An Islamic Sudan may become a reality

(Cover photo by Bread For the World.
Story photo by Kids Alive International)

Sudan (MNN) ― Sudan is quietly slipping toward becoming an Islamist state. Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has said he wants to adopt a "100 percent" Islamic constitution now that the South has split off.

Christians worry they won't be able to practice their faith--a concern that's been borne out in action by Sudan's recent crackdowns. Matt Parker, Vice President of Operations at Kids Alive International, says, "Although the government itself is saying there is religious freedom, really those are empty words."

Parker goes on to say that Kids Alive partners have shared stories this week about churches that have been destroyed, as well as a corresponding wave of arrests and deportations. "We do know of other Christian organizations in the area (in fact, I spoke to the director of another organization just this week) who have lost some of their key staff and are really concerned about what the future holds." What's more, "I've heard stories this week of offices of Christian organizations being broken into, raided. There are reports of orphanages and schools being closed."

Although officials strongly deny any discrimination against Christians, Parker says, "Christians in Sudan, churches, are very fearful about what the future holds, but there's very little reported in the media about this."

Bashir has been facing pressure from religious hardliners. The Sudan Tribune reports that a group of Islamists recently signed the "Islamic Dawn" charter that would establish Sharia law in Sudan. Further, the charter would ban any parties opposed to the move. The recent round of arrests might be an effort to appease these groups. Parker explains, "We've heard of people being arrested. We've heard of people being deported from the country for sharing about their faith. At the same time, there are Christians in Sudan that are committed to sharing the Good News."

Kids Alive International has a presence in Khartoum. "We have a program working with 30 former street children, providing them with quality care, residential care, based on the compound of a church." The staff, while not directly affected by the closures and arrests, are watching the situation closely, says Parker. "We're very aware that we may have a limited window of opportunity to be there, and we're committed to being there for as long as we can and making the most of this opportunity that we have to be witnesses for Christ."

The Kids Alive ministry is Christ-centered, focused on fulfilling the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children. For now, they're still operating normally. "Be praying for churches. Be praying for Christian leaders in Khartoum, praying that God will strengthen them and give them wisdom in this situation."

Awareness is a big part of how you can help. Parker says because of the potential for disruption, "pray for our ministry and the 30 boys that we care for. Pray that these boys, each one of them, would grow up to be godly men."

Sudan ponders a season of 'Spring'

(Cover photo by BBC World Service: File footage refugee camp.)
 [Story photo by Kids Alive International: Sudan boys]

Sudan (MNN) ― On Friday, thousands lined the streets of Khartoum and Omdurman demanding that the president step down as a result of the country's economic woes.

They clashed with security, which fired tear gas into the crowds in an escalating effort to clampdown on the turmoil.

The protests started June 16 at universities in the capital of Khartoum and quickly spread to other cities across Sudan. Demonstrators are calling for an of end Omar al-Bashir's nearly 23-year rule. They say recent budget cuts and tax increases are draconian enough to call for his ouster.

Could this movement be the Arab Spring moving south? No one really knows if the protests will gather the kind of momentum seen in last year's Arab Spring uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, but given the previous instability triggered by the secession of South Sudan, it might tip the balance.

Meanwhile, Sudanese and South Sudanese delegations are looking to resume talks this week after little progress over a buffer zone on the common border. Kids Alive International President Al Lackey says the situation remains tense because "the problem in the North right now is that they (the government) withdrew all the personal ID information from all the residents, and they (the residents) have to go back and reapply. As they do that, they have to identify what religion they are. Many of the Christians are fearful to do that at this time."

Sudan's history with Christians has been acrimonious, at best. The secession ramped up tensions, especially near the border areas. Although serving neither side exclusively, groups like Kids Alive International were caught in the middle. Lackey explains, "Like many non-profits, we were in the North and the South two or three years ago. A lot of our ministry has now moved to the South, so we're trying to plant that, develop that."

That meant personnel overseeing both projects needed to be able to cross the borders regularly. That's when the problem emerged. "They're more or less trapped because they can't use the airport. They may get out, but if they try to come back in, they could be denied."

Hostilities mean travel is difficult and the additional chaos will likely slow whatever paperwork needs to make its way through the government channels. Prayer goes a long way. Lackey says, "A lot of our focus in the South is to rescue more orphans and to care for the people that are moving in around us. It continues to grow daily." It won't be easy to do both, with the red tape disruption, but Lackey says their team is committed fully. "Our focus in the North is to maintain what we're doing and to be responsible to the children that we have."

An estimated 10% of Sudan's children are orphans. Over 1.8 million of them are now living on the streets or in refugee camps. "We bring children into small residential homes if they have no family, or if they're living in an abusive situation. They live in small homes of eight to ten kids, maybe up to 12, with house parents. And then, we educate those children and care for them all the way up until they're young adults."

Lackey goes on to say that their work doesn't stop with the rescue. "True hope is not just giving them all the things they need to exist in life. It starts with the Lord Jesus Christ, and then all those other pieces are the hope giving, and the development, and the kingdom building that we desire for each of our kids."

Protests, clashes, and chaos are creating a lot of disruption for Kids Alive International. They're still seeing new kids in need of rescue every day. It takes about $60 to really do the job right, and funding is what limits their growth the most.

Kids keep turning up in desperate need. Lackey says money helps, but prayer support has fallen off, too. "When Sudan was in the news, everybody was praying, churches were praying. But now that it has lost number one focus, people forget that there are still people in persecution, that people trapped in the North, and there's a huge exodus of people coming to the South."

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