Sudan's legendary Islamist takes a moderate view
Hassan al-Turabi invited Osama bin Laden to stay in Sudan in the 1990s. Now he pushes for reform.
from the June 13, 2007 edition
Page 4 of 4
Hassan al-Turabi: a timeline
1932: Born in Kassala, northern Sudan, to a father who was an Islamic judge and legal expert.
1950s: Received an Islamic education before studying in Khartoum, London, and finally the Sorbonne in Paris, where he gained a PhD.
1964: Joined Sudan's Muslim Brotherhood and rose to prominence during the popular uprising against President Ibrahim Abbud.
1964-69: Served as secretary-general of the Islamic Charter Front, a political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood that advocated an Islamic Constitution and opposed communism.
1970-79: Following a coup that brought General Jafar al-Numayri to power in 1969, he spent six years in custody before escaping to exile in Libya for three years.
1988: Appointed minister of justice and attorney general in May, and minister of foreign affairs in December.
1989: Imprisoned with other political figures following the 1989 coup that brought to power current President Omar al-Bashir.
1990-96: Protected Osama bin Laden when the Al Qaeda leader based his operations in Sudan at Mr. Turabi's invitation.
1996: Elected speaker of the National Assembly.
1999: Became the secretary-general of Mr. Bashir's National Congress Party.
2000: Suspended from this post after calling for a boycott of the president's re-election campaign.
2004: Imprisoned by Bashir in March for an alleged coup plot.
2005: Released from prison in June.
2006: An advocate of women's rights, Turabi created controversy when he said women do not need to cover their head, can lead prayers, and can marry non-Muslim men.
Sources: BBC, Encyclopedia Britannica, Sudan Tribune, and Al-Ahram Weekly
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