Once again, Sudan's arbitrary sharia laws are causing controversy. Last month Intisar Sharif Abdullah, a young mother, was found guilty of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning in Khartoum. She had given birth to a child that was allegedly not her husband's, and both she and her five-month-old baby are now in Omdurman prison.
.... This is the latest instalment in a random application of an Islamic law that governs the country in principle, but very rarely in practice. Like many Arab countries, Sudan has a constitution that is not purely based on sharia law, but has some language to indicate that religious law is the basis and guiding spirit. In effect, this is a way of paying lip service to religion for the government to gain legitimacy, while avoiding accusations of secularism in a conservative society. [Harry’s Place] Read more
