[KeithKman]

Background
Amina Lawal -- a Muslim woman -- was found guilty by a court in March 2002 after bearing a child outside marriage. Under "Sharia Penal Legislations" now in force in several northern Nigerian states, this was sufficient for her to be convicted of the crime of adultery and summoned to appear before a Sharia tribunal to respond to a "crime" which now carries a punishment of death by stoning according to new "Sharia penal legislations" introduced in Nigeria in 1999

The man named as the father of her baby girl reportedly denied having sex with her and his statement was enough for the charges against him to be discontinued.

On 19 August 2002, a Sharia court of appeal in Funtua took the decision to uphold the sentence of death by stoning imposed on Amina Lawal. This confirmation of the sentence shocked the civil society in and outside Nigeria, especially all those who have been actively campaigning for Amina's rights to be protected. Amina did not have a lawyer during her first trial, when the judgement was passed. She now has legal representation and has filed an appeal against her sentence. Amina is awaiting trial at home.

The first hearing of the appeal was scheduled for 27 May 2002, but has been adjourned repeatedly and is now scheduled for 27 August 2003. Although Amina is not in detention, such a long adjournment of the case would have not served any useful purpose and would have deepened the climate of uncertainty created by the whole process.

Update 28th August 2003
Nigeria: Death by stoning decision adjourned to 25 September
The appeal case of Nigerian woman, Amina Lawal, sentenced to death by stoning for having a child out of wedlock, has been adjourned until 25 September.

After a day hearing submissions from the defence and prosecution in Katsina state, northern Nigeria, the five judges announced that their judgement would be reserved.

In March 2002 an Islamic law or Sharia court sentenced Amina to be buried up to her neck in sand and stoned to death after she gave birth to a baby daughter, Wasila, two years after she and her husband divorced.

The alleged father of the baby was acquitted after denying responsibility.

Amina lost her first appeal against the conviction in August last year.

Amnesty International spokesperson, Merryn Smith, said the continued delays in the case added to the suffering of Amina and her baby.

"Unfortunately, the continued adjournments in the case have added to the ordeal of Amina and her daughter who have not been able so far to lead a normal life," Ms Smith said.

Amina has a right of appeal to the Supreme Court, should her current case be unsuccessful.

http://www.amnesty.org.au/women/action-letter09.html


What you guys think?

[LANMaster]

HA! I got to be the second one to vote and Keith prolly voted first.

Nah, she should get stoned, but not BE stoned.

[LANMaster]

hard to believe that this is a relatively NEW law.
I wonder what the penalty should be if she sold yellow cake uranium to the Husseign regime?

sorry ... ignore that .... no need turning this into ANOTHER thread about that.

[RSM123]

http://www.ishr.org/activities/campa...g/adultery.htm

[KeithKman]

So sad.

[Aaron.W]

Not a problem.

The Supreme Court isn't extremist like the provincial courts she has been to so far, and it upholds the laws of Nigeria instead of Shari'ah.

I just hope she and her lawyer remember to get out of reach of the radicals as quickly as possible so they can actually survive to file the appeal. The usual next step at this point is either a "lynch mob" stoning or the court decides to order the sentence carried out immediately if it looks like an appeal will go to a more moderate (non-Shari'ah) court.

[angelize56]

I think it is awful! Barbaric and old-fashioned! I pray the stoning never takes place. Take care. angel

[Wino]

Been there, done that - got so stoned one time, didn't think I was gonna live and..........err..not that kinda stoned, huh?

Leave it to a religion to have idiotic laws like this. Good thing it's not allowed in the USA - the number of unwed mothers here is astounding - we would all have our one throwing arm look like Arnie Swartzenwhatever's while the other looked like Olive Oyl's! Hope John Asscroft doesn't see this article - he would probably think it is a good idea and try to get it in under PA II - we all know that unwed mothers are terrorist, spewing baby terrorist from their loins faster than you can say "Compassionate Conservative"!

In the words of Bob Dylan - "everybody must get stoned"

[Gibble]

I wonder what stoner has to say about this

[Paquadez]

Sadly, Nigeria is an awful and brutal country.

But since it has oil it has reached levels of acceptance in the West which most normal Western people would decry.

Had a bit to do with it and would never ever again.

By the way, only in the North is the Islamic fundamentalist problem experienced. In the South, well they just use machetes and machine guns!

Paq

[Rockn]

Maybe Herge' would like to live there, sounds like his kind of place. It may be horrible, but do we have the right to impose our system of morality on them...crap I am starting to sound like what's his name??

[plschwartz]

Didn't they stone adulteresses in the Bible
Yes they are quite barbaric.
We on the other hand put moms in jail for mucho years for possession of weed which is very civilized.

Maybe we shouldn't ...ahem cast the first stone or when Wino was in show biz stone the first cast

[angelize56]

Paul: The last line is a classic Schwartzy! Love it!! Take care! angel

[plschwartz]

wino:
"while the other looked like Olive Oyl's"
Be careful when you are talking about the woman I love

I'm Popeye The Sailor Man! I'm Popeye The Say-lor Man! I'm Strong To Dee Finnish ‘Cause I Eat Me Spinach I'm Popeye The Sailor Man!

And I loved the Robert Altman film

[Wino]

errr....PLS, did you get into my stash while I was at work today??!!

...ahem cast the first stone or when Wino was in show biz stone the first cast

BTW, I don't know who this Wino is, but I ressemble that remark!!


and me, too! (the film)