Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag

{{Law}}
'''Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag''' is a 27-year-old [[Sudan]]ese woman who in 2014 was  [[Capital punishment|sentenced to death]] for [[apostasy]]. Mariam was born to a [[Muslim]] father, but after her father left she was raised as a [[Christian]] by her mother. A court said that she should have followed the faith of her absent father. She was given 3 days to abandon her Christian faith but refused to do so. Her marriage to a Christian man was also considered void as Islamic law does not allow marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men. Therefore, she was also sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery to be carried out before her execution.

Mariam Ibrahim was arrested 8 months into her second pregnancy and forced to give birth in prison with her legs chained.  This may cause permanent disability to the baby.  <ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/sudan-woman-meriam-ibrahim-spared-death-apostasy-meets-pope-francis Sudanese woman spared death for apostasy meets Pope Francis]</ref>

The death sentence generated a strong international outcry, including statements from the leaders of all three major political parties in the [[United Kingdom]], the [[United States]] State Department, the [[United Nations]] and [[Amnesty International]] among others. <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27646747 David Cameron condemns Meriam Ibrahim death sentence in Sudan]</ref> <ref>[http://www.voanews.com/content/un-britain-urge-sudan-to-overturn-christian-womans-death-sentence/1917642.html Sudan Urged Not to Execute Christian Woman]</ref> Many ordinary people also supported her, [[Hemant Mehta]] for example. <ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/06/02/cruel-uncertainty-will-apostate-meriam-ibrahim-be-freed-from-death-row-in-sudan/ Cruel Uncertainty: Will Apostate Meriam Ibrahim Be Freed From Death Row in Sudan?]</ref>

Mariam Ibrahim was released from prison in June 2014, but when she and her family tried to leave Sudan secret police detained them at the airport using violence against the family and their lawyers.<ref>[http://www.christiantoday.com/article/meriam.ibrahims.describes.being.terrorised.by.agents.of.fear/39361.htm Meriam Ibrahim's husband describes being terrorised by 'Agents of Fear'][http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27998881 Sudan death row woman Meriam Ibrahim freed again]</ref>  Following their release the family spent a month in the U.S. embassy in Khartoum.  They finally left Sudan and later met [[Pope Francis]] at [[the Vatican]]. <ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28460383 Sudan 'apostasy' woman Meriam Yahia Ibrahim meets Pope]</ref> The family are now in [[New Hampshire]] in the United States where they plan to live <ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/26/meriam-ibrahim-new-hampshire_n_5621721.html Meriam Ibrahim, Woman Freed From Sudan, Announces Plans To Settle In New Hampshire][http://www.christiantoday.com/article/meriam.ibrahim.i.have.always.wanted.and.only.wanted.my.faith/39116.htm Meriam Ibrahim: 'I have always wanted and only wanted my faith']</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/08/01/mariam_ibrahim_sudanese_apostate_arrives_in_new_hampshire.html Sudanese Woman Sentenced to Death for Apostasy Will Settle in New Hampshire]</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/meriam-ibrahim-arrives-in-us Meriam Ibrahim, Christian threatened with execution in Sudan, arrives in US]</ref> and Meriam Ibrahim intended to campaign for victims of religious persecution. <ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29399209 Sudan apostasy woman Mariam Ibrahim 'to campaign']</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ishag, Mariam Yahia Ibrahim}}
[[Category:Islamic extremism]]
[[Category:Human rights]]

Categories: Islamic extremism, Human rights