The Splitting of a Mustard Seed (1-2)

By: Ali Askouri

The news reported that the so-called “Taqaddum” group has split. Frankly, this news troubled me because it defies logic and common sense. What disturbed me the most is the difficulty of comprehending the idea of splitting a mustard seed. We know that mustard seeds are ground to extract oil, spices, and traditional medicine, but we have never heard of a mustard seed being split in half. If that has now happened, then this is a new and unprecedented phenomenon.

Perhaps this is one of the many extraordinary feats of “Taqaddum,” as we shall see. We all know that Taqaddum is an exceptional case of political subservience in these times—defying customs, traditions, principles, values, and even honor. In fact, it defies the very meaning of being human, having even a mustard seed’s worth of conscience. Conscience is an internal moral compass for a sound human being, but when God strips it away from someone, they become lower than animals. Even livestock serve many useful purposes.

God has stripped Taqaddum of its conscience, turning its members into people who celebrate the rape of their nation’s women, gloat over the killing of innocent civilians by artillery and bombardment, and rejoice at the destruction of their country’s infrastructure carried out by their own armed wing. Schools where they studied, hospitals where they were treated, roads they traveled on, and power stations that once lit their way—all are being destroyed by their own military faction, while they cheer! Didn’t I say that Taqaddum is an extraordinary case of political subservience?

Linguistically, an “extraordinary” event is any phenomenon that defies logical or scientific explanation, or that contradicts established knowledge based on human experience and accumulated understanding.

The mustard seed is mentioned twice in the Holy Quran as a symbol of its minute size. Allah says in Surah Luqman:

“O my son, indeed if it [i.e., a deed] should be the weight of a mustard seed and should be [hidden] within a rock or [anywhere] in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and Acquainted.” (Surah Luqman, 31:16)

And in Surah Al-Anbiya:

“And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountants.” (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:47)

The mustard seed was also mentioned by Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), who said:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

If the mustard seed is so small that one might need a microscope or magnifying glass to see it, then without a doubt, Taqaddum is the mustard seed of Sudanese politics. Therefore, its split is truly an extraordinary political phenomenon, and Taqaddum continues to astonish us with its record-breaking descent into political disgrace.

I believe that if there is anything that could make us forgive Taqaddum for its crimes and betrayal against our country and people, it would be its commitment to explaining how this “mustard seed split” occurred! We Sudanese love extraordinary phenomena, and this particular split is so bizarre that I believe it qualifies for the Guinness Book of Political Oddities.

The most laughable part of the news, however, is that Taqaddum reportedly split over the formation of a government-in-exile! The other absurdity here is that even before splitting, this “mustard seed” of a group didn’t have enough members to fill a 20-member cabinet, let alone other leadership positions in the state. If Taqaddum were to take power today, half of the ministerial seats would remain vacant. They would have no choice but to “phone a foreign friend” to fill them, because no Sudanese citizen would ever agree to join them. After all, collaborating with traitors is itself a betrayal of Sudanese blood.

To be continued…

“This land is ours.”

Source: Asda’ Sudaniya (Sudanese Echoes)