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8 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Sudanese People – BuzzFeed

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This article was taken from Buzzfeed, here is the link.

1. We come in all colours.

A green eyed friend with a fair complexion gets defensive when his Sudanese nationality is challenged while another jet black friend gets his share of questions when he travels, but the truth is we come in Coral Pink, Night Shadow and every shade in between.

Our ancestry pool hails from the heart of Africa, and draws upon Nubian, Arabian, Armenian, and Turkish blood lines – amongst others. To add to our diversity, we are witnessing further additions, as Sudanese branch out, marrying Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Spaniards, Indians, British and American nationals, including a famous New Zealand rock star.

2. Historically, Sudan is neither particularly Islamic nor particularly conservative.

Scroll through photographs of old Sudan, to see how women dressed and people interacted, in the old days. The mandatory head covering and lashings were introduced with the current government. Yes, Sudanese are very religious. They will pray, form groups to recite and memorize Quran, observing all the necessary sacred rituals. This wedding photograph of President Bashir shows that the infuriating minutes he spent telling women how to fasten their head scarves in the Presidential Speech (now known as Al Wathba Speech) that sparked the demonstrations of September 2013 was just a waste of air time (debatably, the whole speech was).There are some very conservative sects and families but the general population is pretty laid back. Invite them to a wedding and watch them party – President included.

Sudaress / Via sudaress.com

Scroll through photographs of old Sudan, to see how women dressed and people interacted, in the old days. The mandatory head covering and lashings were introduced with the current government. Yes, Sudanese are very religious. They will pray, form groups to recite and memorize Quran, observing all the necessary sacred rituals.

This wedding photograph of President Bashir shows that the infuriating minutes he spent telling women how to fasten their head scarves in the Presidential Speech (now known as Al Wathba Speech) that sparked the demonstrations of September 2013 was just a waste of air time (debatably, the whole speech was).

There are some very conservative sects and families but the general population is pretty laid back. Invite them to a wedding and watch them party – President included.

3. Sudanese women are to be reckoned with.

Sudanese women are pioneers in science, politics and activism. Sudan boasts the first female parliamentarian in Africa and the Middle East (1965) and the first female Minister of Health (1974). Sudan brought the Middle East its first female judge, cinematographer, football referee, army and police officers.

Recently, social networks commemorated Al Azza Mohammed Abdallah, wife of Ali Abdellatif, a national hero. In 1924, she became the first woman to lead a military demonstration in the capital, Khartoum. One historian estimated the number of demonstrators at 20,000 in that procession. The Sudanese woman is referred to as “Azza” in traditional lore, commonly perceived as homage to her.

In the government crackdown of September 2013, women were amongst those demonstrating and subsequently beaten, jailed and killed.

4. Hospitality is not optional.

Among the various Sudanese customs, hospitality takes center stage. Visit any home in Sudan and you will be given the royal treatment. Refreshments are served immediately, followed by meals, sweet tea (we’re really big on tea) or local coffee (jabana) and anything else on hand. The offers continue as long as you stay. You will be offered seconds and thirds and asked to stay for the next meal. It is not enough that you partake of the candy bowl but you will be pressed to take some with you for your family and if you ate a meal, you might find yourself carrying a plate home.

Regardless of the host’s economic situation or the contents of their refridgerator; what they have is yours. This can lead to awkwardness as refusing hospitality is offensive even if you mean well. The visitor is left to strike a balance between accepting what is offered while avoiding cleaning out the pantry.

This theme is prevalent all over Sudan. Even war torn Darfur is not an exception.

5. Sudanese are spread out all over the world.

The economic and political situation has driven Sudanese out in droves to seek their livelihood and freedom. The Secretariat of Sudanese Working Abroad [Ar] declined to give a specific number without an official request and the interactive map on the website is confusing and most probably outdated – as is most of the information in the public domain.

The reality is that many homes depend on the supplemented income provided by a family member turned expatriate.

The Sudanese Diaspora has given birth to a homeless generation that yearns to return but the collapse of education (evident in these photos of rural “classrooms” here, here and here ) and healthcare in Sudan coupled with alarmingly high (and grossly under reported) unemployment rates, force them to stay abroad and raise children that may or may not consider Sudan “home”.

6. We know each other.

Some people are fascinated with six degrees of separation but sit any two Sudanese down together and they will find a much closer connection. They will start the conversation off with the standard family names, move on to geographical questions, go through various educational institutes and wrap up with tribal affiliations and connections by marriage.

If they do not immediately find a relationship, they will venture on a quest until they find the elusive thread that connects them.

This is one of the more interesting Sudanese characteristics that is fading away. As more people leave, ties to their roots reluctantly diminish. Or not so reluctantly. Today, Sudanese are less eager to acknowledge one another abroad, which I learned the hard way while traveling, having received a blank stare to my excited greeting one too many times .

7. Sudanese are hooked on WhatsApp.

Everyone with a smart phone uses this app. In colloquial Sudanese, it is referred to as “Al Whaats”.

Many people in the United States had not heard of WhatsApp before Facebook acquired it. I am yet to come across a Sudanese who doesn’t know what this app is or what it does.

Given the geographical distribution of people, high levels of illiteracy and relatively affordable (yet erratic) internet service, WhatsApp is the perfect communication media.

Users send out texts, audio and share pictures while swapping links and spiritual literature. Another common use is the exchange of political, tribal and lewd jokes.

The widespread use and abuse of WhatsApp inspired this cautionary video.

Earlier this year, Sudanese police identified and arrested a number of youths who shared a WhatsApp video of themselves raping an Ethiopian migrant worker. (Her attackers were caught but her woes are far from over).

Sudanese activists use WhatsApp to broadcast information, in the absence of press freedoms and independent, verifiable sources. It is deemed more difficult for the government to monitor than text messages – hence safer. The government repeatedly threatens to jam it for “national security”.

8. You can take a Sudanese out of Sudan but you can’t take Sudan out of the Sudanese.

Sudanese will seek their traditions, cuisine and local brands wherever they go. Americans can have their Oreos because Sudanese will still bring their Baraka or Royal Biscuits stateside. No carbonated drink can compare to Pasgianos.

Dried okra powder (weika) is an indispensable ingredient in traditional dishes, more valuable than gold dust to the Sudanese cook abroad. Google can try as it may, but that is one ingredient substitute you will never find.

Paris can have its perfumes and all over the world people can scramble for the latest beauty treatments but a Sudanese woman will always seek her smoke bath (dukhaan), scented exfoliate (dilka) and musky perfumed khumra. Sudanese will turn their nose up at French cheese but drool at the mention of “Braided Cheese“. As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, the first thing Sudanese will source are the purplish brown folds of “Abreh“, whether they are in Sudan or abroad. The unrivalled thirst quenching beverage is made by soaking these aromatic concoctions in water, passing the mixture through a sieve and sweetening to taste. Bottoms up!

10 Things, Creative Writing, Sudanhub

Ten More things you didn’t know about Sudan

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Written by Sudanipreneur
One:

The Sudans main export is oil (Although 75% was in the South Sudan, which became a landlocked country relying on the pipelines and refineries in the North to be exported from Port Sudan), sesame, copper, livestock, agriculture, peanuts, Arabic Gum (Along with coke the only two items exempt from Us Sanctions).

Two:

The costal sea town of Suakin was an important city over the centuries, as it is the closest point from Africa to Mekkah and Medina in the Arabian peninsula. It’s importance has reduced with the building of the new city of Port Sudan, which with its deep sea access makes it more viable with the new tankers that regularly cross the Red Sea and into the Suez Canal.

Three:

Following the separation of the two Sudans engaged in a bitter currency war which has created mass hyper inflation for both the newly created currencies which has had quite a devastating impact on both new nations economies and has caused much hardship and a large deterioration on both countries standard of living for the people.

Four:

The Sudanese were the first and only army to break a British Military Square formation, in open warfare, with the Mahadiya Armies gaining many vital victories. (The New Zealand Maoris managed to also break the British Square, but they lured the British into forest and mountain terrains).

Five:

The Mahadiya Army captured Khartoum, with the British ruler in Sudan, General Charles Gordon, known as Chinese Gordon for his victories during the Opium Wars between the British & Chinese, “Controversially killed”, and the Victorious Mahadiya Army allegedly sent the Head to Queen Victoria.


Six: T

he British revenge and reconquest of The Sudan, led by Lord Horatio Kitchener of Khartoum, 1st Earl Kitchener (Most famous for being the face of those “Your Nation needs you” recruitment posters during WW2), with the introduction and first time use of The Machine Gun against the swords and spears of the Mahadiya Armies standing no chance. Kitchener won the decisive Battle of Omdurman, where the Khalifa refused to attack before dusk with the cover of darkness.

Seven:

The University of Khartoum which started life as Gordon College was once one of the best universities in the MENA region along with the University of Damascus, until it was arabized in the 1980’s which led to a fall in the level of research and to its rapid decline in the world rankings.

Eight:

Sudanese are some of the one of the most welcoming, friendly, genuine and and hospitable people anywhere in Africa, many foreigners talk of this during their first visits to Sudan.

Nine:

Sudan is also one of the most tribal and politically active and divided societies, with racism a major plague of the society, as evidenced by Sudan’s place in the Top Three in the list of countries by racism ranking alongside Somalia & Yemen.

Ten:

Sudan has a big challenge figuring out who she is,with a constant battle between Arab and African identity tearing both the people and the country apart, dividing and confusing everything with the lines so blurred and thin it is a hopeless battle with no end.

10 Things, Blog, Creative Writing, Sudanhub

Another Ten things bout Sudan you didn’t know

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Written by Sudanipreneur

One:

The Sudan comes from the Arab word Al Sud, meaning land of The Blacks.

Two:

The Sudan was known as “The Bread Basket of the World” for its vast reservoirs of underground water, its dense and vast regions of fertile lands, which meant that that land alone had the capacity to feed the entire world.

Three:

The Capital of the Northern region of The Sudans, Khartoum, means Elephant Trunk, describing the meeting of the Blue and the White Niles, converging as they unite, before flowing North into Egypt

Four:

The sight of the Blue and White Niles is often referred to as The Longest Kiss

Five:

The Ancient Sudanese Empire, better known amongst their enemies as The Ta Seti, or land of the bow, for their superior skills with the Bow and Arrow

 Six:

The Ancient Sudanese Empire was also known as Nubia, which meant land of Gold, the Nubians were famous for having gold in abundance which meant there have been discoveries of gold eyebrow tweezers and hand cuffs

Seven:

The Sudans have been under US Economic sanctions which means no Us or EU companies can operate there, including Mastercard and Visa, ever since 1998, when Clinton needed a distraction from political scandals and so he decided to bomb a pharmaceutical factory claiming it to be a weapons manufacturing depot

Eight:

The Sudans have the fastest growing telecommunications industries in the world, in part by the pioneering efforts of Mo Ibrahim

Nine:

The Sudans were the first nation in Africa and the Middle East to start the education of girls, in 1907 with the opening of Ahfad School by Sheik Babiker Bedri, which quickly gained the support and funding of the British Colonising Powers

Ten:

The Sudans were one of the first nations to have a female minister with the appointment of Fatima Abd el-Mamoud as the Minister of Social Welfare from 1976-79 and has higher percentage of women in Parliament at 25%, than US 17.8%, UK 225.5% and Malaysia 13.2%

10 Things, Creative Writing, Sudanhub

10 Things you didn’t know about Sudan

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Written by Sudanipreneur

One:

Compared to Egypt’s 80 Pyramids, Sudan has over three times as many with over 300 known pyramids located all over The Sudans

Two:

The Sudans are over 1,000,000^2 miles, that is over One Million Square Miles, the largest country in Africa, the Middle East and the largest predominantly muslim country

Three:

The Sudans have had Africa’s longest running civil war, with over 50 years of constant war, leading to over 2 million dead, many millions displaced, and the recent division of the Nation into two Regions

Four:

The Sudans are the first and only nation to have power transferred to a fully democratically elected, fully functioning parliament, from a European Colonising super power, with the British & Egyptian powers transferring full power to the Independent Republic of Sudan on the 1 January 1956

Five:

The Sudans had the first African Revolution and popular mass demonstrations removing the political powers, and were already on revolution number three at the Rise of the Arab Spring, having ousted the British during the Mahadiya Revolt and Uprising in 1885, and the overthrow of two Military Dictatorships of Ibrahim Abood in October 1964 and Jaafar El Nimari in 1985, with the current military take over by Omar El Bashir in 1989 continuing to hold onto power.
Six:

The Sudans were the only nation in the British Empire reporting to the British Foreign Office directly as opposed to the Ministery of the Commonwealth, which meant all the ruling commanders where OxBridge Alum, and had extensive experience

Seven:

The Sudans decided to leave the British Commonwealth region and join the Arab League

Eight:

At the birth of the newly independent nation the British left the Sudans with the Best education system, postal system, rail network and bureaucratic system in the British Empire, which due to mismanagement and constant political upheaval has been ravaged and destroyed in recent times

Nine:

The Sudans are the most diverse and multicultural region with over 500 tribes, 200 dialects and languages and trace their ancestory to ancient Nubian, Trukish, and Muslim empires with great diversity in color, skin tone, hair complexion throughout the diverse and vast regions of The Sudans

Ten:

The Sudans were one of the founding nations of not only the African Football Federation (CAF) but of the African Cup of Nations, along with Ethiopia, Egypt and South Africa which was expelled from the First Edition due to the Apartheid Era policies in 1957, with The Sudans Football Team known by their nickname the Nile Crocodiles winning the 1979 edition which was hosted in the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, their one and only victory