Why was Ustadh Mahmoud Mohammed Taha Assassinated? [Archives:2001/21/Focus]

archive
May 21 2001

Zein El Abdein Khalid Yousif
Saba University – Faculty of Arts and Education
P. O. Box 13331 Sana’a

Introduction:
The world has recently celebrated on in the 18th of January 2001 ‘The Arabic Human right Day’. The Yemeni Government is strongly committed to achieve those rights. The government also works to reinforce the democratic rule in this country.
The Arabic Human Rights Day was declared on the 18th of May 1985. Ironically, on the same day, Mahmoud Mohammed Taha of Sudan was assassinated.
Mr. Taha was born in Sudan in 1909. He studied at Ghordon Memorial College. He graduated as an engineer and worked in this field for many years. He bravely fought the British Colonization occupying Sudan then and he was jailed for many times for his stance. He was known among the Sudanese national patriots as the first political prisoner.
He was the founder and leader of the Republican Party. He was a remarkable and a well-known Muslim Scholar. He used to call for implementation of Islamic principles to achieve democracy, equality and justice.
Why was he executed? Or actually assassinated?
He was executed because of his religious and political beliefs. His execution was carried out by the former Dictator of Sudan, President Numeiri, and the Muslim fundamentalist movement inside and outside Sudan.
His execution took place in public on the 18th of January 1985 at the age of 76 because of his opposition to the so-called September’s law 83 in Sudan. In December 1984 Mr. Taha wrote and distributed a pamphlet called “Either this or the Flood”. In that pamphlet he criticized the government for the so-called September’s laws 83 which was unsuitable for sudan, a country of diverse ethnic origins, cultures and religions.
Criticizing the Islamic Fundamentalist government for implementation of such laws was considered as a heretic and who ever voiced it, was considered an apostate.
His execution received a wide coverage from the world media, in addition to a strong condemnation from all over the free world at the government of Sudan.
We are eagerly looking forward to more justice, peace and love to prevail in the whole world. This won’t be done unless we open the whole media for free thinking and free discussion.

——
[archive-e:21-v:2001-y:2001-d:2001-05-21-p:./2001/iss21/focus.htm]