Sudan Marks Anniversary of Martyred Muslim Reformer [6:01]

Sudanese Islamic thinker and reformer Mahmoud Mohammed Taha was executed on Jan.18 1985 on charges of religious heresy. The execution of 76-year-old, known as Ustaz Mahmoud, heralded the downfall of Sudan’s military dictator Jaafar Nimeiry three months later in a popular uprising. Taha and his followers advocated an inclusive interpretation of Islam that would accommodate Sudan's ethnic and religious diversity and end traditional discriminations against women and non-Muslims. VOA’s Nabeel Biajo spoke with Edward Thomas, a scholar and Taha biographer who wrote "Islam's Perfect Stranger: The Life of Mahmud Muhammad Taha, Muslim Reformer of Sudan," to discuss his legacy on this 38th anniversary of his execution. They discuss the parallels between Taha’s resistance of religious authoritarianism and the struggle of resistance committees against military authoritarianism in modern-day Sudan.