The place and definition of art as a human practice have proved to be a thorny problem - in theory and in practice - for Muslim thinkers, old and new, moderates and fanatics alike. The views of... Show moreThe place and definition of art as a human practice have proved to be a thorny problem - in theory and in practice - for Muslim thinkers, old and new, moderates and fanatics alike. The views of both parties are well known, but two features of the problem are of special concern to this essay: the relationship between Islamic teachings and the actual human involvement with the arts as an integral cultural activity; and the practical political move taken by the Islamists to tackle this problem. Here, the Sudanese case is significant in two respects. It is the first time that the Islamist movement has seized power in a dominantly Sunnite, Arab League member state, and it is also an African country that exhibits in its political, social and cultural texture all that has rightly acquired it the description of African microcosm. Show less
In the summer of 1998, the Khartoum government and John Garang of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a temporary ceasefire in order that international aid could reach the war-torn... Show moreIn the summer of 1998, the Khartoum government and John Garang of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed a temporary ceasefire in order that international aid could reach the war-torn areas. Some discussion has also taken place regarding the institution of a new constitution, which would include the political clauses of the 1997 Agreement. Although there is no easy solution to the conflict in Sudan, one aspect seems clear: if there is to be peace within the country, a political settlement must be both achievable and sustainable. Show less
