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Sudan Declares Christmas Public Holiday

Michael Atit

   KHARTOUM, SUDAN - Sudan's transitional government has declared
   Christmas a public holiday for the first time in years. A Sudanese
   minister said the decision is in line with the freedoms enshrined in
   the country's constitution.

   Religion Affairs and Endowments Minister Nasraddeen Mufreh said the
   decision is a result of the historic political changes in Sudan this
   year. Sudan's military leaders ousted President Omar al Bashir in April
   after months of nationwide protests. Later, after a deadly crackdown by
   the military on demonstrators in Khartoum, opposition groups and
   military leaders agreed to form a joint transitional government.

   Mofreh said the transitional government is committed to guaranteeing
   all freedoms enshrined in the constitutional declaration signed in
   August.

   The United States recently dropped Sudan from its list of nations that
   severely violate religious freedoms, signaling its increasing support
   for Sudan's transitional government.

   Mofreh welcomed the U.S. decision.

   "We really thank them for recognizing our efforts toward respecting
   freedom of worship in Sudan. They have now realized that we are a
   civilian government after the revolution of the great Sudanese people,"
   Mofreh told South Sudan in Focus.

   Before South Sudan became an independent country in 2011, Christian
   civil servants and students in Sudan would get three paid days off from
   work at Christmas time. But when South Sudan and its large Christian
   population seceded, Sudanese authorities said the country was 97
   percent Muslim and imposed restrictions on religious pluralism,
   including restrictions on Christmas celebrations.

   The secretary-general of the Sudan Council of Churches, Father William
   Deng, says declaring Christmas a public holiday was the proper thing to
   do. He says providing more rights and freedoms in Sudanese society will
   encourage citizens to participate in rebuilding what was destroyed
   during the 30 years of Bashir's autocratic rule.

   "We are not Muslims, we are not Christians, we are not Arabs, and we
   are not Africans, we are Sudanese. And within this Sudan, there are
   Muslims, there are Christians, there are Africans and there are Arabs.
   Sudan is for the Sudanese and these Sudanese people are faithful to
   different religions," Deng told VOA's South Sudan in Focus.

   Khartoum resident Imman Kamaluddeen, who is from a Muslim family, said
   the transitional government is fulfilling a promise it made to the
   people.

   "There is a need for all groups to enjoy the freedom of worship, and
   what I am seeing in this latest decision by our government to grant
   Christmas as a public holiday is something good and it indicates that
   our government is respecting freedom of worship of all Sudanese
   religion," Kamaluddeen told South Sudan in Focus.

   Clara Ismael, a member of Sudan's Episcopal Church, said she is
   grateful to the government for declaring Christmas day a public holiday
   again, and she will use the occasion to visit friends and neighbors,
   including Muslims.

   "This is something worth honoring, and we really thank the transitional
   government and we wish them all the best for the peace process in
   Sudan. People need to get stability. God is great and he will bless
   every step," Ismael told South Sudan in Focus.