Matthew & Fatima

by Hiba (Sudan & UAE)

Some parts of this story are based on true events.

This piece is not intended to offend anyone. I am merely shedding light on a grave situation rampant in our country.

NB: The names have been changed to protect the identities of the characters.

A party.
Eyes locked.
Link forged.
Fatima felt her heart skip a beat;
Matthew was startled by the sudden rush of heat.

“She is a Muslim with a veil on her head!!!!”
“Oh God!! He has a Cross in the chain around his neck!!”
“But she is different. I don’t know how but she stands out.”
“Wow!!! Distinctive style; you rarely find such a guy around!!!”
That night, they chatted endlessly and were smitten by each other.
She admired his vivacity and he loved her openness.
Digits exchanged.
Minds preoccupied.
An inexplicable attraction
Unexpectedly materialized.

Incessant calls.
Mutual visitations.
Beautiful friendship.
Intellectual discussions and religious debates.
Written thoughts and reading books is how they would relate.
She saw wisdom and reason through his eyes.
He touched kindness when he was by her side.

Bond strengthened.
Love blossomed.
They both knew they were on dangerous territory.
But Matthew understood and converted to her religion.
Went to her parents and declared his blissful decision.

“Fatima, are you insane? Do you want to tarnish our lineage?”
“Child, he is from Southern Sudan!!! What does he know about our heritage?”
“He is a slave; Southerners are way below our level.”
“We accepted him as your friend but marriage is unthinkable.”

Torn souls.
Cursed lives.
A brutal ending.
Rejection of a Muslim Sudanese due to the wrong ancestry.
Eventually, they both had to go their separate ways.

“A society enslaved by partial conceptions
Superficial perceptions generate mental deception
The masses define it as pride but prejudice is the correct interpretation
Though we rep the same country, we suffer from tribal segregation
Racists of our own race, Cultural feuds with no base
We call ourselves one nation when internally we’re two-faced
Our worth n value “scaled” on a “location gauge”
Hallelujah, the elites celebrate if you are the right skin shade
So, tell me, when will our ethnic diversity be a blessing?
When will our society reform its morbid attitude towards our differences?
When will the majority learn to look at each other as Sudanese brothers and sisters not as Southerner, Northerner, Rubatabi or Akhdar (when used for ridicule or in a demeaning sense)?
How many more people have to suffer from society’s disapproval because of something not in their hands?”

To Matthew and Fatima, two remarkable persons,
Victims of a deeply-rooted poignant phenomenon