UN rights experts voiced outrage Monday at a Sudanese court order to hang a heavily pregnant Christian woman for marrying a Christian man and refusing to renounce her faith.
Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, a 27-year-old who is eight months pregnant with her second child, was convicted last week under the Islamic sharia law that has been in force in Sudan since 1983 and makes conversions of faith punishable by death.
“This outrageous conviction must be overturned and Ms. Ibrahim must be immediately released,” insisted the UN experts on a range of issues, including on the human rights situation in Sudan, violence against women, minorities and the freedom of religion or belief.
They stressed in a statement that under international law, “the death penalty may only be imposed for the most serious crimes, if at all.”
“Choosing and/or changing one’s religion is not a crime at all. On the contrary, it is a basic human right,” they said.
The young mother was found guilty of apostasy, or publicly renouncing Islam — a faith she never professed — and sentenced to hang after she refused to “return” to the Muslim religion.
Ishag, who was born to a Christian mother and Muslim father, was also sentenced to 100 lashes for “adultery”, for living with the Christian man she has been married to since 2012.
Under Sudan’s interpretation of sharia, a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim man and any such relationship is regarded as adulterous.
The UN experts said that the right to marry and found a family was a fundamental human right, and voiced particular concern that the heavily pregnant Ishag was being held with her 20-month-old son in “harsh conditions” at the Omdurman’s Women Prison near Khartoum.
“The imposition and enforcement of the death penalty on pregnant women or recent mothers is inherently cruel and leads to a violation of the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” they warned.
They called on Sudan to repeal all discriminatory laws, adding there was a “pressing need to address the pattern of discrimination, abuse and torture as well as the subjugation and denigration of women in the country.”
Sudan has an Islamist government but, other than floggings, extreme sharia law punishments have been rare.
If the death sentence is carried out, Ishag will be the first person executed for apostasy under the 1991 penal code, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a British-based campaign group, said last week. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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This judgement is unIslamical and muslim and non-muslim should reject it with passion...there is no where in the Holy Qur'an which says someone should be punished for conversion of faith....Qur'an says "If Allah wishes,He would have made the whole world Muslim"
ReplyDeleteThis is evil, God will never ask you to kill
ReplyDeleteAfricans are still very blind. The so called sharia law are made by man to favour them. African has a custom that favour his own peopele. Make laws that could promote piece and tranquility.
ReplyDeleteYou are all confused people even your fellow Muslims agreed to this why saying is not like that again?
ReplyDeleteThe hotest part of hell awaits all muslims good or bad muslims will go to hell. If 45% of the good muslims knows that the quran doesn't preach killing for no reason and they can't form an anti-nonislamic organization to fight back those spoiling their religion of peace then they are indirectly supporting the insane act of their fellow brodas. Action for action dialogue for dialogue.
ReplyDeleteSome people claim to know about Islam more than Islamic Religion founders. The founders of Islam are saying Kill her for apostasy; this is pure Islamic teaching. Anyone claiming otherwise is a novice and should know his or her opinion does not count, just sitting and wishing that Islam is a religion of peace does not make it one.
ReplyDeleteIt's just unfortunate, the 26 year old Ibo girl that converted to Islam in Niger state is chill in the former deputy governors house, set to marry a Muslim lawyer.... Why would any law permit killing a pregnant woman with a 20 month old baby..... Barbaric people
ReplyDeleteQur'an (4:89) - "They wish that you should disbelieve as they
ReplyDeletedisbelieve, and then you would be equal; therefore take not to
yourselves friends of them, until they emigrate in the way of God;
then, if they turn their backs, take them, and slay them wherever you
find them; take not to yourselves any one of them as friend or
helper."
Qur'an (9:11-12) - "But if they repent and establish worship and pay
the poor-due, then are they your brethren in religion. We detail Our
revelations for a people who have knowledge. And if they break their
pledges after their treaty (hath been made with you) and assail your
religion, then fight the heads of disbelief - Lo! they have no binding
oaths - in order that they may desist."
Other verses that seem to support the many Hadith demanding death
for apostates are Qur'an verses 2:217, 9:73-74, 88:21, 5:54, and 9:66.
Na wah oh Islam is a curse to the whole world......may our Almighty God save us from these evil set of blood sucking demons!
ReplyDeleteami tomay valobashi
ReplyDeleteWhere is the place for peace in the above stated qouran verses? Muslims should stop deceiving themselves for calling Islam a religion of peace.
ReplyDelete