Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim Arrives In US
Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian mother who faced death in her home country a mere month ago, safely arrived in the U.S. on Thursday after spending time with Pope Francis in Rome.
Ibrahim reportedly flew from Rome, Italy to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania late Thursday afternoon, where she was greeted by Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter. Ibrahim then took a connecting flight to Manchester, New Hampshire where she will settle with her husband and two children, as her husband has U.S. citizenship and previously lived in New Hampshire with his family.
Mayor Nutter told the Associated Press that he believes Ibrahim will go down in history "with others who stood up so we could be free," including civil rights activist Rosa Parks. He reportedly gave the Sudanese woman a miniature replica of the Liberty Bell, a symbol of American independence.
"Meriam Ibrahim is a world freedom fighter," the mayor added.
Gabriel Wani, brother-in-law to Ibrahim, told the Associated Press that the family plans to take time to rest and relax once they are all home in New Hampshire. "We're just going to go and bring them home," he told the news outlet. "They want to come home and they want to rest."
Ibrahim was originally sentenced to death by a Sudanese court on charges of apostasy and adultery. She was accused of converting from Islam to Christianity as an adult and marrying a Christian man. While under her death sentence, Ibrahim was forced to give birth to her second child in prison. After great international outcry, her sentence was dropped by an appeals court and she was eventually allowed to leave Sudan.
