Sudan: Church leaders arrested following Muslim complaints
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Two leaders of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state were arrested and detained last month after Muslim extremists complained that the church was disrespectful to their religion, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
Christians in Sudan are vulnerable to a return to repressive Islamic laws after an October 2021 military coup overthrew the moderate transitional government installed after the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Angered at the presence of SCOC in Madani, Al Jazirah state, Muslim extremists complained that the church held services on Friday, the Islamic day of mosque prayer, MSN reports. Church member Kotti Hassan Dalman told MSN that the Muslims also accused congregants of offering food to children to lead them to Christianity and of building the church on Muslim-owned land (the church has ownership papers showing the land does not belong to Muslims).
Accordingly, the Muslims reported the church pastor and an evangelist-elder to police, and caused them to be arrested. One of the charges against them is: “They cause chaos and disrespect others’ religion,” Hassan said.
Calling for prayer, the church leaders said in a social media statement: “We are urging the religious leaders and believers’ all over the country to pray for us,” MSN reports.
Sudan ranks 13 on the US Open Doors Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
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