Dr. Hassan Turabi—a chief ‘terrorist’ or a champion of Islam?

By Ali Baghdadi, Mid-east Realities, 2 March 1997

(3/2/1997)— Dr. Hassan Turabi, Sudan's politician and scholar who is highly respected throughout the Muslim World, and who voices the most tolerant version of political Islam in which Muslims, Christians and all other religions can live peacefully together, is labeled by the United States government as a “terrorist” and a threat to America and Sudan's neighbors.

Yet, Sudan has never invaded any country. It has never been proven to be involved in any terrorist act. The only ambition Sudan has, which is shared by all Arabs and Muslims, is to unite peacefully and democratically with other Arab and Muslim states, and form a block that can develop and compete to survive in the twenty first century. Despite the richness and great resources of the Arab and Muslim World, Arabs and Muslims will remain poor and underdeveloped until they unite and draw out a coordinated common economic and political strategy.

This theory that is championed by Dr. Turabi and others throughout the Muslim World has landed Sudan, as well as Iran, Libya, Iraq and even Syria on the U.S. list of “terrorist” states.

The United States, despite its spy satellites and intelligence agents that infiltrate every corner in the globe, has never shown any proof that Sudan aids, shelters and provides training centers for “terrorists”. Sudan, as Turabi is the architect of its policy and ideology, has always been a prime target for a coup plotted by the CIA or a secret operation running guns, bombs and money to the Sudanese rebels.

Rose al-Yousef, a very respected Egyptian newspaper, pointed the finger on the United States of being behind last year's attempted assassination of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in Ethiopia in an effort to put the blame on the Sudanese government. Washington even accused Sudan of involvement in the World Trade Center bombing and the plot to blow up the United Nations headquarters in New York. Of course, Sudan was found guilty and convicted without a shred of evidence.

According to the New York Times, a U.S. official responsible for analyzing Sudan said the CIA “can’t envision any successor to the (Sudanese) regime”. The hope that a friendly and acceptable government to Washington that could take power and topple the present regime by force is “wishful thinking and self-delusion”. As for the southern rebels who have been financed and armed by the West since Sudan's independence, “all the leaders hate each other,” and their plans for taking power are only dreams. The United States government has already spent over $15 billion buying or renting the support and allegiances, and subordination of former Sudanese governments. Dr. Turabi himself was imprisoned for seven years by a dictator who was installed and supported by Washington.

Dr. Turabi, the speaker of the National Assembly and the leader of its National Islamic Front, told Washington that its plots to divide his country and the US hostility toward Sudan will backfire and anger Muslims everywhere.

“Looking for an enemy is not right… The spirit is contagious. Don’t provoke a Sudanese. If you try to attack him oh, he will counterattack.”

“America incarnates the devil for Muslims—When I say Muslims, I mean all the Muslims in the world, whether in Russia, in China, in Indonesia, in Morocco or inside America itself. And Islam is spreading in America,” Dr. Turabi said.

Washington does not like to see Sudan becoming the breadbasket of Africa and the Middle East. Sudan, Africa's largest country, is extremely rich in its fertile land, water, oil and mineral resources.

Turabi has won the respect of Muslims all over the world. He is highly admired for his opposition to the West as well as his success in transforming a small Islamic group founded at Khartoum University in the 1960s into one of the more successful political liberation movements in the Muslim world. The West, particularly the United States and Israel, accuse this simple man of masterminding from his simple office in Khartoum, Islamic revolutions in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and other parts of the Muslim World.

His support for Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, his opposition of the presence of foreign troops in the Gulf and his support for Palestinian rights have angered the United States and its allies.

The toppling of the Islamic government of Sudan, which is among the most democratic countries in the world, has become one of America's priorities. With US direct support and encouragement, neighbors Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda have invaded Sudan and aided Sudanese rebels financed by Washington.

A lawyer with degrees from universities in London and Paris, Turabi, is described as architect of Sudan's Islamic government.

“The Americans know very little about the word There is no reason why Americans don’t talk to Sudan. They could have a lot of interests here,” Turabi emphasized. With America's present policy to destabilize the Sudan, Dr. Turabi doubted there would be a reconciliation with Washington “for a while.”

He also threatened to ignite a wider war in the Horn of Africa if Sudanese forces do not recapture territory seized by rebels last month. He said his government might allow Ethiopian opposition groups to stage attacks from Sudanese territory if it did not regain its land back soon. With Israeli and US military hardware and advisory support, Eritrean and Ethiopian troops crossed the Sudanese border and occupied a strip of land along the Blue Nile. The Israeli strategic object is to control the Nile and consequently control Egypt.

“If it costs us very much to liberate our territory, Sudan would probably reciprocate,” he said. We will fight back. To preserve our freedom and dignity, if forced, Sudanese are prepared to pay the price.