Mariam
eriamYahia Ibrahim Ishag or Maryam Yaḥyā Ibrahīm Isḥaq (مريم يحيى إبراهيم إسحق, born 3 November 1987 in
Al Qadarif state,
Sudan),
["La Soudanaise Meriam Ishag toujours interrogée par la police"](_blank)
Agence France Presse
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
AFP has regional headquarters in Nicosia, Montevideo, Hong Kong and Washington, D. ...
, 25 June 2014 is a
Sudanese religious freedom activist and public speaker. Meriam Ibrahim was arrested during her second pregnancy for
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...
and gave birth to a girl in prison on 27 May 2014. Mariam Ibrahim's case is part of a wider problem of persecution of Christians in Sudan.
Overview
Meriam Ibrahim was born to a Muslim father, who left her
Ethiopian Orthodox
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
mother to raise her from early childhood. She was raised in her mother's faith and married a Christian man; the marriage certificate has been published.
Meriam Ibrahim was reportedly turned in to the authorities by one of her relatives, who claimed Mariam was committing adultery by marrying Daniel Wani, a Christian. She was sentenced to death on 15 May 2014, for allegedly committing
apostasy from Islam, meaning that she was accused of changing religion from Islam to a different (or no) religion. Although Meriam Ibrahim said she has always been a Christian, the prosecution claimed she should have followed the faith of her absent father, and demanded, with the support of the judge, that she abandon her Christian faith, and assent to belief in her father's faith, Islam.
She was given three days to convert, but refused, arguing that she had been a Christian all her life, and could not rescind or alter her genuine personal faith at the request of a court. Her husband, Daniel Wani, appealed the sentence on both of their behalf.
On 24 June 2014 Meriam Ibrahim was released on the order of a Sudanese appeal court. The following day, as she and her family were to board a plane to the United States, they were arrested and taken from the airport to Khartoum for questioning following a tip-off to the police by her half-brother.
The US Ambassador was summoned in protest at the granting of an exit visa, described by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry as 'a criminal violation'.
Meriam Ibrahim was freed again on 26 June 2014 and took refuge in the United States embassy with her family. After extensive negotiations to enable her to leave Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim arrived in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
on 24 July 2014 on an
Italian government
The government of Italy is in the form of a democratic republic, and was established by a constitution in 1948. It consists of legislative, executive, and judicial subdivisions, as well as a Head of State, or President.
The Italian Constituti ...
plane.
Background
Because Islamic law does not allow marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men, Meriam Ibrahim's marriage to a Christian man was considered void by the court, based on its belief that she should not have been raised as a Christian, or chosen that faith. Therefore, the court argued that, although a lifelong Christian, she should notionally be treated as a Muslim, and that the marriage to the Christian man was not valid. She was therefore also sentenced to receive 100
lashes for
adultery
Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
, in spite of the sexual relations having been only with her husband, with the flogging to be administered some time in advance of being hanged. Moreover, her 20-month-old son was also imprisoned, and was initially denied all contact with his father, who would never have been permitted to raise him. Three of the boy's four grandparents – both his paternal grandparents, and his maternal grandmother – were Christian from birth, as were his parents – but the authorities have stated that as the absentee maternal grandfather that he never met was a Muslim, he therefore could not legally be raised by his Christian father.
In response, Meriam Ibrahim said that she has always been a Christian and never committed apostasy.
Her half-brother, Al Samani Al Hadi Mohamed Abdullah, admitted he had instigated the charges against her and maintained she should be executed.
Meriam Ibrahim's husband and her lawyers have alleged that her half-brother and half-sister had turned her in because they wanted to take over Meriam Ibrahim's successful businesses, which included a hair salon, agricultural land and a general convenience store in a shopping mall.
Prison and family conditions
Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag was held in Omdurman Federal Women's Prison with Martin Wani, her 20-month-old son. Visitors were Initially not allowed; when her husband finally saw Meriam Ibrahim, she was shackled and had swollen legs. Muslim scholars visited her daily reciting the
Koran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...
and trying to pressure her to convert.
Vital medical treatment was refused, and Meriam Ibrahim was denied transfer to a hospital even though she was 8 months into a difficult pregnancy. Even during childbirth, her legs were kept shackled to the floor
and there were fears the baby girl might be permanently disabled due to this. The shackles were removed after the birth.
Mohamed Jar Elnabi, a lawyer representing Meriam Ibrahim, said police and the judge prevented her husband, Wani, going into the court. Elnabi said Wani requires the use of a wheelchair due to
muscular dystrophy and "totally depends on her for all details of his life, he cannot live without her". Speaking about the couple's son Martin Wani, Elnabi said, "The couple's son is having a difficult time in prison. He is very affected from being trapped inside a prison from such a young age, he is always getting sick due to lack of hygiene and bugs." Reports that Meriam Ibrahim may be freed were subsequently officially denied.
However, on 24 June 2014, Meriam Ibrahim was released on the order of a Sudanese appeal court. The following day, as she and her family were to board a plane to the United States, she and her family were arrested and taken from the airport to Khartoum for questioning.
Authorities stated that she was not under arrest, but that the police wished to question her about the validity of a travel document provided to her by
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...
.
Daniel Wani claims in a report from ''
Christian Today
''Christian Today'' is a non-denominational Christian news company with its international headquarters in London, England.Christian Today > Contact Us/ref>
History
The website was established in 2000 to report on news in the global church a ...
'' the family and supporters were violently handled, the lawyers were beaten and thrown out of the airport. Following their release, the family spent a month in the U.S. embassy in Khartoum.
Defense lawyers
Meriam was represented by five lawyers: Mohaned Mustafa Elnour, Osman Mobarak Musa, Thabit Elzobair Suliman, Elshareef Ali Mohammed, Mohamed Abdunabi. The case has also been taken to the African Commission on people's Human Rights.
Reactions
The United Kingdom government described the sentence as "barbaric" and a UK minister was "truly appalled", noting that Sudan breached international
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
obligations. The United States government was "deeply disturbed" and also called on Sudan to meet its obligations under international human rights law. A joint statement from embassies of Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States before sentencing also expressed "deep concern", urging "justice and compassion". Daniel Wani, Mariam's husband, has expressed disappointment at a lack of U.S. resoluteness, at the consulate level: "Considering I am an American citizen, I am disappointed with the American Embassy's position from the beginning of the whole case."
The lengthy public silence of both President Obama and
Secretary of State Kerry on their case drew widespread criticism. Kerry broke this silence on 12 June, after bipartisan lobbying.
Christian groups have been campaigning for Meriam Ibrahim but Islamic extremists also lobbied according to prominent newspaper editor Khalid Tigani.
[
A lawyer for Meriam Ibrahim said the case would, if necessary, have gone to Sudan's highest Constitutional Court. Sudan's 2005 interim constitution officially guarantees freedom of religion.]
The Information Minister of Sudan, Ahmed Bilal Osman, appeared to comment on the court case prior to the appeal, when he said: "It's not only Sudan. In Saudi Arabia, in all the Muslim countries, it is not allowed at all for a Muslim to change his religion."
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom and works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs, persecuted for other religious belief or persecuted for lack of beli ...
, a British-based group working for religious freedom, said Ms. Ishag's case is the latest amongst "a series of repressive acts" against religious minorities in Sudan.
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...
general secretary, Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
Olav Fykse Tveit (born 24 November 1960) is a Norwegian Lutheran theologian and bishop, and the current Preses of the Bishops' Conference of the Church of Norway. He was elected to the post of general secretary of the World Council of Churches ...
considers the sentence unjust and reminds president Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese constitution guarantees all citizens the "right to the freedom of religious creed and worship".
Amnesty UK's Individuals at Risk Campaigner, Kathy Voss, stated: "There are now three innocent people in that cell. The way Meriam has been treated is sickening, and it has appalled the world. This really is the stuff of nightmares."
British Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
MP Liam Fox
Liam Fox (born 22 September 1961) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Conservative Party, Fox has served as t ...
said: "Religious tolerance is something that the UK should be promoting at every opportunity. We need to ask ourselves whether it is acceptable to be giving taxpayers' money in aid to states which allow treatment such as that handed out to Meriam Ibrahim."
In May 2014, the embassies of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands issued a joint statement expressing "deep concern" about the case, urging Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion. The European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
called for revocation of the "inhuman verdict" and John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
urged Sudan to repeal laws banning Muslims from joining other faiths.[
]Prince Hassan bin Talal
Prince Hassan bin Talal ( ar, الحسن بن طلال, born 20 March 1947) is a member of the Jordanian royal family who was previously Crown Prince from 1965 to 1999, being removed just three weeks before King Hussein's death.
Family
Prince H ...
of Jordan wrote, "There is no value in worship performed in the absence of free choice and volition."
Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director Sarah Jackson said: "Today's ruling is a small step to redressing the injustice done to Meriam."
The Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi
Matteo Renzi (; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva (IV) since 2019, having bee ...
, mentioned Ibrahim's case in his speech at the European Parliament. After that, The EU passed a Resolution condemning Sudan over treatment of Meriam Ibrahim.
Wider problems
Some have argued that this case may serve as a distraction against complaints the Sudanese people make about their government. Mohamed Ghilan, an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, claims, "The punishment has little to do with religion and serves as a political distraction. This is a ploy by the Sudanese regime to appear as 'defenders of Islam' to mitigate their corruption". Sudan has been noted by the Corruption Perceptions index as being one of the world's most corrupt. However execution
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
is widely prescribed as an appropriate punishment for women and men leaving Islam in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and in on-line Islamic websites, commonly citing a well attested quotation of Muhammed to Ibn Abbas, "Whoever renounces his religion, kill him."[Sahih Al-Bukhari, "Bab Hukm al Murtad wa al Murtadah", Vol. 8, pp. 50, 163; Al Muwata', "Kitab al Hudud", Vol. 2, p. 736; Sunan Al Tirmidhi, "Kitab al Hudud", Vol. 4, p. 48; Sunan Abi Daud, "Kitab al Hudud", Vol. 4, p. 126; Sunan Ibn Majah, "Kitab al Hudud" Vol. 2, p. 848; Sunan AL Nasaee "Al Hukm fi al Murtad", Vol. 7, pp. 103-104; Al Musnad, "Musnad 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas", Vol. 1, pp. 466, 605, 606, 691; Sunan Al Daraqutni, "Kitab al Hudud", Vol. 3, p. 113 inter alia.] It has, for example, been a view commonly held by young Muslims in the UK, as well as Meriam's own family.
Departure from Sudan
After Meriam and her family took refuge in the US Embassy, the Italian government
The government of Italy is in the form of a democratic republic, and was established by a constitution in 1948. It consists of legislative, executive, and judicial subdivisions, as well as a Head of State, or President.
The Italian Constituti ...
offered help to speed up the process of getting U.S. passports, given its good relation with Sudan, and vice-minister for foreign affairs Lapo Pistelli flew to the Sudanese capital to that end. Two weeks later vice-minister Pistelli accompanied the family back to Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
on a government plane which took off from Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
, and they were welcomed in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
by Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Matteo Renzi
Matteo Renzi (; born 11 January 1975) is an Italian politician who served as prime minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva (IV) since 2019, having bee ...
and Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini
Federica Mogherini (; born 16 June 1973) is an Italian politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019. She previously served as I ...
.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
had expressed "his gratitude and joy" to the Italian Government
The government of Italy is in the form of a democratic republic, and was established by a constitution in 1948. It consists of legislative, executive, and judicial subdivisions, as well as a Head of State, or President.
The Italian Constituti ...
when he was informed by Renzi of the family's arrival. Later in that day, Meriam and her family met the Pontiff at his residence of Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
for about half an hour, during which she thanked the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
for their support and prayers, while the Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
thanked her and her family for their "courageous and constant witness of faith".
Post-immigration
The family lived in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...
in the United States for 25 months and moved to Virginia where they live now. Meriam Ibrahim is advocating for other victims of religious persecution and women who face gender based violence and domestic abuse. She is the co-founder and director of Global Mobilization at Tahrir Alnisa foundation.
See also
* Freedom of religion in Sudan
* Freedom of conscience
* Sudanese teddy bear blasphemy case
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibrahim Ishag, Mariam Yahia
1987 births
Living people
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians
Human rights abuses in Sudan
Sudanese Christians
Sudanese prisoners sentenced to death
Sudanese women
Apostasy in Islam
Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Sudan
2010s in Sudan
Persecution of Christians by Muslims
Prisoners sentenced to death by Sudan
Sudanese emigrants to the United States