Al-Maulid celebrations.. War blocks opening in Omdurman
Moatinoon
Within a distance of 48 hours, all Sudanese wait for the height of the celebration of Al-Maulid, the religious occasion that people have traditionally celebrated annually, which begins the first Rabie Awal and lasts until the eleventh of it. On that unique night, revellers in squares and fields are creative in presenting ceremonial performances that correspond to the value of the sacred occasion for clergy, which not only attracts the attention of adults but serves as a feast for children and young people.
Next Tuesday is the closing date of the celebrations of Al-Maulid, which people locally call the lock of the birth. This time, however, will not be like previous years, especially in the city of Omdurman, the capital of the celebrations, where the war in Khartoum blocked Zafat al-Maulid road and prevented security gatherings of celebrations in the famous Khalifa Square in the national capital of Sudan. Organizers were forced to divert to the Althawrat Zone north of Omdurman in order to live and restore the glamour of the celebrations. But the sound of “Noba” and Praise faded under the bang of the guns and the explosion.
As the war forcibly halted the celebration of Khalifa Square, Sudans most famous square for the celebration of the Prophets birth, reckless bullets forced the Liq Stadium downtown Khartoum to cease its activity, while tents disappeared in Auction Square downtown Bahri, which it used to erect annually. There are also small sub-squares and squares within the regions and the central neighbourhoods of the national capital, most of which did not celebrate the Prophets birth, but some mosques and a number of corners did the duty but in a limited way.
Engineer Abu al-Qassim said: Celebrating the Prophets birth is a great occasion for Sudanese people to care about annually, but this year there was less interest in it because of the war that preoccupied people. The majority of the dwellings in the capital did not remember this occasion until they were surprised by it. Its shameful, but thats the reality that war imposed on us.
Mohammed Awad said: We remember the Prophets birth and its wonderful and beautiful celebrations, especially on the opening day and the lock in Omdurman, Khalifa Square. Everyone in the capital is keen to go to it that day to buy candy and some toys for the happy little ones as they wander between the tents. God cursed the war which made us forget the date of this day.
One young man says, We only celebrate in our secret, and the war itself is “Maulid”, and then the bullets and planes dont leave our houses, let alone go to the courtyards, and the candy and the bride of the Moulid will buy it next year if we dont die.
As the celebrations of the Prophets birth have disappeared in large fields, so have the parallel markets that are established near these active places, offering on the sidewalk candy of their various kinds and some food and beverages associated with the occasion, while the bride of birth did not appear in the square on the opening day.
