Sudanese
mother Meriam Ibrahim who escaped the death penalty for marrying a
Christian today said she will start a new life in the U.S. 'like a real
family' and 'trust in God as I always have done'.
In
her first comments since arriving in Italy after her ordeal at the
hands of the barbaric Sudanese authorities, Meriam said: 'Thanks to God
we are all fine. I trusted God from the first instant. I knew that he
would not abandon me.'
It
also emerged today that Meriam only learned that she would leave Sudan
just two hours before she boarded the plane to Rome after months of
behind-the-scenes diplomatic wrangling.
Meriam Ibrahim holds her baby girl Maya at Ciampino's military airport after flying in from Khartoum
Meriam
Ibrahim meets Pope Francis with her daughter Maya in her arms, in his
Santa Marta residence, at the Vatican. The Christian mother was put on
death row for refusing to become a Muslim
When
Meriam, a trained doctor, landed with her husband, Daniel Wani and
their two children yesterday they were given an audience with Pope
Francis at the Vatican. He blessed Meriam and her baby daughter, Maya,
who she gave birth to on a prison floor two months ago.
Talking
to Antonella Napoli, a campaigner for Italians for Darfur, Meriam said
going to the Vatican was 'like a dream'. She said it was 'the peak in
the faith which I have never abandoned.'
She
added: 'Even when they condemned me to death I never thought of
renouncing my religion. When I was asked to renounce my religion I knew
what I was risking. But I didn't want to do it.'
Meriam,
27, said she now hopes to start a new life in the U.S. 'like a real
family' in the next few days, where her husband is a U.S. citizen and
lives with his brother, Gabriel, in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Daniel had been in Sudan since her arrest in a bid to free his family and it cost him his job as a biochemist.
Meriam
had been held in a notorious women's prison, shackled and with their
21-month-old son, Martin. The toddler was not allowed to live with his
Christian father because the authorities considered him a Muslim.
She
said: 'I will put my trust in God as I always have done. We will start a
new life. My husband is a chemist but he lost his job because of my
story. Now we will go and live in New Hampshire. We will all be together
like a real family.'
But
she said she will never be able to return to Sudan, where she once
owned a business. 'I will never go back,' she said. 'My family wouldn't
let me.'
The
case drew worldwide attention in May when she was sentenced to death
over charges of apostasy. A daughter of a Muslim father, Meriam was
raised by her Christian mother.
Ms Ibrahim and her husband, Daniel Wani, right, walk through the Vatican with the Pope
The Sudanese woman was sentenced to death in Sudan for refusing to recant her Christian faith
She
married Daniel in a church ceremony in 2011. As in many Muslim nations,
Muslim women in Sudan are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims, though
Muslim men can marry outside their faith. By law, children must follow
their father's religion.
FROM DESPAIR TO JOY: TIMELINE OF MERIAM'S STRUGGLE
2011: Meriam Ibrahim marries Daniel Wani after they meet when the American visits Khartoum.
August 2013: A relative alleges that her marriage to Wani, a Christian, constitutes adultery. Wani is accused of converting a Muslim, leading Ibrahim to also be accused of adultery.
February 17, 2014: Meriam is transferred prison with her 20-month-old son Martin and separated from her husband.
March 4: Court charges Meriam with apostasy and adultery
April 30: Meriam is convicted of all charges and is given 15 days to recant her beliefs.
May 11: She is sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging.
May 27: Meriam gives birth to a baby girl, Maya, in prison. According to her husband, Ibrahim's legs were kept in chains while she was in labour.
June 8: A Sudanese appeals court has started deliberating on Meriam's case.
June 12: Demonstrators gather outside the White House to demand Meriam be freed.
June 23: Meriam is released from prison.
June 24: Less than 24 hours later, Meriam and her husband were arrested at a Sudanese airport as they sought to leave the country with their two children.
July 24: After intense negotiations, Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli secures the family's release and flies to Rome with them.
August 2013: A relative alleges that her marriage to Wani, a Christian, constitutes adultery. Wani is accused of converting a Muslim, leading Ibrahim to also be accused of adultery.
February 17, 2014: Meriam is transferred prison with her 20-month-old son Martin and separated from her husband.
March 4: Court charges Meriam with apostasy and adultery
April 30: Meriam is convicted of all charges and is given 15 days to recant her beliefs.
May 11: She is sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging.
May 27: Meriam gives birth to a baby girl, Maya, in prison. According to her husband, Ibrahim's legs were kept in chains while she was in labour.
June 8: A Sudanese appeals court has started deliberating on Meriam's case.
June 12: Demonstrators gather outside the White House to demand Meriam be freed.
June 23: Meriam is released from prison.
June 24: Less than 24 hours later, Meriam and her husband were arrested at a Sudanese airport as they sought to leave the country with their two children.
July 24: After intense negotiations, Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli secures the family's release and flies to Rome with them.
Sudan's penal code forbids Muslims from converting to other religions, a crime punishable by death.
The court in the capital, Khartoum, had also ordered Meriam be given 100 lashes for having sexual relations with her husband.
When she asserted that she was in fact Christian she was then accused of apostasy.
She
was freed after months of international pressure but was initially
prevented from leaving the country. In one dramatic incident she was
detained at Khartoum airport by up to 40 of the Sudanese security
forces.
Her
brother, who is believed to have brought the original case against her,
publicly vowed to execute her if he had the chance. It is understood he
then tried to bring a petition to make her stay in the country.
Since
June 26 she has been staying at the American embassy in Khartoum, where
officials from Italy, the U.S. and the UK tried to secure her release.
The family's escape finally came on Thursday morning when they were flown on a private jet to Rome accompanied by Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistell.
Meriam's
lawyer, Shareif Ali Shareif told MailOnline today: 'Meriam only learned
she was to be rescued two hours before she left Sudan. She did not know
where she was going. She was not told before.'
Mr Ali
Shareif said the Italian government had attempted to help the persecuted
mother-of-two to flee Sudan when she was first released from jail in
June. But their efforts were thwarted by hardliners within the Sudanese
authorities who refused to let her go.
Mr Ali Shareif said: 'It was a political initiative between the Italian and the Sudanese governments.
'When
Meriam was released from jail they tried to get her out of the country
then. But the rescue attempt was not successful so the negotiations with
the Sudanese authorities continued.
'Meriam only learned about this when she got on to the plane. She was not involved in the negotiations at all.
'She was very happy to be finally leaving Sudan. It has been very difficult for Meriam and her family.
'We didn't dare believe it was actually going to happen until the plane took off. Then we were celebrating.'
The Vatican said Pope Francis had 'a very affectionate' meeting with Meriam her husband and their two small children.
Meriam
Ibrahim, from Sudan, disembarks with her daughter Maya in her arms, and
Martin, accompanied by Italian deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli,
after landing Ciampino's military airport, on the outskirts of Rome
Meriam
Ibrahim (right) and her children are welcomed by Italian dignitaries
including Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (back, left), after landing at
Ciampino Airport on the outskirts of Rome
Meriam
(right), is greeted off the plane by Federica Moherini, the Italian
minister for foreign affairs (left), and Lapo Pistelli (centre), with Mr
Renzi at the back
Daniel Wani (right), the wheelchair-bound husband of Meriam, after the family flew from Sudan
Vatican
spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said: 'The Pope thanked Meriam and
her family for their courageous witness and constancy of faith. For her
part, Meriam expressed gratitude to the Pope for the great support and
comfort she received from his prayers and from so many others believers
of good will.'
Speaking to the MailOnline, Mr Wani's brother Gabriel said: ‘It’s
beautiful news. All the hard work has paid off. I want to thank everyone
who helped to free her.
‘It’s just wonderful. I don’t
have to worry any more. It’s over.'
Lutz
Oette, counsel for UK-based campaign group Redress, which fought for Dr
Ibrahim’s release, said: ‘We very much welcome the news. But it’s an
indictment of Sudan’s criminal law that Meriam Ibrahim had to face
prosecution for being who she is.
‘She,
and others like her, have been forced to leave the country for being
different, dealing a further blow to Sudan’s traditions of tolerance and
diversity . It is now time for Sudan to see to it that Meriam and her
family receive justice for all their suffering’.
Support
network: Meriam poses hours after her release in June with her husband,
Daniel (left) and her children, Martin (on Daniel's knee) and baby Maya
and all those who bravely fought for her freedom
Among
those who have tirelessly campaigned for Meriam’s freedom have been
Hardwired, a US based religious freedom campaign group.
Its founder Tina Ramirez said: ‘Despite the many obstacles put in this family's path, we can now celebrate their freedom.’
No comments:
Post a Comment