The oppression of women occurs
everyday in dozens of countries around the world. The sentence of death
by stoning has been documented in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Saudi
Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Many people are unaware that women
are being stoned as a punishment for adultery, being a victim of rape,
premarital sex, and having a child out of wedlock. No woman should be
treated this way, no woman should be punished for these 'crimes.'
A major victory for women's rights occured on September 25, 2003, when
Amina Lawal, a single mother who was convicted of adultery and sentenced
to death by stoning, won her appeal. Lawal had a baby outside of wedlock,
a crime punishable by execution under the Islamic law, Sharia. The father
was not convicted of any crimes because he was able to provide male
witnesses to testify on his behalf. This is enough evidence to clear
him under the Sharia law. Fortunately, Amina Lawal's case gained world-wide
popularity. Thousands of letters were sent to the Nigerian government,
and are still being sent, Lawal's case made headlines throughout the
world. Although Lawal's case was overturned, women in Nigeria are not
safe. Unless men and women are treated equally, more women will be sentenced
to death because they became pregnant outside of marriage even if they
are victims of rape.
The Islamic groups in Northern Nigeria that support stoning laws are
trying to gain more power through the implementaion of stoning and other
traditional Islamic laws. By not doing anything to stop these groups,
the Nigerian government is putting millions of their own people in danger,
especially women.
The following are parts of the Islamic Penal Code:
Article 83: Punishment for unlawful sexual intercourse
is stoning. When a married woman commits adultery with an adult man.
Appendix 1: Sexual relationship between a married
woman and an underage man is punishment by flogging.
Article 90: If a man or woman who is being stoned
is able to pull himself/herself out of the ditch and run away, they
must be pardoned.
Article 102: A man who is sentenced to death by stoning
is to be buried to his waist, while a woman must be buried to up to
her chest or neck.
Article 104: Defines the size of stones. In stoning
to death, the stones should not be so large that the person dies upon
being hit by one or two of them, neither should they be so small that
they cannot be called a stone.
Stoning is usually a public occurence and the victim's family is often
forced to witness the execution.
What you can do...
Please write to one of the following addresses, and do your
part to end this exceptionally cruel form of punishment that violates
internationally accepted standards of human rights. Remember that women
in these countries are allowed no economic power, educational power,
or political parties to defend themselves, so they are in dire need
of your help.
Leader of Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Khamenei
The Presidency, Palestine Avenue
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Fax: 98-21-650203 (via Interior Ministry, ask for fax to be forwarded)
His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo,
President of the Republic,
The Presidency,
Federal Secretariat,
Phase II, Shehu Shagari Way,Abuja;
Fax: 234 9 523 21 36 (press office)
Email: president.obasanjo@nigeriagov.org
His Excellency Kanu Godwin Agabi,
Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice,
New Federal Secretariat complex Shehu Shagari Way,
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory,
Nigeria;
Fax: 234 9 523 52 08
Consulate General of Nigeria
828 Second Avenue
New York
K2P 1R9
His Excellency, Professor Jibril M. Aminu
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1333 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Fax: (202)986-8449
The Honorable Consul-General Tafiq O. Oseni
Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
828 2nd Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, New York 10017
FAX: (212)687-1476
E-Mail your friends and urge them to write letters on behalf
of women in danger in countries that strip them of their human rights!
