Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag

Perhaps you have not heard the story of Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag. She is the wife and pregnant mother who has been sentenced to death by a court in Sudan. Under Sudanese law Mariam is considered to be Muslim because her father (who abandoned his family when Mariam was young child) is Muslim, and it is illegal for someone who is a Muslim to become a Christian. Mariam will be hanged for this crime after being given 100 lashes.

Mariam and her son Martin Wani, who is not yet two years old, spend their days shackled to the wall of a filthy cell awaiting the day of Mariam's execution. Below is a picture of Mariam's son Martin Wani - temporarily freed from his shackles - being fed orange soda by one of the guards.

Mariam recently gave birth to a daughter, Maya. No word yet if the infant has also been shackled to the wall of her mother's and brother's cell.

The plight of Mariam Ishag - and Asia Bibi, and countless other women - is disgusting and horrifying, but not surprising. The sadistic cruelty of the Islamists is nothing new: an honest look at history reveals many, many similar examples. What is happening to Mariam is part of the authentic "war on women", and not the phony war being promoted by rich, pampered Western feminists seeking political advantage.

In addition to the savages who have chained a young mother and her two young children to the wall of a filthy cell with the goal of hanging her, special dishonorable mention must go to Western journalism. In many cases Western journalists have become the willing bootlickers of Islamists, eager to demonize as "Islamophobic" anyone who objects to the treatment of women in many Muslim countries. To confront the reality of what happens to women like Mariam and Asia would require these journalists to carefully examine the cult of secular multiculturalism they passionately believe in. That is probably not going to happen anytime soon: many journalists prefer a lie to the truth because the lie has a pleasanter taste. Compare the near total news blackout of Mariam with the wall-to-wall coverage of Donald Sterling, whose actions are far less newsworthy than the barbarism of the Sudan government.

But we can pray. God will hear the prayers of Mariam Ishag and Asia Bibi. He will not hold guiltless those who are tormenting them because of their Christian faith - or those who prefer to ignore what is happening because it offends their political worldview.