Sudanese woman gets death sentence for apostasy
The country of Sudan introduced Islamic Law in 1983. It was a time of political unrest. One of the great Sudanese thinkers of the time was Mahmoud Muhammad Taha. He was a victim of political unrest of the time and was executed for apostasy in the capital, Al Khatoum, in 1985. Taha was born in a Muslim environment. He had to move toward reforming a stagnant religion. I believe deep inside Taha knew Islam was bad news for any culture, however, this was the “given” he had to work with. To move away from Islam through Islam he said that Islam’s true message is the Meccan Islam and Suras. His Islam, so to speak, was a pacifist Islam. From a main-line Islamic perspective, he fit the apostasy profile, and hence executed at the age of seventy six.
A word about apostasy is in order here. Humans should always be free to have, adjust, change their belief-systems as they unwrap new knowledge and acquire new evidence. We humans do that all the time to improve our business practices, to improve our ethical practices, and we certainly do that with regard to scientific knowledge. People leave or join other religions all the time. The only exception and problem is Islam. The reason is some of the prophet of Islam’s practices as well as some of the acts of the venerated Sahabas. In sahih Al-Bukhari we read:
Narrated Abu Huraira : Allah’s Apostle said, “Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity or Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?” Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verses: “The pure Allah’s Islamic nature (true faith of Islam) (i.e. worshipping none but Allah) with which He has created human beings. No change let there be in the religion of Allah (i.e. joining none in worship with Allah). That is the straight religion (Islam) but most of men know, not.” (30.30) (Book #23, Hadith #441)
Also,
Narrated ‘Ikrima: Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to ‘Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn ‘Abbas who said, “If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah’s Apostle forbade it, saying, ‘Do not punish anybody with Allah’s punishment (fire).’ I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah’s Apostle, ‘Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.'” (Book #84, Hadith #57)
Qur’an 4:88-89 is clear on a death punishment for those who turn away from the true faith of Islam:
Verse 88 – Sahih International: What is [the matter] with you [that you are] two groups concerning the hypocrites, while Allah has made them fall back [into error and disbelief] for what they earned. Do you wish to guide those whom Allah has sent astray? And he whom Allah sends astray – never will you find for him a way [of guidance].
Verse 89 – Sahih International: They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.
There are multiple verses and hadiths that cooroborate the fact that leaving Islam is punished by a death penalty.
The case for The Sudanese woman
Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishaq is a Sudanese lady who is a Christian. She was never a Muslim. Her mother is a Christian. Her father is a Muslim. She was raised by her Christian mother. The problems for her arose when she married a Christian man. She was sentenced by a Sudanese judge to death by hanging. However the judge wanted to make sure she is punished for her “lewdness” by sleeping with an infidel. He sentenced her also for one hundred lashes!!
Readers, we are not talking about some middle ages story. Nor are we talking about a story that took place during the life of the most evil man to tread this earth; Muhammad. We are talking about modern day Sudan. And, by the way, Saudi Arabia fairs much worse when it comes to human rights abuses. It is time for all human rights organizations to scandalize, on their front pages publications, countries like Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and any other Muslim country that dares to abuse human rights of any person on their soil.
A Happy Ending
Human rights organizations, and the Vatican interfered to help Mariam and her family. The couple is safe and blessed in the United States at this time:
Islam is the religion to avoid at all costs. It reduces human to dictators and barbarians
Muslims can at least give us some bona fide reasons why they feel apsotates deserve to murdered.If the usual answer is “because the Quran says so and its an unadulterated book” ;then the Quran must be examined for its accuracy.
Any inaccurate verses in the Quran would mean its tarnished and deserves to be relegated to fiction status.