In an interview published today, Daniel Wani said his wife, Meriam Ibrahim, is holding on to her Christian faith despite being held for months in a Sudanese prison for apostasy.
Wani said that Ibrahim refuses to renounce Christianity and "return" to Islam—the religion of her estranged father.
"There is pressure on her from Muslim religious leaders that she should return to the faith," Wani told CNN.
"She said, 'How can I return when I never was a Muslim? Yes, my father was a Muslim, but I was brought up by my mother.' "
Ibrahim, who gave birth to a daughter on Tuesday, was sentenced to death and 100 lashes on May 15 for marrying a Christian man. Under Sharia law, she is considered a Muslim, and the marriage is invalid.
"An illegitimate marriage does not result in legally recognized offspring, which means that my son and the new baby are no longer mine," Wani explained. The couple's 20-month-old son, Martin, and newborn daughter, Maya, are in jail with their mother.
Despite the poor conditions she and her children are subject to in confinement, Ibrahim remains steadfast.
"I know my wife. She's committed," Wani stated. "Even last week, they brought in sheikhs and she told them, 'I'm pretty sure I'm not going to change my mind.'"
Without intervention, Ibrahim is scheduled to be hanged when her daughter is two years old. Her husband hopes that the international outcry since news of her sentence spread will lead to her release.
"Given the way people have come together around the world—which I want to thank them for—all the rights groups, all the broadcasters... It's looking like it had an effect. Perhaps it will result in the judgment being overturned," he said.
Ibrahim has been in a Khartoum jail since January 17.
Click here for information on how to take action to call for Ibrahim's release immediately.
