Meriam Ibrahim: 'I have always wanted and only wanted my faith'

Meriam Ibrahim holding her daughter as she arrived in Rome last week. AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca

Meriam Ibrahim, the Christian woman who has escaped Sudan after her death sentence for apostasy was repealed, is to settle in the US with her extended family.

"We will begin a new life...We will go to New Hampshire where my brother-in-law Gabriel lives," she told Antonella Napoli, head of Italians for Darfur.

"They will help us. We will be all together as a true family."

Ibrahim, who was quoted in Italian newspaper La Repubblica, was flown to Rome last week where she was given a 30 minute audience with Pope Francis; an experience Ibrahim called the fulfilment of a "lifelong dream".

The Pontiff reportedly thanked her for her "witness to faith" and "perseverance".

"I have always wanted and only wanted my faith. The love of my husband is a gift from God," Ibrahim said following the meeting.

She was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging in Sudan on May 11 this year. Though she was bought up as a Christian her whole life, Ibrahim was found guilty of converting from Islam and was also accused of adultery after marrying a Christian man – a union deemed invalid under Sharia law.

She gave birth in Khartoum prison to a daughter, Maya, and – despite terrible treatment – refused to renounce her religious faith. She was later released following an international outcry.

"When I was asked to renounce my Christian faith, I knew what I was risking," Ibrahim told La Repubblica.

related articles
Meriam Ibrahim: What you need to know about Sudan and Apostasy
Meriam Ibrahim: What you need to know about Sudan and Apostasy

Meriam Ibrahim: What you need to know about Sudan and Apostasy

Meriam is free, but for many Sudanese Christians, the battle for freedom has only just begun
Meriam is free, but for many Sudanese Christians, the battle for freedom has only just begun

Meriam is free, but for many Sudanese Christians, the battle for freedom has only just begun

Meriam Ibrahim speaks: I gave birth in chains and I fear my baby is disabled
Meriam Ibrahim speaks: I gave birth in chains and I fear my baby is disabled

Meriam Ibrahim speaks: I gave birth in chains and I fear my baby is disabled

Meriam Ibrahim will enter U.S. \'soon\'; Reveals prison birth didn\'t damage daughter
Meriam Ibrahim will enter U.S. 'soon'; Reveals prison birth didn't damage daughter

Meriam Ibrahim will enter U.S. 'soon'; Reveals prison birth didn't damage daughter

Meriam Ibrahim meets Pope Francis in Rome
Meriam Ibrahim meets Pope Francis in Rome

Meriam Ibrahim meets Pope Francis in Rome

News
New Catholic head says lessons must be learned from abuse failings
New Catholic head says lessons must be learned from abuse failings

The newly installed Archbishop of Westminster has said the Church must learn from victims of sexual abuse.

Young adults abandon marriage as pensioners overtake under-25s - report
Young adults abandon marriage as pensioners overtake under-25s - report

The institution of marriage has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past five decades - particularly among young adults.

Iconic cathedral to run truth project during Lent
Iconic cathedral to run truth project during Lent

One of England’s most well-known, historic and picturesque cathedrals has announced plans to run a Lent series looking at truth in the modern world.