Religious extremism: The case of Sudan's Mariam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag

Noah K Tenai

doi:10.4102/ve.v37i1.1511

Abstract

The recent case of the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of Mariam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag of Sudan has drawn attention to the place of Islamic sharia law in contemporary, diverse and multireligious communities and nation states. Islamic sharia law was used to charge Mariam of apostasy; she was subsequently sentenced to 100 lashes followed by hanging. Religious extremism and one of its resultant effects, namely persecution, particularly of women and other minorities, is a persistent hindrance to ongoing efforts against poverty responses. Religious extremism goes against the spirit of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, of which many nation states are signatories. The Catholic vows of consecration � poverty, chastity and obedience � are very helpful perspectives that can assist in pursuing responses to religious extremism and the resultant intolerance, persecution and dispossession.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Drawing from the Roman Catholic Church�s vows of consecration, the article argues for a stance that communities can take in situations that call for solidarity with people in vulnerable situations.

Highlights

Many vulnerable people continue to be victims of unending circles of alienation, deprivation and untold suffering
Various expressions of religious intolerance tend to result in religious persecution, towards the vulnerable
The Sudanese courts nullified Mariam’s marriage to Daniel using Islamic sharia law, which does not allow for the possibility of marriage between a Muslim woman (Mariam) and a non-Muslim man (Daniel)

Summary

Introduction

Many vulnerable people continue to be victims of unending circles of alienation, deprivation and untold suffering. The case of one such individual, Mariam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag, a woman from Sudan, is highlighted in order to draw attention to the cruelty of religious intolerance and persecution meted out to the vulnerable in Sudan, as well as globally.

Results

Conclusion