The following pages try to analyze the way the state of Sudan functions and to what extend Islam is influencing it. We speak of a widely unknown country and its political experiences are seldomly known to Austrians, even not to students of political science. Despite of that I am not trying to introduce a country, but to go directly to the state after a small showing of the political history of the state, which is needed for the analyses. If we speak of Sectarian politics in Sudan we first have to define the word sect, as its connotation is not only positive. As a sect a group of people, which has separated from a larger group and with a particular set of religious or political beliefs, which are strongly held and regarded by others as extreme is meant by definition (Sidahmed 1997:23). In Sudanese studies the word sect refers to two groups with a religious belief network but the emphasis is laid on their political agenda and actions. In the following paper the term sect is following this emphasis, and doesn’t imply any judges about religious beliefs or extremes. I don’t want to meet the challenge of analyzing or even judging the rightness of secularism or political Islam. What I try to do is to show how politics in the state of Sudan function and what role Islam has played and still plays. In the same way one could analyze the United States politics and the impact of Christianity. It is clear though, even if it is tried to reach, that a total objectivism is not possible. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Islam and political parties
2.1. Religion before the Independent Sudan
2.1.1. The early Islamisation period and the Khatmiyya
2.1.2. The Turkiyya
2.1.3. Mahdism
2.1.4. Neo-Mahdism
2.2. Formation of Political Parties
2.2.1. Unionist versus Nationalists
2.2.2. The Political Parties
2.4. Politics in the independent Sudan
2.4.1. After independence
2.4.2. After Nimeiri
2.4.3. The National Islamic Front rules
3. Islam and the state
3.1 Islamic thought on the state
4. Islam and Identity
5. Democratic process and Islamic impact
6. Conclusion
7. Literature
Research Objectives and Themes
This work explores the function of the Sudanese state and the extent to which Islam influences its political landscape. It investigates the historical formation of sectarian politics, the role of political parties, and the persistent challenges in achieving a national consensus and democratic governance within a diverse and religiously influenced society.
- The historical development of Sudanese sectarian politics and religious movements.
- The relationship between political parties, Islamic identity, and state administration.
- The evolution of political regimes and the impact of the National Islamic Front (NIF).
- The complex interplay between political religion, democratic aspirations, and national identity.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.3. Mahdism
1881 declared Muhammad Ahmad himself as the mahdi – “the one sent at the end of time to establish righteousness upon the Earth before the Last Day” (O´Fahey 1993:29f). He came out of the Sammaniyya structure, but as it was stroked by internal leadership quarrels was the mahdi able to benefit from this fragmentation. The Khatmiyya and Sayyid Muhammad ´Uthman II, who was then their leader, fought against him. This was the beginning of the later called sectarian organization in Sudan (Warburg 2003:11).
About the mahdi is only written in the hadith, in Shiite and Ismaili Islamic communities the appearance of a mahdi is more often possible but in Sunni Muslim communities it is rare, as the concept lacks any messianic connotations. In Shiite believers the mahdi is connected with the return of the hidden imam. The Sunni mahdi is not such a historical personage but a man from the people, a descendent of the Prophet and preferably of Ali and Fatima. In Sudan it was an indigenous Muslim movement protesting against the foreign rulers and their unpopularity (Warburg 2003:22ff).
The Mahdiyya had a lasting effect on Sudan, as it provided a melting pot for society and it laid the foundations for a Sudanese nationalism on the one hand and also determining Islam as the religion of the state. As said above was it with Mahdism that national ideas were introduced in the Sudan. Through Islam a national feeling was adopted, the European concept of state did not work to its last here. The personage of the mahdi created a link between Islam and politics. The simplicity and clarity of the Mahdist message forced Sufis to submit to one supreme Muslim authority.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the study, defining sectarian politics in Sudan and providing a brief overview of the nation's political history since independence.
2. Islam and political parties: Details the historical Islamisation of the region, the emergence of the Khatmiyya and Mahdist movements, and how these traditions shaped the formation of Sudan's political parties.
3. Islam and the state: Analyzes the theoretical and practical role of Islam in state governance and discusses various Islamic perspectives on the nature of the state.
4. Islam and Identity: Examines the inseparable link between Islamic identity and Sudanese politics, arguing that the nation's political identity is intrinsically bound to Islamic values.
5. Democratic process and Islamic impact: Evaluates the prospects for democracy in Sudan, considering the historical challenges of sectarianism and the inherent tensions between political religion and secular democratic models.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the difficulties in predicting Sudan's political future, emphasizing the need for a solution that transcends the divide between radical Islamist models and secular democratic approaches.
7. Literature: Lists the academic sources used to support the analysis of Sudanese political and religious development.
Keywords
Sudan, Islam, Sectarian politics, Mahdism, Khatmiyya, National Islamic Front, Political Parties, State identity, Democracy, Sharia, Colonial history, Religious movements, Sudan politics, Secularism, Islamic state.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The paper examines the intersection of religion and politics in Sudan, specifically analyzing how Islam has influenced state function and political party formation since the country's independence.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
Key themes include the historical impact of the Khatmiyya and Mahdist movements, the development of sectarian political parties, the ideological role of the National Islamic Front (NIF), and the challenges to forming a unified national identity.
What is the research goal of this paper?
The objective is to understand how political power in Sudan is mediated by religious structures and to analyze the obstacles to establishing a stable, democratic state that accommodates the nation's diverse population.
Which methodology is employed in the analysis?
The author utilizes historical and political science literature to trace the evolution of Sudan’s political landscape, focusing on the historical progression of Islamic movements and their transition into political actors.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the early history of Islamization, the structural impact of the Turkiyya and the Condominium, the rise and decline of successive military and democratic governments, and the specific ideological challenges posed by the politicization of Islam.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Primary keywords include Sudan, Islam, Sectarian politics, Political parties, National Islamic Front, and Democratic process.
How does the author explain the failure of democratic experiments in Sudan?
The author suggests that democracy has struggled in Sudan because the political system is heavily dominated by sectarian influences and a lack of consensus, which prevents the inclusion of non-Islamic and southern regional populations in a truly national project.
What role did the Mahdist movement play in forming Sudanese nationalism?
Mahdism acted as a unifying force that introduced national ideas and established a precedent for linking Islamic religious authority directly to political governance in the Sudanese state.
- Quote paper
- Sabine Putzgruber (Author), 2003, The Role of Islam in the Political Process in Sudan, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/35766
