An Opinion

About the Book

TO THE READER Dear reader: From my readings and personal experience, I have my own views as every Sudanese citizen may have about the future of his home country; and I have my own opinion concerning the sociopolitical situation in my beloved country, “Sudan”. I wrote some articles about the recurring problems in my country. However, those articles were not publishable by the media in Sudan as it would create a governmental upset against the media and against those who dare to promote free writing; because free writing may open the door for people who have opposing views with the ruling despotic regime to reveal their disagreement. I started thinking of Sudanese complicated political problems a long time ago, but seriously in 1999. However, I started writing my opinion about these problems in the year 2000, while I was abroad. I posted my first Arabic version at my website in 2001. There was a tremendous request to the website and thousands of visitors’ hits were logged by the website in the first month; and showed navigation through all the web pages. Most of the visitors were Sudanese who are living abroad, as the website statistics reflected. They were either immigrants or refugees at different countries around the world, as some of them have indicated in their electronic mail messages. Till this time, I didn’t get clear reaction (positive or negative) about the opinion. I think they respected the effort put in developing such an opinion concerning the sociopolitical situation in Sudan. I thought many times about publishing this opinion in a book to be distributed inside my home country, Sudan. However, relatives and friends were absolutely against the idea. Most of them thought that: since the government is basically against any opinion that comes opposing to their propagandas in ruling the country, I would myself fail this trial of publishing the book. Some of them thought that time has not ripened yet; and since the idea of the book is very controversial, they suggested that I should wait for the right opportunity. My country is going through difficult times and is becoming like a “kid country” that needs parents to guide him and put him in the right track! The main point of my opinion is about the identity of my country. Since the independence, the country’s identity is not well-defined: sometimes it is Afro-Arab, at other times it is Arab-African; sometimes it is African, and at other times it is an Arab! Some of us want the country to be a new Sudan; others want it to be just Sudan. In this opinion, I tried, hopefully, to outline a suitable definition of an identity of this Country, which has been split (on 09/07/2011) in two countries: Republic of Sudan (in the north and which is supposed to be my home country), and Southern Republic of Sudan. Why it is split into two countries? This question should be answered by the ruling totalitarian despotic régime. In the second chapter, the reader will find out justifiable evidences (I think) concerning the identity that, I assume, is the most suitable for my people in Sudan. Why should I plan a new system for governing such a continental country? Is it because I am planning to become its president? Of course No, I am not. I am suggesting such a political frame for governing my country hoping to attract my people to think deeply and genuinely about decisive solutions to their accumulated problems. Readers, then, have the choice to take it or leave it. I hope it should be understood that the opinion is a mere attempt for solving our educational, health, social, political, economical and ethnic problems by throwing some lights on them. When this book is published, the situation in my country might have been apparently changed but not drastically, and the problem of identity remains unsolved. As a result, we will remain orbiting our old vicious circle. Our country will not gain stability if we could not solve the problem of its identity. If we solve this problem, we will b

About the Author

ABDALLA SALIH HAMID Is an assistant professor of mathematics (International University of Africa). He is originally a Sudanese, worked in Sudan as Math teacher in a teacher-training-college for more than a decade before he resigned. He worked in Qatar (Ministry of Education), and in Saudi Arabia (Industrial Training Centers, Saudi Armco). Hamid is married and has three daughters and four sons (the younger son has passed away). Now, he is a permanent resident in Texas State.