September Laws (Sudan)
At that time, al-Turabi, serving as the attorney general,[3] refused to pledge loyalty to the International Muslim Brotherhood, resulting in a division.
Although Youssef Nour al-Daim [ar] had assumed leadership of the Sudanese Brotherhood in 1969, it remained a smaller faction with restricted influence.
[7][8] A group of Islamists, including al-Nile Abu Qarun, Awad al-Jaid, and Badriya Suleiman, who were students of al-Turabi, assisted Nimeiry in drafting the laws.
al-Turabi, along with supporters within the government, also objected to autonomy in the southern region, a non-religious constitution, and the adoption of non-Islamic cultural practices.
[15] To show his dedication to sharia, Nimeiry banned "European dancing"[14] and ordered all alcoholic beverages in Khartoum spectacularly dumped into the Blue Nile.
[14] Until this prohibition, the trade in such goods as well as ownership of nightclubs and bars had traditionally been dominated by Sudanese Greek merchants, who controlled around 80% of the market.
These amendments aimed to designate the president as "a leader of the believers and the head and imam of the state" and assert sharia as the primary source of law, excluding non-Muslims from certain aspects of public life.
[21] Nimeiry's affiliation with the Abu Qurun Sufi order influenced his belief in being the sole authority to interpret laws based on sharia principles.
He asserted that the implementation of the sharia led to a significant decline in crime, reporting a reduction of more than 40% within a year, attributing it to the imposition of new penalties.
[5][22] The period from 1983 to 1985 brought severe drought and desertification in Sudan, which had a significant impact on agricultural productivity and food availability in the region.
These amputees faced continuous social stigma, struggled to secure employment due to the perception of their severed limbs as symbols of criminality, and often were subject to wrongful arrests.
They sought recognition as a charity but faced opposition from the government, citing concerns that it might be used as a front for criminals and disrupt the Sudan's form of Islamic justice.
[25] Sudanese historian al-Mahbob Abdul Salam recounts that Hassan al-Turabi lost consciousness while witnessing an amputation at Kober prison.
It also criticised Wahhabism, opposed the enforcement of Islamic penal codes, and supported a federal social democratic governance system.
[30] Nimeiry's Islamic phase marked the end of the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972, sparking renewed tensions in Southern Sudan in 1983.
[8] In the south, the September Laws were bitterly resented both by secularised Muslims and by the predominantly non-Muslim southerners,[30] as Christians faced sharia punishment, including 8, who were hanged.
The National Islamic Front (NIF), Ansar, and Khatmiyya Sufi order (DUP) became significant players in Sudanese politics.
Women were instructed to dress modestly according to Islamic standards, including wearing a head covering which was enforced by the Public Order Police.
[42] On 14 February 2013, a man's right hand and foot were amputated at al-Ribat Hospital after he was convicted with armed robbery,[43][44] known as "Hirabah" in article 167 of the 1991 Sudanese Criminal Act.
Doebbler alleged that Sudan violated various provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights by arbitrarily arresting, detaining, and torturing individuals, including himself, during his work as legal counsel.
The Government of Sudan was urged to revise its 1991 Criminal Law to meet international human rights standards, abolish flogging as a punishment, and ensure victims receive compensation.
