Religion in Sudan

Religion in Sudan – as it relates to the Dinka

Some background information for you

Sudan is a Muslim country, with Muslims making up somewhere in the range of 70% of the people. The government that has been in power since 1989 has consciously based its administration - to varying degrees over the years - on Islamic values.





Photos: Muslims in Sudan












It is estimated that 20-25% of Sudanese follow a form of animism which is the religion of their ancestors. This leaves about 4-10% as Christians, though these numbers vary greatly depending on who you talk to. The people of the north are predominantly Sunni Muslims with most of the Southerners practicing the traditional religions or Christianity.


Traditional Religions- Animism

I often read that a majority of South Sudanese practiced animism and was never really sure what that meant exactly. With a little research I found out that animism is considered to be the original human religion. (I’m not sure why they had to specify “human.”)

The word ‘animism’ derives from the Latin word anima, meaning soul or breath. It is usually applied to any religious beliefs which recognize spirits or a spirit world inherent and controlling within the physical world. This religion is fairly common among aboriginal and native cultures. Basically animists acknowledge that there is a spiritual realm which humans share with the universe. With this as a basis, I can see how other religions grew out of this.

Dinka Religion

The Dinka have traditionally practiced a religion dominated by Nhialic (Sky) who is God and speaks through spirits who take possession of individuals. Sacrificing of cattle plays a big role in the religion. Since 1905, Christianity has made strong inroads into Dinka society and it appears to me that they practice some form of animist, polygamous form of Christianity. Most Dinkas I met consider themselves Christians and quite amazingly, the pictures of Jesus are the German stringy blonde-haired version. Most Dinkas I met also have a deep hatred for Islam, which at various times has been forced on them – only to see them reject it. Somewhere on this blog I describe Sharia law. Okay, back to the Dinkas.

They have one main God, the great universal spirit Nhialic, who speaks through spirits which take temporary possession of individuals in order to speak through them. The sacrificing of oxen by the "masters of the fishing spear" is a central component of the Dinka. They are the self-elected intermediaries between the people and the gods. I’m sure it’s no surprise to yo that cattle play a significant role in the religion. They are sacrifice to God as substitutes for their owners.
Some men and women are also believed to have extraordinary powers. In some cases it is feared that these people have the capacity to inflict harm on others. The concept of the sorcerer exists among the Dinka but it something that they fear from members of other tribes. Illness is sometimes blamed on a sorcerer. I’m really no expert on this – or anything else - but I know that these beliefs vary from tribe to tribe.

Christianity

Though Islam is the religion of the majority of the population, Christianity has a long history in Sudan beginning in the 4th century. It flourished until the 14th century when Islam virtually wiped out any signs of Christianity .


Christian missionaries began to show up in Sudan in the late 19th century, though Archibald Shaw, a missionary of the Church of England, (known simply as Shaw – and later by his given Dinka name, Matur) is credited with bringing Christianity to the Dinka. He spent many years in Malek – the site of the main leper colony in Southern Sudan (see below for some information about leprosy).

Christianity spread primarily through the cities and did not reach the villages until the 1980’s. With the outbreak of the civil war in 1983, many villagers were forced to move to the cities and were converted. One of the triggers of the civil war was the imposition of Sharia law on the south which has as tradition of fending off the Islam. The south Sudanese defended the area against the Ottoman Turks (who ruled Sudan) in the 19th century and repulsed any attempt to be converted to Islam. The civil war came (see the History section) and according to some sources it sparked an explosive growth of Christianity. In some ways, the English language and Christianity are symbols of resistance against the Arabic speaking Muslim north.

Today, Sharia law only applies to the Muslims in the North. In spite of a policy of separation of church and state, the teaching of Christianity to Christians in government schools is part of the curriculum, as is Islam to Muslims. Go figure.

Sidebar – Leprosy.

When I was in Malek and passed the Leper colony I realized that I knew nothing about the disease. In case you’re curious, here’s a brief description. I was particularly confused about whether leprosy was contagious or not.

Leprosy has a long history which I will not go into, but it is interesting to know that it is mentioned in the Old Testament. It also goes by the name Hanson’s Disease and is a chronic infectious disease cause by a bacteria. Today, it can be treated effectively with drugs, but if left untreated it causes severe disfigurement. It is almost never fatal.

Leprosy has instilled fear in people for centuries. The stigma attached to it has forced those infected to be shunned by family, friends and society. Today it is primarily found in only 11 countries of which Sudan is one.

Throughout the ages, it was thought to be a highly contagious disease. People believed that you could get it simply by touching an infected person. We still do not know exactly how the disease is transmitted from person to person. Some theories postulate that it is through nasal droplets released through sneezing. Only a small percentage of people who absorb this bacteria actually get the disease.

Photo: Leper as seen through a car window

Reflections and Sharia Law

From journal entries……..mostly ramblings and possibly some repetitions. No one is reading this anyway, so I’m not sure why I’m explaining……..

Written in early September –

My experience was not Africa, nor even Sudan. It was the Dinka experience in a part of South Sudan, but it seems to me that there is an African consciousness, especially a sub-Saharn African consciousness. It is a consciousness born out of common experiences – colonialism by white Europeans, being black in a white world or at least a world in which whites dominate (thought whites are a minority in the world), civil wars, dictators, corruption, disease, poverty, weather, famine, pollution, artificial borders drawn without consideration of tribe, race, or religion or some sort of combination in line with ordering at a Chinese restaurant.

Though on such a different level, the sense of resignation reminds me of the psyches Red Sox, Cubs and Brooklyn Dodger fans who lived on hope for the next year – and when things were going well expected something to go wrong.

There is an accepted level of corruption. There is also an almost immunity to death – a numbness from years of fighting. There is a thin line between the military and the government. There is one letter separating the two – SPLA/SPLM (Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army/Movement). This is the conflict in the mind between pride and helplessness – the latter leading to an attitude that they must wait for the NGO’s to do something. There is resignation that there will be corruption – yes, I repeat myself.

There is a certain love for what the West can offer their children, yet the fear of what it can bring back. Remember, the men have a good thing going here – no cooking, cleaning, or bringing up the kids. Yet, does this division of labor between the sexes go with the desire for progress? Does anyone really know what they mean by “progress?” And if they do, is it really worth it?

They are centuries behind and trying to make a technological, social, and personal leap – often skipping the steps in between (for example: land lines for phones or broadcast TV), as well as jumping on any “new” thing that is offered to them at an affordable price without pondering the consequences – or learning form our mistakes. Will Africa become the dumping ground for antiquated technologies or products which can no longer be sold in the West because they have been proven to be harmful or dangerous? Is Africa the promised land for those who have run afoul of the FDA or the EPA? With few regulations in place, investors can open up factories that spew black smoke into the sky and pour poisons into the rivers. It seems so logical that Africa should embrace clean technologies and have only the most energy efficient factories built, but the exact opposite is happening. It took until this past year to finally phase out leaded gas – something we did decades ago.

Okay, was I before this modernization rant? Oh yeah:

There is a certain love for what the West can offer their children who have gone and lived abroad, yet there is also a fear of what they will bring back. Will they except the women’s expectations of equal treatment or of monogamy?

And does anyone ask the question – will they be happier? Will they opt for IPods or hospitals? Cable TV or schools? Will any of these advances lead to better nutrition or peace? Who is determining the priorities?

Sharia Law

Those who want to impose Sharia law feel that they have the answers to these questions. They believe that the Western influence and modernization is taking the country down an evil path. They also believe that their view is the only correct view. It sounds insane at first, if one considers how Sharia Law is implemented (see below for a definition and description), but can it be that they truly believe that putting these restrictions on the people of Sudan is truly necessary to save them from hell?

When I was in the Israeli army (I was drafted in 1989 and served 4 months in the Gaza Strip), I developed a friendship with a man who I would have never spoken with in another setting. Eliezer was a right-wing rabbi of a West Bank Jewish settlement. During basic training, he slept in the cot next to me and after a long day, we would hug our M-16’s (having your weapon stolen was punishable by 6 years in prison) and discuss the political situation in Israel. At that time, the first Intifada had begun and I was on the political left – believing in a two-state solution. I firmly believed, and still do, that the Palestinians must have a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but let’s leave that discussion for another time.

Eliezer and I could not agree on anything. He believed that the Bible was dictated by God and that it was written that Greater Israel included not only the West Bank, but Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan as well. I have had discussions with right-wingers before and most have not turned out very nicely. The argument can be reasonable until we reach a certain point where the other person’s eyes become glazed over and they simply declare that what they believe is right because God said it was. There was no point in continuing the discussion at that point. But with Eliezer, it was different. I got to know him and saw that he was such a gentle and loving soul.. He made me understand that we were both aiming for the same thing – peace in the Middle East and that we both genuinely believed with our hearts that our solution was the correct path to take. A political opinion which I had always seen as irrational and fanatical began to make sense to me. I did not agree with any more than I did before, but I understood where he was coming from. It was not from a militaristic or imperialist point of view, but from love. He truly believed that only when Jews will inhabit (or occupy) the Greater Land of Israel will there be peace. That only when there is a religious (as opposed to the current secular) government in place will the Messiah come. He truly believed that his beliefs would save me and the rest of the world.

Once again, the power of religion. The power of belief in God.

Though I do not believe that the political leadership’s goal of imposing Sharia Law is genuinely a humanitarian venture, I do feel that there are many Muslims who believe that the only way to save the world from soulless consumerism and spiritual emptiness is by embracing the words of the Prophet Mohammed and living life according to the law as prescribed in the Koran.

I simply try to understand. I recently came across an interesting observation in the Introduction of Jessica Stern’s fascinating book: “Why Religious Militants Kill – Terror in the Name of God.” She writes: “It is important to point out that empathy does not necessarily imply sympathy. To empathize is ‘to understand and to share the feelings of another,’ without necessarily having feeling of pity or sorrow for their misfortunes, agreeing with their sentiment or opinions, or having a favorable attitude toward them – the feelings that define sympathy.

What is Sharia Law?

Sharia law is the traditional Islamic law and moral code that prescribes how Muslims should conduct their lives. Its scope is quite broad – actually it’s beyond broad and more in the range of all-encompassing – covering the criminal justice system, financial institutions, and almost every aspect of one’s personal behavior. Sharia means “the way” in Arabic and it is the expression of God’s will according to Muslim belief.


Pictured on left: Dr. Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi commonly called Hassan al-Turabi is a religious and political leader in Sudan, a strong proponent of Sharia Law.

Strict interpretation of Sharia law includes stoning women to death for bearing a child out of wedlock or any fornication-related crime, amputations of limbs for theft, and lashing for drinking alcohol. Sharia law stipulates that men and women must dress modestly, refrain from drinking alcohol, and pray five times per day. Banks are prohibited from charging interest.

Each country’s degree of implementations varies, with some countries only following certain aspects of Sharia. Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afganistan (during the Taliban era) were in the strict-interpretation school of thinking and Sharia was the supreme law of the land.

The laws often favor men. For example, if a woman is raped – and especially if she becomes pregnant - she can be subject to stoning unless she can provide four witnesses to the rape.

Human rights organizations all over the world have urged that Sharia law be interpreted in a manner that is in accordance with international human rights standards and the conventions of international law. This has not been easy to enforce.