The Collapse of the Values & Ethics System
Muawad Mustafa Rashid
Last week an obscure female journalist called Safa Al-Fahal threw her shoe toward Al-Toum Hajo who was one of the speakers of a press conference organized by the Forces of Freedom and Change (National Reconciliation) at SUNA premises to announce its structure. She said while throwing the shoe “This is my comment on what is said by the speakers at the podium.”
Another incident took place a week earlier when a prominent politician, a leader in the SPLM-N, and former advisor in the ex-prime minister’s office, Yassir Arman was subject to insult and expulsion while he was participating in the protests against the military rule.
The two incidents did not target Al-Toum Hajo or Yassir Arman in their persons, but they gave clear evidence that the values and ethics system is collapsed and the cycle of degradation is completed.
In the case of Yassir Arman, he did not come to join the protests as a representative of a political entity, but as a Sudanese citizen who has the right to protest like all others.
It is not necessary to agree with Yassir Arman or Al-Toum Hajo, but there should be a minimum degree of respect, considering that Arman is one of the SPLM-N leaders who signed the Juba Peace Agreement, besides his history of resisting the ousted regime, and Al-Toum Hajo also has his history in the struggle against the ousted regime.
Whatever the points of differences in the viewpoints, there should be inherent respect between sides, because the constant in this life is the differences in viewpoints and the belief that you have to defend your opinion without using verbal or physical violence.
Safa did not respect the forum of SUNA which organized the press conference and did not respect the audience by making that ridiculous step, not only that but the step could be the start-point for violence that might target all our politicians.
The two incidents were clear messages to all our politicians that the revolution now has no leadership and became like the cat that ate its kittens.
Accordingly, our political leaders should take care and avoid any gatherings, even if it is for prayers because their fate might be like what happened to Al-Toum Hajo and Yassir Arman.
The verbal and physical violence will not stop and the phenomenon might escalate to include using firearms in the upcoming stage as long as there is no code of ethics.
It is high time for our politicians to rise above their narrow partisan interests and work out a code of ethics to avoid imminent chaos.
