Pregnant Christian wife sentenced to death for her faith. 'I don't know what to do, I'm just praying,' - husband

The husband of a pregnant Sudanese woman has declared his helplessness after a Sudanese court sentenced his pregnant wife, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim to death when she refused to recant her Christian faith.

"I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do," Daniel Wani declared on Thursday. "I'm just praying."

This week, a Khartoum court convicted his wife, Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, 27, of apostasy, or the renunciation of faith.

Ibrahim is a Christian, her husband said. But the court considers her to be Muslim.

The court also convicted her of adultery and sentenced her to 100 lashes because her marriage to a Christian man is considered void under Sharia law.

The court gave her until Thursday to recant her Christian faith - something she has refused to do, according to her lawyer.

According to CNN, Mohamed Jar Elnabi, who's representing her said,  a sheikh told the court during Thursday's hearing, "how dangerous a crime like this is to Islam and the Islamic community."

"I am a Christian," Meriam Yehya Ibrahim fired back, "and I will remain a Christian."

Her legal team says it plans to appeal the verdict, which drew swift condemnation from human rights organizations around the world.

In the meantime, Ibrahim, who is eight months' pregnant, remains in prison with her 20-month-old son.

According to Elnabi, "She is very strong and very firm. She is very clear that she is a Christian and that she will get out one day,"

Ibrahim was born to a Sudanese Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox mother. Her father left when she was 6 years old, and Ibrahim was raised by her mother as a Christian.

However, because her father was Muslim, the courts considered her to be the same, which would mean her marriage to a non-Muslim man is void.

The case, her lawyer said, started after Ibrahim's brother filed a complaint against her, alleging that she had gone missing for several years and that her family was shocked to find she had married a Christian man.

A family divided

The court's ruling leaves a family divided, with Ibrahim behind bars and her husband struggling to survive, Elnabi said.

Police blocked Wani from entering the courtroom on Thursday, Elnabi said. Lawyers appealed to the judge, but he refused, Elnabi said.

Wani uses a wheelchair and "totally depends on her for all details of his life," Elnabi said.

"He cannot live without her," said the lawyer.

The couple's son is having a difficult time in prison.

"He is very affected from being trapped inside a prison from such a young age," Elnabi said. "He is always getting sick due to lack of hygiene and bugs."

Ibrahim is having a difficult pregnancy, the lawyer said. A request to send her to a private hospital was denied "due to security measures."

There also is the question of the timing of a potential execution.

In past cases involving pregnant or nursing women, the Sudanese government waited until the mother weaned her child before executing any sentence, said Christian Solidarity Worldwide spokeswoman Kiri Kankhwende.

Rights groups, governments ask for compassion
Amnesty International describes Ibrahim as a prisoner of conscience.

"The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion, is abhorrent and should never be even considered," Manar Idriss, Amnesty International's Sudan researcher, said in a statement.

"'Adultery' and 'apostasy' are acts which should not be considered crimes at all, let alone meet the international standard of 'most serious crimes' in relation to the death penalty. It is a flagrant breach of international human rights law," the researcher said.

Katherine Perks with the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies said the verdict goes against Sudan's "own Constitution and commitments made under regional and international law."

"Meriam has been convicted solely on account of her religious convictions and personal status," she said.

Foreign embassies in Khartoum are urging the government there to reverse course.

"We call upon the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion, including one's right to change one's faith or beliefs, a right which is enshrined in international human rights law as well as in Sudan's own 2005 Interim Constitution," the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Netherlands said in a statement.

"We further urge Sudanese legal authorities to approach Ms. Meriam's case with justice and compassion that is in keeping with the values of the Sudanese people," it read.

'Egregious violations of freedom of religion'

Attempts to contact Sudan's justice minister and foreign affairs minister about the Ibrahim case were unsuccessful.

Sudan is one of the most difficult countries in the world to be a Christian, according to international religious freedom monitors.

Under President Omar al-Bashir, the African nation "continues to engage in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of freedom of religion or belief," the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its 2014 report.

The country imposes Sharia law on Muslims and non-Muslims alike and punishes acts of "indecency" and "immorality" by floggings and amputations, the commission said.

"Conversion from Islam is a crime punishable by death, suspected converts to Christianity face societal pressures, and government security personnel intimidate and sometimes torture those suspected of conversion," said the commission, whose members are appointed by Congress and the president.

The 8 worst places in the world to be religious

The Sudanese government has arrested Christians for spreading their faith, razed Christian churches and confiscated Christians' property, the commission said.

Since 1999, the U.S. State Department has called Sudan one of the worst offenders of religious rights, counting it among eight "countries of particular concern."

"The government at times enforced laws against blasphemy and defaming Islam," the State Department said in its most recent report on religious freedom, from 2012.

The State Department's other countries of concern, all of which impose strict penalties on Christians or other faiths, are: Myanmar (also known as Burma), China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.

Among all religious groups, Christians are the most likely to be persecuted worldwide, according to a 2014 report by the Pew Research Center.

Between June 2006 and December 2012, Christians were harassed by governments in 151 countries, Pew reported. Islam was second, with 135 countries. Together, Christians and Muslims make up half of the world's population, Pew noted.

Lawyer says he's gotten a death threat

Elnabi says he got a death threat a day before the controversial court hearing, with an anonymous caller telling him to pull out of representing Ibrahim or risk attack.

"I feel very scared," he said. "Since yesterday, I live in fear if I just hear a door open or a strange sound in the street."

Still, the lawyer said he'll continue representing Ibrahim.

"I could never leave the case. This is a matter of belief and principles," he said. "I must help someone who is in need, even if it will cost me my life."

Source: CNN.COM

The Basic Rules of Investing

 Understanding…and mastering the game of investing

When I was a young boy, my best friend Mike, the son of my rich dad, took up both the game of golf and investing. Both were games, in a sense, both were difficult to master, and both required understanding the rules of the game.

Fifteen years later, when we were both twenty-five years old, Mike was an expert at both golf and investing. I was just beginning to learn the rules.

I make this point because, regardless of how young or old you are, learning the basics of anything, is important. Most people take some kind of golf lessons to learn the basics before playing golf, but unfortunately, most people never learn the simple basics of investing before investing their hard-earned money.

The following are the 6 basics of investing taught to me by my rich dad:

Basic rule #1: Know what kind of income you’re working for

Most people think only of making money. They don’t realize that there are different kinds of money to work for. For years, rich dad drilled into Mike and me that there are three kinds of income:

• Ordinary earned income: Generally earned from a job via a paycheck. It’s the highest-taxed income, and thus, the hardest to build wealth with.
• Portfolio income: Generally derived from paper assets such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
• Passive income: Generally derived from real estate, royalties, and distributions. It is the lowest-taxed income, with many tax benefits, and is the easiest income to build wealth with.

Rich dad said, “If you want to be rich, work for passive income.”

Basic rule #2: Convert ordinary income into passive income

Most people start their life out by making ordinary earned income as an employee. The path to building wealth then starts with understanding that there are other types of income and then converting your earned income into the other types of income as efficiently as possible.

To illustrate this, rich dad drew a simple diagram:

“That, in a nutshell,” said rich dad, “is all an investor is supposed to do. It’s as basic as it can get.”

Basic rule #3: The investor is the asset or liability

As we’ve discussed recently, many people think investing is risky . The reality, however, is that it’s the investor who is risky. The investor is the asset or liability.

“I have seen investors lose money when everyone else is making it,” said rich dad. “In fact, a good investor loves to follow behind a risky investor because that is where the real investment bargains can be found!”

Basic rule #4: Be prepared

Most people try to predict what and when things will happen. But a true investor is prepared for anything to happen. “If you are not prepared with education, experience, or extra cash, a good opportunity will pass you by,” said rich dad.

Rich dad went on to say that it was most important not to predict what will happen but to instead focus on what you want, to keep your eyes open to what is happening, and to respond to opportunity. This is done through continual education and application.

Basic rule #5: Good deals attract money

One of my big concerns as a beginning investor was how I would raise money if I found a good deal. Rich dad reminded me that my job was to stay focused on the opportunities in front of me, to be prepared.

“If you are prepared, which means you have education and experience,” said rich dad, “and you find a good deal, the money will find you or you will find the money.”

Rich dad’s point was that getting the money was the easy part. The hard part was finding a great deal that attracted the money—which is why so many people are ready to give money to a good investor.

Basic rule #6: Learn to evaluate risk and reward

As you become a successful investor, you must learn to evaluate risk and reward. Rich dad used the example of a nephew building a burger stand.

 “If you had a nephew with an idea for a burger stand, and he needed $25,000, would that be a good investment?”

 “No,” I answered. “There is too much risk for too little reward.”

“Very good,” said rich dad, “but what if I told you that this nephew has been working for a major burger chain for the past 15 years, has been a vice-president of every important aspect in the business, and is ready to go out on his own and build a worldwide burger chain? And what if you could buy 5 percent of the company with a mere $25,000? Would that be of interest to you?”

“Yes,” I said. “Definitely because there is more reward for the same amount of risk.”

Learning and mastering the rules of investing takes a life-long investment in financial education. But these basics will get you started. Where you go from here is up to you.

Written by: Robert Kiyosaki. Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad

A good objective of leadership

SENTENCED TO DEATH

 One day, a man was sentenced for a crime which he claimed he did not commit. He was sentenced to death but his lawyers fought for a stay of execution. After several years an several legal battles, it was finally decided that he should be executed. That night, his family was invited to have a special dinner with him after which he was sent to the death chamber. The long drawn out battle to save his life ended that night with
his death.

After the execution there was a press conference and the pastor who stayed with the convict to the last moment was interviewed.  “Did he confess to the murder before he died?” They wanted to know.
“No, he maintained his innocence until he was executed,” the pastor said.

“What did you tell him?
How did you comfort him?
Did you say anything?
Did he say anything?”

The minister’s answer was simple, but profound. “I told him that we were all under a death sentence only that we do not know when it will be implemented. You know that your death sentence will be implemented
tonight but we don’t know when ours  will be implemented.”

I thought to myself, “How true that is. We are all indeed under a death sentence.”
As the scripture says, our days are determined.

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgment:"
Heb 9:27 KJV

That famous prisoner had the advantage of knowing when
it was determined that he should die.  Indeed, we are all destined to die and to disappear into the grave. The thing  is that we don’t know when we will be asked to get into our graves. That is why you must prepare to
meet your God at any time!

"Therefore thus will I do unto thee,
O Israel: and because I will do this
unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel."
Amos 4:12 KJV

Necessity is therefore laid on you to return to your maker and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Or if you used to know Him but you have lost your ground with Him, return to your Lord today and make the way ready because WE ARE ALL SENTENCED TO DIE ON DAY! and that day, you do not know.

God bless you.

#BringBackOurGirls

HOW TO AVOID MANY REGRETS IN LIFE [part II]

I wish I had trusted my gut rather than listening to everyone else.
Making your own decisions and feeling confident in the decisions you make gives us fulfilment and joy from life. Going against your gut only breeds resentment and bitterness.

I wish I’d taken better care of myself.
Premature health problems or ageing always makes you wonder if you’d eaten healthier, exercised more and been less stressed, would you be where you are today?

I wish I’d taken more risks.
Everyone has their own idea of what’s risky, but you know when you’re living too much in your comfort zone. In hindsight, some people feel they missed out on a lot of adventure life has to offer.

I wish I’d had more time.
Many people say time speeds up as we age. The six weeks of summer holidays we had as kids certainly seemed to last a lifetime. If time speeds up, then it’s even more important to make the most of every moment.

I wish I hadn’t worried so much.
If you’ve ever kept a diary and looked back, you’ll probably wonder why you ever got so worked up over

I wish I’d appreciated more.
The consequences of taking people for granted are always hard to deal with.

I wish I’d spent more time with my family.
Some people get caught up with work, move to other parts of the world, grow old with grudges against family members only to realise their priorities were in the wrong place.

I wish I hadn’t taken myself so seriously.
Life is just more fun when you can laugh at yourself.

I wish I’d done more for other people.
Doing things for others just makes life more meaningful.

I wish I could have felt happier.
The realisation that happiness is a state of mind that you can control sometimes doesn’t occur to people until it’s too late.

HOW TO AVOID MANY REGRETS IN LIFE [part-1]

I wish I’d cared less about what other people think.
It’s only when you realise how little other people are really thinking of you (in a negative sense) that you realise how much time you spent caring and wasting energy worrying about this.

I wish I had accomplished more.
You don’t have to have won an Oscar, built up a business or run a marathon, but having small personal accomplishments is important.

I wish I had told __ how I truly felt.
Even if the “one” doesn’t exist, telling someone how you truly feel will always save you from that gut wrenching”but what if…” feeling that could linger for life if you stay quiet.

I wish I had stood up for myself more.
Sometimes, it’s too easy to think that if you go all out to please everyone you’ll be liked more or your partner won’t run off with anyone else. I think age probably teaches us to be nice but not at the expense of our own happiness.

I wish I had followed my passion in life.

It’s so easy to be seduced by a stable salary, a solid routine and a comfortable life, but at what expense?

I wish our last conversation hadn’t been an argument.
Life is short, and you never really know when the last time you speak to someone you love will be. It’s these moments that really stay clear in peoples’ minds.

I wish I had let my children grow up to be who they wanted to be.
The realisation that love, compassion and empathy are so much more important than clashes in values or belief systems can hit home hard.

I wish I had lived more in the moment.
Watching children grow up makes you realise how short-lived and precious time really is, and as we age, many of us live less and less in the present.

I wish I had worked less.
There’s always a desire to have loosened up a bit more with this one and the realisation that financial success or career accomplishment doesn’t necessarily equal a fulfilled life.

I wish I had traveled more.
It can be done at any age, with kids or not but many talk themselves out of it for all kinds of reasons such as lack of money, mortgage, children, etc. When there’s a regret, you know it could have been possible at some stage.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

Tonsils
The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

Thymus gland
The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

Lymph Nodes
The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

 Spleen
The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

Bone Marrow
The immune system defends the body from invading organisms that may cause disease. One part of the immune system uses barriers to protect the body from foreign substances. These barriers include the skin and the mucous membranes, which line all body cavities; and protective chemicals, such as enzymes in saliva and tears that destroy bacteria.

Another part of the immune system uses lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells that respond to specific types of foreign invaders. B lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies, which circulate in the blood and attack specific disease-causing organisms. T lymphocytes attack invading organisms directly.

Lymphatic Vessel
Lymphocytes travel throughout the body in the blood, but they often migrate into lymphatic vessels, which are found in all parts of the body except the brain. Lymphocytes travel within these vessels in a pale, fat-laden liquid known as lymph.