Sudan: Information on the penalty for a single woman who commits apostasy
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1992 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SDN11326 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sudan: Information on the penalty for a single woman who commits apostasy, 1 September 1992, SDN11326, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab6a4c.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to an article in The New York Times, apostasy is considered a crime punishable by death in Sudan (31 May 1992). A specialist on Sudan and a professor at the University of New Hampshire stated that a woman who commits apostasy faces "...a high risk situation" (2 Sept. 1992). The professor added that in the last two years the Bachir regime has threatened to kill people found guilty of double conversion (Ibid.). People who commit apostasy face harassment and would have their civil liberties seriously restricted mainly because the present government is considered actively Islamic (Ibid.). The professor further reported that the government is implementing restrictions on what it calls "economic conversions," i.e., people who convert to Islam in order to gain certain material benefits (Ibid.).
For additional information on apostasy in Islam please find the attached documents.
References
The New York Times. 31 May 1992. Judith Miller. "The Islamic Wave." (NEXIS)
University of New Hampshire. 2 September 1992. Telephone Interview with a Professor.
Attachments
The New York Times. 31 May 1992. Judith Miller. "The Islamic Wave." (NEXIS)
The Encyclopedia of Religion. 1987. Vol. 1. Mircea Eliade, dir. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.
