Sudan’s NDA condemns religious decrees targeting Communist Party

By Mahgoub al-Tigani

Mar 6, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) criticized a fatwa (religious decree) issued by the Red Sea Ulama following a political seminar by the Sudanese Communist Party in the city of Port Sudan these past days.

The fatwa outlawed with hostile religious lyrics the communist activity, and called on the prohibition of its membership as well as any cooperation with the party
ranks.

“Aware of the dangerous abuse of such decrees that call on the exclusion of political opponents from public activities, thus initiating violence and breaching the peace,” the NDA called on the government and the other
concerned parties “to take timely swift and firm measures to end the seditious decrees of the ulama extremist or terrorist groups whose acts should be firmly prosecutable by law.”

The NDA Spokesperson Hatim al-Sir Ali stated that “the NDA parliamentarians at the National Council will ask the government to explain the unlawful decrees of the ulama of Port Sudan that had been similarly issued in the
National Capital by a group of other ulama who invited hostilities against the SPLM and further promised to curtail the full enjoyment of the right to
freedom of expression and beliefs by writers and thinkers.

The NDA pledges to question at the next April session of the National Council the formulation, organization, membership, and financing of the ulama groups,
and the terms of service that the government requires for the religious activities of the State.”

Condemning the ulama decrees as a gross violation of the Interim National
Constitution whose provisions protect the freedom of organization,
expression, and beliefs, the NDA Spokesperson affirmed that “these unlawful
fatawi pose a serious breach of peace and stability in the whole country;
they also defame the Nation and inhibit the peaceful co-existence of
people.”

(ST)