Sharia law 'has lost its meaning'
2006-06-06 13:18
Khartoum - Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi said he has no problem with Sudan's next president being a Christian or even a woman, claiming Islamic Sharia law has been perverted from its true meaning.
Asked whether the long-divided nation's next president could be a Christian, the outspoken Turabi told AFP in an interview that neither religion nor sex mattered, as long as the candidate was honest.
"If I see a Christian candidate and I see he's honest and can resist the corrupting influence of public office, he's fair and won't use his power against others, then I'll vote for him," he said.
"And I have no problem if it's a woman."
Elections unlikely
But, said the mercurial Turabi, the ruling National Congress Party of his former ally and current President Omar al-Beshir is unlikely to hold free elections that would allow such an event to happen, given the last vote held in 2000.
"Would you call that elections? Two-thirds of the seats were not contested and sometimes it took 10 minutes to count the votes for a whole region," he alleged.
Shortly after the 2000 vote, Turabi was jailed for signing a memorandum of understanding with Sudan People's Liberation Movement rebels, who hail largely from the Christian and animist south.
Sharia 'a way of life'
"People don't understand what Sharia means. They think it's a legal system, but it's a way of life," said the 74 year old.
"Prohibition should be personalised, as a Christian you can drink alcohol, but don't manifest it too much and don't sell it to Muslims, that's about it actually. That's Sharia."