N ALMOST perfect English, Sanka clearly states what his dream is: to build a life in Israel, learn Hebrew and become a filmmaker.

But Sanka is not a Jew seeking a new life in Israel. He is a 29-year-old Muslim refugee. "The Israelis here are really a free people, they have an open mind," he said.

With his family from Dafur, Sanka, then living in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, decided to leave Sudan after attracting unwanted government attention over his reformist views. "I am Muslim but I don't agree with fundamental Islam," he said. "Many of my friends who expressed similar views, were arrested, tortured or in some cases, disappeared."

"The Jewish people I've met here understand my plight. For the first time in my life I feel free. I know that sounds funny but I do. I feel freer here than I ever did in Sudan."

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Some articles (as well as discussions) on Newsvine that you may have missed-- about Darfur and the Sudan: http://krishna109.newsvine.com/sudan
Comments are welcome!

More on Israel's unique relationship with several African countries:
http://tinyurl.com/ypbgyr

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