Pregnant Muslim widow to be flogged in public for having sex

A 23-year-old widow in Akyem Tafo in the Eastern region is to be given 100 lashes in public for defying a major Islamic principle regarding widowhood.

Ramatu Alhassah is facing the wrath of Muslim clerics in her community for getting pregnant while observing Iddah–a widowhood rite that requires that she abstains from sex.

However, she was found to have been pregnant just two months into the widowhood rites.

Clerics in the community have been angered by the development and intend subjecting Ramatu and her boyfriend to public flogging as punishment.

Deputy Chief Imam at Akyem Tafo Mallam Madhi Ahmed told Starr News the punishment must be applied to the couple in line with Islamic principles and teachings.

“The law says that if something of such nature happens and they are not married, they should be given 100 lashes.

“If they are married, then they have to be executed. In this case, the boy is not married but the girl is still in the room of her husband so the law has to take effect on her.

“If it were to be other countries like Saudi Arabia, she would be executed because the act happened in the same room and on the same bed she used to sleep with her late husband,” Mallam Ahmed said.