Recently I visited the Sudan after two decades. The purpose of the visit was to attend wedding of my brother. Although it was a short visit (only 2 weeks) and I didn’t have much time to (re) visit some places in Khartoum with special memories but it was a wonderful opportunity to meet my family, relatives, friends and visit the Sudan and its generous people after so many years. During our stay in Khartoum one day the following conversation took place between me and my 9 year old son, Yinay. Yinay: Why did you choose to hold the wedding in Sudan and not in Eritrea? Me: Unexpecting to hear this question I replied Because we cant go to Eritrea. Yinay: Surprised by my answer Why cant you go to Eritrea? Me: Because the government in Eritrea will arrest me upon arrival and throw me in jail. Yinay: Why will they jail you? Me: Because I have openly criticised the government. Yinay: What did you say about the government? Me: I said the government does not respect human rights, people cant express themselves freely and there is no democracy in Eritrea. Yinay: Taking for granted peoples’ right to express themselves astonished asked Do people in Eritrea get jailed if they say something against the government’’? Me: Yes, that is what happens in Eritrea today and that is why we are living in Sweden. Yinay: Kept silent for a while, maybe he was having difficulty to digest what I told him and said Eritrea är tråkigt - Eritrea is boring. Certainly he was meaning the government. Me: Yes, the government is boring. Yinay: Unbelieving what I said added Will you never go to Eritrea? Me: Unfortunately no as long as the government is in power. To ease his worry I added But certainly a day will come whereby we will be able to go back to our homeland. After having this touching conversation with me he went and told his younger brother Yonatan (6 years old) about what he had heard about the situation in Eritrea. A few moments later Yonatan came to me and we had the following short conversation: Yonathan: Pappa is it right that if you go to Eritrea they will jail you? Me: Who said that? Yonatan: Yinay told me. Me: Yes, they will jail me if I go to Eritrea. Yonatan: Why. Me: Knowing the fact that Yonatan knows the importance of saying the truth and that he is aware of his right to say what he likes and dislikes I replied ’ Because I have said the truth. That people in Eritrea cant say what they want and dont want. Yonatan: Eritrea är tråkigt- Eritrea is boring. Me: Yes, the government is boring. After having this interesting conversation with my kids and having heard their spontaneous reaction to the lack of democracy and justice in Eritrea I asked myself if my kids at this early age were able to understand the misery in Eritrea how come hundreds of thousands of Eritreans living in democracies are still refusing to accept the reality and not brave enough to say enough is enough!!. As Martin Luther King wisely put it In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 22:11:29 +0000
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