Gift of Revelation by Robert Fleming Read Free Book Online Page B

fingers, and one of the aides sprinted from the room. I noticed then that a portrait of a smiling president Omar al-Bashir had been strategically placed on the wall behind Hasseem, right over his head, and two leather-bound Korans sat on a shelf behind him.
    â€œObama is weak,” he said and smiled. “He tried to convince our president to end the conflict by saying that he would remove the ban on American investments in Sudanese oil exploration. That didn’t work. Obama also offered to remove Sudan from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. We rejected him outright. We don’t need American charity.”
    I understood this cavalier attitude, because I’d read somewhere that China had been bankrolling Sudan’s energy projects for some time. The Chinese really didn’t care about human rights. Black Christians didn’t matter when it came to potential profits. Also, several Arab moneymen had lined up to cash in. So Sudan was doing quite nicely without American investment.
    â€œAlso, America is worried about Yemen and Somalia, since they’re very full of followers of Osama bin Laden,” he smirked. “Like Bush, Obama is nervous about national security matters . . . about terrorism and energy. Some of his advisers believe Africa is becoming an incubator for terror. What do you think?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I replied right before the aide returned with a tray containing two tall cups of chilled tea. “That’s what I’m here to see. I want to see for myself before I draw any conclusions.”
    â€œThat’s good,” he said, offering me a cup. “I’ll help any way I can.”
    â€œThe Western media says there is possible genocide going on in South Sudan, which the government is permitting to go on,” I said boldly, watching his two aides nervously lean forward. “Do you know about that?”
    â€œI hear things, but no decent Muslim would want to live next to a person who doesn’t respect Allah,” Hasseem argued. “Before we had the British controlling us, forcing us to tolerate each other. That’s not the case now. South Sudan got its freedom in two thousand eleven. The fighting broke out there between the supporters of their president and those of the former vice president. They say that thousands of people have been killed and that there have been massacres. I don’t know about this.”
    â€œAre you saying there is no evidence of these crimes?”
    â€œLike you, I’ve seen pictures and heard supposed victims say there have been killings, but this could be trumped-up, false evidence to keep up the conflict between both sides. Do you know what I mean? The West can do many things. The CIA can do many things.”
    â€œWhat about the child soldiers fighting there?” I asked.
    â€œAgain, I’ve heard the propaganda, but this could be another trick by the West,” the editor said, smiling widely. “Who knows what is true?”
    â€œThe press says schools, clinics, and health centers have been attacked,” I continued. “Many women and girls have been raped, savagely and sometimes by several men. Some women and girls have been kidnapped. Children are being killed as well. What do you know about this?”
    â€œNot much,” the editor boasted. “The only thing I know is what I read in the Western press. That’s why we laugh at Obama and his underling Kerry. They have no idea what this whole thing is about.”
    â€œI hope to see for myself,” I said firmly.
    â€œReverend, I’ll tell you what Kerry said during his recent tour of Africa. We had a good laugh at it,” the editor said, taking a sip of the tea. “Kerry said, ‘Those who are responsible for targeted killings based on ethnicity or nationality have to be brought to justice, and we are actively considering sanctions against those who commit human rights violations and obstruct