A Christian couple and their children have escaped to the United States from Sudan where they faced lashings, imprisonment and possible death, because of their faith.
Nada and Hamouda were both Muslims when they married in 2016, but when Hamouda converted to Christianity two years later, Nada was forced by her family to leave him.
In 2020, Sudan decriminalised apostasy which had previously carried the death penalty, and Nada became a Christian and returned to live with her husband. Then an Islamic Sharia court dissolved the marriage and prosecuted the couple for adultery.
Lawyers affiliated to Christian legal advocates ADF International represented Nada and Hamouda in Sudanese courts for months, but it became clear during the trial that the penalties and threats facing the couple were imminent and life-threatening. They included 100 lashes each plus a year of exile. Family members were also threatening to carry out ‘honour killings.’
The couple and the children were able to escape to the United States with the help of a sponsor family, but it’s unclear how that played out.
Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International said: “We are overjoyed that Nada, Hamouda, and their children are now able to practise their faith without fear for their lives. After facing imminent risk of death in Sudan, they are now looking forward to a new home alongside a new community and church family.”
“While both international and Sudanese law protect Nada and Hamouda’s right to freely choose and live out their faith, it’s clear that Christian converts in Sudan continue to face severe threats and hostility from the government and community. ADF International is committed to providing the strongest legal defence for the persecuted Church, and we will continue to seek justice for those like Nada and Hamouda who are unjustly punished for their faith.”
Only 4.4% of Sudan’s population of 44.6 million are believed to be Christian. According to anti-persecution organisation Open Doors, Christian women and girls in Sudan, particularly converts, are vulnerable to attacks and persecution because of their faith. Converts are also denied an inheritance, and if they are already married, they can be forcibly divorced from their husbands.
Photo: ADF International
