Dr. Osman El-Badawi: A man of Words and Deeds 

By: Abdelrahman Hamad

Prelude

This man is one of our country’s hidden treasures—Dr. Osman El-Badawi, a consumed artist and a beautiful soul.

Osman , the Academic:

Osman joined the Institute of Music and Drama on a scholarship from the Educational Publishing House. His passion and brilliance in drama and theatre were evident from the start. He graduated in 1977, with excellent motion, leading his batch of graduates for three consecutive academic years.

In 1981, Osman arrived in London as a talented and distinguished student. He first completed a Diploma in Communication Sciences in Television Production and Direction, followed by a Diploma in Film Production. He then pursued a Master’s degree in Theatre Studies and English Literature from Lancaster University. He continued his academic distinction with his doctoral thesis in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on the cultures of Sudan’s Nuba Mountains areas.

However, due to a disagreement with the institute’s administration at the time, his scholarship was cut off with only six months remaining. He returned to Khartoum in December 1984, having refused his family’s offer to cover the remaining expenses, as well as his supervisor’s offer to pay from his own pocket and inviting Osman to move and stay at his home during the remaining period. Later, a professor at the University of Amsterdam offered to have him submit the thesis with modifications under the title “Performance and Performativity in the Cultures of the Nuba Mountains,” which is currently under examination.

Osman worked at the College of Drama for a period after returning from UK, but he left at the beginning of the Salvation era, submitting his resignation directly to the Minister of Higher Education at the time—Ibrahim Ahmed Omar—after the university administration rejected it. He returned to the city he loves, working as a clerk in his private library, until later Al-Qadarif University appointed him as Dean of Students and a lecturer. Osman submitted numerous academic working papers at local, regional, and international conferences.

Osman , the Committed Intellectual:

Osman’s early education in Diling City sparked his interest in the Nuba Mountains region. The region’s magic and the richness of its customs and cultures never left him, even while in Britain. He seized the opportunity to give back through his doctoral dissertation, for which he returned to live in the Nuba Mountains for five months, immersing himself in the rituals of planting and harvest seasons. Osman’s approach to this exploration of Nuba Mountains cultural anthropology is based on the belief that any desired social reform must embrace local cultures, celebrate them, and rely upon them to uplift the region and its people.

Osman , the Stage Actor:

As part of his preparation for graduation in Theatre Studies and English Literature in the United Kingdom, Osman amazed the British with his distinctive performances in plays by Shakespeare and David Edgar, particularly his lead role in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and his role in “The Merchant of Venice.” Numerous British newspapers wrote about that performance at the time. Before and after, Osman acted in Sudan in plays such as “Tajouj” and “Al-Muhallaq.”

Osman , the Media Figure:

Before his scholarship, Osman worked as a contributing editor for several newspapers and magazines, such as “Youth and Sports” magazine. Recently, he presented one of the most beautiful programs on “Saheroun” Radio and Al-Qadarif Television titled “Mithqal Dharrat” (An Atom’s Weight). If only Sudanese satellite channels would engage Osman to contribute with them.

Osman , he Poet:

Those who missed reading his poem “The Night, the Rumbling Drum, and the Stranger,” have missed alot. Osman wrote exquisite classical and colloquial poetry, but as with all his creative endeavors, he never bothered to publish or print them. However, some young people from Al-Qadarif published some of his poems in a non-commercial collection titled “My Homeland and the Song of Longing.” Several artists have sung his poetry, including Al-Taj Makki and Mohamed Salam.

Osman , the Human Being:

With his gentle kindness, perpetual smile, and endearing wit, Osman embraces everyone and captivates them, so that all who knew him compete to be part of his entourage, keep his company, and enjoy his presence. Stubbornness, pride, contentment, and Sufi-like asceticism are perhaps the keys to Osman El-Badawi’s character. That is why he would often say to those wondering about his withdrawal from Khartoum and its bright lights that he left with many of his early-youth convictions intact. You find him not seeking light and glamour , celebrating instead the simplicity of the countryside and its people.

Osman , the Teacher:

With a long career in general education and university education—at the College of Drama as a professor of criticism, and at Al-Qadarif University as a professor of English Literature—Osman has carved his own unique mark on his students and even his fellow professors. That sincerity and devotion to the profession of prophets and great men, supported by his passion for what he teaches, have yielded generations who owe him the grace of knowledge and immense love.

Epilogue :

This is an attempt to capture some of the light of Osman El-Badawi. Much of his virtue, his philosophy of life, and the magic of his personality have been missed here. But may this shortcoming be forgiven, for it comes from a place of love and gratitude