Mahdism and Islamism in Sudan Author(s): Gabriel Warburg Reviewed work(s): Source: International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 27, No. 2 (May, 1995), pp. 219-236 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/176093 . Accessed: 19/11/2012 19:55 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Cambridge University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to International Journal of Middle East Studies. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.82.207 on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:55:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Int. J. Middle East Stud. 27 (1995), 219-236. Printed in the United States of America Gabriel Warburg MAHDISM AND ISLAMISM IN SUDAN On 30 June 1989, a military coup overthrew the democratically elected government of al-Sadiq al-Mahdi in Sudan and replaced it with a fundamentalist Muslim dictatorship headed by Colonel CUmarHasan al-Bashir and adhering to the radical Islamic ideology of the National Islamic Front (NIF), under the leadership of Dr. Hasan al-Turabi. Since June 1881 when Muhammad Ahmad ibn 'Abdallah declared that he was the expected mahdi, the religious-political scene of Sudan had been largely dominated by Mahdists and Khatmiyya adherents.