Khartoum Imams pray for those killed in anti-govt protests

On Friday, worshippers in several mosques in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum followed calls by the imams to pray for the souls of the people killed during the protests in the city. Some who refused to do this were expelled.

Most imams once again strongly condemned the killings, beatings, and humiliation of the demonstrators. They pointed in this context to “masked men driving vehicles without plates throughout the city, abusing, detaining, and killing innocent protesters”.

The imams also criticised “the unlawful trade” many officials and their relatives are involved in.

Dr Adam El Shein, imam and preacher of El Rahma mosque in El Haj Yousef in Khartoum North, described the government as “helpless and incompetent. It can only suppress demonstrators and collect levies and Zakat [religious alms]”.

He said that Sudanese who have high qualifications abroad and who run prestigious international institutions, are capable of running the country.

Sheikh Mehran Mahir, the preacher of El Salam mosque in El Ta’if, condemned the bloodshed and unjustly harming of demonstrators.

He called on God to punish those who attack the peaceful demonstrators.

Abdelhay Yousef, the imam of Sayed El Mursalin mosque in Jabra, strongly criticised the bloodshed and the abuse of safety.

He stressed that the young demonstrators are protesting against the rampant injustice and corruption in the country, and certainly not because hookah cafes were closed, as Salag Gosh, head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), recently claimed.

In Omdurman’s Wadelbakheet, worshipers of El Malik El Guddous mosque expelled the imam for his refusal to pray for the martyrs.

An imam at the Grand Mosque of El Kamelin was forced to stop leading the worshippers in prayer in protest against the statement that it is not permissible to go out against the ruler.