Darfur

This week there was a full page advertisment in front page section of The Washington Post that was one of the boldest moves I have seen to date.  The picture was of the President of General Omar al-Bashir, who took power in a military coup in 1989, with a larger caption that stated, the Genocide will not stop until the world leaders deal with the leader of Sudan.  (this is not a direct quote, as i no longer have the paper--feel free to send me the direct quote via email or comments!- the paper got recycled before i could snag it!)

The bold comment demonstrates how far the grass roots movement has come from when I first was introduced to it just 2 short years ago...when Save Darfur was promoting holding a Darfur Vigil and I first met the Lost boys of Sudan, who have profoundly impacted my life. 

The next day, the Post ran an article about Sudan and China with this opening paragraph:

THE DARFUR crisis has demonstrated the limits of U.S. influence. President Bush and administration officials have described it as genocide and pushed intermittently for sanctions, peacekeeping deployments, and a deal between Sudan's government and its rebel opponents, but their efforts have been hampered by the hesitancy of other players. Sanctions resolutions in the U.N. Security Council have been delayed and diluted because Russia sells weapons to Sudan's government and because China has a large stake in Sudan's oil. Efforts to deploy a serious peacekeeping force have been undermined partly by foot-dragging within the Security Council, partly by the indifference of Sudan's Arab neighbors to the suffering of Darfur's Muslim victims and partly by the ambivalence of the African Union, which has veered between brave efforts to supply soldiers and a misplaced deference to Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. (read more)

When will we stop mixing human life, our most precious resource with political and ecomonic gain. 

That was the problem with Jesus.  He refused to do so...  and so should we.

Comments

[Sun Warrior]

The U.S. is so often convicted for its militarism. I actually take encouragement that this is not so. If a $439 billion defense budget can't subdue a little country like Iraq, I don't think the world has much to worry about.

But wouldn't it be nice if it could remove someone like the Sudan general, and actually have the rest of the world come in and support the society. It might get some luster back in the old stars-and-stripes.

[Dim Lamp]

What's going on in Darfur is criminal and sinful, racism and genocide plain and simple--and we're all guilty.

[Caroline Rhoads]

Life is change. It is impossible to freeze life and make everything remain the way they are. I am so glad that we as Christian can bring positive change to those that need to see the love of Christ… Thank you for your articles! Jesus Is Lord!