Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
December 29, 2010 (NAIROBI) – A high-profile Muslim cleric has called on Muslims in south Sudan not to vote for secession when they go to the polls on January 9, 2011 to decide whether they want their region to secede or remain in a united Sudan.
The plebiscite is stipulated under the 2005’s peace deal which ended nearly two decades of north-south civil war in which religion consistently featured as a tool of mobilization
Aggrieved by years of civil war and perceived neglect by the dominant governments in the north, southerners are expected to vote overwhelmingly for secession.
Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric who heads the Union of Muslim Scholars, said in a televised interview that south Sudanese Muslims should not vote for secession which according to the clerics is a Western conspiracy to break up the unity of the Islamic World.
“A [south] Sudanese Muslim should not vote for secession…because behind secession always lies evil…The West now lives in the world of unity and blocs…We unfortunately live in the world of fragmentation.”
There are no exact figures on the number of south Sudanese Muslims, but they are believed to be a minority.
However, even some Muslims in southern Sudan say the north has oppressed them.
”They put us in third class,” says Juma Said Ali, Deputy Director of Dawah Section in Southern Sudan Muslim Council, an organization in Juba. ”It’s better for us to separate,’ he added.’
Al-Qaradawi claimed that the “Americans and Western countries” were standing behind the secession of south Sudan in order to disrupt the unity of the Islamic World.
“Sudan, this big country, is beset by conspiracies that do not want it to survive,” Al-Qaradawi mused while speaking in his widely watched TV program “Al-Shariah and Life” broadcast on the Pan-Arab TV Al-Jazeera.
The cleric further warned that the secession of south Sudan would spawn similar trends across Sudan, suggesting that the war-battered western region of Darfur, where the majority of the population are Muslim, could be the next in line.
“Now the south, and then comes Darfur. The West wants secession and breakup of the country…this is even more dangerous and we must not condone secession in any country,” Al-Qaradawi said.
Darfur is a region in western Sudan whose population is predominantly Muslims. The neglected region has been steeped in civil war since rebels belonging mostly to African ethnic groups took up arms against the Sudanese government in 2003.
The conflict claimed the lives of 300,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, according to UN figures.
Some rebel groups in Darfur, which stood as an independent sultanate up to 1916, have already expressed views in favor of the region’s right to self-determination.
Although widely acclaimed in the Middle East for his contribution to Islamic scholarship, some of Al-Qaradawi’s views are controversial in the West, especially his repeated defense of suicide attacks on Israeli civilians by the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas.
He is banned from entering the United State and Great Britain.
Last week, a group of radical Muslim clerics known as the Legitimate League of Muslim Scholars and Preachers stirred up controversy when they declared south Sudan referendum as “null and void” from a religious point of view.
They called on the government to cancel the referendum and impose Shari’ah law in the entire country regardless of what southern Sudanese want.
(ST)
Skylover
Key Muslim cleric says south Sudanese Muslims must not vote for secession
Being a Muslim in the south does not mean voting for unity. no good Arabs, the dead Arab is best!!! please southeners do not hesitate or confuse yourselves, the reason being that, having a united Sudan is not liberation.
Maguangdit
Key Muslim cleric says south Sudanese Muslims must not vote for secession
Hahahahaha!
Look at this evil and a terrorist with a diminished capacity! On what basis Mr. Terrorist should Southern Sudanese Muslims not vote for secession? On terrorists view? Fuck you and go to hell with your religion!
Southern Sudanese are human beings with their own interests regardless of their religions. Either Muslims, Christians, or animists, we are done with you here in Southern Sudan!
I will be back with more comments!
Maguangdit
Thonkiir
Key Muslim cleric says south Sudanese Muslims must not vote for secession
Hahah, don’t lie you Muslims should your believes be strong and prevent South Sudanese Muslims not to vote in favor of secession?
DASODIKO
Key Muslim cleric says south Sudanese Muslims must not vote for secession
Haaaaa, Arabs lost oil now want to play religion. I want to ask since when the enitire Arab countries became to know that South Sudan has Muslims among its social fabric? They were all killed ass Kufaar. Its too late maggots, you are going to loose Darfur Blue Nile and Nuba mountains after one year from the independent of the South Sudan. Only fools will accept to live with the Arab racists
Bol Deng
Key Muslim cleric says south Sudanese Muslims must not vote for secession
Is the referendum vote about Christianity Vs Islamic? they are completely lost by their islamic ideologies.
Kumbo
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Al-Qaradawi you are stupid enough to tell muslims of south Sudan not to vote for separation, do you know how did they suffered while with your brother Bashir? first of all a black Muslim you white muslim are considering them as Abid (Slaves)just shut your dump mouth and eat your bloody money otherwise you need to come to South Sudan and tell them your opinion. Foolish Arabs idiot
Chanson
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
“Cleric muslims should lick their elbow” as it has said by their leader Bashir…….One thing they need to know is that. we in the South are not the part of their Muslims country.
Thara Bior must respond to this call otherwise those cleric muslims and …scholars are confuse.Shame on them 100% times.
Separation will be possible one way or other.
Chan$on.
Aleu
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
The Muslim are losing their minds, Southern Sudan already gone.
Peter Mading
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
I am surprised to see fun from Key Muslim Cleric. This man must be a mad man. I wonder why he said that “South Sudan Muslim must not vote for Secession”. South Sudan is a multi religious region and if South demand secession it is the duty and right of Southerners to vote during the referendum. If you want to complicate the situation then your great Allah will cast you because you are a great liar. Being a liar is seen by the whole world. Look at yourself, your mouth and teeth got mixed up like a barking dog and a roaring lion.Americans and Western Countries are not behind the Secession of the South Sudan. Southern Sudanese have suffered alot from your unjust treatment. And it is through them and the help of God that will enable them to secession. Belief from now that South Sudan will be the boundary where you would not attempt again to harbour terrorism or an entry port of your intend forced belief in Allah.
Oduck Bol
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
I don’t have something to say to this muslim man. He should be thinking about where he will get food for his follwers in futuer and where he will hid when the men of the land block everthing.
Peter Elia Kuzee
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Things are worse to the muslims in sudan,those blacks who said they are muslims are southerns,reasons, they are in south and have no place to go.
The have to vote for separation and will be christians soon in 2011 just after voting.
Dansedit
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Actually it has become now that the Arabs world are much worried about there so called islam,how can somebody who called himself cleric say such statement!is he not ashamed to himself ! oh, may Jesus christ help such people who don’t have direction ! they are cleric for nothing pretending that they can advise muslims in south sudan in that manner….All muslims in south please exercise your right….that is no religion discrimination in south sudan .
Therich Diing Therich
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Southerner Sudanese regardless of their religious affiliations; they have already decided and any opinion from any lunatic Muslim cleric will not change their minds. It will be plainly ridiculous to see Southern Muslims fighting for Northern Muslim interests on the polls forgetting that they have a very profound right in the South than in the North.
Therich Diing Therich
Marco A. Wek
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Dear readers, Al Qardawi call for Southern Sudanese Muslims to vote for unity will be heard by very few or none at all ant this should not bother us at all. Southerners are Southerners first before they are Muslims and I know this due to their hearty support to SPLA during the war. Remember they too get the same treatment by Northerners just like you and me. They maybe Muslims but they are our brothers and sisters and they know where they belong. South Sudan will be open to its citizens regardless of their religious background whether being Christianity, different African religions or Islam as long as they don’t use their religion to oppress others.
Cholmaduk
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
Look at this Muslim Cleric. He called on Muslims in South Sudan not to vote for secession at this time, while he declared Jihad war on southerners in early 1990s.Donot you know that the Muslims in South Sudan are those whom you declared Jihad war on them early in 1990s? Did you know there were Muslims in South Sudan when you declared Jihad war on South Sudan? Beside this, Is this Christains Vs Muslims? Mr.Cleric, you better shortup and stop calling on Muslims in South Sudan. They are not arabs and they are not treated like other arabs’s Muslims in North Sudan neither. As long they have freedom of worship like other Southern Sudanese, nothing can not stop them to vote for Secession. You are killing other Muslims in Darfur and in the same time you are calling on Muslims in South Sudan not to vote for Secession,Donot you have a shame? No matter what you say, Southerners are gone.
by Cholmad
Nguetbuny de Luelpiny
Key Muslim cleric says South Sudan Muslims must not vote for secession
These Time Religion will not be allowed in public.
It will be individual to God and in their own houses.
And not going to be in Public anymore.
Time is up for African people to thing by their own way now a day. We are not fighting because of Religion. Islumic and Christainity,both of them are not African interest.
Arab are using Islumic as a tools to slow down
Africa people intelligent and way of behaviours. And the way of slowly Invading Africa step by step. North Africa is now Arab Land. Sudan is going now.
foolish separatist in the southern are giving land away.
Our main goal is human Right,Land and Racial Abuse against Indigenous Africa.
tone of liberators
Nguetbuny