Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
formal renunciation of religion - and sentenced, first to the lash for adultery, and then to
death for the crime of abandoning Islam. The fact that her Muslim father had abandoned
her as a child and she had grown up a Christian under the faith of her mother was appar-
ently deemed irrelevant by the judge. The international community, incensed at this dis-
regard for basic human rights, was pushing for Ibrahim to be pardoned - but, so far, Sudan
had remained silent.
Lost in the article, I didn't see Moez appear at my side.
'Have you seen this?' I asked.
Moez nodded, grimly. 'Bashir will not listen, Lev. It is not the way.'
Omar al-Bashir had been the President of Sudan since 1989, rising to power at the head
of a military coup, and had then been elected three times in succession, each time in elec-
tions under international scrutiny for corruption. Bashir's record on human rights had al-
ways been in question, but never more so than in 2009, when he ordered a systematic cam-
paign of pillage, rape and mass murder against the citizens of Darfur in the west of Sudan.
The crisis in Darfur led to Bashir being the very first incumbent president of any nation on
Earth to be indicted by the International Criminal Court - but, partly due to the unwilling-
ness of other African states, the warrant for his arrest has never been executed.
I flung the newspaper down, eager to think of better things.
'It has always been the way in Sudan,' said Moez as we stepped, blinking, into the blind-
ing light. 'We fought a war with the South because they are Christians. We fight little wars
every day, because we are Muslims and Christians trying to live together.'
Together we crossed the city, through concrete skyscrapers and gaudy hotels, past uni-
versity buildings and boutique shops, through crowds of men in smart designer gear and
sunglasses, women in loose-fitting hijabs and skinny jeans. It all seemed so surreal. After
the wooden huts and mud shacks, even the traffic lights and pedestrian crossings seemed
absurd. At last, we reached a leafy park nestled between the two rivers - the White Nile
surging by on my left, the Blue closing in on my right. A rickety-looking Ferris wheel rose
out of the bushes of the Blue Nile riverbank, its deadly carriages containing young couples.
A miniature roller coaster, equally lethal, twirled alongside the White. All around, families
and couples were having picnics as the fierce sun shone down.
Up ahead, where the park tapered to a point as the two rivers met, security guards
manned a barrier. Reaching out a hand to stop me, Moez uttered, 'Stay here,' and strode
ahead to shake hands with one of the moustachioed guards. After a few minutes, he re-
turned. 'It's okay. We can go through and film the river - but we have to be quick. If you
see anyone wearing a suit, hide the camera and smile.'
'Moez, isn't this just a family amusement park?'
Moez shot me a look and, without another word, I followed him through the barrier.
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