Racism in Sudan: A cultural trait

Sudan’s multiple peoples (Image: by Adil Abdalla – http://adilsud.blogspot.com/)

‘Del a’abeed‘, which translates to ‘They are slaves’, is a very common term in Sudan. ‘Slaves’ is the correct translation you may find in Google translator. However, A’abeed in reality has a completely different meaning in Sudan. We don’t have actual slaves in Sudan to refer to when using this word, but we have A’abeed according to our culture. Get it? I will explain.

I will use the word A’abeed just as an example to demonstrate Sudan’s paradoxical racism, since it is the most common phrase. Other similar words are Halaby (light-skinned), Arabi (Arab), Gharaby (Westerner; from western Sudan), Nubawi (from the Nuba) etc. They don’t all have the same meaning but they are all used in a similar way; mostly to abuse or degrade another.

As Sudanese citizens, racism runs through our veins, it is in our DNA, and fortunately it is a non-biological mutation. In fact, it is a cultural, social and a traditional mutation that can be treated. I was shocked when I found out that my grandparents used to call on a dark skinned person using phrases like ‘Ya a’abid‘ (You slave; for men) or ‘Ya khadim‘ (You slave; for women); this was done shamelessly right in front of them. Ironically, my grandfather was a very dark skinned man himself, but apparently he either believed otherwise or managed to categorize himself as a dark skinned person, not a A’abid.

The following generation, my parents, took a different approach expressing racism. They don’t mind their children having friends from different backgrounds – what ever that means in Sudan – as long as there is no marriage involved. Marriage is like the racism alarm bell for parents. If a son or daughter is considering marrying a partner whose great great great grandparents are categorized as A’abeed and Khadam, then he or she should think again. People might not realize how racist their parents are until they press the marriage button.

The new generations tend to use these racist phrases impulsively. Unfortunately, it has become part of our vocabulary. Calling someone ‘Ya a’abid‘ nowadays is considered a joke. Friends would use the word to call on each other or sometimes to add a sense of humor to a conversation. However, unlike their ancestors, they don’t have the courage to racially abuse someone right in their face. Instead, they would whisper it if they truly feel deep inside that the person is categorized as a A’abid.

Racism is everywhere. It has been around for thousands of years all over the world, and Sudan is not an exception. I have always been aware why some whites are racist towards blacks, why some Americans are racist towards muslims, why some Europeans are racist towards Arabs and vice versa. However, these racisms are justified in a way – not a sensible way. For instance, most of us can understand why Americans are racist towards Muslims, but I can’t justify – at least for the sake of the argument – why we as Sudanese, are racially discriminatory. We discriminate based on softness of hair for God’s sake.

As much as we are proud of our Afro-Arab Islamic identity, it’s hard not to notice that the majority of us are a mixture of the three identities that are most subjected to racism. Think about it, if we are racists towards each other, what would we expect others to be towards us?