Sudan's leading Islamist opposition figure, Hassan Al-Turabi, is fomenting trouble for the Sudanese authorities, writes Mahmoud Murad Sheikh Hassan Al-Turabi is a seasoned politician, one adept at sowing trouble behind the scenes. Normally, he takes cover first and then fires. If he scores, he takes credit. If he misses, not his fault and he's done nothing wrong. But lately, he's come out in the open, guns blazing. He is calling for the current Sudanese government to be toppled, just at the time the rest of us hope that all Sudanese would fall together and set aside their differences. The rest of us are striving to preserve Sudan's unity and defend the country against the threats of economic sanctions and military intervention. Not so with Al-Turabi. Sudan faces a fate that could turn out to be worse than that of Iraq. Those who have read the statements he made (to Al-Ahram, Al-Arabi and Al-Khalij on 28 August) would get the impression that Al-Turabi believes that the public is amnesiac. Why else would he come up with a remark such as he did: "Sudan's history teaches us that the people rise and revolt, as they did with Abbud and Al-Numeiri"? The part concerning the people's ability to revolt is fine by me. But I wonder what Al-Turabi ever had to do with revolts. Wasn't he a main pillar of the regime of former President Jaafar Al-Numeiri? Wasn't he one of Al-Numeiri's top aides? Didn't he help draft the September laws passed in the last months of Al-Numeiri's rule? Wasn't he busy doing just that up to two or three weeks before the revolution? And, can Al-Turabi ever claim to have had anything to do with the popular uprising that followed? The uprising began with student demonstrations and the only ones who can take credit for it are the people, not Al- Turabi, not any other politician. Economic and social conditions have deteriorated because of the Septemeber laws Al- Turabi passed. It was over these laws that the students protested and the people revolted. Al-Turabi, in other words, was the one people revolted against, not for. And look at how condescending the man is about his fellow Arabs: "The Arabs don't know what's going on in Sudan. All their positions toward Sudan are formed from the perspective of the Sudanese government. They don't know what the perils are." Once again, Al-Turabi imagines that he is the only one who knows, the only one who understands, the only one with the capacity to tell right from wrong. According to him, not one fellow Arab grasps the reality of the situation. This is vintage Al-Turabi. This is how he thinks. I shall elaborate no further; suffice it to say that the Arabs support Sudan, its people and its higher interests. Al-Turabi's memory seems to fail him on that account. Perhaps he should go back to the records to see how things happened. And, I would advise him not count much on the foreigners whom he so openly flirts with -- the foreigners who, he claims, are present in various parts of Sudan and in touch with the country's ordeal. Al-Turabi informs us that his aides abroad are preparing for a coup. "The climate is now prefect [for a coup] and the Sudanese refugees in Germany and European countries, particularly [right-hand man] Ali Al-Haj, have prepared the climate for that." Al-Turabi then proceeds to question the integrity of his upstanding compatriots, while trying to curry favour with the foreigners. "The trials [the government] staged and the statements the government made about the rebel's change of heart and repentance [in Darfur] are a charade. The international community is not fooled. United States Secretary of State Colin Powell knows what villages have been torched and the foreigners have satellite images documenting everything that happens in Darfur. The government is not fooling anyone." Again, Al-Turabi accuses the Arabs -- not the foreigners, mind you -- of ignorance. "The Arabs and Muslims do not know Sudan's east from west, north from south. Some of their writers write about Sudan with glaring ignorance. Arab countries support the government instead of guiding it to the right way. Arab journalists will find out, in two or three months, how ignorant they are of the situation in Sudan. These journalists should then tell the public the truth, not deceive it." Again, the man is not mincing his words. For Al-Turabi, Arabs -- and only Arabs -- are ignorant and deceptive. This comes from the man who has antagonised all the Arabs, insulted all rulers and governments, with only one exception. The only person Al-Turabi never spoke a bad word about is Saddam Hussein. He even went to Baghdad, following the invasion of Kuwait, to express his support and get his picture taken with Saddam. It is interesting how Al-Turabi lashes out against Arabs and Muslims, but not for once does he criticise Israel and other foreign powers. Not for once does he denounce those who exploit the events in Darfur; those who try to sow the seeds of sedition in Sudan; those who want to divide Sudan into mini-states, easy to control and manipulate; those who do not wish to see Sudan strong and united. The only thing that matters to Al-Turabi is that he ends up with a state to rule, even if it were one square kilometre in size. The only thing that matters to Al-Turabi is to become the unchallenged head of any state, so that he may claim to rule in the name of Islam, so that he may pose as champion of the world Islamic movement. Easy now, Sheikh Hassan. The homeland is a sanctity that mustn't be violated on any pretext, an honour that should be defended with life and limb. In the face of impending danger, all forces should unite and put aside their differences and prejudices. If you're a politician, at least have the decency of not using religion as a weapon. If you're a man of religion, at least remember God's words: "Thou shall not be harsh and coarse at heart."
