The Sudan Handbook

islamism & thE statE 183

transformation of Sudanese society within a ten-year comprehensive

strategy. The new ministry brought under its jurisdiction various state

departments concerned with social policy such as social welfare, youth,

sports, religious endowments, and zakat. Thus the new ministry was

almost a mini-government, set up with the goal of achieving a coordi-

nated policy geared towards realization of the Islamist vision of social

transformation. In a related development, the regime adopted what

was called the Comprehensive Islamic Call (or Advocacy) Programme,

with the objective of indoctrination and expansion of Islamization in

accordance with the Islamist movement’s ideology.

By the onset of the second decade of Islamist rule, the cultural authen-

ticity project was, however, showing signs of failure. To start with, the

government itself reconsidered some of the steps taken in its pursuit of

the Islamic transformation programme during the 1990s, chief among

which was the downsizing of the social planning ministry in 2001 to a

conventional social affairs ministry. Additionally, the public order special

court was abolished in the year 2000 following numerous complaints

and criticisms voiced against this law even from within the establish-

ment itself (the law, however remained on the books). In tandem

with these reconsiderations, there was less vigilance by the regime in

enforcement of its religious oriented programmes and legislation and,

significantly, almost no more talk about al-mashru‘ alhadhari. Despite all

of this, Islamism was sustained as an ideological cover and a source of

the regime’s legitimacy, particularly in the eyes of its own constituency.

In reality, however, with the ousting of the veteran Islamist leader and

ideologue Hassan al-Turabi in 1999/2000, the Islamic credentials of the

regime became at best questionable. That said, it may be argued that

there is more of a public visibility of religious adherence among the

Sudanese Muslims than before: mosques are full, there is more strict

observance of fasting, pilgrimage, and other rituals; there is also better

religious education especially among young people. All these are valid

observations; the question, however, is whether this ritualistic Islam-

ization with its medieval jurisprudence was the main objective of the

The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors Islamist movement when it decided to take power by force.

(www.riftvalley.net).