(Washington, DC--April 24, 2003) A great deal has been made of religious fundamentalism in the past months, Christian and Islamic, at home and abroad. Now it has reared its ugly head once again and an innocent woman desperately needs your help to avoid a tortuous death. As humanists we are called upon by our conscience to fight the archaic applications of fundamentalism.

The Nigerian Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to apply the death penalty to adultery convictions. However, in Nigeria, regional laws that contradict federal law are frequently introduced and enacted because the Nigerian constitution protects individual states from federal intrusion. So an Islamic court in Katsina State did exactly that and convicted Amina Lawal, 30, of adultery because she admitted to having a child while divorced. She was sentenced to death by stoning and is waiting for the June 3rd appeal date.

If the sentence is not overturned, Amina's fate will involve being first buried to her waist, then the executioners will hurl stones at her until she finally dies. Four other people are currently sentenced to die in the same manner.

The judge in this case ruled that the sentence could not be carried out before Amina finished breastfeeding her newborn baby. So there is still a real chance to save her! It is imperative that we aid the efforts of others around the world who are working to save Amina Lawal and four other Nigerians from such inhuman punishment. The Spanish branch of Amnesty International's petition to end this horrible punishment has already received over four million signatures! A similar campaign has already saved the life of a similarly imperiled Nigerian woman named Safiya Hussaini.

How you can help:

Demand that President Olusegun Obasanjo overturn Amina and other's stoning sentences! Please sign Amnesty International of Spain's Letter to the Nigerian president. On the space marked "nombre," put your first name. Put your last name in the space marked "apellidos." Type your state of residence under "Provincia." And in "país," select "Estados Unidos" (United States). Then click "Seguir." After you've signed, send the petition to as many people as possible. You may additionally contact President Olusegun Obasanjo Amina's appeal is set for June 3, so please act now!