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All struggles against oppression are interconnected, whether in Palestine or Sudan, in Rafah or al-Fashir, for injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
By IMAM DR A RASHIED OMAR
This khutbah was delivered at the Claremont Main Road Masjid, Cape Town on Friday, November 14, 2025.
FOR over two years, our collective moral energy and unwavering solidarity have rightly been focused on the genocide unfolding in Gaza, and that must never waver. Yet as we continue to raise our voices for the oppressed people of Gaza and Palestine, we must also open our hearts and extend our compassion to the suffering of our sisters and brothers in Sudan.
The Qur’anic call to justice knows no borders, and neither should our solidarity. As the Qur’an commands in Surah al-Nisa, 4:135:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ
‘Believers, stand firm in justice, as witnesses for God.’ (Sura al-Nisa, 4:135)
All struggles against oppression are interconnected, whether in Palestine or Sudan, in Rafah or al-Fashir, for injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. As we have stood with Gaza in protest, prayer and compassion, let us rise, albeit belatedly, with equal conviction for the people of Sudan, who are enduring a brutal war and the same global indifference that allows human suffering to persist. May our hearts remain open, our voices strong, and our compassion unwavering for Sudan as they have been for Gaza, for in truth, justice recognises no boundaries.
Military forces at war in Sudan
Since April 2023, the people of Sudan have endured a brutal war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), two rival military factions driven by a hunger for power and emboldened by foreign sponsors. As people of faith committed to truth and justice, we must name this reality clearly: both sides have betrayed the trust of the Sudanese people and the hopes of the 2019 revolution that sought freedom, peace and justice.
Just as the genocide in Gaza has been livestreamed into our homes and hearts, so too are we now witnessing in real time the murderous devastation in Sudan. Civilians are being trapped, targeted and terrorised as the war, which started in April 2023, enters its third year. The humanitarian crisis has become the largest displacement emergency on record: over 12 million people have been forced from their homes, and more than 30 million – over half the population – now require humanitarian assistance.
In the vast Darfur region, particularly around al-Fashir, besieged communities face extreme peril. The RSF has tightened its grip, cutting off aid access and creating famine conditions officially confirmed in al-Fashir and other zones. Many who flee are attacked en route, while those who remain face starvation, cholera outbreaks and relentless violence. Behind every headline are women and children, voiceless victims of greed, militarism and global neglect, in a crisis that demands our solidarity now more than ever.
Yet despite the devastation, the Sudanese people continue to hold fast to the spirit of their uprising, a movement they named Thawrat al-Waʿy – the Revolution of Consciousness and Awakening. This profound idea reminds us that genuine liberation does not begin with generals or guns but with a morally awakened populace: a people who refuse tyranny, resist manipulation and insist on dignity, democratic governance and the sanctity of civilian life.
Silence and complicity
Beyond Sudan’s borders, foreign powers have not merely ‘influenced’ the conflict – they have actively fuelled and prolonged it. They have poured oil onto the fire through shipments of weapons, streams of money and shameless political protection, all in pursuit of regional dominance and access to Sudan’s vast natural resources. Numerous credible reports have identified certain Arab states, most notably the United Arab Emirates, as major suppliers of arms, intelligence and logistical support to the RSF. In doing so, they have become complicit in the destruction of Sudanese communities, the entrenchment of warlordism and the systematic looting of Sudan’s gold, land and mineral wealth.
Just as we have called out the complicity of Western powers in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, so too must we name, clearly and without hesitation, the complicity of powerful states – especially the UAE – in Sudan’s destruction. By arming, funding and politically shielding the RSF, they have enabled a murderous campaign against innocent civilians and helped turn Sudan’s suffering into a theatre for regional ambition and resource extraction.
This is not merely a Sudanese tragedy; it is an African moral emergency. The blood of Africans is not cheaper, nor their lives less sacred. We must remind the world that this suffering is not inevitable – it is enabled by global silence and complicity. Breaking that silence is our collective responsibility.
A call for positive peace
As Muslims, we are commanded by Allah, the Lord of Compassionate Justice, not merely to call for a cessation of war but to demand a process of positive peace – one that seeks to build long-term, sustainable relationships and reconciliation grounded in justice, known in the Qur’an as ʿadl (justice) and qist (equity). This vision of peace, justice and reconciliation is beautifully articulated in Surah al-Hujurat, 49:9:
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وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا…
‘If two groups of believers fall into conflict, make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight against the transgressor until it complies with the command of Allah. And if it complies, then make peace between them with justice and act fairly, for Allah loves those who are fair and just.’ (Sura al-Hujurat, 49:9)
This Qur’anic verse sets out a divine paradigm for conflict transformation from an Islamic perspective, one rooted in reconciliation, justice and fairness. It calls not only for ending violence but for restoring justice and rebuilding trust within the community.
Solidarity with the people of Sudan
As South Africans, we should do more to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are being decimated in Khartoum, Wad Madani in al-Jazira State, al-Fashir in North Darfur and elsewhere. Solidarity is indivisible; justice knows no borders. In consultation with Sudanese living in South Africa, five key areas of meaningful solidarity emerged.
First, raising broad public awareness about the humanitarian and political crisis. This includes protests, public engagements, op-eds, letters and press statements that keep Sudan visible in South African media.
Second, convening academic discussions and educational forums to deepen understanding of Sudan’s history and the roots of the conflict. Scholars – Sudanese and South African – can help illuminate these causes and guide principled solidarity, while affirming that lasting solutions must be shaped by Sudanese civilians themselves.
Third, supporting relief efforts that provide direct assistance to affected civilians. It is heartening to see South African agencies such as Islamic Relief, Salaam Media and Africa Muslims Agency intensifying their campaigns following the fall of al-Fashir. I encourage generous support for these efforts.
Fourth, advocating and lobbying the South African government and DIRCO to take stronger action in support of peace and humanitarian protection. The official South African position on Sudan has been disappointing. We must press government to work through the African Union for an immediate ceasefire; to condemn external actors, such as the UAE, who are fuelling the war; and to adopt more humane policies for Sudanese refugees.
Fifth, offering prayers and duʿa for Sudan, keeping its people in our remembrance and collective supplication after every salah. The Prophet (SAW) proclaimed:
دَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ لَا تُرَدُّ
‘The supplication of the oppressed will never be rejected.’
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi; Ibn Majah; Musnad Ahmad)
Duʿa remains the undefeatable weapon of the believer; if we cannot assist Sudanese in other ways, we must never fail to hold them consistently in our prayers.
Conclusion
I encourage each of us to reflect seriously on which of these key areas we are able to support, for we carry both a religious and human responsibility to do so. Silence and indifference are not options. May Allah open our hearts to compassion, grant relief to the suffering people of Sudan and make us instruments of mercy and justice in their hour of need. O Allah, lift the trials and suffering from the people of Sudan. Remove from them hardship and turmoil, and grant them safety, peace and justice. Allahumma Amin.
Imam Dr A Rashied Omar is a research scholar of Islamic studies and peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame, USA, and serves as Imam at Claremont Main Road Masjid, Cape Town.
