Inter-religious summit in Brussels condemns the prosecution of a Sudanese woman for apostasy Abdul-

Inter-religious summit in Brussels condemns the prosecution of a Sudanese woman for apostasy
Abdul-Aziz Ali Omer
Known as Merriam Yahiya or Abrar Al-hadi, a Sudanese medical doctor has changed her Islamic affiliation. Her conversion to Christianity raised a raucous controversy in the court of public opinion. Abdullah Al-sheikh, a Sudanese columnist in his article “a female a apostate and counter -attack” addressed the Sudan’s Foreign Minister saying “The issue of Merriam is a slap on the face of your government” describing the image of Sudan in his time as tattoo of crucifix on the chest of covenant. He berated his staff for their indiscretion and imprudence for the incident that was offensive. The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barraso, the president of the European Council ,Herman Van Rompuy and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz together with religious leaders participating at high-level meeting in Brussels expressed their deepest dismay and concern with the fate of Mrs. Merriam Yahiya who has been sentenced to a hundred lashes and sentenced to hanging on charges of apostasy and adultery . The above-mentioned presidents of E.U institutions as well as religious leaders at high-level meeting which include christians,muslims, Jews,Hindus,Sikhs, and the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints underline Sudan’s international obligation to protect freedom of religion and belief and unanimously call upon the Sudanese responsible authorities and appeal court to revoke this inhuman verdict and release Mrs. Merriam with utmost urgency. The participants in meeting welcome the fact the Sudanese Court of Appeal has accepted the appeal and demand that the Sudanese government – in line with universal human rights to repeal any legal provisions that penalize or discriminate against individuals for their religious belief or for changing their religion or belief or inducing others to change a religion or belief especially when cases of apostasy, heterodoxy or conversion are punishable by death.
Last month, the Court of first Instance at Hajj Yousef, a residential area delivered the sentence giving 3 days to renounce Christianity. But she refused to recant as she believed she was originally a Christian.