We are young digital natives reaching out across seemingly impenetrable national, social, political, ethnic, and sectarian barriers, employing the freedom created by media platforms to demand and create our own civil discourse.

Arab Activists Slam OIC’s Silence Over Darfur Atrocities

June 22nd, 2008Drima (Sudan)

It’s about time this happened. We need more of this. A lot more.

June 20, 2008 (KAMPALA) — A coalition of Arab rights activists criticised the Islamic world for its silence on the atrocities and crimes committed in the troubled region of Darfur, Sudan.

In a statement issued on the sideline of the 35th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting, the Arab Coalition for Darfur blamed the Organisation of the Islamic Conference for focusing their concern on Iraq and Palestine.

“The suffering of Muslims in Darfur is as real as that happening in Iraq and Palestine,” the coalition said.

“The Islamic world’s response to the daily killings and suffering of millions of Muslims in Darfur has been largely silent, from both civil society as well as from institutions and majority of Islamic governments,” it said.

Yesterday the Ugandan President urged the OIC countries to accord some of their efforts and concern to Darfur crisis and southern Sudan peace process. He added that failure to resolve the Darfur issue would undermine the unity of the organisation.

The Arab rights coalition also underlined that negligence of Darfur crisis would not be good for the Islamic world. “The Islamic world must decide to end its wall of silence, before it is too late … More silence could be catastrophic on the Islamic community.”

The coalition is made up of human rights groups in Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mauritania, Kuwait, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations says up to 300,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and disease and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict broke out in February 2003.

Created by Arab activists last May in Cairo, the coalition urged the Arab heads of states to “use all their potential, relations and resources to stop the conflict.”

Initiated by the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, the coalition includes rights activists from Sudan, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mauritania, Kuwait and Egypt.

It’s a good move but I remain skeptical for good reasons. Darfur is super exaggerated, it’s a Jewish conspiracy remember? Oh yes, it is. Full stop. End of discussion.

Unless such a stupid mode of thinking gets eradicated, we will remain gullible and easily fooled into buying our dictators’ lies and falsehoods.

At the end of the day, I’m glad these activists are voicing their concerns out loud. I salute them!

One Response to “Arab Activists Slam OIC’s Silence Over Darfur Atrocities”

  1. I have yet to listen to an interview given by a Sudanese official in which Israel/”foreign elements”/America isn’t blamed for the unrest in the country. But it serves as an effective sympathy card, and not just within Sudan.

Feel free to take part in our discussions and debates. Please be respectful and aware that what you say is only your opinion and may not agree with other points of views. Absolutely no hate speech or defamation will be tolerated. Be smart and comment smart. Read our comment policy to find out how not to annoy us.