Besides ethical reasons for avoiding Sudan, it just plain isn't a safe place to visit. It just recently ended an exceptionally bloody civil war that spanned two decades and destroyed the economy and since then there has been a brief war with Chad, genocide in Darfur, and in general just a lot of violence. Is it any wonder it's citizens are so messed up?
I'd hate to invoke Godwins's law, but I think one of the few times a reference to Hitler's Germany really is warranted is when discussing a war-torn nation that's been accused of genocide. The way these people cling to Islamic fundmentalism and all the fearmongering and willingness to follow the leaders to horrible places does remind me Hitler's rise to power in a downtrodden Germany and how he was able to inspire a nation to such horrible insanity.
But yeah, Sudan is not exactly a great tourist spot. In addition to the violent outbreaks which threaten everyone there and the totalitarianism, there is a lot of hate of Westerners, as this episode is evidence of.
However, Sudan is not all of Africa any more than it's religious totalitarianism is representative of all Islam. It's just one country. There are many nations in Africa which are democracies where laws protect human rights and which are much safer to visit. If you really want to go to Africa, just do your research well when deciding which countries to visit. Don't let Sudan's actions put you off the continent as a whole.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2007-12-02 05:44 am (UTC)I'd hate to invoke Godwins's law, but I think one of the few times a reference to Hitler's Germany really is warranted is when discussing a war-torn nation that's been accused of genocide. The way these people cling to Islamic fundmentalism and all the fearmongering and willingness to follow the leaders to horrible places does remind me Hitler's rise to power in a downtrodden Germany and how he was able to inspire a nation to such horrible insanity.
But yeah, Sudan is not exactly a great tourist spot. In addition to the violent outbreaks which threaten everyone there and the totalitarianism, there is a lot of hate of Westerners, as this episode is evidence of.
However, Sudan is not all of Africa any more than it's religious totalitarianism is representative of all Islam. It's just one country. There are many nations in Africa which are democracies where laws protect human rights and which are much safer to visit. If you really want to go to Africa, just do your research well when deciding which countries to visit. Don't let Sudan's actions put you off the continent as a whole.