Thursday 15 May 2014

Sudanese Logic: Christian Doctor Faces Death Penalty for Marrying a Christian

Sudanese authorities are aiming to stamp out Christianity. A minaret in Port Sudan. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.



Joel Kontinen

For westerners, understanding Sudanese logic seems almost impossible. Take the case of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, a 27-year-old Sudanese doctor. She faces the death penalty for marrying an American Christian.

According to a brief news item in Christianity today, “[Mrs] Ibrahim has been imprisoned, along with her 20-month-old son, in Khartoum since February. She is married to a South Sudanese Christian with U.S. citizenship—Daniel Wani—but because her father was a Muslim, the state does not recognize her marriage and charged her with adultery and apostasy in March.”

She is due to be executed once she gives birth to her second child. The charges against her are weird, as she has never been a Muslim and is legally married to a US citizen.

What is more, the Sudanese government is infringing on her basic human rights laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They include the freedom to choose one’s spouse and one’s religion.

Source:

Tracy, Kate. 2014. American's Wife Faces Sudan Death Penalty after Pregnancy.Christianity Today (13 May).