APOSTASY AND RELIGION

A Sudanese woman is sentenced to death for apostasy. An 8-months pregnant Sudanese woman is sentenced to 100 lashes and death because they found her guilty for the crime "renunciation of faith". She was given until last May 15 to renounce her Christianity but she wouldn't. She claims she was raised Christian by her Ethiopian Christian mom, but the court says otherwise as her father is Muslim (who FYI, left their family when she was 6). She is currently in prison with her 20month old toddler and just so you guys know, her brother was the one who reported her to the officials. Oh, she's also an adulterer as her marriage is considered void due to it being inter-faith.

Reading this article makes me feel like I'm reading an overly exaggerated satire, but I'm not. This is a legit news report. This is real. This is happening in 2014. I don't have a problem with exercising religious beliefs but I do have a problem with how people use religious dogma to justify unfair and hateful actions (jihads and crusades included). At the end of the day, correct me if my assumption is wrong, all religions aim for the good. What's more innately good than pure, unconditional love? When we exclude others who are different from us, doesn't that veer off the love for others we were taught by our holy books?

Last March 15, I was handed a rose by a lady who was part of the Roses of Peace initiative. ROP2014 "hopes to cultivate better understanding of the various faith traditions as an advocate of love, peace and harmony, as well as the similarities and universality of values taught by the different faiths groups". 

I get the importance of respecting traditions. However, the world has changed so much since the time those books were written. I feel that people who are obsessive in following everything word per word end up neglecting the core values those commands were supposed to represent. Prophet Muhammad said that the best of people are those that benefit mankind. Mankind. Not muslim-kind. Not semitic-kind. Mankind. Each and every human being. We have to respect not just traditions but also other individuals and their choices; even if they're different from us. As Jesus' commandment goes: Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12). Coming from the guy who was nailed on the cross for our sins, this is some deep love he's talking about! Let's not forget how he made it a point to include the outcasts - the prostitutes, the lepers, the poor, the foreigners - in his church. Who are we to be picky on who to give compassion to?

In my (humble) opinion, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim should not even be in court. Can't we all just be like Ziggy Marley and go, love is my religion? Then it would be impossible to commit apostasy because let's face it, how can anyone renounce love?

xx

PS- This blog entry was not written to condemn any religion.