Fatwa tries to protect Al-Bashir

Not much separation of Mosque and state in Sudan, is there? From Paltoday:

Sudan's highest religious authority has issued a fatwa or ruling that President Omar al-Beshir, targeted by an international arrest warrant, should not attend an Arab summit in Qatar.

The fatwa, issued by the Committee of Muslim Scholars, said that despite Khartoum's insistence that Beshir would go to the March 29-30 Doha summit, he should not attend because "the enemies of the nation are creeping around."

"It is inadmissible for the president of the republic to take part in the Arab League summit in Qatar under current conditions while the enemies of God and of the nation are creeping around," local media quoted the text as saying.

The International Criminal Court on March 4 issued an arrest warrant against Beshir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur and there has been speculation about his possible arrest if he leaves Sudan.

"Because you are the symbol and the guardian of the nation... we think that the conditions are not right (to attend the summit) and that this task can be carried out by persons other than yourself," the fatwa said. [...]