---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:58 AM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Fw: NCP infighting? To: Group <[email protected]>
Sudanese security officer slammed for remarks on Islamic Shari’ah law March 15, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A senior Sudanese security officer has been facing a barrage of criticism after he suggested in a radio interview last week that the government may repeal Islamic Shari’ah laws if other political parties agreed to it, in a case highlighting the sensitivity surrounding the issue of Islamic laws in the predominantly Muslim society of northern Sudan. Lieutenant General Hassab Allah Omar, a veteran security and intelligence officer who currently serves as the secretary-general of Sudan’s Presidential Security Consultancy, opened a Pandora box of furious reactions when he said in an interview broadcast on Friday by Sudan national radio that “If political parties agreed to repeal [Islamic] Shari’ah [law] then Shri3ah should go.” A host of Islamist writers and pro-government stalwarts unsheathed their pens in the local press to vilify Hassab Allah for his statements. The campaign further escalated when the presidential adviser and head of Sudan’s Islamic Jurisprudence Council, Ahmad Ali al-Imam, joined Hassab Allah’s detractors. Al-Imam said that the officer’s statements were antithetical to the government’s avowed commitment to Shari’ah laws as declared by the President Al-Bashir. “These statements reflect negatively on the credibility of the Inqaz [the original alias of President Al-Bashir’s government]…whoever delivers such statement should be held accountable on individual basis,” Al-Imam said. Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir declared in December of last year that the country would amend its constitution to transform itself into an Islamic state following the secession of the predominantly-Christian south which voted to split from the north in a referendum later in January. The Association of Muslim Scholars, which is the state’s official clerical authority, also issued a statement strongly criticizing the statements of Hassab Allah and calling him “Hassab of the devil.” Hassab Allah, who appeared this week in a press conference saying his statements were “wrenched out of context”, has been serving in the security and intelligence dockets since the current Islamist government of President Al-Bashir seized power in a military coup in 1989. He was closely involved in coordinating the extradition of the Venezuelan militant known as Carlos the Jackal in 1994 from Sudan to France where he also served for two years as a diplomat in the late 1990. he was also involved in the secret cooperation with American Intelligence CIA in the past. On the other hand, the Presidential Security Consultancy which is directed by Sudan’s former intelligence Chief Salah Gosh issued a statement reacting to the criticism against its secretary-general. It said that the statements of its secretary-general were not accurately reported and that the real meaning was the impossibility of repealing Islamic laws. (ST) END ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor Sudan Ecumenical Forum [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.za/group/sudan-john-ashworth -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
