Friday, August 23, 2002
Nigerian justice minister condemns Sharia death sentence to adulterous woman
A story released today by the BBC News reports that Nigeria's justice minister has condemned the decision of an Islamic court that a woman be stoned to death for adultery.
Amina Lawal - the divorced woman who conceived a child outside marriage - lost her appeal against the sentence on Monday, sparking international criticism.
The Nigerian government now says it will assist Amina's lawyers with subsequent appeals, in a case that could ultimately end up in the country's high court.
The confrontation between supporters and opponents of strict Sharia laws now looks almost certain, raising fears of increased tension between the country's Christians and Muslims population.
Justice Minister Kanu Agabi's statement is the first clear statement of the government's position on the case of Amina Lawal.
This sets the federal government in direct opposition to the Muslim northern states, which have over the past two years adopted the strict Islamic punishments of stoning, amputation for theft and flogging for lesser crimes such as the drinking of alcohol.
The justice minister had earlier said that such punishments contravene the federal constitution, because they discriminate unfairly against Muslims.
