The Sudanese government and the blind power syndrome

During the first era of Dr. Omar Al-Razzaz’s government in Jordan, the hashtag “Hajar Ya Qutayba” flooded social media. The story began with his young face, Qutaib Al-Bashabash, questioning the Prime Minister – at the time – Al-Razzaz, asking him if conditions in the country would improve or if he was looking for a place to emigrate to. President Al – Razzaz advised him to give up emigration, while most social media users demanded that he leave and emigrate.

I remembered this funny story, which bears hints of the reality of the situation, while reviewing the results of the “Arab Barometer” survey on migration in the Middle East and North Africa, and I was not shocked by the serious indications that show that a fifth of the population of the Arab world is considering emigration.

In the early 1990s, a friend – a Jordanian businessman – who has Canadian citizenship, advised me to submit my papers to the Canadian embassy to apply for immigration, and it was very easy then, and I was in my early thirties, and that a friend promised to provide me with all the facilities and bank guarantees I need to obtain citizenship as soon as possible, but I persistently refused to think about it at all, and with my revolutionary enthusiasm I considered that step a betrayal of myself, my principles and my country, and believed myself that my duty is change in our Arab world, not escape, that is apart from my opinion – at that time – that the West represented “imperialism” which was the cause of the scourge we live in our homelands.

My friend listened to my request and was patient with my emotions and accusations against him, and he answered me: Don’t do it for yourself, get Canadian citizenship for your children, to guarantee that they will be educated at Miguel University, that they will receive top-quality health services, and that they will not feel afraid of the future when they grow up. I ignored his words, and whenever the memories came up, and whenever I was going through a crisis, or a campaign directed at me, I felt anxiety and regret.

The story of immigration to the West needs to be read carefully and its causes and consequences examined. It is terrifying to see that there are those who risk their lives and ride on “death boats” to escape their countries, hoping to reach the shores of countries that will open a safe door to their future.

The figures provided by the “Arab Barometer” show that 48 percent of Jordanians consider emigration, which is the highest percentage in the Arab world, and the lowest percentage is in Egypt, which reaches 13 percent. The indicator confirms that economic conditions precede the reasons for seeking immigration, but does not exclude security problems. Corruption, educational opportunities and political status are among the list of motives for migration.

What is painful about these digital data is that many young people in the Arab world are ready to emigrate even with unofficial papers, ignoring the risks to which they may be exposed, and the numbers and percentages are not small, and in a country like Morocco it reaches 53 percent, Tunisia 41 percent, and Iraq 39 percent.

In detail, what is surprising is that most of those who want and seek immigration are those who have university degrees, which means they have the qualifications to compete and enter the labor market, but the repulsive economic reality makes it difficult to fulfill their dreams, especially in the absence of social justice and progress. Wasta” on efficiency in finding employment.

If you ask ordinary people in our Arab world why they are thinking of emigrating, the answers will be quick, because they live in suffering every day, despite the fact that the Arab world is rich in resources, and it should employ these human resources to create an economic renaissance, and the Chinese model provides a vision about what human forces can create for growth, progress and competition.

The most obsessive concern that haunts young people and makes them think about emigration, apart from the crude economic reasons that shock them, is the concern about the lack of political and security stability, which makes them ready to pack their bags and leave, while wars rage around them and internal conflicts explode , regardless of whether it was called “spring.” Arabic” or “autumn”, and the political power is tyrannical, merciless and often bares its fangs, and the victims are men and women. lack of concepts of citizenship and rule of law.

From the ocean to the Gulf, and even in the rich Gulf countries, people do not have a secure future, and they exhaust themselves daily in search of decent work, education that guarantees their sons and daughters access to the world of the future, health services. , and public transportation that protects them from poverty when they retire and grow old.

Every day a political hurricane hits our world, a day when we are under the burden of the terror of religious extremism, and “ISIS” occupies us, and they export a culture of death, and another day we live in direct occupation, or occupation by proxy, and sectarian flags are raised, and flags of those who rule in their name.

The series of conflicts and crises does not stop, and the blockade is implemented, I do not mean only economic and political, but it extends to the violation of personal freedoms, and values, principles and morals are separated according to the measure of those who rule, or those who act in their name, or those who control demagoguery and populism on the street, so that what you say, what you think and what you wear governs the logic of prevailing opinion, even if you can I can’t stand it.

When social media platforms expanded and the communication revolution reduced the world to a small village where we wander when we want and see what we want, the voices that wanted to take a boat to cross the ocean and reach the other shore increased, as they saw what they should have seen and met worlds that respect the dignity of man, protect him from fear of the future and provide him with the necessities of life, of which bread and freedom are in the first place.

Here I am not praising the West, whose problems and double standards I know, but despite all its flaws, it cannot be compared with countries that live outside of history, and for this reason I am putting comparisons and approaches.

Many families, especially young men and women, when they decide to have children, think about creating all the conditions for having children in America, Canada or some foreign country, so that their next child will enjoy the privileges and protections that citizens have. And I remembered the movie “Black Honey” in which Ahmed Helmy plays, and he goes by the name “Masry” in the movie, when he asks the flight attendant to return the plane after takeoff because he is sick, and the captain refuses to answer his request, and when he takes out the American passport, the plane returns immediately.

32.8 percent of the Arab poverty rate according to the international line, which is equivalent to 114 million citizens living in poverty in 14 countries, and unemployment approaches 25 percent, and 26 percent of the rate of deprivation of health services, and 25 percent of the rate of deprivation of education, and 39 percent the level of deprivation of life, according to the Estimates of the Economic and Social Committee “ESCWA”, and then come those who ask you; Why do Arab youth emigrate, and why do they book a one-way ticket without returning to their countries?!