“The transitional government in Sudan passed a series of amendments that repeal the death sentence for apostasy, public flogging and female genital mutilation, giving Christians hope for the future” following the toppling of the hardline Islamic regime of President Omar al-Bashir last year.
In March, Sudan’s transitional government abolished Islamic committees that confiscated church properties; in December, Sudan announced that it would close the offices of Hamas and Hizballah to get U.S. sanctions lifted.
These changes in Sudan are likely motivated by financial concerns. They are part of efforts not just to get sanctions lifted, but to rebuild overall relations with the U.S. Still, Sudan faces another big problem: its Islamic supremacist citizens who will ignore any attempts to relax observance of Sharia in Sudan. In January, Muslims burned down three churches, then proceeded to burn down the temporary structures each congregation built. Two more churches were burned down at the end of March. And while Sudan has also now criminalized female genital mutilation, the practice will likely continue. This is because Sharia is considered to be divine and immutable.
“Sudan abolishes death penalty for apostasy, reforms Islamist laws after 3 decades,” by Samuel Smith, Christian Post, July 14, 2020:
The transitional government in Sudan passed a series of amendments that repeal the death sentence for apostasy, public flogging and female genital mutilation, giving Christians hope for the future following the toppling of the Islamist regime of President Omar al-Bashir last year.
Sudanese Minister of Justice Nasreldin Abdelbari confirmed Saturday the contents of the wide-reaching reform bill titled the Miscellaneous Amendments Act during a national television talk show.
The new amendments were initially approved in April but are just now going into effect, the BBC reports.
According to the independent Sudanese news outlet Dabanga, the amendments aim to align Sudan’s strict Islamic penal code with the 2019 Constitutional Declaration. The August 2019 document lays out how Sudan will be governed during the 39-month transitional period.
The declaration removes Islam as the primary source of law in Sudan, which has regularly been ranked as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s annual World Watch List. The Bashir regime ruled for more than 30 years before its ousting in April 2019.
According to Abdelbari, the Ministry of Justice has abolished apostasy (when Muslims leave the faith) as a capital offense, saying that such a rule exposes people to danger. Before, anyone convicted of leaving the Islamic religion in Sudan could face the death penalty.
However, Dabanga reports that the law still criminalizes apostasy, but demands that prosecutors protect those who are accused.
The new amendments also direct police and immigration authorities to allow mothers to travel abroad with their children without the written permission of the father or a male family member.
Abdelbari confirmed that the legal changes will also allow non-Muslims to drink alcohol, a custom that was forbidden under the public order laws that barred several different behaviors. The new rule, however, still prohibits Muslims from consuming alcohol.
“We want to grant non-Muslims in Sudan their freedom and rights, as stipulated in the Constitutional Declaration,” Abdelbari was quoted as saying, adding that the new amendments don’t address the sale of alcohol or opening of bars.
“We leave these issues to discussions about Sudan’s future constitution,” Abdelbari added. “The fundamental amendments to the laws that we have adopted now, are linked to agreements made with the rebel movements during the peace talks in Juba. The old laws are a real challenge for the Sudanese. They should be broadly discussed in the future, by the people and by political parties.”….
Antiislamicman says
The problem is that the people are still Islamic nut jobs. How do you change a crazy mind set like that.
The false prophet still has power over a brain dead people.
Only the ones that follow the sick cult of Islam though.
mortimer says
The problem is that the apostasy penalty remains in Sharia law and cannot be removed from it.
Political Oracle says
I hate to criticize anything that seems to be in the direction of secular government but this smells like a sham job just to have U.S. sanctions lifted. Sudan has been a member state of the ICCPR since 18 June 1986. Has Sudan not been honoring the ICCPR? If not, why? Why is there still a criminal punishment for apostasy? Sudan was caught using the islamic religion as its governing mechanism, which denies rights to other religious groups. ICCPR prohibits this. Why did it take as long as it did to expose Sudan’s tyranny?
mortimer says
What you don’t want to encourage liberalization? Encourage liberalization by all possible means. The world will soon be a calmer place.
gravenimage says
I understand your caution, Political Oracle.
Ray Jarman says
About six years ago when I spent time in Khartoum, one could not help notice the new mall and other fairly modern structures and when I queried several people about the newness of the city, the answer was that no one seemed to know from where or whom the money was derived. Speculation was that the Chinese were investing in the country. Even with the new structures that were built and being built, one thing remained old; alcohol was not even served in hotels for foreign guests. Even in Islamabad, a non-Muslim guest could go into the hotel bar and have a drink but not in Khartoum. To proclaim that alcohol in not forbidden is disingenuous and reading about Christian churches being burnt to the ground and Christians in general being persecuted, it seems Nasreldin Abdelbari is telling falsehoods which is perfectly permissible. Until he provides some proof, I will remain skeptic.
gravenimage says
Same here.
gravenimage says
Sudan abolishes death penalty for apostasy, eases Sharia restrictions
…………….
I have heard about this before–I *hope* it is the case, but cannot help but be a bit cynical, given Sudan’s appalling history. Time will tell.
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
As President Reagan said regarding Soviet nuclear disarmament:
“Trust but verify”…
gravenimage says
Spot on, James.