Fatwa: ‘Sudan’s campaign of newspaper confiscations haram’

Muslim Imam, preacher, and head of El Wasat Islamic Party, Dr Yousif El Kouda, has issued a Fatwa (ruling on a point of Islamic law) stating that confiscating newspapers after printing them with the intention of causing financial losses is religiously forbidden.

Dr El Kouda was referring to the ongoing campaign against the print media by Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) that has seen dozens of print runs confiscated, causing devastating losses to newspapers.

Dr El Kouda stressed that this matter is haram (forbidden) and that whoever is doing this will be held accountable by Allah.

He said “perhaps they will be punished by not having conciliation and stumbling in the march of government and governors or punishing those behind these measures in their life before hereafter”.

Dr El Kouda proclaimed on his Facebook page: “The authorities have no right to financially punish the newspapers”.

He added that “by Allah, this is forbidden by Shariya law”.

He pointed to the importance of knowledge of legitimate borders.