Nigerian woman made Rome 'citizen'

Monday September 09, 2002 20:41

by asylum

Ireland could have done this for the young woman who was attempting escape Genital Mutilation in Nigeria. Irish activists need to think more creatively, like the Italians, in the future for cases such as these.

Nigerian woman made Rome 'citizen'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2246838.stm

A Nigerian woman who was saved from being stoned to death under Islamic Sharia law has been made an honorary citizen of the Italian capital, Rome.

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" We want the citizenship we are giving symbolically to Safiya to be an impulse for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide "
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Mayor Walter Veltroni

The honour was conferred on Monday to Safiya Husseini who was sentenced to death for adultery last year, but was later acquitted on appeal.

Rome's Mayor, Walter Veltroni, said he hoped to confer the same honour to another Nigerian woman facing death by stoning for adultery.

But Muslim leaders in northern Nigeria have denounced the move and accused Italian leaders of seeking to convert Safiya Husseini to Christianity.

Honorary title

"It is a beautiful day for Rome," Mayor Veltroni said during the ceremony.

The title of "citizen" is purely honorary and carries no residency or any other legal rights.

Safiya Husseini, 35, and her two year-old daughter arrived in Rome from Lagos on Saturday.

Ms Husseini was sentenced to death by a Sharia court in her home state of Sokoto in northern Nigeria in 2000.

The sentence triggered protests in many countries.

The outcry was particularly strong in Italy where candlelit vigils were held outside the Nigerian embassy in Rome.

After Ms Husseini's acquittal in March, the Colosseum was floodlit at night - as is the case when a death penalty is cancelled somewhere.

Mr Veltroni said on Monday that attention should now turn to the case of Amina Lawal - a 30-year-old Nigerian woman appealing against a similar death sentence for adultery.

"For Safiya, we have lit up the Colosseum," Mr Veltroni said.

"We hope to be able to light it up again for Amina."

He added: "We want the citizenship we are giving symbolically to Safiya to be an impulse for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide, and recognition for the rights of women, while respecting religious and cultural diversity."