Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – An Islamic leader has rebuked his government for not taking decisive action against Christians operating “boldly” in the country, typifying the disturbing response of Islamic leaders to the growth of the Church in Sudan.

On May 14, Ammar Saleh, the chairman of the Islamic Centre for Preaching and Comparative Studies, bemoaned the increase in apostasy, the growth of the Church and the alleged failure of the state to protect Islam from the double threats of Christianity and Atheism.

Saleh pointed out the disturbing decline in people’s interest in converting to Islam, stating that it was non-existent. He argued that anyone who believes there’s growth in Sudan’s Islamic faithful is “living on Mars,” drawing attention to increasing proselytizing and an exodus of Muslims to Christianity.

Taking Khartoum as a pattern of things, he pointed out that aggressive missionary work resulted in 109 “apostates” who abandoned Islam and turned to faith in Christ. He also added that cases of apostasy and atheism are on the rise, while authorities are negligent in addressing the issue. He expressed concern over the way the figures were rising in a “continuous” and “scary” fashion, especially with the presence of atheists and homosexuals.

Although Islamic law has not yet been fully implemented, Saleh derided his government for neglecting the issue of apostasy, appealing to official bodies and the community to take a stand against the “Christianization” of Sudan and find a long-term solution to the problem. He also stated that the government’s efforts to curb the rise of Christianity were timid as compared to the efforts of missionaries to lead people to Christ.

In response to his comments, Open Doors USA Spokesman, Jerry Dykstra, says, “The bad news is that he wants to put more pressure on the government and the army to crack down on the Christians there. But the good news is that many there are coming to Christ. It's been difficult for them obviously, but they are growing in numbers.”

Accusation

Saleh’s derision of the government was paired with accusations against the church by Adam Mudawi, a member of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP), who claimed the NCP has information that the Orthodox Church in Ombadda is hiding a large cache of weapons.