LA Times: (Pregnant) Sudan woman sentenced to death after refusing to renounce Christianity -

[Skip Intro]

Last edited Fri May 16, 2014, 01:04 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-sudan-court-sharia-christianity-20140515-story.html

A pregnant Sudanese woman who refused to renounce her Christianity was sentenced to death by hanging Thursday in a Khartoum court, provoking outrage from human rights groups.

Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, who has a young son and is married to a Christian from South Sudan, violated Islamic sharia law, the court said. She insists she was raised Christian, not Muslim.

The court also ordered Ibrahim to be flogged for having sexual relations with her husband, since her marriage is not recognized by officials.

Ibrahim refused a court order Sunday giving her several days to renounce her Christian faith, which resulted in the sentencing Thursday.

[BootinUp]

1. Some court! Sounds more like a Satanic Ritual.

[Gravitycollapse]

4. Go back under your bridge.

[BootinUp]

7. When the pukes use the Bible to justify their hypocrisy what do you call that?

[BootinUp]

13. So you accept the "excuse" for this crime against humanity. 10-4

[lostincalifornia]

15. So you are the kind of person who believes in generalization which imply prejudice on your part

When we invaded Iraq twice and killed over a million people based on a lie, what was your view then?

Maybe you should educate yourself instead of diatribes of predjudice

[Gravitycollapse]

26. Except that's total bullshit. Islamic leaders in mass have come out against all sorts of atrocities.

Just because you personally didn't hear them doesn't mean they're silent.

[Gravitycollapse]

29. Here's a massive list of Islamic leaders condemning terrorism...

http://kurzman.unc.edu/islamic-statements-against-terrorism/

You link to your tiny little hearts content.

[uppityperson]

35. Fundamentalism vs any particular religion. Too bad you don't understand that. Like Uganda

and its "christian" anti-gay legislation or maltreatment of women.

[Gravitycollapse]

37. I'm not really defending Islam. I'm countering your right-wing babble.

For instance, I deeply disagree with a large number of actions taken by the Obama administration. But I defend it against outlandish right-wing claims like "death panels" because I care about being correct critically and informing change rather than pushing blanket condemnation along ideological lines.

In other words, I'm not a tool.

[Gravitycollapse]

45. Ah but that's simply a miscalculation on your part.

I don't need to provide a list of condemnation of every evil done in the name of Islam because no such listing would persuade you to believe in my sincerity. Even if I wanted to, which I don't, such an endless list would be impossible to construct and the demand on your part establishes an impossible standard. Which is the point of your posts. To establish an impossible standard of innocence so that, regardless of what anyone says here or does outside of this discussion, Islam to you is necessarily evil.

Your posts are meant to condemn Islam and not the true horror of this woman's misfortune.

[Suich]

31. Good grief!

Welcome to DU, GanjaDin!

Quite a welcome you're getting in this thread!

[Scootaloo]

50. You know, if he'd held out for 500 posts firsts, none of these would be removed

[JI7]

30. the only Muslim member of Congress is a supporter of Gay Rights

i remember reading most of the Muslims in elected positions in the UK were also supporters of gay rights.

[nomorenomore08]

43. +1

The extremists are very dangerous, of course, but that's no reason to broadbrush all Muslims as evil.

[Fumesucker]

12. Traditional Christian Values

[BootinUp]

14. I don't remember Christ quoted as saying "go ahead and stone the harlot"

[Fumesucker]

17. Christ wasn't a Christian

[BootinUp]

18. Nice try

but Traditional Christian Values implies values as elucidated by Jesus of Nazareth.

[Gravitycollapse]

21. Not entirely true. "Christian Values" is a trademark of American conservatives...

Who use it to further Christian Fundamentalism and not simply the teachings of Christ.

[Gravitycollapse]

20. He himself seemed like a good person. But he was a huge supporter of his father...

Who is arguably the most villainous literary creation in history.

[BootinUp]

22. Of course the bible didn't really exist when he is said to have lived.

I think he did his best to make things better.

[Gravitycollapse]

24. He never existed as a single person. He is the embodiment of the benevolent.

A tapestry of many different literary figures throughout history and an essential archetype of goodness. If Jesus truly lived, he was probably not nearly as kind as many regard him to be.

[Gravitycollapse]

8. Well, you're a one post troll who won't be around much longer. Oh, excuse me, two posts now.

I am very strongly anti-religious. I do not agree at all with the principle understanding of Islam or Christianity or Judaism. But I also recognize that they are conduits for humanity and inhumanity and are not necessarily themselves, as a concept, productive of good or evil.

Human beings did this, not Islam.

[JI7]

6. depends, for gays in uganda it could sound like christianity

[Gravitycollapse]

10. The worst bigotry I've ever witnessed happened in a deeply Christian, West African country...

I'm sure there are many other Islamic states which are equal or go further in the cause of homophobia. But that is kind of my point.

[JI7]

23. yes, the problem is using religion for state laws and rules

take a country like Turkey which is mostly muslim but secular. while gay rights is not great it's not nearly as bad as the states that rule based on islam.

this goes for many other issues also.

[lostincalifornia]

19. Is that you bill maher? You are one prejudice jerk

[uppityperson]

27. What a bigoted post that is, confusing Fundamentalism with the whole of a religion

It doesn't matter what religion you are talking about, prejudging all based on the actions of some Fundamentalists is wrong.

[bravenak]

39. We got a live one boys!!

Hi. Nice to meet you. Could you please be a little more tactful? Thanks.

[Gravitycollapse]

3. How can people be so devoid of humanity that such systems of injustice can be born and maintained?

How can the members of this court look that woman in the face and hand down such a sentence? It boggles the mind.

[Archae]

9. If the right-wingers have their way...

We'll have a Christian version of Sharia, here in the US.

Groups like the "Constitution Party" and "American Family Association."

[nomorenomore08]

44. Because to them, "doing God's will" is more important than any basic human considerations.

One of the main reasons why fundamentalism in any form - Muslim, Christian, Hindu - is so dangerous.

[William769]

32. Does anyone in this thread give a shit about the Lady sentence being to death?

Un fucking believable! What has happened to human decency?

What is happening to this lady is nothing but barbaric! Please excuse me if I don't respond to your all's fucking petty agenda's. Jesus Fucking Christ!

[BootinUp]

34. Not fair.

[William769]

36. Well there it is, deal with it.

[Jenoch]

42. I agree.

All of the posts on side issues are bullahit.

It is incredible that in 2014 a person is executed in this manner.

[Rhiannon12866]

47. I took this story exactly the way you did. After reading this, I felt outraged for this poor woman!

I don't know how any one of us could feel otherwise!

[William769]

48. ...

[Rhiannon12866]

49. ...

[bravenak]

40. World wide war on women.

This is pure evil.

[MohRokTah]

46. I am Pagan and this pisses me off byond belief.

The Sudanes government mus suffer the consequences of thsi horrid decision,

By any standard, everybody from top to bottom in the Sudanese government is guilty of crimes against humanity over this single case, and should face the death penalty.

[Dorian Gray]

51. To be fair

this was one judge and not the entire government. (Though I don't have much hope that the government will intervene and overturn the verdict.) I think that the woman is appealing to a higher court. I'm really and truly hoping that they will overturn this. It's barbaric and wrong.

[muriel_volestrangler]

52. It comes from the country's law, though

This is not just one judge making up law as he goes. From a link in the article:

Meriam’s troubles began in 2013 after she was arrested by Sudanese authorities when an unknown family member allegedly claimed that Meriam was committing adultery (zina, non-mushan) in violation of Article 146 of the 1991 Criminal Act. Sudanese officials viewed Meriam as a Muslim cohabitating with her Christian husband, despite Meriam’s insistence that she was in fact a practising Christian married to a man of the same faith. As such, the relationship between Meriam and her husband was judged to be adulterous and in violation of Article 146 in that marriage between Muslim women and Christian men are not recognized in Sudan. Meriam faces public lashing if convicted of this baseless charge.

In February 2014, an additional charge of apostasy, based on Article 126 of the 1991 Criminal Act, was brought against Meriam. Defined in Article 126 as ‘renunciation of the creed of Islam or public declaration of renunciation,’ Sudanese officials incorrectly claimed that the Muslim [sic] Meriam had, by marrying a Christian man, renounced Islam publicly and was therefore guilty of apostasy in addition to the initial charge of adultery. Under the 1991 Criminal Act, a conviction of apostasy carries the death penalty. Once again, the charge is based on the Sudanese officials’ position that Meriam is a Muslim, as non-Muslims cannot be charged with apostasy.
...
Sudan’s legal system has often displayed a pattern of selective enforcement of the law and has frequently singled out women, ethnic minorities, and activists with punishments often disproportionate to alleged crimes committed. Meriam’s imprisonment and potential conviction following a hearing scheduled to be held by Sudan’s Criminal Court at the Haj Yousif court complex in Khartoum on 11 May 2014 threatens to continue this dangerous trend. The fact that Meriam stands to lose her life over specious charges makes this case of utmost urgency and demands a unified advocacy and outreach efforts by human rights defenders across the globe.

http://sihanet.org/news/pregnant-sudanese-woman-faces-public-flogging-and-execution-if-convicted-apostasy-and-adultery

There have been a number of cases over the years of Sudanese convicted of apostasy, but they all escaped the gallows by recanting their faith. Ibrahim is the first to be sentenced to death for apostasy, Mohammed and Idriss say.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.590944

[Dorian Gray]

53. Thanks for the links

The Sudan is so messed up. It makes me really sad.