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Monday, 8 January, 2001, 19:41 GMT
Nigerian girl appeals against lashing
A 17-year-old Nigerian girl, who is due to be lashed for pre-marital sex,
has just over four weeks to appeal against the decision.
Last September, an Islamic court in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara, found Bariya
Ibrahim Magazu guilty of pre-marital sex.
She was sentenced to 180 lashes, but as she was pregnant, the punishment had to be
postponed until after the birth of the child. The baby was delivered in mid-December.
Our correspondent in the area says she has 45 days from the birth to get the decision
overturned.
Since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, eight northern states have introduced
Islamic law, known as Sharia. Zamfara was the first state to do so a year ago, and has
been the most active in prosecuting the code.
Reported by police
Last year, Bariya Ibrahim Magazu was spotted by the police in her village as being
pregnant. They then reported her to the courts.
Sharia provisions
Based on the Koran
Provides an overall ethical framework for Muslims
Includes prayers, fasting, charity - as well as a legal code
Women should veil themselves
Physical punishment for crimes - including amputation, flogging, stoning
When asked by the court to identify the father, she named three middle-aged famers in her
village as possible fathers, but several witnesses were unable to confirm her claim.
As a result, the judge sentenced the girl to receive 100 lashes for engaging in
pre-marital sex and 80 lashes for making unsubstantiated claims against the three men.
Divisions
Last August, two motorcycle taxi riders in Zamfara were lashed in punishment for carrying
female Muslim passengers.
The spread of Sharia divides opinions
The divisions which Sharia has opened up have provided Nigeria's new democratic government
with one of its most difficult challenges.
Correspondents say the issue has polarised opinion in Nigeria, where it is opposed by the
predominantly Christian south.
Muslims in northern Nigeria feel strongly that Sharia has been misunderstood by
Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the punishments.
But it also has massive popular appeal to those who believe it will help root out
corruption and restore moral values.
Critics say public floggings for pre-marital sex violate the constitution and are an
infringement of human rights.
Saturday, 13 January, 2001, 14:36 GMT
Nigerian girl's lashing sentence cut
Most Nigerian Muslims welcome Sharia law
The authorities in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara say they have reduced the
sentence against a teenage girl who was due to receive 180 lashes for having had sex
before marriage.
A senior official in Zamfara, which is now governed according to strict Islamic law,
Sharia, said the girl would instead receive 100 lashes.
The announcement is the latest development in a case which is attracting growing
international attention.
Sharia provisions
Based on the Koran
Provides an overall ethical framework for Muslims
Includes prayers, fasting, charity - as well as a legal code
Women should veil themselves
Physical punishment for crimes - including amputation, flogging, stoning
The case of Bariya Ibrahim Magazu, a poor teenage girl living in rural Zamfara state, is
threatening to become a major embarrassment for the Nigerian government.
Bariya, who does not know her exact age, was sentenced to 180 lashes in September when it
was discovered she was pregnant.
This was according to the Sharia, or Islamic legal code, which predominantly Muslim
Zamfara adopted last year. The father of her child has not been identified.
International concern
The punishment was delayed because of her pregnancy, but her baby was born in December.
After that, the young woman was given 45 days to appeal against sentence.
The case has been taken up by Amnesty International and has attracted particular attention
in Canada, where last week the foreign minister described the sentence as appalling.
BBC Nigeria correspondent Barnaby Phillips says that though the authorities in Zamfara say
they will resist outside pressure, their stance appears to be softening.
The sentence now appears to have been postponed indefinitely.
Divisive issue
Since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, eight northern states have introduced
Islamic law, known as Sharia.
Zamfara was the first state to do so a year ago, and has been the most active in
prosecuting the code.
The issue has polarised opinion in Nigeria, where it is opposed by the predominantly
Christian south.
Muslims in northern Nigeria feel strongly that Sharia has been misunderstood by
Christians, who have tended to concentrate on the punishments.
But it also has massive popular appeal to those who believe it will help root out
corruption and restore moral values.
Critics say public floggings for pre-marital sex violate the constitution and are an
infringement of human rights.