Meriam's struggles continue

As Meriam Ibrahim remains with her family at the U.S. Embassy in Sudan, more details are emerging about her horrific imprisonment and how her half-brother is trying to use Shariah Law for his own personal gain -- at the expense of his own sister's life.

In a phone call with the press last week, Meriam shared the terrible news that after having been shackled to the floor of her cell while giving birth, her daughter Maya may never be able to walk.

"I gave birth chained," she told CNN in a telephone interview. "Not cuffs but chains on my legs. I couldn't open my legs so the women had to lift me off the table. I wasn't attached to the table. ... Something has happened to the baby. I don't know in the future whether she'll need support to walk or not."

As more outlets are finally reporting on the plight of Meriam and her family, the roots of the story are also coming to light.

---

Despite being abandoned by her father at the age of 6, raised Christian and marrying an American Christian man, her family turned her into the authorities. She was convicted of apostasy and adultery and sentenced to 100 lashes and death. Her own half-brother, son of the father who abandoned Meriam when she was 6, says she has two choices under Shariah Law - convert to Islam or be executed:

"It's one of two; if she repents and returns to our Islamic faith and to the embrace of our family, then we are her family and she is ours," he said. "But if she refuses she should be executed."

Many media outlets aren't sharing this part of the story. But the root of these attacks aren't just faith, it's greed too. Meriam's relatives are trying to gain control of her successful small businesses - a supermarket, farm and beauty salon. But they're using Shariah Law to murder a member of their own family to further their personal gains. As long as Meriam and her family are in Sudan she is not safe. The State Department is dragging its feet and pressuring Congress to keep silent on the issue - all while American citizens (her husband and two children) are put through hell by Sudan's government. We here at TVC will continue to keep you up to date on Meriam's plight and that of so many Christians persecuted around the world. Please forward this email to your friends and family and share this update on Facebook to keep everyone informed of a story that is not getting enough attention by the media. With your help and prayers we can bring Meriam and her family home. Sincerely, Andrea Lafferty President Traditional Values Coalition