Sudanese security bans 30th anniversary celebration of Islamic thinker’s execution
January 18, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) have prevented hundreds of followers of the late Islamic thinker, Mahmoud Mohamed Taha, from celebrating the 30th anniversary of his execution.
She said that NISS officers emphasised that an order was issued to close the center.
“We left the center and continued our celebration in another place,” she said.
She stressed they used to hold a peaceful protest on the anniversary of Taha’s death since 1985.
NISS also prevented the SRP from holding a seminar at al-Ahfad University for Women (AUW) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Taha’s execution.
According to eyewitnesses, NISS officers came to the AUW’s premises in al-Arda neighbourhood in Omdurman and ordered the university administration not to allow the holding of the seminar.
Taha, a Sudanese thinker, religious reformer and politician, founded the Sudanese Republican Party (SRP) in 1945, which called for Sudan’s independence from the condominium rule and establishment of a republican system of governance.
In 1951 and after a period of prolonged “religious seclusion”, Taha introduced a set of political and religious ideas which he named the “republican thought”.
The Republican Brotherhood are known for resisting Islamic fundamentalism and its leader Taha published a book on this issue a few months before Nimeiri implemented Islamic Shar’ia laws in September 1983.
On December 25 of same year the Republican Brotherhood issued a pamphlet titled This or the Flood stating its opposition to September Sharia’a laws describing it as oppressing and bearing no relation to Islam.
Initially Taha was charged with inciting hate against the state but in January 7, 1985 this was amended to apostasy and was ordered to be hanged. The ruling was endorsed by Nimeiri eleven days later.
Late last year, Sudan’s registrar of political parties refused to approve registration of the SRP so as to enable it carry out its political activities.
Asma noted that they submitted several requests to the Ministry of Culture to clarify the legal status of the center but have not received any response.
“The minister has not responded and refused to meet with us,” she added.
She underscored the SRP has complied with the law during the past period and refrained from carrying out any activities, saying they will lodge a complaint at Sudan’s National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and the ministry of justice.
“Several opposition forces are allowed to assemble and carry out their activities while we are barred from working and thinking,” she said.
The NISS has recently cracked down hard on independent think-tanks, civil society groups and local newspapers perceived to be spreading anti-government sentiments and promoting democratic change.
(ST)