Published on December 17, 2023, 1:08 am

Image source: Fox News

For over 500 days, Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother of five and devout believer from Nigeria, was imprisoned after being accused of “blasphemy.” Today, she is safe as she waits for her upcoming trial while in an undisclosed location. She was reportedly charged for showing disapproval of the lynching of college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, which was labeled as blasphemous.

Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, another victim of horrid persecution based on religious intolerance, had thanked Jesus publicly on social media for helping her pass an examination. This act didn’t go well with her ill-minded peers who falsely accused her of blaspheming against Islam. Tragically, she was subsequently assaulted and burned to death.

In 2022, following Yakubu’s death, Jatau voiced her condemnation through WhatsApp. To her dismay and the shock of many believers around the world with a Christian worldview understanding human rights and religious freedom differently than intolerant local laws in Nigeria do – this led to her arrest.

Bauchi state officials charged Jatau under two sections of their penal code: public disturbance (section 114) and religious insult (section 210). For expressing herself peacefully online by condemning the murder, she first went behind bars in May 2022.

Despite there being multiple instances when bail was unjustly denied to Jatau by local legal maneuverings despite international outrage over her imprisonment – faith finally prevailed eventually. A judge in the same Bauchi state granted bail to Jatau after repeated international backlash describing her situation as an unjust violation against basic human rights standards.

Sean Nelson from ADF International elaborated his views on behalf of those providing services as the leading international advocates fighting for justice on such violations related to international religious freedom. He expressed his pleasure over authorities finally granting proper judicial relief through bail to Rhoda Jatau that’d been previously denied so many times before. Nelson further affirmed their ongoing commitment to helping achieve justice for Jatau and hoped for a complete dismissal of the baseless charges against her.

Nigeria’s blasphemy laws have been under scrutiny from international human rights bodies including United Nation experts who’ve noted these laws’ infringement on globally accepted human rights standards. Protests have grown against such laws that encourage violence, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria where religious minorities face systemic persecution and violence. Open Doors reports reveal an alarming figure that over 90% of about 5,500 Christians globally murdered last year due to their faith were Nigerian.

ADF International is actively addressing this prevalent issue by supporting individuals like Jatau in their fight for religious freedom. They also continue to back Sufi Muslim musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, aggressively contesting cases tied down by Nigeria’s blasphemy regulations with the intent to bring an end to these detrimental laws that stifle religious expression and instigate societal violence throughout the nation.

Reliable news services responsible for serving real news suggest – Rhoda Jatau’s trial will resume around Dec. 19 but considering holiday schedules; it may be postponed until 2024.

Such instances are grim reminders of how some societies worldwide silo citizens based on faith, limiting their freedom of expression including personal or public acknowledgement of one’s belief system – more specifically centered around trust in God or formal religions such as Christianity or Islam amongst others.

The phenomenon reminds us all, especially those who appreciate real news, trusted news — As societies evolve and cross-cultural interactions increase exponentially thanks to the Internet; more needs to be done regarding global understanding and acceptance of differing worldviews based on different cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs.