A woman will be stoned to death when she has weaned her baby

[bushpig]

If you would like to add your name to the protest about this ruling in Nigeria under local, not federal law, just do a search on Yahoo! for the name Amina Lawal. You will get the Amnesty International website and be able to email the President of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Ambassador.

She is held to be guilty for having a child while unmarried. The father is being let off for lack of evidence.

Please do this . Women are suffering in Nigeria under this punitive law which is not upheld by anything in the Koran

Jbr, I agree that Christianity (and other religions) have given themselves a bad name over the centuries, but to give Christ's view, he was faced with the situation of a woman about to be stoned to death for adultery, and said 'he that is without sin, cast the first stone' - her accusers walked away.

You're dead right, jodee, but that hasn't stopped militant Christians the world over from persecuting their neighbours. I wish I knew more about Islam, but I strongly suspect that Mohammed was quite a nice guy too (and after all, the muslims do view Christ as a prophet). Luckily most Christian counries have the good sense to keep religion theoretically separate from the law, but I do think that fundamentally, they're all as bad as one another.

It's disgusting when violent acts are justified on the grounds of religion. These people are not acting on any religion, they are just violent and abhorrent people who would do these acts anyway, whether they were Christian, atheist or Muslim. We should stop blaming religion for acts of hatred and look at the people who are carrying them out. Most religion is about peace, tolerance, love and forgiveness. These so-called extremists don't have any of these morals, so they twist the words of the Bible or Koran to suit their own needs, to justify their actions.

This case is of man against woman, as usual. Any excuse to stone a woman. It is appauling and I hope our government will be there putting pressure on the Nigerian government to throw out this ridiculous punishment, not only for this woman but for all who fall foul of this mediaeval law.

A young lad I know is to be a daddy to twins at Christmas. The mother is Nigerian and they are not married, although are planning to. I shouldn't think she will want to go back to Nigeria now, though.

A young lad I know is to be a daddy to twins at Christmas. The mother is Nigerian and they are not married, although are planning to. I shouldn't think she will want to go back to Nigeria now, though.

hear hear rhuby well said

I read this on Ananova about 10 minutes ago.

"The Nigerian president says he will weep if a single mother sentenced to death by stoning for having a child out of wedlock is killed.

He also says he has faith the court system will overturn her sentence.

Olusegun Obasanjo's comments appeared to confirm he would not intervene directly in the case.

It's the first time he has spoken about Amina Lawal since an Islamic court in Funtua rejected her appeal against the stoning sentence, handed down for having sex outside of marriage.

"I don't think what is going on will lead to her death," Mr Obasanjo said.

"Indeed if it does, which I very much doubt, I will weep for myself, I will weep for Amina and I will weep for Nigeria."

President Obasanjo is internationally respected as one of Africa's moral leaders, but he faces mounting criticism at home.

The House of Representatives has threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against him on charges he failed in his responsibilities since he was elected in 1999.

Nigeria's justice minister has said government lawyers will assist Lawal's legal team during her next appeal, which will test the authority of Islamic courts to hand down such sentences. Mr Obasanjo has the power to commute Lawal's sentence if she loses her appeal at the Supreme Court.

Decisions by a dozen states in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north to adopt the strict Islamic code since 1999 sparked clashes with the region's Christian minority that killed hundreds."

The prophet mohammed married a nine year old girl and then a wealthy divorcee (using her wealth to feed the poor). Christian missionaries pushed the indigenous population of Tasmania over a cliff for not converting to Christianity.

It's a power thing, not really much to do with religion, also the voice of God is always a very convenient way to kill people as followers of all religions have done and still do. We just get to see what happens to be on BBC news at any particular time. As someone has already mentioned, Saudi women have never had the right to vote (at least Afghans once did), but which country is a friend of western 'civilisation'?

There is a lot of anti-islamic feeling being cleverly whippd upby the media. ROLl up Richard the lionheart, its the crusades again.

The reason that the Nigerian president will not intervene is that he needs the votes of the Muslim north in the forthcoming elections. The majority in the South are Christian and in supporting the north he risks alienating them. As Rhubarb has said, this has very little to do with religion and everything to do with power.

I don't hate Islam; to do so would put me on a par with the Protestant who hates Catholics. I do hate evil, and bigotry, and I feel sick with fear every time I think of that poor woman and her child - apparently she is scared that she will be taken and stoned by the mob before her appeal is heard. Her daughter looks like mine, except her colour is different.

What a bloody world for dd to be born into.

I agree with Rhubarb & Jodee, it makes me so angry when people use bits and pieces of the bible for their own reasons and twist it to suit themselves. If they really wanted to see this situation from a Christian viewpoint, they would know that Jesus actually stopped a woman from being stoned when she was caught in adultery. He said to the crowd that "He who is without sin should cast the first stone." Needless to say, there is no one on earth who is without sin, therefore no one should have the right to punish others in this way. It is just another barbaric act by self-righteous and power-hungry human beings.

I don't think it's bigotry to hate Islam. I hate it in the same way I hate Apartheid. Is that bigoted too?

Aloha, I was calling the Muslim courts bigoted, not you. However, I don't see why racial hatred e.g. Apartheid is bad but religious hatred is okay. If that's the case then it's okay for a Protestant mother to stop her child playing with a Catholic one. From there you're only a step away from lining the streets to shout at little girls on their way to school.

You are right to hate what some people have made Islam into. What is happening now has no basis in the Koran but has its roots in bigotry, envy and evil. I had a good friend at college who was a Muslim and his faith has no resemblance to what is happening to this woman any more than my faith has to the Crusades.

Aloha, just wanted to say I hope I haven't offended you, if I have I'm sorry. I've had so much help and advice from you, that's the last thing I'd want to do.

Ionesmum, I'm really, honestly not offended! I wouldn't post the controversial things I do if I was so easily upset! I mean, I do honestly mean what I say, but I also know that it is not always very popular so I don't expect to be given an easy ride. I think your opinion is just as valid as mine, even if you are a lot more tactful. I do feel Islam is similar to apartheid, even worse if anything, because it is aimed at subjugating half the world. I think racial prejudice is totally different to religious prejudice because race is what you are born with and cannot ever change like the colour of your eyes and your height, wheras religion is a choice and an opinion, just like your poltical views. I think to say it is wrong to criticise someone's religion is the same as to say it is wrong to criticise someone's political views, which surely nobody would agree with. To me, it's exactly like saying nobody should criticise communism or fascism, because it's what people believe. I do think of all major religions Islam is by far the worst and a terrible blight upon the world. I don't think it is an excuse for cruelty, I think it is the cause of it. And it is dreadfully intolerant and evil and cruel. Far more so than any other major religion at this time. Christianity today - though not my bag - is not the same as in the time of the crusades, but Islam seems just as cruel and medieval as ever. Is there a Christian country in the world that stones women to death for having babies out of wedlock? No. The whole imperative of Islam seems to be to subjugate women, often in the most terrible an barbaric ways. Every single country that lives by a Muslim code seems a truly appalling, evil place. This can't be a coincidence, surely? If the Koran respects women why does every single Muslim country hold women in utter contempt?

BTW I truly hope I haven't offended you, Ionesmum. I love a good argument, especially with the incredibly intelligent, well-informed and diverse people I meet on Mumsnet. I work at home and it's such a mental workout to meet such different people.

On your other point, I really don't think the Protestants in NI have any particular argument with the religious/belief aspects of Catholicism. The fight there seems more territorial and historical. I don't think I come to Islam in the same way. I used to go out with a man whose family were Sikh, and I found no problem with them. They were different yes, but not inherently bigoted against women, I found. And their religion, though very strange to me, was not about women in veils and in purdah. In fact, the women I met were tough, beautiful, glamorous and very ambitious. I liked that!

I totally agree with your views on Islam, Aloha. The frightening thing is that apparently it's a very fast-growing religion, and more of them are coming to live in our countries (UK, Australia). All I can say is God help us if we become a minority in our own country - who knows what will happen then. Over here, some Muslims have been known to complain about the Christian aspect of Christmas, and they also want to try to ban Christian teaching in schools - who the hell do they think they are???!!! It is first and foremost a Christian nation, and if they don't like it they should go back to where they came from. I find the whole situation very unnerving.

aloha - in our culture religion may well be a matter of choice and opinion, but in many others it is as much a feature of one's life as one's colour. Islam does not recognise apostasy (giving up one's birth religion). In many countries, it is illegal to preach the tenets of other faiths. So the element of choice that we value so much only exists for the freest of thinkers - and the bravest!

I find it very odd that a muslim who converts to another religion will often be sentenced to death but that hardline muslims groups are so keen to convert others to Islam. I do feel that Islam is a very intolerant religion despite some prominent muslims claims to the ontrary.

Glad we're still friends, Aloha! No. I'm not offended, if a faith cannot stand up to criticism then what is it worth?

I do agree with the comments about the worrying way that the vocal minority of Muslims want to take over the culture of other countries. I've heard that the Muslim leaders here in the U.K. think that they should have their own statute book. I do also think that our governments should have acted years ago to stop the fundamentalists building such huge powerbases over here. However, I still don't hate Islam, only what it has become. As for choice over believing or not, well, I could no more choose not to be a Christian that I could change the colour of my skin. It's what I am in my heart and in my soul. As for the Protestant/Catholic thing, well at the church I attend someone refers to Catholics as 'Papists'. And he's not joking.

angharad, I once attended a church talk & the speaker said he'd had to counsel some young girls who'd been beaten with sticks by their own family. They were Muslims who'd converted to Christianity & their families were trying to beat them into recanting. Apparently they kept going by singing hymns and psalms and never once gave way.

Liamsmum, if islam is the fastest growing religion, I assume a lot of people are converting to Islam (like aloha, I cannot see the appeal of any religion either) so that a lot of the muslims in the UK and Australia are born and bred there so where should they "go back to?"

I also think it is insensitive to complain that muslims may make up the majority of the population in Australia which is "first and foremost a Christian nation" - what about the culture and religion of the people in Australia before the arrival of Christians?

As a non-Christian, I do not disagree that it is plain silly and insensitive to comp[lain about the Christian aspect of Christmas. However, given a choice, I would like children to be informed about the many religions and sets of morals that people around the world choose to live by rather than be taught about a particular religion as "fact".

Islam may well be the fastest growing religion becuase of their birth rate, rather than conversions. I live in the largest Islamic nation in the world, where 50% of the population is under the age of 15.

SueDonim, I am sure that the largest part of the increase in the world's Islamic population is due to birth rates rathere than non-muslims converting, but I just wanted to make the point that not all muslims are from abroad. I find it sad that people in a democracy can say "this is the way things are and if you don't like it then go away!"

Sigh... I didn't want to get into this kind of debate, Sis, but things are getting quite bad in parts of our country because of people of middle-eastern origin. In recent months, large groups of middle eastern young men (Lebanese, I believe) have been gang-raping young girls, purely for the fact that they are Australian. They purposely pick them out, rape them and then call them something like "Australian pigs." One of these gang leaders has recently been given the longest-ever prison sentence for sexual assault and the muslim community is now up in arms saying that these young men shouldn't be prosecuted. I'm sorry???? They have committed an horrific crime and their community doesn't believe they have done anything wrong. It may annoy you Sis but I am not going to apologise for my feelings towards these people - I understand that many of them are probably law abiding citizens and I am not talking about the people who are proud to be living in our country. I am talking about the ones who emigrate to Australia, bring their entire extended families with them, refuse to assimilate with our people, and then begin to denigrate everything about us. It was originally our home and our country, and we have allowed them to come here in good faith, so why shouldn't they have to respect that? When I said that Australia is a "Christian" nation, I was referring to how it was founded - just the same as the United States was founded primarily as a "Christian" nation. Of course it is not that way anymore, we are so multicultural that their are a number of religions and nationalities now existing here - and we also have a lot more strife to show for it.