Meriam Ibrahim, who once faced the death penalty simply for being a Christian, is safe on U.S. soil.
After months in custody, Meriam is finally free to live her live as she sees fit!
The Sudanese Christian touched down in Manchester, New Hampshire, with her husband Daniel Wani last night. The couple and their children, Martin and Maya, got in from Rome around 8 p.m., Fox News reports.
Their arrival marked the end of a nightmare where Meriam was thrown in a prison on charges of apostasy for renouncing Islam and marrying a Christian man. Although Meriam was raised Christian by her mother, her father was Muslim.
Under Sharia law, that meant that Meriam was recognized as being Muslim because children are supposed to follow their father’s religion. Under those rules, it didn’t matter that the father had abandoned the family when she was young. It’s also important to note that Muslim women are also prohibited from marrying non-Muslim men, so Meriam was technically breaking the law on two fronts.
Meriam was eight months pregnant at the time of her incarceration, and she eventually delivered her daughter Maya while she was in prison. The mother of two had been released once before, but she was detained again a day later as she and her family tried to board a plane.
As soon as Meriam was released from Sudan on July 24, she and her family sought refuge in Rome before making the journey to the U.S. NBC News reports that while in Rome, Meriam got the honor of meeting Pope Francis, and he blessed her during their brief time together at the U.S. Embassy.
Meriam’s brother-in-law Gabiel Wani told Fox that she has been granted asylum here, and she’ll be meeting with U.S. State Department officials soon. For now, Gabriel said the family just plans to “relax” as they begin their new life.
Free At Last: Meriam Ibrahim Heads Straight For The U.S. Upon Release was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
