On International Women’s Day (Monday, March 8), Young Women for America (YWA) National Director, Annabelle Rutledge, was honored to interview Mariam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death in Sudan for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. During our interview, we were inspired by Mariam’s boldness and gained a better understanding through her story of what it is like living under Sharia Law.

If you missed YWA’s leader call and want to watch it back, you can view it here. Below are key talking points on Sharia law.

• Sharia is the fundamental religious concept of Islam – namely, its law is derived from the Qur’an, Hadiths, and Sunnah.
• For any nation under Sharia law, the idea of separation of church and state is non-existent and Islamic concepts govern all areas of life.
• The Islamic law includes extreme facets that degrade the value of human life, such as:
  • A Muslim who leaves Islam must be killed immediately.
  • Non-Muslims are forbidden to marry Muslim women.
  • Sharia dictates death by stoning, beheading, amputation of limbs, flogging, and even for crimes of sin such as adultery.
  • There is no age limit for the marriage of girls. The marriage contract can take place any time after birth and can be consummated at age eight or nine.
  • Rebelliousness on the part of the wife nullifies the husband’s obligation to support her, gives him permission to beat her, and keeps her from leaving the home.[1]
• Thankfully, here in the United States, we do not embody the principles of Islamic law. Muslims living in the U.S. are free to practice their religion, but like every other citizen, they are only permitted to do so within the bounds of the U.S. Constitution.
• Even still, the United States has seen several instances of Muslims acting within the Sharia law and outside the bounds of the Constitution.
  • For example, on January 1, 2008, an Egyptian living in Texas shot his own two daughters in a parked car simply because they were dating Americans. [2]
• Of course, not every Muslim living in the United States abides by Sharia law; however, it is important that we understand that Islamic law is dangerous and that we fight against any effort to allow it to creep into American society and courts.
• There have been instances of Islamic husbands trying to use Sharia law as legal foundation in United States courts.
  • In 2010, a New Jersey court saw a case in which the husband had repeatedly abused his wife and told her their religion (Islam) was the basis for his abuse. The court allowed an Imam to offer expert testimony in which he said, according to Islamic law, the wife is required to submit to the husband’s demands and that there was no criminal intent since the husband was operating within his religious beliefs.
  • The judge allowed this testimony to supersede state law. Thankfully, the decision was reversed, but it highlights a legitimate concern as Islam is antithetical to the ideas of freedom in the U.S. Constitution. [3]
• Though we are called to love those practicing different religions and do, that does not mean we should disregard dangerous and evil practices. We should be alert in making sure that political correctness is not weaponized to allow for evil.
• As Christians, we should ultimately be praying for those in the radical Islamic faith who are stuck in a system that does not value human life. Despite the dangers they may face for leaving the Muslim faith, our strongest desire should be that they find salvation in Jesus Christ.

[1] Nonie Darwish, “Sharia for Dummies,” Front Page Magazine, August 26, 2010, https://archives.frontpagemag.com/fpm/sharia-dummies-nonie-darwish/.

[2] Claire Cardona, “Video offers glimpse into relationship slain Lewisville sisters had with father accused of killing them in taxi,” Dallas News, February 2, 2017, https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2017/02/03/video-offers-glimpse-into-relationship-slain-lewisville-sisters-had-with-father-accused-of-killing-them-in-taxi/.

[3]Maxim Lott, “Advocates of Anti-Shariah Measures Alarmed by Judge’s Ruling,” Fox News, August 5, 2010 https://www.foxnews.com/us/advocates-of-anti-shariah-measures-alarmed-by-judges-ruling

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