One Mother’s Escape From A Sudanese Death Sentence...to America

Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. Our next story
comes to us from a mother of two living in Virginia,
but it begins far from there. Let's take a listen.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I am Mariam Abrahim.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I was born on November third and nineteen eighty seven
in a refugee camp and a siri of Kadariv from Suran.
My mother of fleat war from Ethiopia. When she's ten
years old with her sister. They lost all their families

(00:51):
and they're the only survived members of the family and
they subtle in a refugees camp. When my mom was sixteen,
she met with my father and they got married. My
father originally from Therefore, the background of the story is

(01:11):
that he killed a men from a different tribe. But
the man is the honor killing because the man is
a relationship with my aunt, my father's younger sister. So
my father find out about them, they meet and know
each other, so he gets so angry and he went
on and killed the man. And when he came to

(01:33):
this far away area just to hide because the other
family are second revenge.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
So that's why he met with my mom.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Later, after my youngest sister was born, the situation gets
really very bad.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
I remember lots of the fight.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
She'd been beaten and when we came, my brother and
I went in the middle to stop the fighting. We
betn also, so he left and they got divorced.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
We decided to move from the refugee camp.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I always have many questions about my father's family. When
we moved to that lets, she had to change our
last name and everything, because I didn't know this until
later on the time. That's that's what I always question her,
like why I don't want us to know my dad's family,
Why I don't want us to be connected to them.

(02:31):
So she on that actually for our protection. So we
moved to that city and it's actually a lot of
Muslims groups.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
In that area.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
So I have my youngest brother his name is Hassan,
and the younger sister. So my brother was totally different
than my mom and I because he's extremely Muslim. And
then when we moved to the big city, he really
felt the trap of the imams. My mom was really
upset for him, like if she ever tried, like to

(03:05):
stop him, or do she get immediately get killed. So
she tried her best to convince him. I did try
my best, but he didn't help. So in Suran and
many Muslim countries, all students, no matter what's your religion,
do you have to pass those four subject Arabic, English, math.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
And Islamic stories.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
Islamic study include study Agida Kuran and Sunna Kuran. You
study gorannul okay you mamarize a scripture Sunna about the
life of Muhammad. And then I did about the life
of the Sahaba. And I was supposed to be married
in business, and they have a structure for everything you do,
even the way like use the bathroom, marriage, the way

(03:54):
you communicate with unbeliever.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
The way you do a world, the way you do.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Business with bank, managing money, everything, so we have to.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Do that, like I have all the knowledge about Uran.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
And then in that situation, I was targeted by my
teachers because we are Christian and they're sitting next to
Muslim students and you hear the teacher, you know, say
it louder and you have to rebeat after her. The
verses are are saying how to treat the unbeliever and
how God will punish them, and how they are bad
they are, you know, how.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
They go to hell.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
And I was like I don't rebeat after her. So
they start like talking to me, No, you have to
follow this, you have to say this because as said
and Muhamma said, and I just don't want it, like
I don't want it. The same time, when I come home,
I tell my mom that, oh no, don't do that.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
They're gonna kill you. That's what my mom will say.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
And I'm like, I have seen these people always respond
to the aggressive behavior of emms and Muslims and leaders.
The respond from us, the religious minority is that we
got had to do.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
What they want to be in peace like that is
in peace. That's weakness.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
And I always argue with them. So close to my graduation,
I lost my sister first and then few months Lera,
my mom passed away.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
She worked.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
She had a restaurant on the highway between the city
of Galabad border and Gadariv, and one of the things
she does she helped there's a lot of human trafficing,
smuggling in that area. And one of the things my
mom did is when those smugglers bring on those gales.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
She questioned them.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
She seen them like nineteen years old, so she when
she questioned them, she offered them her if you needed her,
so and she went on and report that. But the
correct office said went on and told the smuggle as
this woman. You have to be careful about this woman
because she started talking to the girls. You guys bring

(06:08):
in girls and boys. So I get to know she
was not. It was an accident, as I was taught
it was. Yeah. So the other now here my mom
died and spend a lifetime with Zennants. I get to

(06:31):
know my sister in law. She's in a wheelchair and
my priest with like you, Miriam, I'm the only person
I would trust. So that's how became friends. And then
I get to know her brother. They get married to him.
So after I have my oldest, my first child. When

(06:53):
my husband left us, he lived in the United States,
so come and go to Surran. So after we're married,
he came to an state and I was He left
me pregnant with alf his child.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
So I started my own business.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
That my mom left farm inland and she left the
house and she left some saving for me, so I
used that and I started business. I solved her restaurant.
I did very well on that and then out of
the suren I my husband also went back to Sudan.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
At that time, my son was crawling.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
And then I started receiving this phone call about family
members that are looking for me, and then we come
from them to police. See the phone call, I have
to go to the policy station, question, this is your
family and they want you back. And I'm like, that's

(07:53):
why my mom always not wanted me to connect with
you guys. So and I find out they know where
I live and everything, like, why don't you guys come
unlock my door? Because we know you're living a wrong life.
So what do you mean because we know you got
to church and you're married to CHRISTI and I'm holding

(08:15):
my son. I told the officer, I have a family
of my own. Now, why that's not family? The family
don't bring their daughter to the policy station. So he said, no,
this is their family and they want you to back,
and they are right. The officer said, they are right
because if you're their daughter, your father is a Muslim,
you're not supposed to be living this life. So you

(08:38):
break too many law? I said, really, I'm like, who
did I kill? Who did I hurt? So I'm like,
building a business is that providing jobs for many people,
including even like refided people that area, So.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
Like, no, you are committing adultery.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
And you've been listening to Miriam Ibrahim share her story
of life in Soudan before he came to America to
live in Virginia. When we come back, more of this
remarkable story here on our American stories, and we continue

(09:39):
with our American stories and with Miriam Ibrahim's story, and
so many millions of Americans end up at our shores
suffering from some type of persecution, religious or otherwise. Let's
pick up where we last left off with Miriam and
her story.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
So in September twenty thirteen, go in back to court
every day, just question who you are.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
They said their.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
Name Muslim name, and I say my Christian name, and
I say I'm Christian.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
They said she's Muslim.

Speaker 3 (10:15):
So the judge want, I mean, just to say accept
what they said. And you know, I said, okay, you
go do your family. I said, what's going to happen
to my children? My child at the time, I don't
know what's pregnant. So my child you have to go
to the orphan because he's a little bit child. And
then you're gonna get flogged a hundred lashes and go

(10:37):
to your family. And on Christmas Eve of twenty thirteen,
I was sent to jail. They responded, like, you know,
you can't respond as a girl, as a woman. You
don't dare to open to look at the judge's face
or talk to him. You can't do that. So you
just be bouning your head down and covering your fast

(10:57):
your hair and just quiet, not even breathing, like you know.
Then even so, and before I go to jail, I
have to go through to the medical tests, and then
I'm including pregnancy, and I really wasn't prepared to have
a second child at that time. Martin is young, but

(11:17):
this trial starts happening, and I don't think, what's the
good time? I mean, but gods have a different wall.
They said, you're pregnant. I'm like, what, I'm going to
jail getting a news and I'm pregnant.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
I supposed to be really happy. I was happy, but
like what hell?

Speaker 3 (11:33):
I mean, just you know, I'm very confused, and I'm
very upset and freaked out. So I sent there and
there's the other woman. When I walk in, all these
face bruises and so sad and horrible situation. I'm holding
my son, so somehow Martin was long day. He just

(11:53):
fell asleep and I just closed my eyes and said,
let me pray. So when I of the sudden I
hear this deep voice, you are not alone. And I
opened my eyes and I'm like, what did you say it?

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Who you are? Where are you?

Speaker 3 (12:07):
I'm like, So the other women in the cell start laughing,
and they called the office to say I'm crazy.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
They put Chance on my feet.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
Chance because my crime is an adultery and a boss
see now, and I supposed to receive this sentence for
a boss ce ande hundred slashes for adultery, but it
didn't read the sentence give me three days, a judge.
So I remember my on the track back from court
to prison, I was praying and I was like, okay, God,

(12:40):
three days. And it's just like, oh, Johanna was in
the well for three days. Jesus wasn't the tom for
three days. These have to be miracles that I really,
you really have for me, and I'm just waiting for
that miracle. We're back again to the end of the

(13:05):
trial and again I was put up on the kid
and there's like fifty officer around the kid, big like kid,
and there's pension there, the mom came in and then
the judge came in. He asked me to stand up,
and he was very angry. The judge was very angry,
so he asked me again.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
I'm going to ask one more time. Are you Muslim
or Christian?

Speaker 3 (13:35):
And he would say my Islamic name Abra, and I said,
I'm Christian and I was always Christian and I.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Always be.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
So because a lot of people really can see in
their eyes, they wanted me to They wanted me to
say what he said, really because death, you're gonna die.
But they don't see what I see, like they don't see.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
What I see.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
I see fear into his eyes. But that's wasn't on me.
That's not in my heart, and I do I do.
That moment really felt so bad for him to be
in that position, and I just remembering that the word
Jesus had said on the cross when he was crucified, Father,

(14:22):
forgive them, for they did not know what they are doing.
So I received my sentence that day, but the end
of his word, because you are pregnant, and that was
my miracle. Because you are pregnant, you're given two years,

(14:44):
you give birth and as the child I give birth
two years and as a child, and then said the
child tell two years, look into the orphan and they
held my execution. M so my church is involved, that's
how the body can't get involved. And then my husband

(15:06):
is a US citizen, my children and a U citizen.
The fair thing we start asking before we got sent
to jail, we knocked the embassy's door and we asked
for help. It just happened that day. Was called into
the office and I was told to bring all my

(15:26):
items my staff. I wasn't even given a chance to
save by to the other inmates and the ladies I know.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
So I left prison.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
From prison, I was asked to go find a safe
place because my house is no longer a safe place
and the US embassy is almost like outside for two city.
So we stayed at the embassy for a month, and
then that night, just we've been called, I left Sudan

(15:59):
to Italy. I said, they asked for one stains and Italy,
and I really wanted to come to the state because
that's what I feel. It's my children wear the air
plong too. So yeah, I was told to scape to
them before during my trial and everything, and I said,
now I'm not going to do that, like I'm not,

(16:21):
you know, going to do that. That's why I was
called crazy. I was called stupid. I'm not smart. I
don't know how to you know, to play well. But
it just wasn't easy for me because my faith and
my beliefs is not like a jacket or a mouse
I would wear when I'm saving and then take off. It's

(16:42):
the way I will live my life. The way I
made a decision that knowing my relationship with God is
is not involved anyone else.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
It's between me and him. That's the thing that my
mom teaches me always. She tells me.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
She tells me like, don't let any want to put
fear into your heart, because if it does happen, that's
how that's how you control you, you know, but fear
and come control.

Speaker 2 (17:13):
With fear come control.

Speaker 3 (17:16):
So and God said, don't fear, And I know I
wasn't afraid of the stread of the enemies of their
no matter how they try to think themselves are big
and strong, but I see them weak.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
I isn't terrorist. This isn't the use terror. They use fear.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
But I don't comply with that because none of not
my life or my future or anything that is not
in their hands in God's hand. So yeah, I'm here today.
I in the United States. My children Martin is nine

(17:55):
years old for nine months old in prison, nine years
old now seven. They love Jesus. They go to Catholic school.
They share Martin as an altar server at the church.
May I want to do music when she gets her
first communion. She's going to get her first communion on me.

(18:18):
So she wanted to do music ministry. And she loved
to sing. She do ballet, she do, Martin do basketball,
they do karate their cub scout. I volunteered a lot
on the community with the Woman's Shelter, so they help

(18:41):
me with stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
There's a lot of good.

Speaker 1 (18:44):
Stuff and a terrific job on the production and storytelling
by Greg Special thanks to Miriam Ibrahim for sharing her
story her family story. The book is Share One Woman's
dramatic triumph over persecution, gender abuse, and a death sentence.

(19:06):
And you can get it at your local bookstores or
wherever you buy your books.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
What a trial scene this is.

Speaker 1 (19:14):
It's better than anything in the movies that I've seen,
and I'm almost visualizing what this was like. For her
to sit there and have to answer, are you a
Muslim or a Christian?

Speaker 4 (19:24):
In America, we don't do that. George Washington wrote a.

Speaker 1 (19:28):
Letter to a synagogue in Rhode Island assuring them religious
bigotry would not be.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
Sanctioned in this country.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
And he wrote these words for happily, the government of
the United States, which gives to bigotry, no sanction, to persecution,
no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection,
should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it, on
all occasions their effectual support.

Speaker 4 (19:55):
And those words are true.

Speaker 1 (19:56):
It's why Miriam brought her family United States. A story
of religious persecution and in the end, a story of
courage and triumph. Miriam Ibraheim's story here on our American
Stories