The World Population Review estimates that over 70,000 Sudanese Americans live, work, and attend college in the U.S. While small in number, according to Sudanese American Ibrahim Mohamed, “with a united effort,” their political and cultural insight, offered within the diaspora, could inform on key policy issues that they consider important, “including foreign policy, immigration, and civil rights,” noted newarab.com.
Mohamed runs a tech startup and a digital media agency that manages influencers. In addition, he oversees “Nile Nights,” a platform that connects talent from the Sudanese diaspora that perform and “raise awareness and funds to causes supporting Sudan.”
I was recently introduced to Mohamed in New York while appearing on The Oasis Podcast, where, along with University of Ottawa Professor Awad Ibrahim, the three of us discussed the crisis in Sudan. The weekly podcast is hosted by music industry veteran Abdul Haqq Islam, featuring intimate and informative discussions with Muslim American professionals.
According to Haqq Islam, “The Oasis Podcast is like a living lifestyle magazine where we talk about politics, we talk about fashion, (we) talk about comedy, (we) talk about the life of Muslims in general. As a community, we have a strong voice, but we are not being heard. With there being more than two billion Muslims worldwide, and that number is projected to reach over three billion by 2036, we should have more of a collective global presence.”
Asked by Africa Watch why he featured a “segment on Sudan,” Haqq Islam said, “A lot of attention is being focused on our brothers and sisters, rightfully so, in Palestine. But the majority Muslim community in Sudan, representing the largest displaced population in the world, at over 11 million out of a population of 44 million, receives little or no media coverage.”
He added, “That is the same in Mali, in Burkina Faso, in Niger, where they’ve gotten rid of the French. They receive little or no attention.” He also noted, “They’re making a lot of political strides to control their own natural and mineral resources. And I think it’s a part of my mission to showcase the politics and economics of the global Black Muslim community.”
Mohamed said Nile Nights will host its next show in April 2025 at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. However, until then, they will continue to share important information and content on social media about what is happening in the diaspora, including Sudan.
Another event I recently attended regarding the support of Sudan was a film showing and discussion hosted by Philly For Sudan. The event took place in Philadelphia at the Making Worlds Bookstore. It was the first in a film series paying tribute to Sudan’s spirit, showcasing powerful Sudanese narratives and capturing the complexities and richness of the Northeastern African country. The 2022 film showcased was “Heroic Bodies” by Sara Suliman. In addition to discussing the history and tragedy of female genital mutilation, the film documented present-day Sudan, which before the current war had brought greater equality and freedom for women.
Asked by Africa Watch to explain the origin of Philly For Sudan, Temple University engineering student Rymaz Ahmed, whose parents migrated to the U.S. from Sudan, said the group was started a couple of months ago. “And we started it originally because we saw a lack of participation from the Sudanese community in Philly for advocating for Sudan. And since we have one of the largest Sudanese communities in America, we thought we needed to do something about that.”
She added, “We’re a pretty small group, but we’ve been putting in a lot of work just advocating for Sudan, teaching people about the conflict. We hosted a teach-in over the summer at our community center just to teach people about the war in Sudan. A lot of people aren’t aware, and a lot of people are misinformed, thinking that it’s just a civil war, when it’s more of a proxy war. So, we’ve been trying to educate.”
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