The “Wrong Religion”

When Bakhit made the decision to convert to Christianity from Islam in 2018, his wife Aamira’s family immediately sued him on the charge that it was illegal for a Muslim woman to be married to a non-Muslim man. These were serious charges. In Sudan at that time, apostasy was punishable by death. The Sharia court sided with Aamira’s family and annulled the marriage according to Islamic law.

Aamira and their two children went to live with her family.

Two years later, the laws changed in Sudan and apostasy was decriminalized. Then a year later, Aamira announced that she too had now become a Christian. She returned home with her children and was reunited with her husband, Bakhit.

But Aamira’s brother, a devout Muslim, claimed that the couple’s marriage was still not valid, and the couple was charged with adultery. Bakhit and Aamira were arrested and questioned for four days before they were finally released on bail. However, they were informed that they still had to appear before the court. If found guilty of adultery, the couple could be brutally penalized with 100 lashes each—a fatal punishment.

Bakhit and Aamira agreed that they had to find a way to escape from Sudan and get to safety. But Aamira was eight months pregnant—and the couple had no passports, no documents, and very little money. There seemed to be no way out for them, and the door of opportunity was closing. 

Then Shai Fund heard their story.

Shai Fund immediately began planning their rescue. Travel by air was impossible–Aamira’s pregnancy was so far along that it wasn’t safe. A few weeks later, baby Dilek was born. Plans were made to obtain necessary papers and secure a safe rescue through Shai Fund’s connections.

Then around the time mother and child were strong enough to travel, the rains came. Severe thunderstorms flooded the area and made their travel plans next to impossible. It was a waiting game, holding on and praying for the perfect time to move. As soon as Shai Fund learned that a road that had cleared enough to travel, they went for it. 

This time the plan worked, and Aamira, baby Dilek, and the whole family made it to freedom!

Today, the family of 5 is living safely in an undisclosed location with the freedom to serve God.
 

*Names changed and faces blurred to protect their identity