Sudanese Woman Sentenced To Death Over Christianity Will Not Renounce Faith

The husband of a Sudanese woman convicted of "apostasy," or the renunciation of faith, said his wife is refusing to renounce her Christian faith despite an approaching death sentence, CNN reported.

Two weeks ago, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, 27, was sentenced to death by hanging after she declined to identify as a Muslim, which is the religion of her father. Given her father's faith, Sharia law considers her a Muslim and does not recognize her marriage to a Christian man.

At the time of her conviction, Ibrahim was eight months pregnant. This week, she gave birth to a baby girl in the Khartoum prison where she is detained with her 20-month-old son, Martin.

Her husband, Daniel Wani -- an American citizen who is Christian -- told CNN his wife will not back down.

"There is pressure on her from Muslim religious leaders that she should return to the faith," Wani told CNN. "She said, 'How can I return when I never was a Muslim? Yes, my father was a Muslim, but I was brought up by my mother.'"

Wani described his wife as a practicing Christian, even more religious than him, and had their son baptized.

"I know my wife. She's committed," he said. "Even last week, they brought in sheikhs and she told them, 'I'm pretty sure I'm not going to change my mind.'"

In Sudan, Sharia law doesn't allow death sentences against pregnant women to be carried out until two years after the birth.

The Sudanese government has denied requests for comment on the issue from CNN.

Ibrahim was arrested after her Muslim relatives accused her of renouncing Islam. They also claimed she disappeared for years and were shocked upon learning she married a Christian.

According to Wani, his wife was raised by her Ethiopian Orthodox mother after her Muslim father left the family when she was six years old.

"The police originally called for the case to be dismissed, but these people went back and added another charge ... which is adultery, by saying she was their sister and a Muslim. It is illegal for a Muslim woman to marry a Christian man, therefore we were brought before the court," Wani said.

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