Sudanese loosen religious laws

Sudan will allow non-Muslims to consume alcohol, scrap its apostasy law and abolish the use of public flogging as a punishment as its transitional government eases decades of strict Islamist policies.

The moves, announced late Saturday by Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari, are part of a slew of changes introduced under the transitional government as it seeks to break with the rule of Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed last year after more than three decades in power. The government had already moved to ban the genital cutting of women, a measure that is coming into effect now.

The latest announcement came a week after tens of thousands of people took to the streets despite a coronavirus lockdown demanding faster reform and greater civilian rule as the nation takes baby steps toward democracy.

“As a government, our work is to protect all Sudanese citizens based on the constitution and based on laws that should be consistent with the constitution,” Abdulbari told state television.

The laws being scrapped are legacies of both al-Bashir and Gaafar al-Nimeiry, an army colonel who led Sudan from 1969-85. In 1983, he imposed Islamic law throughout the nation, precipitating the conflict between the Muslim majority north and the mainly Christian and animist south that led to South Sudan’s secession in 2011.

After taking power in 1989, al-Bashir extended Islamic rule and introduced public order laws that criminalized a wide array of activities and behaviors, including drinking alcohol and wearing revealing clothes for women. Those who contravened the rules faced prison sentences, fines and public lashing. Rights organizations said the laws were “oppressive” and gave authorities extensive powers to make arbitrary arrests, particularly of women.

When al-Bashir was toppled in April 2019 after months of protests, his government was replaced by an 11-member sovereign council consisting of six civilians and five military leaders that was tasked with preparing the country for elections after a three-year transition period.