“ONE OF THE WORST PLACES FOR CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION”
by Sharon Rondeau
(May 27, 2014) — On Tuesday morning, The Post & Email contacted Connecticut Sens. Christopher Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Joseph Courtney about the death sentence meted out to Meriam Ibrahim Wani, a pregnant Christian mother and wife of an American citizen who was condemned to 100 lashes and death by hanging for marrying a Christian and refusing to convert to Islam.
Meriam and her 20-month-old son are imprisoned in a ghoulish Khartoum, Sudan prison. Both are reportedly ill, and Meriam’s pregnancy is nearly full-term and high-risk. Meriam is chained to the floor, her ankles are swollen, and she has been refused medical attention by her jailers.
Meriam’s husband, Daniel Wani, became a U.S. citizen in 2005 and lives in New Hampshire.
When we called, all three congressmen’s aides appeared concerned when we related Meriam’s plight and thanked us for contacting them. One said, “I’ll tell the senator and see what he can do.”
Twenty-two U.S. congressmen have signed a letter to putative Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to “respect human rights and free Mariam Yahya Ibrahim [sic] and her young son immediately,” stated the letter, signed by 21 Republicans and one Democrat.”
We then called the Sudanese embassy in Washington, DC. At 9:15 a.m. EDT, we were told by a woman that there was no one who could take our call and asked to “call back in an hour,” which we will do.
The Post & Email is asking every reader to do the same. Meriam is in desperate need of medical care, as is her young son. Daniel has been able to see them only once since they were incarcerated in February while he was in the United States attempting to obtain visas for them to join him in New Hampshire.
We also ask that you call the U.S. State Department. When we called, the operator transferred us to a comment line before we were finished explaining the purpose for our call. Only a few seconds is allowed for each comment before an automated voice concludes the call.
The Post & Email rarely, if ever, asks anything of its readers, but this is a life-or-death situation.
After contacting your congressional delegations and the embassy, please send us the results at editor@thepostemail.com for anonymous publication.
Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity and in 2010 declared that Sharia law would become “the main source of legislation.” Christians persecution has increased since the south seceded in 2011. Persecution.org reports that Sudan is “one of the worst places for Christian persecution.”
Numerous petitions have been posted online to save Meriam and her children.