U.S. Women Protest Stoning Verdict by Nigerian Court

Activists decry "barbaric" aspect of Sharia law

Washington -- American women activists demonstrated outside the Nigerian Embassy August 29, calling for an end to the quasi-judicial practice of stoning women to death for adultery.

A group of 25 women from the National Organization of Women (NOW) marched in a circle in front of the Nigerian Embassy chancery in downtown Washington chanting: "Stoning women is barbaric...Follow the law and not the Cleric." And: "Ho, Ho! Hey, Hey! Religious extremists go home and pray!"

The women sought to bring attention to the plight of Amina Lawal, a Muslim woman who was sentenced to death by stoning last March by a Sharia (Islamic) court in Katsina State that found her guilty of adultery.

The NOW members also carried signs for passing motorists to see traveling along busy 16th Street saying: "Nigeria, stop stoning women" and "Rocks are for gardens, not to hurt women."

NOW is the largest advocacy organization for women's issues in the United States. Its 500,000 dues-paying members operate chapters in all 50 states focusing on the humane and equal treatment of women under the law.

Their leader and President of NOW, Kim Gandy, told the Washington File "The reason we're here is because we want to draw increased attention to what's happening in Nigeria on the scheduled or planned stoning of this woman [Lawal]; but in addition, the treatment of other women in parts of Nigeria under the Sharia law."

The Nigerian government, she added, "says it denounces [this aspect of Sharia law] but we haven't seen positive action on their part to prevent this kind of horrific treatment of women. So, we're calling not only on the government of Nigeria to take action but also on the U.S. government and State Department to press the government of Nigeria" to end the stoning of women.

"Take Action," another feminist organization whose members appeared at the Nigerian demonstration, released a statement acknowledging that no women have thus far suffered stoning in Nigeria and that Lawal's sentence is currently under appeal to a higher court. It added, however, that her sentence "is part of an alarming trend in Nigeria" where Sharia law has spread to a number of mainly northern states.

The imposition of harsh Islamic law, overriding the country's normal civil and criminal system of justice, has also been criticized by Nigeria's federal government, which is planning to help Lawal appeal her sentence to the nation's Supreme Court. This is a correct move, according to "Take Action," because, "the introduction of Islamic holy law has created tensions between Christians and Islamic populations. At least two riots have broken out over the threat of introducing Sharia, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,000 people."

A recent statement appearing on the Nigerian Embassy's Web site reminded Americans: "Malama Amina Lawal has three levels of courts of appeal before the final determination of her case," and added, "furthermore, the federal government has, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, announced it will facilitate her lawyer's arguments at the appellate courts."

In Nigeria, Sharia laws against sexual misconduct are also now being applied to men. Human Rights Watch, a large international human rights non-governmental organization (NGO), recently commented on the case of Ado Baranda, a man sentenced to death by stoning in May after a Sharia court in Jigawa found him guilty of raping a nine-year old girl.

The NGO's chief criticism is that "previous trials in Sharia courts in several northern states of Nigeria have been characterized by an absence of due [legal] process. Defendants do not always have legal representation; they are often ill informed about procedures and about their rights. Judges and other court officials frequently lack legal training."

The State Department's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2001," prepared by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and released last March also touched on Sharia's failings. It noted: "The implementation of an expanded version of Sharia law in 12 northern states continued, which challenged constitutional protections for religious freedom and occasionally sparked ethno-religious violence."