Mother who survived persecution speaks out as delegation reports Sudan’s ‘heartbreaking’ destruction
AS an EU/UN delegation returns from war torn Sudan a mother has recalled her own harrowing experiences in the country.
In 2014 Mariam Ibrahim was sentenced to death in 2014 for alleged apostasy and to 100 lashes for alleged adultery, after refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
She was arrested because Shari‘a law mandated that she was a Muslim, like her father, even though she had been raised as a practicing Christian.
Mariam spoke to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) by video-link at the launch of its Religion Freedom in the World report – while a delegation was witnessing “the world’s largest displacement crisis” in her home country.
It comes as a conflict in El Fasher city reached its climax yesterday (Sunday, 26th October) when Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) finally took control of the army’s base in Darfur, home to a famine-stricken displacement camp.
The RSF has surrounded El Fasher for the last 18 months, which has seen army positions and civilians under frequent bombardment.
In a stark reminder of how long conflicts have been taking place in the country, Mariam told ACN during the Religious Freedom in the World report launch last Tuesday (21st October), that during her pregnancy and imprisonment, she faced unimaginable hardship.
She said: “I was accused because I grew up as a Christian, because I practiced my faith, and because I married a Christian man. That was considered a crime.
“I spent Christmas 2013 in prison. I discovered I was pregnant just before being jailed. That first night in the cell I was terrified and could only pray.
“My mother had passed away, my father’s family rejected me, and the media called me ‘unclean’, ‘infidel’ and ‘deserving of death’.”
Speaking about the power of prayer, she described how she managed to keep her Bible in prison: “I had to cut its pages and hide them in my hair so I could read them in the bathroom.
“That was the only place I could open it without being discovered. I still carry that prison Bible with me everywhere I go.
“When people ask me how to pray for the persecuted, I say: pray that they find access to God’s Word.
“In many countries, owning a Bible is seen as an act of terrorism. But the Bible is not a threat – It is the story of salvation for all people.”
Her eventual release, previously reported by ACN, was made possible through the mediation of the Italian government and the support of the international community.
ACN’s Religious Freedom in the World report on Sudan has highlighted increased persecution in the region due to an authoritarian government and Islamist extremism.
According to the UN more than 30 million people in Sudan need aid, 15 million children need support and 9.6m internally displaced people.
Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency visited displacement sites in Port Sudan and outside of Khartoum.
Following her return on Thursday, 23rd October she said: “Millions are displaced inside and outside of the country and returning families have little support with the absence of other options.
“I spoke with families who recently fled Al Fasher with horrific stories of being forced to leave everything behind, taking treacherous routes at great risk. It’s a dynamic environment and support is needed everywhere.”
Maciej Popowski, the EU’s Director-General, EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations said on social media site X, formerly Twitter: “Just completed my mission to Sudan.
“The scale of destruction in Khartoum is heartbreaking – but the strength and hope of those returning is impressive.
“The EU is on the ground and will continue providing humanitarian assistance.”
CAN's Religious Freedom in the World 2025 report reveals that more than 5.4 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the global population – live in countries with serious violations of religious freedom.
• The Religious Freedom in the World can be viewed here
