Email
Print
Save
July 7, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir on Saturday said that he rejects ’secularism’ and reiterated his commitment to replace the country’s constitution with an ’Islamic’ one.
- FILE PHOTO - Sudan’s President Omer Al-Bashir (REUTERS)
Speaking in a religious rally held in Wad Al-Fadni area east of Khartoum, Bashir said that he rejects secularism in Sudan.
He went on to declare that the country’s upcoming constitution will be ’Islamic’ and serve as “a role model for all people who have aspirations to apply religion in all aspects of their lives”.
Bashir also announced that they would form a committee comprising all political forces and especially religious groups to draft the constitution.
Bashir has already decided to end the debate about his country’s cultural identity, stating at one point ahead of the secession of the mainly Christian South Sudan in July 2011 that Sudan would adopt a constitution with Islam being the official religion and Arabic the official language.
His new comments come at a time when his government is facing growing public discontent and street protests over rising cost of living as the country’s economy struggles to weather the effects of losing 75 percent of its oil production to South Sudan.
Sudan’s current constitution, which was agreed in 2005 as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with South Sudan, in theory recognises the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity.
Official records say that 97 percent of Sudan’s estimated population of over 30 million are Muslim.
(ST)
Latest Comments & Analysis
National unity: a project for each and every South Sudanese 2013-05-21 14:23:01 By Jacob K. Lupai May 21, 2013 - South Sudan has just attained independence from an imposed unity that had failed miserably to take into account the objective realities on the ground. In the old (...)
Unity and reconciliation necessary for sustainable peace in Darfur 2013-05-21 14:19:47 By Adeeb Yousif May 20, 2013 -The biggest challenge in the Darfur conflict today is divisions. These divisions have created misunderstanding and mistrust within Darfurian society. Moreover they (...)
The Invasion of Abyei: two years of more agony 2013-05-20 05:39:13 By Luka Biong Deng May 19, 2013 - On 21st May 2013, the people of Abyei have spent two years of more agony and they will remember again the sad memories of how their lives and livelihoods were (...)
MORE