Mahmoud Mohammed Taha

Mahmoud Mohammed Taha

Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, ( 1909 – 18 January 1985; Arabic: محمود محمد طه) also known as Ustaz Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, was a Sudanese religious thinker, leader, and trained engineer. He was executed for apostasy at the age of 76 by regime of Gaafar Nimeiry.[1][2]

Taha was born in Ruffaa, a town on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile, two hours south of Khartoum. He was educated as a civil engineer in a British-run university in the years before Sudan's independence. After working briefly for Sudan Railways he started his own engineering business.[2] In 1945, he founded an anti-monarchical political group, the Republican Party, and was twice imprisoned by the British authorities.[2]

He has revolutionary ideas about the second message of Islam. Taha opposed shariah law as applied in Sudan as unIslamic and preached that the Sudanese constitution needed to be reformed to reconcile "the individual's need for absolute freedom with the community's need for total social justice." He believed that Islam "in its original, uncorrupted form" accorded women and non-Muslims equal status, and formed a small group, known as the Republican Brothers, to advance his cause.[2]

On Jan 5, 1985 Taha was arrested for distributing pamphlets calling for an end to Shari'a law in Sudan. Brought to trial on January 7 he refused to participate. The trial lasted 2 hours with the main evidence being confessions that the defendents were opposed to Sudan's interpretation of Islamic law.[3] The next day he was sentenced to death along with 4 other followers (who later recanted and were pardoned) for "heresy, opposing application of Islamic law, disturbing public security, provoking opposition against the government, and reestablishing a banned political party."[4] The government forbade his unorthodox views on Islam to be discussed in public because it would "create religious turmoil" or fitnah. A special court of appeal approved the sentence on January 15. Two days later president Nureiri directed the execution for January 18. Despite the smallness of his group thousands of demonstrators protested his execution and police on horseback used bullwhips to drive back the crowd.[3] The body was secretly buried.[5]

Works

One of his most important books is “ The Second Message of Islam". The book was in Arabic and it was translated in English by Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im .

  • The Second Message of Islam
  • The Middle East Problem. "Mushkilat Assharq Al-Awsat"
  • This is my Path. "Qul Hadhihi Sabieli"
  • Mohammed's Path. "Tareiq Mohammed"
  • The Message of Prayer. " Risalat Assalat"
  • The Challenge Facing the Arabs. "Al-Tahaddi Alladhi Yuagihu Al-Arab"

References

  1. ^ Apostacy|International Humanist and Ethical Union
  2. ^ a b c d The Moderate Martyr: A radically peaceful vision of Islam| by George Packer| September 11, 2006
  3. ^ a b Sacred Rage, Wright, Robin, p.203, 4
  4. ^ Sacred Rage, Wright, Robin, p.203
  5. ^ Preface (not by author) to The Second Message of Islam by Mahmoud Mohamed Taha. Translated by Abdullahi Ahmen An-Na`im, 1987

Sources


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