Make a difference: Noura Hussein
A girl at a rally for Noura Hussein
Noura Hussein
As the #MeToo movement gains strength and visibility in America (and the world), there are still females of all ages who desperately need global support. One such case is that of a Sudanese teenager named Noura Hussein (#JusticeforNoura, #MoreThanNoura). She was fifteen years old when her father agreed to marry her off to a stranger (the minimum age of marriage is ten in Sudan).
Noura pleaded to finish school, and her father granted her time. The marriage was never legally concluded. However, upon completing school at eighteen, she ran away to avoid the marriage. She lived with her aunt until her father convinced her it was safe to return home.
Sadly, it was a trap, and her father forced her into a wedding with the man. The man took her away to his home in the Sudanese city of Omdurman. She refused to consummate the “wedding” on their “honeymoon.” Her refusal to have sex upset her “husband”. He then got his brother and two cousins to hold her down as he raped her. The next night he tried to rape her again. She fought him off. During the struggle to defend herself she stabbed him, resulting in his death. Afraid, she ran to her family for help. Her father turned her over to the police. The authorities charged her with premeditated murder. The teenager was found guilty and sentenced to death.
The Appeal
Her legal team (despite interference from the Sudanese authorities) have filed an appeal. Among the items not looked at during her trial are the bite marks on her shoulders, a broken bed and defensive cuts to the hands. Her lawyers and activists claim her marriage was not legal. Anyone eighteen and under must marry in front of a judge. No judge witnessed the ceremony. Also, there was no lawyer present during her interrogation in which she claims to have been threatened by the arresting officers.
In Sudan and other parts of the world, women are chattel–possessions traded by men. They have no personal rights. Noura Hussien needs our help for a fair trial. Please give a few minutes of your time to take action with Amnesty International. Click the Amnesty International link below and scroll down. It allows you to enter Your name, email, and country to send the formed content below:
“I stand in solidarity with 19-year-old Noura Hussein, a survivor of forced marriage and marital rape, who was convicted of murder for killing her husband in self-defense. I am writing to ask the Sudanese government to repeal the death penalty and allow her a retrial considering the mitigating circumstances of her case.”
The email will go to the Sudanese Embassy in Geneva on your behalf.
Make a difference, change the world.
