Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese Christian mother who miraculously escaped execution, recently stated that she wants to campaign for religious freedom and help those who are persecuted for their faith.
In January, Ibrahim was imprisoned after the Sudanese government charged her with apostasy for rejecting the Muslim faith of her family. She was also charged with adultery for marrying a Christian man, American citizen Daniel Wani, and subsequently sentenced death.
"I kept on receiving threats from the guards while I was in court, and the judge told me 'Be careful,' that I needed to convert to Islam," she told BBC News.
"There are others who are in worse conditions in Sudan than what I was in," she said. "The law, instead of protecting people, is bringing harm to them."
While in prison with her young son, Martin, Ibrahim was forced to give birth to her baby daughter while shackled to the prison floor.
"That was the most difficult time for me because Martin would want to go with him and grab on to him and I would stand there unable to do anything because he's a child. He didn't understand why he was in jail through no fault of his. He didn't understand why kids were able to play outside and enjoy themselves and be with their parents, their fathers and mothers," described Ibrahim.
Ibrahim tried to encourage him saying "Do not be sad; you must be proud of your mother. I am not a criminal. The Lord is with us."
After an international campaign demanded Ibrahim's release, the Sudanese government reconsidered their decision and freed the young mother in June. However, she was initially prevented from leaving Sudan and arrested once again as authorities accused her of forging travel documents.
After staying at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum for several weeks, Ibrahim was finally allowed to leave along with her family.
"I was sure that it was a test that I was going through, and I was sure that all things come together for those who love the Lord," said Ibrahim, adding that in the future, she hopes to campaign for those persecuted for their faith.
Today, Ibrahim lives New Hampshire with Wani and her two children, where she is seeking asylum.
Ibrahim was presented with an inaugural Cost of Discipleship Award at the Faith, Family and Freedom gala dinner at the end of the Values Voter Summit in Washington this weekend. After accepting her award, Ibrahim simply stated, "God is good."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who hosted the event, said: "We must recognize that there is a correlation between the increase in religious persecution abroad and the growing intolerance toward religion here at home from our government."
He added, "Meriam Ibrahim proved herself willing to give the last full measure of devotion, in so doing she provided an example of eternal witness, in a world desperate for meaning."
