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One day. So I cooperated with the British on a clear basis that I had accepted as my policy from the beginning, which is development and the extraction of the rights of the Sudanese people through politics, not revolution. My faith in the correctness of this policy never wavered, despite the emotions that arose around it. I recall that in the height of the federalist call and the intensification of Egyptian propaganda in denigrating the independence movement and falsely questioning its goals, some young men in the Umma Party became agitated by the Egyptian attack. Some of them suggested that we abandon the policy of participating in constitutional institutions. My advice to them was that Sudan has two paths: constitutional development or demanding independence through armed revolution. I told them, "I fear that if the armed revolution fails, Sudan's progress will regress, and the British will find a reason to oppress and persecute the Sudanese people. I do not agree with armed revolution because I do not want Sudanese blood to be shed in vain. I am confident that any revolution without my leadership will not ignite, because I am the leader of the Ansar, and they are the fighting force and the solid, unyielding channel. They draw their strength from their history and from the legacy of struggle that has come down to them from their fathers."
Al-Abbasiya Conference I said that the White Flag Society was an extension of the Egyptian national movement, and I wanted to form another front that would demand independence and whose existence would stem from the reality and history of the country. So, I invited leaders, notables, and merchants to my home in Omdurman in 1923. The meeting was attended by leaders of the Khatmiyya and notables. We discussed matters concerning the country. Sayyid Ismail Al-Azhari (grandfather of Ismail Al-Azhari) and Sheikh Al-Tayeb Hashim spoke at the meeting, and Sayyid Hussein Sharif delivered my speech to the attendees. In that speech, I demanded that we declare our non-recognition of the 1898 agreement, to which we were not a party, and the establishment of a situation that highlights Sudan's existence. I presented these demands to the Governor-General, but he did not respond. I can say that the Al-Abbasiya Conference failed, but the demands we made were realized after thirty years.
Graduates Club and the Educated Movement In 1919, the educated minority felt the need for a club to bring them together. For my part, I felt that the independence movement could not succeed if it were not supported and guided by the intellectuals in cooperation with the people. Among the founders of the club was Sayyid Hussein Sharif, and I encouraged him to proceed with the club's movement. He, in turn, was very active, and this activity was met with displeasure.
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