Sudan: New government’s transitional constitution excludes Islam; bishop warns “Islamist mentality is still here”
“For nearly three decades, Sudanese Christians suffered under the tyranny of military leader and dictator, Omar al-Bashir. His cruel regime tried to crush all religions, other than Islam.”
In April, Bashir was ousted following massive protests over Sudan’s economic crisis. The protesters included Christians. Although the country remains leaderless, a civilian-majority administration has taken over the government under “a new transitional constitution that no longer includes Islam.”
Although persecuted Christians now see hope in the new administration, Ezekiel Kondo, the Anglican Bishop of Khartoum, is more guarded and sadly realistic. Kondo stated that “if the transition’s principles are really implemented, then yes, we will have change…..But I am still quite pessimistic because the Islamist mentality is still here.” Add to that the fact that “Qatar considers Sudan to be within its sphere of influence”; the links between Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood do not bode well for Sudan.
“Sudanese Christians Hope for a Better Future,” International Christian Concern, August 29, 2019:
Sudan (International Christian Concern) – For nearly three decades, Sudanese Christians suffered under the tyranny of military leader and dictator, Omar al-Bashir. His cruel regime tried to crush all religions, other than Islam, in many ways. First, for decades, they have denied Christians the right to buy or build churches. They have even confiscated and demolished dozens of churches in the countries two main cities, Khartoum and Omdurman. They have used the idea that these churches were built on illegal property or run by criminals as an excuse to conduct this persecution.Second, in 2011, when the majority Christian south gained its independence and became South Sudan, Bashir instituted sharia as the basis for all state governance, saying that all Christians were now living in South Sudan. Through this, they have persecuted pastors, arresting many and forcing them to stop preaching and evangelizing. They have also shut down churches and schools under this. For parents, it has become nearly impossible to send their children to anything other than Islamic institutions for schooling. This has caused issues in families and across the society.Finally, the government has tried to stop all NGOs and non-profits with Christian backing from operating in the country. Again in 2011, they forced many of these groups who had been established in the country for years to leave or close down. This has made it much harder for organizations to aid Christians in Sudan without getting in trouble.Now that Bashir has fallen, there is hope. In an article written by the DailyStar in Lebanon, Reverend Yousef Zamgila stated that the Christians of Sudan “hope there will be change. Christians were also in the protests, they had good reason … I think the darkest days are over,”Reverend Mata Boutros Komi reiterated this same sentiment saying that “at least now, our rulers are acknowledging Christians as part of this country. Christians have prayed for this change for decades, we are happy because this change has come,” he says….
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