By Dr. Abasher Elhaj
Civilizations and sentiments of nations and people are measured by their cultures and arts in their various colors, such as painting, sculpture, poetry, music and literature.
These components are a societal burden entrusted with defining the political thesis that reaches to power as it acts as a brush that colors the entire political vision with different colors; that means this brush is the one on which all other systems rest. It has been proved, from an anthropological point of view, that the most effective mechanism for liberation is culture with all its components; unfortunately, since the crack of independence dawn, we have not been liberated and our political systems have not been stabilized because everyone who succeeded in ruling this doomed country was not determined by this brush, or rather, it does not exist in his subconscious mind. And if it existed, he would paint it with his own whims and ethnicity; actually, this ‘dog-whistle politics’ style is the cause of the empty abyss that Sudanese political fetishes of State have failed to bridge, and I do not know whether it is a bad intention or a miserable ignorance that the ruler supports one ethnicity (which usually stands four-square behind him to hold all the aces) against another (which feels it is holier-than-thou). Those politicians should have left the process of natural cultural selectivity to take its natural role, and of course this selectivity does not conflict with that cultural brush of society.
The gap between the ruler and culture is wide and between the intellectual is wider. There is a set of gaps and deep structural flaws that created such a civilized structural cultural gap and made us in a position either to be a General’s riffraff or a John Doe’s disciple, our mainly concern is to satisfy our daily sustenance, or to accept all kinds of intimidation and looting in the streets openly during the day. This gloomy outlook is the salient feature of all those who have took over Sudan since 1956 because they do not have advisors except their kinship and those whose heart is full of dirt and grudge, or those who do not pursue a soft and gentle life due to hearts that do not feel arts. Just as they do not have real thinkers to rely on, nor do they have study centers to monitor and thwart the plans of the (third party) and warn society of a foreshadowing political disaster.
By taking a cursory look at the status of the people who conquered the world, we find that they never invested in politics and did not earn from it, but rather considered that their citizens are their wealth and resources. Most of the nations whose civilizations were ancient have given the greatest attention to Man and Arts in their different colors; and therefore, their civilization has remained present in every study of culture and arts throughout history. Recently, for example, in Finland folklore studies played axial role in its development as a country, Dr. Ahmed Morsi, Introduction to Folklore, Cairo 1981. This made it embrace the throne of advanced education in the world. You can retrieve what haunted the plan Dr. Qari’s thesis to develop the Sudanese curricula!
In fact, we find that politics is literature, and in literature great deal of politics hide, and this needs subtle readers to solemnize and receive it with passion, and to enjoy to be influenced by its ideas, concepts and values. Here, the question is: Have those who abuse politics and mercerize from it perused “The End of History and the Last Man” by Francis Fukuyama? Or some of Samuel Huntington’s books? This is because literary productions have a force that exceeds all the speeches of politicians since Arts refine souls, purify passion, and elevate people’s conscience.
A nation will not rise unless it rises with its feelings and conscience. Indeed, Sudanese have presented the greatest model of revolutions in the world, and this model was accompanied by a masterful artistic gesture as bridges and walls were embellished with bright artistic paintings that our souls have not been accustomed to before because they lost the meaning of beauty from the inner most. These souls distorted and obliterated the features of those paintings after the stigma of the “sit-in”. This shameful act is a reflection of the person’s nature who did it and is connected with his finite human consciousness in his life’s shoots, or it is his inherited experience in the mind of his living memory and its reflection on him. The more awareness increases in the living memory, the more spirit of beauty does in you! What are you anticipating from a church mouse in morals, a pet peeve, and a queer fish who know nothing but robbery, plunder, and murder; will they build a civilization?!
The ex-prime minister of the revolution often spoke, “We will get over it”, but I think this transit has entitlements that politicians have neglected since independence. To be candid, we as Sudanese no longer have a sense of deservingness to build a great country; the most important of these entitlements is that we do not respect the soft power (Arts) for their great impact in modifying and changing behavior. There is no room for doubt, sophists excelled in exploiting arts to unite God by using tambourine in their hymens. Regardless of whether being permissible or forbidden, the rhythm of drums attracted the ears of some pagans for they joined hymen bands- “God God God” without being aware of the meaning till they totally converted to Islam. What a unique educational behavior! Unfortunately, we lack the element of ‘direction’- directing arts to connect community. This element has three tips: strength, harmony in movement, and unity in purpose. Are we headed in the right way? To be continued.
