Fine Art

The appreciation of Art is something I have always taken for granted, not fully realizing that it is actually a pleasure that many do not experience.  I grew up in a house that has always had a vast amount of original paintings, encompassing different styles, done to what I believe to be a high level of ability.  How you may ask.

Well, my mother is an artist, whose humility regarding her ability has led me to view other artist with a twinge of under-appreciation of the quality of their work,  But, now, I have grown to realize the momentousness of the ability that my mother possesses.

We, in my household, have been blessed by growing up in a home emblazoned with the most amazing pieces of original art work; of which some samples are shown here: http://amnahassan.blogspot.com/2008/03/welcome.html

My Sadness!

On the morning of Monday March 14th, at approx 10 am (Doha time), my father walked to his bed with the help of a physiotherapist after finishing an exercise session.  He had surgery last Tuesday for a slipped disc.  He sat on the bed, put his legs up and laid down; and when his head touched the pillow his heart stopped.  In the blink of an eye, he was gone.......

كن بشيراُ

من أنت؟

من معتقد نفسك ان تكون؟

أمعتقد نفسك نبياً أم رسولاً؟

أمسلمٌ أنت؟

كيف ترضى أن يفعل هذا بإسمك؟

ألا تدرى ما يحدث لأبناء بلدك؟

أناسٌ يعملون عندك وبإسمك يغتصبون حرماتنا وانت ترضى؟

فماذا فعلت؟

 لا شئ، كيف وأنك تدعى الإيمان والإسلام؟

ألا تخاف يوم الحساب؟

فماذا فعلت لهذا اليوم؟

أتعتقد بأنه لا يمكن لغيرك فعل ماهو أحسن أو أفضل؟

أتعتفد نفسك خيرة أمتك؟

فإن كان فأليس هذا كفراً؟

فما هذا الغرور؟

من أنت؟

ألا تدرى من هو عمر؟

كيف تفعل هذا وإسمك عمر؟

كيف ترضى بإغتصاب حرماتنا يا عمر؟

من أنت؟

كن بشيراُ على قومك

إذهب

إذهب

إذهب

فلقد سئمنا منك

Down with Sudan

We as Sudanese can all agree in hoping for a free Sudan, a Sudan where all are equal, are all free to express ourselves, and live out our dreams.  Yet we continue to repeat the same actions that are leading to the doom of our beloved nation.  It seems that we either do not learn or refuse to learn; we live in denial of the facts which are obvious to the rest of the world but not us.  We think so highly of ourselves; as we have great potential, but have become deluded in our belief that things will just happen because we are who we are.

We blindly follow our so called leaders, although they have clearly shown an unrivalled ability to fail once, twice, thrice and so on.  Where it comes to failure; it seems that the leaders of our so-called political movements have written the book (if not many books).  When will we learn?  When will we wake up from this nightmare?  When will the denial end? 

Since the promise of independence in 1956, our enlightened political elite have left no stone unturned in their pursuit of failure.  Making one mistake after another, in a manner unrivalled and seemingly never ending, since it continues till this day.  Yet, we blindly follow them.  And, as such the blame may not lie with them, but with us, the Sudanese people.  It is us who are at fault; we are the ones who accepted their behavior and continue to accept their behavior.   We are the ones who are holding up the signs saying “Down with Sudan!”

To that I say, and without disrespecting any of these individuals; enough with Bashir, enough with Sadiq, enough with Turabi, enough with alsayed Mohammed, enough with all of you.  Please, step aside.  Behave like elderly intellectuals for a change, put your country ahead of your selfish desires, for you cannot claim to represent the masses because you all are tyrants and despots.  Your party machines are undemocratic and autocratic.  A true democracy can never exist when the political parties it encompasses are dynastic.

Yet, the fault does not totally lie with these people; the blame lay fairly at the feet of the Sudanese.  Look at Tunis, Egypt, Yemen, Libya; look at Ghana.  They have learned, they have studied, they have moved forward; but we still linger in our delinquent illusions of grandeur.