Will Sudan see a revival of its once 1000 people strong Jewish community? ADL director of International Affairs David Weinberg points to a surprising tweet on that issue.
#Sudan's new religion minister: "Sudan is pluralistic... there was a Jewish minority that dispersed from the country, & we henceforth invite them to their right of nationality & citizenship. We invite them to return to this country... citizenship is the basis for rights & duties” https://t.co/HYTnIwq1VR
— David A. Weinberg (@DavidAWeinberg) September 6, 2019
On Friday evening Weinberg shared a Tweet in which the government of Sudan called on its former Jewish residents to return, claiming the country is pluralistic. "Sudan is pluralistic," said the new Head of the Religious Ministry of Sudan Nasr al-Din Mufreh, "we invite them (the Jews) to return to this country."
"We henceforth invite them to their right of nationality and citizenship," the tweet reads, "we invite them to return."
The story was first reported by Wasil Ali, former deputy editor of the Sudan Tribune.Nasr al-Din Mufreh was nominated for the office in September as part of the Sudanese transition to democracy, the Sudan Tribune reported.
The newly appointed minister of religious affairs in #Sudan calls on Sudanese jews who left the country decades ago to return stressing that citizenship is the basis of rights not race or religious affiliation https://t.co/geUM5YHRRv
— Wasil Ali - واصل علي (@wasilalitaha) September 6, 2019
The Jewish community of Sudan was once led by Rabbi Shlomo Malka who served as its spiritual leader from 1906 to 1949, the year of his death.He helped Jewish people who were forced to convert to Islam during the years the land was controlled by Muhammad Ahmad, who was able to defeat the British army during the Mahdist War of 1881-1899.
Influenced by the Jewish community of Egypt, which included Arabic-speaking Jews as well as Greek and Italian speaking Jews who sought economic progress in British-ruled Egypt and Sudan during the years before the first World War, Sudan had for some years an active Jewish community.
After the death of Rabbi Shlomo and the creation of the State of Israel Jews mostly left the country.
Jewish people from Ethiopia arrived in Sudan during the 1980's operation Moses, while roughly 14,000 Jews were able to make it to the promised land some were kidnapped while in Sudan, CBN news reported in August.