Sudan’s Islamic clerics hail religious coexistence

November 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s main clerical authority, the Sudan Scholar Corporation (SSC) Saturday denied the existence of religious conflicts in the country saying followers of various religions have lived together in peace and harmony for a long time.

The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, who concluded a two-day visit to Khartoum Friday, has called to hold a roundtable conference on religious freedoms and coexistence to promote the dialogue between Muslim and Christian clerics in Sudan.

He also expressed his country’s concern at the situation of religious freedoms in the country, especially pointing to the “destruction of churches and the arrest of priests.”

In a press statement Saturday, the SSC underscored its commitment to preserving the “fundamentals of the Islamic nation”, saying Islam rejects injustices and criminalizes improper practices.

“Maintaining human rights and in particular the rights of adherents of other religions is at the core of the Islamic approach,” read the statement.

“Sudan has never experienced religious conflict and the adherents of religions have lived in peace and security since the old times,” it added.

Sullivan stressed the importance the U.S. places on Sudan’s progress on dialogue, diversity, religious freedom, and human rights as part of the normalization process of relations between the two countries.

Last July, Washington postponed the permanent revocation of economic sanctions on Sudan and requested Khartoum to do more on the religious freedoms, human rights. Also, it asked Sudan to sever its relationship with North Korea.

(ST)