FRONTPAGEMAGAZINE
The residents of South Sudan have voted almost unanimously in favor of secession. President Omar Bashir has said that he would react to the new country’s creation by modifying Sudan’s constitution so that Sharia is the only law of the land and Arabic the only language. The U.S. has a potential new ally in South Sudan, but the Bashir regime is now more radicalized and will try to undermine its neighbors with the help of Islamist allies.
Faith McDonnell, the Director of Religious Liberty Programs and Church Alliance for a New Sudan at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told FrontPage that South Sudan will be a pro-Western secular democracy with religious freedom.
“South Sudan’s independence means that a people who fought against jihad and forced Islamization/Arabization have won. They have rolled back the plan to impose Sharia, they have refused to be dhimmis, at great coast,” McDonnell said.
President Bashir says that his country will now be based strictly on Sharia law, a move intended to appease the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical Islamic forces inside his country that have turned on him. His former ally, Hasan al-Turabi, was arrested shortly following the referendum after he said the government could be overthrown as has just happened in Tunisia. An estimated 300 supporters of al-Turabi protested his arrest and were dispersed by the security forces.
The internal opposition that the Bashir regime faces is forcing it to take an aggressive stance. A successful South Sudan will inspire the opposition that exists throughout the country, especially the youth who “hate the regime and want freedom and democracy,” McDonnell said. The Sudanese regime should be expected to undermine its new neighbor through the use of non-state actors and possibly direct confrontation.
Bashir has already said war would erupt if the tribes of the oil-rich Abyei Province declared they are joining the South. The province’s vote on whether to become part of the new country has been delayed because of disputes over voter eligibility and those disputes could result in fighting. The Bashir regime is also unlikely to allow the crucial province to leave. It has also warned of war if South Sudan harbors militants fighting in Darfur, setting up a possible pretext for confrontation.
South Sudan as its independence is seen as a theft of Muslim land by the West. It is not inconceivable that the Bashir regime will ally with these terrorists as it has done so in the past to undermine South Sudan and please al-Turabi and the like. In fact, an intelligence report from 2006 claimed that about 15 members of Al-Qaeda were training the regime-sponsored Janjaweed militia in Darfur.
Bashir’s Sudan will also become even closer to Iran, which is eager to extend its reach into East Africa. The Iranian regime opposed the referendum and said it would help Sudan ensure its territorial integrity. Bashir can count on Iran to help him undermine South Sudan as it stands in the way of the Islamic Revolution.
The Iranians have grown closer to Eritrea and an expanded presence in Sudan would allow Iran to threaten the Red Sea shipping lanes and the Arabian Peninsula from the west side. Egypt could also be pressured from the south. In April 2009, the Mubarak regime arrested about 50 Hezbollah operatives planning to attack an Israeli site in the country. The interrogations revealed that they planned to send other members to Sudan for training in suicide bombing and other terrorist tactics.
Sudan is also sponsoring Hamas. In January 2009, the regime admitted that a truck convoy that was bombed by the Israelis was transporting Iranian arms to Hamas. The Revolutionary Guards had been managing the supply line from Port Sudan. An opposition newspaper has reported that the Revolutionary Guards is running a factory in Khartoum that is making weapons for Hamas, the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, and unidentified militants in Somalia. The deputy-editor of the newspaper was arrested after the story broke.
The Bashir regime may also be trying to build nuclear weapons or at least assist Iran in doing so. Since at least 1998, it has been known that an Iranian-owned company in Khartoum was acquiring nuclear technology. It is no coincidence that Ayatollah Khamenei was in Sudan when he stated in 2006 that Iran would share nuclear technology with Islamic countries. Khartoum has since officially told the IAEA that it is beginning a nuclear energy program and would build its first reactor by 2020. Agents of the regime have reportedly tried to make contact with the remnants of the A.Q. Khan network over the past year. This is made all the more dangerous by Bashir’s decision to make Sudan a state based solely on Sharia law.
The new country of South Sudan offers the West an opportunity to have an ally to counter Iran’s bloc in East Africa. It will come under attack from a Bashir regime that must not allow it to succeed and terrorists that see its creation as part of a Zionist plot against Islam. The largely Christian and African state of South Sudan will need the West’s help in defending itself against the Islamists, but how far the U.S. is willing to go to provide it remains to be seen.
Showing posts with label Referendum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Referendum. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
10 south Sudanese killed at north border
AFP
Armed Misseriya Arab tribesmen killed 10 south Sudanese civilians and wounded 18 near the border as they were returning from the north, southern internal affairs minister Gier Chuang said Tuesday as the landmark independence vote went into a third day with large crowds again forming outside polling stations.
"A convoy of returnees coming from the north to the south were ambushed on Monday by armed Misseriya. Ten were killed and 18 were wounded," Chuang told a news conference, according to AFP.
Armed Misseriya Arab tribesmen killed 10 south Sudanese civilians and wounded 18 near the border as they were returning from the north, southern internal affairs minister Gier Chuang said Tuesday as the landmark independence vote went into a third day with large crowds again forming outside polling stations.
"A convoy of returnees coming from the north to the south were ambushed on Monday by armed Misseriya. Ten were killed and 18 were wounded," Chuang told a news conference, according to AFP.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
U.S. Taxpayers funding constitution vote in Kenya?
CBN News
Voters in Kenya stood in long lines Wednesday to decide on a new constitution, even as religious leaders fear the document will take the country down a dangerous path.
Some Kenyans waited as many as five hours to cast their votes on the proposed new constitution which sets up an American-style presidential system.
The constitution drastically reduces the current powers of Kenya's president. It also includes controversial provisions on abortion and Sharia law, one reason why Christians are encouraging citizens to vote "No."
Under current law, abortion is allowed only when a mothers life is in danger. But religious leaders fear the new language in the document will allow abortion on demand.
The Obama administration and other leaders are encouraging Kenyans to approve the constitution. Rep. Smith was outraged to learn that more than $23 million in U.S. aid was sent to Kenya to promote "yes" votes.
"This is an administration that is very aggressive in promoting the killing of unborn children and the wounding of their mothers by way of abortion worldwide," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said.
He said donations labeled as "civic education" were used to register tens of thousands of voters and to provide transportation to the polls to create an "overrepresentation" of the "yes" vote.
The constitution also allows Muslims to set up Sharia courts called "Khadi" - courts that will handle domestic issues like divorce, custody, and inheritance.
"The thought of the United States taxpayer paying money for Sharia courts in Kenya is unbelievable," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va, said.
The new constitution protects Kenyans from discrimination based on race, gender, or religion. But it allows those rights to be limited to the extent necessary in Islamic courts.
Some fear that puts Muslim women at risk.
"You had the Islamic community actually threatening, that says, 'If we don't get the Khadi court system in the constitution, we'll break off from Kenya.' So there is a separatist movement being threatened on the proposed constitution," Jordan Sekulow, an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice, said.
Kenya's last national election erupted in deadly violence that left more than a 1,000 people dead. Supporters and opponents of the constitution have urged peace after the vote. To increase transparency, votes will be tallied on live television.
There's only one question on the ballot in Kenya: whether or not to replace the country's old constitution with a new one.
Voters in Kenya stood in long lines Wednesday to decide on a new constitution, even as religious leaders fear the document will take the country down a dangerous path.
Some Kenyans waited as many as five hours to cast their votes on the proposed new constitution which sets up an American-style presidential system.
The constitution drastically reduces the current powers of Kenya's president. It also includes controversial provisions on abortion and Sharia law, one reason why Christians are encouraging citizens to vote "No."
Under current law, abortion is allowed only when a mothers life is in danger. But religious leaders fear the new language in the document will allow abortion on demand.
The Obama administration and other leaders are encouraging Kenyans to approve the constitution. Rep. Smith was outraged to learn that more than $23 million in U.S. aid was sent to Kenya to promote "yes" votes.
"This is an administration that is very aggressive in promoting the killing of unborn children and the wounding of their mothers by way of abortion worldwide," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said.
He said donations labeled as "civic education" were used to register tens of thousands of voters and to provide transportation to the polls to create an "overrepresentation" of the "yes" vote.
The constitution also allows Muslims to set up Sharia courts called "Khadi" - courts that will handle domestic issues like divorce, custody, and inheritance.
"The thought of the United States taxpayer paying money for Sharia courts in Kenya is unbelievable," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va, said.
The new constitution protects Kenyans from discrimination based on race, gender, or religion. But it allows those rights to be limited to the extent necessary in Islamic courts.
Some fear that puts Muslim women at risk.
"You had the Islamic community actually threatening, that says, 'If we don't get the Khadi court system in the constitution, we'll break off from Kenya.' So there is a separatist movement being threatened on the proposed constitution," Jordan Sekulow, an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice, said.
Kenya's last national election erupted in deadly violence that left more than a 1,000 people dead. Supporters and opponents of the constitution have urged peace after the vote. To increase transparency, votes will be tallied on live television.
There's only one question on the ballot in Kenya: whether or not to replace the country's old constitution with a new one.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Southern Sudan Christians say separation from the North Sudan will be "beautiful."
EPISCOPALLIFE ONLINE
But Christian leaders in the country are warning of a backlash if the 2011 referendum results in independence from the north and are urging protection for Christians in the country.
"It is possible that the government will adopt strict Islamic rule in the north under which the church will suffer severely," said the Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol, general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches.
In the plebiscite set for Jan. 9, the oil rich south, where most people are Christians or follow local traditional religions, will determine whether to secede from the Arab- and Islamic-dominated north.
The referendum was a key requirement of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the government of Sudan signed in 2005 to end a 21-year civil war.
During the war, churches were denied permits and land for construction. Foreign missionaries become targets of harassment by the security forces and clergy were denied visas to travel out of the country. Churches also were attacked.
"Even now, we are not finding it easy to operate there. So after secession, it will even be harder," warned Chan.
Humanitarian agencies estimate that nearly two million southerners are still living in the north, most of them in Khartoum.
Christians in the north have experienced their homes and cemeteries being demolished. Christian women have been whipped when they fail to cover their legs or faces, as required by Islamic law.
"There may be revenge on those living in the north after the vote. So measures to protect Christians are crucial," said the Rev. Tut Mai Nguoth of the Presbyterian Church in Sudan.
After the 2005 peace agreement, the government was expected to make unity attractive by ending resource imbalance, injustices and political repression, and by providing basic services. Church leaders regret that nothing was done.
"With only a few months to go, it is almost too late for the northern government to make unity attractive for the southerners to vote for unity," said Mai.
Church leaders are anxious that the north could sabotage the referendum. They fear it may fuel violence by proxy, by using southern militias as well as the Sudan Armed Forces on the borders.
Chan said violence could also be triggered if the referendum is not held on time or if its results are manipulated. Problems around the distribution of oil wealth may further fuel conflict.
"It is true that the national budget is presently supported by a high percentage from oil revenue. A large base of oil is in the south. Should the south secede, the north will have difficulty finding alternative for the support of the national budget," warns Chan.
Mai said southern Sudan people are looking beyond the vote to a new nation.
"Separation should be allowed, and maybe like Germany, the two countries could unite again in future. Maybe after 10 years," said Mai.
Catholic Archbishop Paolino Lukudu Loro of Juba has observed that the region's people want to form a nation in southern Sudan through the ballot. "There is a sense of the people of southern Sudan preparing for the referendum next year," he said. "If the people chose to secede ... they must be allowed to go."
But Christian leaders in the country are warning of a backlash if the 2011 referendum results in independence from the north and are urging protection for Christians in the country.
"It is possible that the government will adopt strict Islamic rule in the north under which the church will suffer severely," said the Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol, general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches.
In the plebiscite set for Jan. 9, the oil rich south, where most people are Christians or follow local traditional religions, will determine whether to secede from the Arab- and Islamic-dominated north.
The referendum was a key requirement of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the government of Sudan signed in 2005 to end a 21-year civil war.
During the war, churches were denied permits and land for construction. Foreign missionaries become targets of harassment by the security forces and clergy were denied visas to travel out of the country. Churches also were attacked.
"Even now, we are not finding it easy to operate there. So after secession, it will even be harder," warned Chan.
Humanitarian agencies estimate that nearly two million southerners are still living in the north, most of them in Khartoum.
Christians in the north have experienced their homes and cemeteries being demolished. Christian women have been whipped when they fail to cover their legs or faces, as required by Islamic law.
"There may be revenge on those living in the north after the vote. So measures to protect Christians are crucial," said the Rev. Tut Mai Nguoth of the Presbyterian Church in Sudan.
After the 2005 peace agreement, the government was expected to make unity attractive by ending resource imbalance, injustices and political repression, and by providing basic services. Church leaders regret that nothing was done.
"With only a few months to go, it is almost too late for the northern government to make unity attractive for the southerners to vote for unity," said Mai.
Church leaders are anxious that the north could sabotage the referendum. They fear it may fuel violence by proxy, by using southern militias as well as the Sudan Armed Forces on the borders.
Chan said violence could also be triggered if the referendum is not held on time or if its results are manipulated. Problems around the distribution of oil wealth may further fuel conflict.
"It is true that the national budget is presently supported by a high percentage from oil revenue. A large base of oil is in the south. Should the south secede, the north will have difficulty finding alternative for the support of the national budget," warns Chan.
Mai said southern Sudan people are looking beyond the vote to a new nation.
"Separation should be allowed, and maybe like Germany, the two countries could unite again in future. Maybe after 10 years," said Mai.
Catholic Archbishop Paolino Lukudu Loro of Juba has observed that the region's people want to form a nation in southern Sudan through the ballot. "There is a sense of the people of southern Sudan preparing for the referendum next year," he said. "If the people chose to secede ... they must be allowed to go."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
