Editorial

The editorial committee of RESPECT/ IHTIRAM is pleased to launch the 8th issue.

This issue  is released at time when the situation in Darfur is gravely deteriorating and the peace negotiations  are  at standstill. For this reason, the editorial committee of RESPECT has chosen to entitle the main dossier of this issue “Contribution to the Debate on the Darfur Crisis”. Researchers and activists who participated in this main dossier are very much involved and actively contributed  to the ongoing debate and research on this question occupying  a central position within the current Sudanese scenes.

We are grateful to all those who accepted our call to contribute  to the creation and preparation of the main dossier:  Salih Mahmoud , Maryam Abdulrahman Takis , Yousif Izzat Al-Mahri, Abdalla Adam Khatir, Rahsid Mustafa Bakheit, Professor Mohammed Suliman and Abdel Moneim El-Gack. We also extend our thanks to those who showed genuine interest to contribute to this issue but  could not make it on time for publication. The journal will always welcome their contributions to forthcoming issues. This invitation or call is extended to all researchers and activists who have enriched the political and intellectual scenes in our country  with their discussions and enlightening research and work for a just peace for Darfur and for solutions which will guarantee justice, democracy and peace to the Sudan at large.

The section entitled “Peace, Democracy and Development Issues”, includes, among other topics, an interview that Dr Abdulmajid Ali Bob held with the Late Dr John Garang Di Mabiour. Although this interview was held twenty years ago (Addis Ababa, June 4th 1988), the issues it discusses still remain urgently relevant, especially the concept of “New Sudan”.

Dr. Amin Hamid Zain Al-Abdeen discusses the currently relevant question of Abyaiyi region in his paper presenting proposals for its solution that ensure unity of the country and reinforcing peace. The researcher Hanaa Mutasim A. Taha introduces a study in which she attempts to scrutinize the deeply inculcated disparity between the people of host urban centers and the displaced people who seek refuge from war zones in these centers. The disparity is reflected in the architectural choices and town planning decisions. For opening the journal to international experiences and visions, Ms. Jessica Hartog from Belgium presents a study entitled "Political Transition in the Sudan.The Role of Political Actors", which was originally an MA thesis presented to the university of Antwerp in Belgium. Finally Dr. Mohamed A. Mahmoud presents a  paper in the Gender Issues section, which deals with "the Exegetical Dilemmas Over Qurān, 4:34". His discussion analytically approaches three samples of classical interpretations and three samples of contemporary gender-based interpretations. 

The Follow-up section contains "The Cultural Declaration on Issues of Peace and Unity in The Sudan: Darfur First" a declaration composed last April by a sub-committee of the Creative Sudanese Coalition . It also contains a special dossier under the title "The International Criminal Court (ICC): An Overview, its Statute and Principal Organs". The dossier includes basic informative documents issued by the ICC office. We would like to thank all those who contributed to this issue  and welcome contributions for the upcoming issue , the theme of which will be made public later in due time.
 

                                                                                                   Editorial Committee