Dear Community members,
From the beginning,
Catholics have always done all they could to aid and comfort those who
were prisoners for their faith. All those who suffer for Christ need our
prayers, but some cases demand that we be doers of the Word. On Sunday I
spoke of the case of Miriam Ibrahim. For those of you who weren't
there, she is the 27-year-old physician who is in prison in Kartoum,
Sudan, condemned to death for her faith. She is in a jail cell with her
18 month old son and is eight and a half months pregnant with a second
child. Her legs are shackled, swollen, and bleeding. About three years
ago, she married an American citizen, Daniel Wani, who holds dual
citizenship in the two countries and resides in New Hampshire. Earlier
this year she was prosecuted under Sharia (Islamic) law for apostasy
from Islam and adultery--since the Sudanese court considers her a Muslim
who left the faith. What's more, since Muslim women in Sudan (unlike
the men) are not allowed to marry outside Islam, the court also considers
her an adulteress. In fact, Meriam's mother is a Christian and Meriam
was raised as Christian after her Muslim father abandoned the family
and she claims never to have been a Muslim. The court decided otherwise
and sentenced her to 100 lashes for adultery and to be hanged for
apostasy from Islam. She was given four days to return to Islam but
refused. Once she delivers her baby, probably later this month, she can
be flogged--which in itself could endanger her life. Under Sudanese law
she will be able to wean the newborn child before being hanged. Their
American father will have no claim over the children. So far diplomatic
and non-governmental pressure has not had any apparent effect. Please,
please, please pray to save this young woman's life, and this
young family. Also, please take the time to use some of these links to
register a protest with the Sudanese government and to ask for action on
the part of our own government.
Blessings,
President Barak Obama
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
We also will be starting a Novena on her behalf which will be posted here this next week.
