralist societies inhabit western Eritrea and eastern Sudan; their livelihoods are intimately connected to livestock. Their cultural identities, norms and values, and their indigenous knowledge, have revolved around pastoralism. Since the 1950s the Beni-Amer have undergone rapid and profound socio-political and geographic change. In the 1950s the tribe left most of their ancestral homeland and migrated to Sudan; many now live in diasporas in Western and Middle Eastern countries. Their mobility, and conceptions of homeland, identity and wellbeing are complex, mutually constitutive and cannot be easily untangled. The presence or absence, alteration or limitation of one of these concepts affects the others. Qualitatively designed and thematically analysed, this study focuses on the multiple temporalities and spatialities of Beni-Amer societies. The study subjected pastoral mobility to scrutiny beyond its contemporary theoretical and conceptual framework. It argues that pastoral mobility is currently understood primarily via its role as a survival system; as a strategy to exploit transient concentration of pasture and water across rangelands. The study stresses that such perspectives have contributed to the conceptualization of pastoral mobility as merely physical movement, a binary contrast to settlement; pastoral societies are therefore seen as either sedentary or mobile.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Dongolawi Nubian
    Taha A. Taha Florida A & M University The lexicon in endangered languages: The case of Dongolawi Nubian Abstract. Lexical change and attrition is one of the main signs or symptoms of language endangerment that can eventually lead to structural changes. And although the phenomenon of language endangerment/death has received much attention in sociolinguistic studies, the changes in vocabulary associated with it has not been given the same attention. This paper examines the sociolinguistic situation of Dongolawi Nubian*, a language variety that belongs to the Eastern- Sudanic group of the Nilo-Saharan family which is spoken in the northern region of Sudan. More specifically, the paper analyses a sample of DN lexicon with the purpose of identifying the extent of semantic change, including lexical change, attrition, borrowing, and other additions. Analysis of data reflects extensive borrowing from Sudanese Arabic (SA), loss of items associated with traditional ways of life, some of which are replaced while others are not. The study indicates that, despite heavy borrowing, the basic structure of the language variety still remains intact, with no apparent major changes in syntax such as word order. Hence, it is argued that the DN situation is not hopelessly irreversible, and that the variety could still be revitalized as long as there is willingness, commitment, and collaboration of efforts and resources on the part of policy makers, speakers of the language variety, and other organizations concerned with language endangerment. Keywords: Dongolawi Nubian, endangerment, Sudan Arabic, attrition, borrowing. * The following abbreviations are used in reference to different language varieties: Ar. =Arabic; DN = Dongolawi Nubian; Eng = English; Egy.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 11 Prevention of Radicalization in Western Muslim
    Chapter 11 Prevention of Radicalization in Western Muslim Diasporas by Nina Käsehage This chapter opens with a brief definition of key terms such as “Muslim diasporas,” “prevention of violent extremism” (PVE), “countering violent extremism” (CVE) and discusses the role of Islamophobia in radicalization and its impacts on the prevention of radicalization. The size of the Muslim population in each of the selected five Western countries and the appearance of jihadist, left- and right-wing-groups, as well as the number of attacks resulting from these milieus are briefly discussed at the beginning of the country reports. The main body of this chapter discusses academic, governmental, and civil society approaches to PVE/CVE. For each country, some PVE examples are presented which might be helpful to policymakers and practitioners. A literature review regarding PVE/CVE approaches in each country seeks to provide an overview of the academic state of the art concerning the prevention of radicalization. Finally, a number of recommendations with regard to future PVE initiatives are provided, based on the author’s field research in Salafi milieus in various European countries.1 Keywords: countering violent extremism (CVE), countering violent extremism policy and practice, extremism, government and civil society responses, Muslim communities, Muslim diasporas, prevention, preventing violent extremism (PVE), PVE recommendations, radicalization, religious extremism, Salafism, terrorism 1 The following chapter includes extracts from the book: Nina Käsehage (2020). ‘Prevention of Violent Extremism in Western Muslim Diasporas’, Religionswissenschaft: Forschung und Wissenschaft. Zürich: LIT Verlag. HANDBOOK OF TERRORISM PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS 305 This chapter seeks to describe the state of research on the prevention of radicalization in Western Muslim diasporas.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Repression in Sudan
    Sudan Page 1 of 243 BEHIND THE RED LINE Political Repression in Sudan Human Rights Watch/Africa Human Rights Watch Copyright © May 1996 by Human Rights Watch. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-75962 ISBN 1-56432-164-9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was researched and written by Human Rights Watch Counsel Jemera Rone. Human Rights Watch Leonard H. Sandler Fellow Brian Owsley also conducted research with Ms. Rone during a mission to Khartoum, Sudan, from May 1-June 13, 1995, at the invitation of the Sudanese government. Interviews in Khartoum with nongovernment people and agencies were conducted in private, as agreed with the government before the mission began. Private individuals and groups requested anonymity because of fear of government reprisals. Interviews in Juba, the largest town in the south, were not private and were controlled by Sudan Security, which terminated the visit prematurely. Other interviews were conducted in the United States, Cairo, London and elsewhere after the end of the mission. Ms. Rone conducted further research in Kenya and southern Sudan from March 5-20, 1995. The report was edited by Deputy Program Director Michael McClintock and Human Rights Watch/Africa Executive Director Peter Takirambudde. Acting Counsel Dinah PoKempner reviewed sections of the manuscript and Associate Kerry McArthur provided production assistance. This report could not have been written without the assistance of many Sudanese whose names cannot be disclosed. CONTENTS
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Horn of Africa Bulletin, November - December 2020 2 Horn of Africa Bulletin, November - December 2020
    1 Horn of Africa Bulletin, November - December 2020 2 Horn of Africa Bulletin, November - December 2020 Editorial information This publication is produced by the Life & Peace Institute (LPI) with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and Church of Sweden International Department. The donors are not involved in the production and are not responsible for the contents of the publication. Editorial principles The Horn of Africa Bulletin is a regional policy periodical, monitoring and analysing key peace and security issues in the Horn with a view to inform and provide alternative analysis on on-going debates and generate policy dialogue around matters of conflict transformation and peacebuilding. The material published in HAB represents a variety of sources and does not necessarily express the views of the LPI. Comment policy All comments posted are moderated before publication. Feedback and Subscriptions For subscription matters, feedback and suggestions contact LPI’s Horn of Africa Regional Programme at [email protected]. For more LPI publications and resources, please visit: www.life-peace.org/resources Life & Peace Institute Kungsängsgatan 17 753 22 Uppsala, Sweden ISSN 2002-1666 About Life & Peace Institute Since its formation, LPI has carried out programmes for conflict transformation in a variety of countries, conducted research, and produced numerous publications on nonviolent conflict transformation and the role of religion in conflict and peacebuilding. The main focus of our work has been on Africa, with the Horn of Africa Programme being established and well-known in the 1990s, not least our work in Somalia. Other initiatives have been carried out in Congo-Brazzaville, Croatia, Sri Lanka and East Timor.
    [Show full text]
  • Between Warrior and Helplessness in the Valley of Azawa
    Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses CAHSS Theses and Dissertations and Dissertations 1-1-2015 Between Warrior and Helplessness in the Valley of Azawa - The trs uggle of the Kel Tamashek in the war of the Sahel Patrick James Christian Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the African Studies Commons, Defense and Security Studies Commons, Human Geography Commons, Military and Veterans Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Regional Sociology Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Share Feedback About This Item This Dissertation has supplementary content. View the full record on NSUWorks here: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/22 NSUWorks Citation Patrick James Christian. 2015. Between Warrior and Helplessness in the Valley of Azawa - The struggle of the Kel Tamashek in the war of the Sahel. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. (22) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/22. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks.
    [Show full text]
  • Renata and Tom Knific Are Terrific! You Think Successful Investors Don’T Have Lucky Numbers?
    $4 • JANUARY 2011 www.encorekalamazoo.com Renata and Tom Knific Are Terrific! You think successful investors don’t have lucky numbers? BRONSON NEUROSCIENCE CENTER WHERE GREAT MINDS THINK, COLLABORATE AND SOLVE AS ONE. Over the past several years, top neuroscience specialists from around the country have joined the Bronson team. They’re drawn here because they want to be part of something special. While their skill, talent and technology are second to none, the collaborative approach to You may think, as we do, that luck has for successive generations of families, caring for each patient truly sets us apart. Ask those who know from firsthand experience — little to do with long-term financial businesses and endowments across there’s no other neuroscience center in southwest Michigan like it. Learn more about the security. But still, it’s true that nearly all Michigan and the United States. With of us appreciate finding a four leaf clover billions in assets, and the distinction of great minds of Bronson Neuroscience Center at bronsonneurosciencecenter.com. now and then. That’s one compelling being one of Michigan’s first trust-only reason you should call the number atop banks, our every decision is focused on BRONSON TEAM OF PHYSICIANS: FRONT ROW (l-r): Hisanori Hasegawa, MD; Dennis Jewett, MD this page, and begin the conversation with your financial well-being. Interested SECOND ROW (l-r): Nadeem Mirza, MD; Dean Kindler, MD; Alain Fabi, MD; Daniel Fain, MD Greenleaf Trust. We manage wealth—that in a client-centric approach to wealth THIRD ROW (l-r): Kellie Sweet, DO; Kelly Ybema, MD; Paula Kilmer, MD; Daryl Warder, MD, PhD is, the investments, qualified retirement management? This is your lucky day, BACK ROW (l-r): Patrick Noonan, MD; Gregory Wiggins, MD; Chris Sloffer, MD plans, personal trusts and other assets— and number: 269.388.9800.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    May 2017 Volume: 2, No: 1, pp. 23 – 29 ISSN: 2059-6588 e-ISSN: 2059-6596 www.tplondon.com/rem Article history: Received 29 December 2016; accepted 13 February 2017 Non-monetary Remittances of Egyptians Abroad Ayman Zohry Abstract Migrants remit money, goods and commodities, as well as ideas and behaviors that affect sending countries, positively or negatively. It is not enough to study and track the flow of monetary remittances, which we admit its importance, but they also should give more attention to the study of the impact of socio-cultural remittances which may play an important role in reshaping societies. This study aims at exploring non-monetary remittances, and assesses their impact on Egypt. Keywords: Non-monetary remittances; Egypt; socio-cultural remittances. JEL Classification: F22, F24 Introduction Migration from Egypt started in the late 1960s mainly for economic, but also for political reasons, with the large majority of the migrants going to the Gulf States. As early as the 1970s, the Egyptian state came to regard emigration as a means of easing pressure on the Egyptian labour market. From the 1980s onwards, migration has been regarded as a tool for development. The state further eased migration procedures to increase remittances necessary to supply payment deficits – a strategy that was successful. Remittances are among Egypt’s largest source of foreign currency. Remittances have long been in the focus of attention of studies dealing with the relationship between migration and development, both theoretically and empirically. Such flows of wealth are important not only to the sending country, but also to the families of migrants (Caldwell 1969).
    [Show full text]
  • “But They Can't Manage to Silence Us:” Mahjoub Sharif's Prison Poem
    OFF-TOPIC 117 Introduction1 On 30 June 1989, a military coup in Sudan “But They Can’t Manage to Silence brought a regime under Omar Al-Bashir to Us:” Mahjoub Sharif’s Prison Poem power, which publically displayed itself as a nationalist revolution empowering “A Homesick Sparrow” (1990) as Islamic state-building. However, under this umbrella the regime established struc- Resistance to Political Confinement tures of domination, building on an eco- nomic-political network protected by mil- itant security forces.2 One of the first steps after the coup was the wide-ranging arrest of potential oppo- sitionists to the new rulers. Among them was the poet and teacher Mahjoub Sharif. His imprisonment was brought to some international attention when Amnesty International, Africa Watch and BBC’s Pris- oners of Consciousness series took up his Enrico Ille case at the beginning of the 1990s.3 Not only for his poems, but also for his politi- This article discusses the poem “A Home- tiation of the modalities of public appear- cal views associated with the Sudanese sick Sparrow” by the Sudanese poet ances and utterances in Sudan. In this Communist Party, Mahjoub Sharif was Mahjoub Sharif (1948-2014) in the frame sense, the poetic language and the way it imprisoned in August 1989 and sus- of recent cultural policies in Sudan. The was brought outside the prison walls are pended from his work as a teacher in poem was written in 1990, one year after understood here as a performative act of accordance with the far-reaching removal the military coup that brought the present political resistance against governmental of oppositionists from public service “for regime to power, while the poet was attempts of peripheralization vis-à-vis cul- the public good” (lil-ṣāliḥ al-cām), as the imprisoned together with others regarded tural policies aiming at homogenization new regime called it.
    [Show full text]
  • Remaking Urban Life in Africa Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona 2003 Conference Lectured at the Cycle “Mapping Africa”
    www.urban.cccb.org AbdouMaliq Simone For the City Yet to Come: Remaking Urban Life in Africa Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona 2003 Conference lectured at the cycle “Mapping Africa”. CCCB, 17 February 2003 Introduction Urban Africans have long made lives that have worked. There has been an astute capacity to use thickening fields of social relations, however, disordered they may be, to make city life viable. Yet, if the primary resource that urban Africans have had to draw upon to make their cities has essentially been themselves, then the process of configuring an urban public life is crucial to this story. If an accelerated differentiation of social practices and organization has had to compensate for the long-term absence of investment, infrastructure development, formal employment and multiplex economic articulations with the larger world, how are the ensuing complex social fields managed? How do residents construct the differences in livelihood activities, accumulation possibilities, specialization, and social identity incumbent in urban life and yet maintain their anchorage in cultures long valuing a sense of equanimity, mutuality and social balance? It is true that African cities have been an ambivalent refuge when livelihood was no longer possible in rural areas. It is true that these cities most visibly serviced the agendas of external interests, and that those interests shaped the physical and social terrain in ways that constrained a broad range of uses and developmental possibilities. It is true that these cities reflect a certain marginalization from the prevailing trajectories of urbanization that emphasize capital intensity and technological innovation. The costs of this history have been enormous.
    [Show full text]