TY - JOUR
T1 - “Lord Come to Our Aid”
T2 - Islamisation, Civil War, and the Pastoral Letters of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference
AU - Tounsel, Christopher
N1 - Funding Information:
The Second Sudanese Civil War began with a mutiny at Bor in May 1983. Ex‐colonel John Garang de Mabior formed the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Rather than pushing for separation, the SPLM Manifesto stated that the organisation aimed at “engulfing the whole country in a socialist transformation . . . to establish a united Sudan, not a separate Southern Sudan.” Ethiopia’s Colonel Mengistu channelled all weapons and supplies destined for Sudanese rebels through Garang. By 1985, Sudan’s economy was in dire straits. In addition to rising inflation, growing social inequality combined with economic doldrums to create an atmosphere of discontent. In April 1985, Major General Siwar al‐Dahab announced that the military had taken over the government and that elections would be held in a year. The military officers involved were supported by the NIF and established an Islamic state under General Dahab. While the 1986 elections brought longtime Nimeiri foe Sadiq al‐Mahdi to office, Nimeiri’s Sharia laws remained in place. General support for peace combined with pressure from the army to spur the formation of a new national government in March 1989. The NIF — suspecting that a peace would require the repeal of Sharia for non‐Muslims, rewriting the Islamic constitution, and re‐established Southern autonomy — refused to join the new government. On 30 June 1989 army officers led by Omar al‐Bashir staged a coup and took power. In the coming years, al‐Turabi wielded significant influence in the quest to establish an Islamic state. He developed a sweeping ideology that drew from Sunni, Shi’I, and Sufi philosophies and combined liberal components of Islamic democracy (like women’s rights) with a fierce, anti‐Western approach. He also created the Popular Defence Force (PDF) militia, foot‐soldiers who pursued jihad in South Sudan and intensified the civil war. 6 7 8
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Religious History Association
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/6/1
Y1 - 2020/6/1
N2 - During the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), the Sudanese government attempted to fashion the country as an Islamic state. The Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) penned a series of letters condemning the lack of religious freedom, making demands of the state, and encouraging the laity with particular biblical references. The letters occasionally framed the war as a chance to prove a familial relationship with Christ, suggesting a compelling link between citizenship and faith. This article explores these letters and argues that they represent an important chapter in the genealogy of Sudanese church–state relations. Ongoing challenges with religious freedom in Sudan and South Sudan show the continuing relevance of earlier church discourse towards and about the state.
AB - During the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), the Sudanese government attempted to fashion the country as an Islamic state. The Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) penned a series of letters condemning the lack of religious freedom, making demands of the state, and encouraging the laity with particular biblical references. The letters occasionally framed the war as a chance to prove a familial relationship with Christ, suggesting a compelling link between citizenship and faith. This article explores these letters and argues that they represent an important chapter in the genealogy of Sudanese church–state relations. Ongoing challenges with religious freedom in Sudan and South Sudan show the continuing relevance of earlier church discourse towards and about the state.
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U2 - 10.1111/1467-9809.12661
DO - 10.1111/1467-9809.12661
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85085565801
SN - 0022-4227
VL - 44
SP - 168
EP - 186
JO - Journal of Religious History
JF - Journal of Religious History
IS - 2
ER -