Last of ' The Messengers '. . .
Dr. Babiker Yahia writes from London :
13 August 2001
A modest tribute to Dr. Abdul Wahab A. Sinada ( 1934 - 2001 )Since graduation from medical school, in Khartoum 1958, till his death-bed in a Prague hospital for major abdominal surgery, his entire life had been tightly dominated by a duality of public work and altruist philosophy. A rarity of self-effacement and social input amongst post-colonial elites that have bestridden sea and gulf in a gold rush. His medical practice - a child neurologist and a public health expert - had been frequently obliterated by successive military regimes. Nevertheless, during these turbulent times, his trade-union activism had taken over up to the downfall of both military regimes in 1957-64/ 1969-85. In the 3rd. democracy 1985-89 he was elected twice by his fellow trade-unionists. Once as vice-chairman to the Sudan Medical Association and later a chairman to the Professionals Federation. The overall performance of both bodies was greatly enhanced by his sophisticated know-how, managerial and soliciting powers.
The two themes he soberly pushed into public agenda were the deterioration of national health services and the incessant civil war in the South and Nuba Mts. Contrary to established policies by successive civilian governments and military regimes, for him : health is a basic human right. Likewise, in a face to face encounter with the then Prime Minister, he was strident to expose the fallacy of sustaining economic and social development and, simultaneously, conducting a brutal civil war against Sudanese citizens historically sidelined, because they lack political clout. He called for the immediate cessation of hostilities followed by a nation-wide constitutional platform to debate all thorny issues of devolution and autonomy, sharing of national resources, cultural and religious identity etc. In a mystified atmosphere of hysterical war-drumming by all traditional sectarian and fundamentalist political parties, union activists and progressive democrats had to bear the brunt of arbitrary dismissal and hounding.
In the wake of 1989 coup by the National Islamic Front he was instrumental in rallying the workers, professionals and public sector employees to sign and present a memo against the dissolution of their unions and suspension of public and trade union liberties. At a later date, spurred by his subtle political foresight, he took an audacious step of conducting talks with one of the coup leaders. His argument: unions were not political parties. Hence, union leaders should be reinstated.
However, when the fundamentalist war machine was in full gear, he managed, with other activists , to relaunch the Sudan Human Rights Organization in exile, in London in 1992. Needless to say , the HRS watch-dog organization, in a working relationship with AI, through documentation and exposure, was an effective whistle-blower in alerting the external world to the en masse war atrocities and serious HRS violations by the fundamentalist regime and its paramilitary militias.
Meanwhile, he presented the Sudanese unions case in international fora highlighting detention, torture and physical elimination of activists. He was a lone, but a sincere voice for political and social advancement in numerous encounters and congresses - in Britain with the TUC, UNISON, ICTUR, in France with the CGT, in Prague with WFTU, in India with the TUC , as well as in Arab and African countries. In the early 90s, in conjunction with the legitimate workers union, on behalf of the union movement, he filed a comprehensive complaint to the ILO against the Sudan Government for its curtailing of union rights, persecution of union activists and failure to conduct fair and free unions elections.
To strengthen the legitimate professional trade-union movement inside the Sudan, as chairman, he convened a representative bureau in London to forward its moral and material support. Professionals, from all over the world, have shown their unwavering compliance with the bureau discharging its duties on a daily basis to ensure the establishment of an independent, all-embracing professional movement.
Last April, triggered by a gripping impulse of home-sickness, in a daring move, he arrived at Khartoum airport, with a Sudanese passport in hand, accompanied by family: wife Nadia, son Tariq and daughter Jasmin. He had a prime time reuniting with his aging mother, brothers, sisters, old friends and last with his surviving and persecuted fellow unionists. His elating errand was further enhanced by the marriage ceremony of his daughter Jasmin at the time. In returning to Prague - where he had been living with his wife Nadia - full of ideas and teeming with fervour to proceed with his usual assignment, he would embark on drafting a detailed report on the professionals trade-union movement. Sad to say, that report won't materialize.
The news of his death on July 30th has taken many of his close colleagues, workmates, family members, friends - strangers alike - by surprise and precipitated unto them a vacuum of pervasive uncertainty and despair. Is it any wonder that we have affected ignorance and spawned rivalries rather than focusing on the vital issues ? His life-long giving and imparting, his no-winner strategy, infatuation with the common interest and discerning professionalism were the cornerstones of his public engagement. Such values were difficult, if not outright perilous, to uphold for five decades under highly repressive military or Islamic fundamentalist regimes characterized by ineptness, ethnic cleansing, cultural and religious exclusion and corruption. The verity behind his death has awakened us to the ugly realities of a discredited, disowned country haunted by the prospect of a gloomy future. It points, foremost, to the futile vanities of an elite generation that has lost track, self-confidence and potential .
That long haul of anguished history and unparalleled dynamism started to show its early toll on his physical health. A raft of spinal rigidity, glaucoma and cataract, diabetes, intestinal obstruction and, terminally, bowel cancer plighted the last decade of his life span. Enshrined in Sudanese culture is a common belief that lives of community-empowering leaders exhibiting high integrity are ephemeral in contrast to the longevity commonly enjoyed by the greedy and evil-doers. A dialectical correlation that might explain the predominance of all things bad in our contemporary society. His vulnerability, accident-proness and, not least, his early departure are essentially cues that we have failed dismally to build the all-Sudan society. At all levels in the echelon of power, we still witness the prevalence of narrow-minded bigots and zealots, torturers, war criminals, security psychopaths, authority worshippers, money-lenders, horders, launders and smugglers. Names like El Beshir, El Turabi, Ghazi, Bakri, Abdul Rahim, Naffi, El Amin, Taha, Zubeir, Hamdi, Shams El Din etc. have, by stealth, forced their way into our lives, held the peoples of the continent-country - Sudan - hostage to a corrupt, fascist-style and genocidal regime in the name of Islam. They have caused that inspiring cultural and ethnic variety irreparable damage. Yet, with every other day, a chunk of our glorious heritage ebbs into obscurity. It has always been a salient feature in human history : philosophers and thinkers are executed by tyrants. This has never been more true than with the contemporary dictatorships in the Sudan. Names like Moawia Nur, Mohd Ahmed Mahgoub, Josef Garang, Abdul Khalig Mahgoub, Mahmoud Mohd Taha, Mohd Omer Beshir and many others are shining examples.
Have we reached the nadir of a dark era?
For me, I miss that reassuring, contemplative serenity suffusing his afflicted physique and down-to-earth sturdy personality.
Why is it so quiet so daunting all around?
Human rights in a dignified face
Asma Abdelhalim
01 August 2001
The time was 1993, It was June and Vienna, Austria, was showing the international visitors her best. The UN decided to have the International Human Rights Conference in that beautiful city. For me it was the best of times I got to see old faces and smile at how some faces did not really match what I had in mind when I heard the names. I also got to see some old colleagues who happened to be part of the upstairs scene (at the conference the NGOs were relegated to the basement while governments occupied the upstairs space). I saw Sidgi Kaballo for the first time and we hit it off as soon as we met, we spoke like old friends. At the conference premises I had the pleasure of meeting my respectable colleague Dr. Amin Medani and had a chance to see others who came from around the world. One person I met for the first time there was different though. I met Dr. Abdelwahab Sinada when a comfortable face with a true smile approached me and in a soft spoken voice greeted me. I sat to chat with him, told him of how I happened to be there. We discovered mutual friends some of whom were relatives. He was genuinely interested in what I said about women and their rights. Throughout the week Sinada would stop daily at the room reserved by some women NGOs, leaf through the publications and to the surprise and utter delight of women picked up a pin that shouted "Women's rights are human rights", Behind the words lurked the face of a woman looking at the world through barbed wire. Sinada would wear that pin everyday on his dark clean suit. His daily dignified walks into the room were welcome and his interest showed a deep concern that did not just start with the human rights conference. All that experience and concern would silently show in how he seemed to be the one who had his touch all over the material displayed at that conference even if he was not the one who prepared it. When someone commented that I was talking to someone who had the demeanor of a head of a state, I said he wasn't but I would not mind supporting and voting for him if he ever wanted to be one.
Aliaka rahmatu Allahi ya Sinada.
asma
Gamal Awad
01 August 2001
What a big loss.. Words can't express our feeling for the loss of such great
man. Despite his sufferings in the last four years, Dr. Sinada kept writing
to all his friends. In his last letter, he elaborated about his plans to
strengthen trade-unionist activities in exile so as to support the trade
union struggle in the Sudan. He also gave me an account (a physician
account) about his ailing health. The list of operations he had undergone
were enormous, enough to stop the beating of hundreds of strong young
hearts. It was really astonishing that his deteriorating health or strength
never stopped him from giving all his efforts to the Sudanese Struggle.
The legacy of Dr. Sinada is everlasting. His stand, dedication and heroism
is contagious. To his family, friends and to all democratic forces my
condolences.
GBA
Hamid Bushra
01 August 2001
What a great loss, he left
from us before seeing the
New Sudan, before enjoying the movement of the free
trade union. My sincere condolences to his family, his
friends, Murad, Khadija, Aba Saied, Mamoun, Mubark and
to the whole democratic movement.
Ameena Al-Rasheed
31 July 2001
It is always hard to find the right words to console ourselves. Dr Sinada is a great loss for our people, rest in peace and farewell Dr Sinada.
Niemat Malik
31 July 2001
SAD, big loss socially, politically, professionally and as a friend
Abubakr Sidahmed
31 July 2001
Heartfelt and sincere
condolences to his small family and the very large
family" The Sudanese Grass root and all peace loving people on
earth"
whom he served with dedication and devotion..May Almighty God Bless his
soul and rest in Peace..
abubakr
Murtada Albasha
31 July 2001
Mutasim Alagraa
With great sadness I came to know that Sinada has passed away. Please
accept my most sincere and heartfelt condolence. I wish you, the family and
friends of Sinada the strength to go through this testing time and cope with
this tragic loss. It is most difficult for us to see loved ones leave one
after the other while we are still scattered around the four corners of the
globe trying to build some anchors to help us deal with this cruel world.
Sincerely,
Mutasim
Gerry and Sondra Hale send their condolences to the family of Dr. Abdel
Wahab Sinada. We also send our respect to the great trade union movement
of Sudan and to its leaders. Dr. Sinada, one of the best of them, has left
a legacy. Those he influenced and struggled arm and arm with will carry on
the struggle.
Hashmi
Abdelmagid Bob
30 july 2001
Dear Hassan:
My heartfelt condolence on the loss of Dr. Abdelwahab. He was a fine human
being who devoted his entire life to our common cause. Abdelwahab will be
greatly missed by everyone who had come in touch with him. He leaves
behind a
big void that is hard to fill.
Amin M. Medani
To his wife and children, to Hassan and the rest of the family, friends, colleagues, SHRO members and indeed to all the Sudanese people. I was shocked and extremely saddened by the news of the passing away of AbdelWahab, a gentleman of great honour and integrity, wisdom, patience and uncompromising commitment to his people and country whom he served without fail all his life in politics and defence of human rights. May god bless him and rest his soul in peace. My sincere condolences and ina lilah wa ina ilayhi rajioon.
amin mekki.
Hassan Gizuli
under this situation, at this time, just this time , it's really more for us to have like this sad news about Dr Sinada , one by one they are gone!! , under this situation , at this time , just this time !!.
to his family , to his friends in Prague murad , kadija , mubarak , aba saeid, mohamed sinar and all his friends in the world , please accept my great condolences .
hassan
Ahmed Tarawa
30 July 2001
Mohamed Elgadi & Magda
Ahmed
30 July 2001
What a great loss to the human being in Abdelwahab Sinada.. until the last
moments of his life he never surrendered and always believed in the
international trade union movement.. Sinada definitely is survived by all
those activist whom inspired by his rich life..
Mohamed Elgadi & Magda Ahmed
Mubarak Saeid
30 July 2001
passed away, today in the morning.