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Post by nebsen on Aug 4, 2015 2:00:29 GMT -5
www.pbs.org/pov/beatsoftheantonov/full.php#.VcBfsflUV_gI just saw this very powerful documentary about the war against now the Blue Nile, & Nuba people of Sudan, by the government of Khartoum , director is Hajooj Kuka. This is the first documentary that really gets behind the racial dimension of the war against the people, who are considered African & not Arab.I often wondered why the news always left out this element of the wars in the Sudan. It is at heart, a film about identity. If you have an interest in the peoples of the Sudan, than PLEASE WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY ! !
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Post by anansi on Aug 4, 2015 20:22:04 GMT -5
Darn can't see it over here, Nesben you always put out interesting stuff too bad I have to search for alternate links to some of them..
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Post by nebsen on Aug 4, 2015 23:01:16 GMT -5
Darn can't see it over here, Nesben you always put out interesting stuff too bad I have to search for alternate links to some of them.. Anansi, I was hoping you would be able to check this documentary out, for it's a POV production & not one of PBS specials like the others I have posted. I know you would really like this documentary, & it's director Hajooj Kuka. They take on race like I have been wanting to see now, for many years, like nothing I have seen before. I have read some progressive articles in the past by other people of African descent who did not shy away from the real issues surrounding Darfur & race, & the racist regime in Khartoum, who are Black themselves ! I know you will find a way to view this powerful documentary, for you are in nerd land; plus I look forward to your analyzes & feedback ! |
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Post by africurious on Aug 4, 2015 23:03:04 GMT -5
Good post Nebsen. I'm shocked there are Misseriya in military leadership positions in the northern SPLA and are actually criticising the Khartoum govt and its policy of arab supremacy. The Misseriya Arabs are one of the ethnic groups that have been used by the khartoum govt to fight the SPLA for many years.
I'd add that this policy of arab supremacy/arabization goes further than race and its more cultural. Many countries in the northern regions of africa have such a policy. In fact, it happens in algeria, mauritania and morrocco a lot. And many of the berbers in those countries that the govts want to arabize are white or off-white complexion. Arab language and "culture" is held in high esteem so they want the entire population to claim arab ethnicity and speak arabic as their mother tongue.
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Post by truthteacher2007 on Aug 5, 2015 0:33:14 GMT -5
Good post Nebsen. I'm shocked there are Misseriya in military leadership positions in the northern SPLA and are actually criticising the Khartoum govt and its policy of arab supremacy. The Misseriya Arabs are one of the ethnic groups that have been used by the khartoum govt to fight the SPLA for many years. I'd add that this policy of arab supremacy/arabization goes further than race and its more cultural. Many countries in the northern regions of africa have such a policy. In fact, it happens in algeria, mauritania and morrocco a lot. And many of the berbers in those countries that the govts want to arabize are white or off-white complexion. Arab language and "culture" is held in high esteem so they want the entire population to claim arab ethnicity and speak arabic as their mother tongue. Quite right in your observations about North Africa, it's the same mentality. Only difference is that at this point in time, there isn't the same type of genocide against the Amazigh. But what I find interesting is that both the Amazigh and Sudanese non Arabs maintain an African identity. The same tension exists in the Swahili region. It was so bad that there was actually a violent uprising against the Arab ruling class in the 70's in which many of them were slaughtered. So much for the fairy tale of the non racist Arabs. And to think, it was actually the Abyssinians who gave the early muslims fleeing persecution in Arabia protection. |
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Post by africurious on Aug 5, 2015 9:59:13 GMT -5
I'd never compare current arabs to the arabs of early islam. Those arabs of early islam are the same ones who praised their black and dark brown skins and contrasted it with the white skin of persians. Almost everyone who speaks arabic as a native language views themselves as arab so that ethnic label has expanded massively. White/off-white arabs are in the ascendant, while dark arabs outside africa are few in # due to mixing and the fact that the arab population pre-arabic conquests was very small to begin with. It's similar to how almost everyone who speaks a turkic language as native tongue considers themselves a turk even though the original turks were asian looking. These asian-looking turks are now very few in # compared to the much larger non-asian looking turks who many ppl believe represent what a turk should look like. And in turkey, specifically, its the same thing with the govt trying to turkicize the entire population because turkish identity is held in high regard and also to maintain social cohesion by having everyone claim the same ethnic identity. I've seen this play out many times in diff cultures and time periods. Some group conquers a large territory creating an empire. Eventually the native elites of said empire then go on to claim the identity of the conquerors due to prestige. Those residents of the empire who don't adopt the culture or language of the elites are looked down upon. Then over a long time, almost everyone adopts the ethnic identity (via language and cultural borrowings) of this elite group. These identities can be more called "empire identities". Everyone in the empire claims it and this identity isn't uniform in the empire nor is it the same as what was practiced by the original conquerors. Greek, Roman, Arab, Persian, Turk--all are examples of empire identities. People living in remote areas or far away from the power center of the govt tend to hold on to their earlier identities longer tho.
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Post by nebsen on Aug 6, 2015 19:26:12 GMT -5
Good post Nebsen. I'm shocked there are Misseriya in military leadership positions in the northern SPLA and are actually criticising the Khartoum govt and its policy of arab supremacy. The Misseriya Arabs are one of the ethnic groups that have been used by the khartoum govt to fight the SPLA for many years. I'd add that this policy of arab supremacy/arabization goes further than race and its more cultural. Many countries in the northern regions of africa have such a policy. In fact, it happens in algeria, mauritania and morrocco a lot. And many of the berbers in those countries that the govts want to arabize are white or off-white complexion. Arab language and "culture" is held in high esteem so they want the entire population to claim arab ethnicity and speak arabic as their mother tongue. africurious , you are very correct, it is more than about race; sometimes I conflate race & culture together. In the beginning of this documentary, a Nubian refugee women said," War is both good & bad, people should protect their culture" ;" culture matters for culture protects us". Also i loved that they pointed out that Islam is not about being Arab, & in the Koran, Islam is for all people, in all lands & one does not have to be Arab to be of the faith. It is made it so, that if you are African, & embrace Islam you, must adopt Arab culture, or you are labeled a" pagan"or " heathen". Africans in the Sudan& else where, are made to feel ashamed of who they are, & their native culture , thus women are bleaching their skin to be more" Arab looking " or whiter . I also have thought it strange that because many Africans have a very strong mystical approach to worship, & thus fuse Sufism with orthodox Islam, they are still labeled" Pagan" & not real true " believers". Sufism is the mystical side of Islam, just like their is a mystical branch of Christianity called" Mystical Christianity" , one does not cancel out the other, in fact, they go hand & hand & to really understand them on a spiritual level. I was glad to see in this documentary that many are throwing off the yoke of Arabization esp. the young & refuse, to kowtow to Arabization . I also find it odd, that the Sudan has a very, very, ancient history which includes among others the ancient civilization of Kush & Meoitic empires , which was a part of the Nile Vally civilization which is a part of the Sudan's history, & culture, even as they embrace the Islamic faith. But like many people of African origin, & descent, they have been through a brainwashing process, & made to forget their true history & culture. |
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