Islamic laws in Sudan

Sudanese girls including Southerners get 10 lashes for “provocative dressing”
Monday 13 July 2009 05:52.
July 12, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — A number of Sudanese girls including Southerners were arrested by police last week on charges that they violated the public dress code, one of them told Sudan Tribune today.

Photo showing Lubna Hussein’s clothing when arrested by Public Order Police

Lubna Hussein, a journalist and a public information officer at the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was one of nine girls taken by the Public Order Police (POP) on Sunday from a ballroom in an area east of Khartoum.
The only thing in common between all those taken into custody was that they were wearing trousers, she said.
Hussein said they found four girls ahead of them waiting for interrogation by a judge in Al-Sagana court.
Among the detained were four from Southern Sudan, three of whom were under the age of eighteen, she added.
The Sudanese journalist said that no representatives from the Non-Muslims commission were present considering that the Southern girls were Christians.
The arrests took place under the Criminal Penal Code which states that anyone wearing “grossly clothing” shall be punished with no more than 40 lashes or a fine or both.
Ten out of the thirteen girls ended up receiving 10 lashes and fined 250 Sudanese pounds while the remaining three asked for their lawyers to be present and as such their cases were transferred to the deputy prosecutor.
Hussein said that some of the girls admitted guilt to the judge without appearing to be aware of its implications. She said that one girl told her that she just wanted to “get this over with”.
The Sudanese journalist said that the application of this section of the criminal penal code is damaging to a girl’s reputation in the Sudanese society.
She disclosed that one of the girls was “so terrified” before the judge that she urinated on herself.
Her case is yet to be heard before court.
Last year a senior police officer in South Sudan capital of Juba was sacked after he ordered a crackdown on young women wearing tight trousers.
Southern Sudan unlike the North is not governed by Islamic Shari’a law.

Sudan and China

China secretly sells Sudan multi launch rocket systems: report
Tuesday 14 July 2009 06:34.
July 13, 2009 (PARIS) — The Sudanese government managed to buy an unknown number of WS-2 multi-launch rocket systems from China, according to Kanwa Defense Review Monthly magazine.
This is the first time this system is exported by China to any country, the Defense magazine reported adding that Sudan now is in possession of the “most powerful long-range attack system” in the African continent.
The multi-launch rocket systems was never shown in any of the country’s military parades.
The report comes as the Sudanese defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein started today an official visit to China.
“The two countries have witnessed fruitful cooperation in such areas as politics, economy and culture since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago,” the Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said after talks with Hussein.
Chinese state media made no mention of any proposed defense contracts between the two countries.
Kanwa Defense Review Monthly could not verify when Sudan received the WS-2 rocket systems but that several African delegates at the Abu-Dhabi International Defense Exhibition and Conference 2009 confirmed the sale.
Furthermore, sources told the magazine that the system’s effective range was upgraded to 200 km with enhanced accuracy and reduced launch time. The system’s warhead weighs 200 kilograms and it uses four types of ammunition.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) imposed an arms embargo that covers Sudan’s Western region of Darfur.
Human rights groups frequently accused China of supplying arms to Sudan for use in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo and produced photographs of Chinese weapons in Darfur.
But Beijing insists that any weapons sales made to Sudan are not in breach of any UNSC resolutions.

End of an era

End of an era
Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
It was exactly one month ago when I reported about Joseph Kangi. He was the man that we had intervened and introduced to a hospital for the provision of ARV’s. Last Friday Joseph rested in the night.
It is a sad situation to see a young man die and so by the effects of the HIV/AIDS. We may go into debate as whether AIDS kills or not but the common denominator is there is death. The other day I saw Michael Erwin Johnson the former Lakers’ player and an icon before Jordan and was astounded. He has been HIV+ for so long. After the death of Joseph, my mind went to his 76 year old mother who has lost yet another child to the pandemic. I have come to learn that she has another daughter and can’t help but ask whose fault is it. How will this old God loving grandmother take in all this grief? What is in her heart? Is she bitter against God? Does she think that there is something that she didn’t do right? Do we blame this on God or the government or on poverty or is it time we said let everybody carry their cross?
We have no answers and as we continue in the preps with Joseph’s burial I have come to the conclusion Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. We will not have enough answers to satisfy us but have to rest in the knowledge that even though we do not know, we can have assurance that God has the best in store. The church led by George has lit a light in this village by serving the family. God has been glorified and a practical gospel of Jesus Christ is preached.
We have made this testimony because you were there to stand with us. People are hearing the good news and coming to the savior because you care to give and support the work of Mayatima project. We are doing this because you have come and partnered with us. We are praying for you that God will bless you. By Emmanuel Chege

Denial Kills!

Denial Kills!
On a sunny afternoon George, Jane and I went for George’s Pastoral visitation. It was a follow up for George and he and Jane wanted to take the next steps for intervention for Joseph Kangi. He was 38 and with Tuberculosis which was a result of HIV/AIDS.
Jane did the tests and Joseph read the results. Even though he knew that he was HIV+, Joseph wanted to live again. This however was the reality in him. After the tests Joseph was enrolled at a hospital for the continuance of the treatment of TB and the management of HIV/ AIDS. But on arrival to the referral hospital where he was directed and after Jane had filed his case, denial kicked in and Joseph lied to the doctors and what emerges after his death is horrible.
As people brought Joseph home, they knew that he had little time left. Joseph had in a long time lived in denial of his HIV status. He was on and off on the ARV and medication on the opportunistic diseases. The problem is that Joseph discontinued his treatment every time he felt better and strong. This ignorance got him kicked out of several HIV treatment programs.
On the day we visited, he kept talking of how he desired to be well again. Last Friday George was called early to take Joseph to hospital. His health had deteriorated fast in two days and he needed to be taken to hospital. On arrival at the hospital Joseph was admitted. Later George went with Joseph’s mom to some of her children and asked them to check on him. None of them took it seriously. 3days later when one of them went to check on him they found out Joseph died on the day he arrived at the hospital at night. He died through ignorance and denial and it is a pitty.
The serving of Joseph and his family By Mayatima project and the church is spreading like a bush fire. They are talking of the church that has shown concern for the sick and needy. We are starting to see converts: in this week alone 5 people have been saved after the death of Joseph reached the village.
Thank you for being a part of these happenings by partnering with Mayatima project in our call to reach out to our people. To God be the glory forever. Amen. By Emmanuel