House GOP Whip blasts conservatives for 'political grandstanding' in Sudanese controversy
The House Republican Whip blasted a maneuver by conservative Republicans to involve the House in an international controversy, calling it “political grandstanding.” and saying “it hurt” the Manchester man whose wife has been sentenced to death in Sudan.
Wednesday, Rep. Daniel Itse (R-Fremont) proposed the House adopt a resolution that would have asked the President, the Secretary of State and the U.S. State Department to intervene with the Republic of Sudan to secure the release of Meriam Ibrahim. Ibrahim, the wife of Manchester resident and U.S. citizen Daniel Wani, has been sentenced to death by a Sudanese court for apostasy, or the renunciation of faith.
The 27-year-old Sudanese woman was raised by her mother as a Christian. Under Sharia law, she is considered to be Muslim because her father was Muslim. Ibrahim, who refused to renounce her faith, was also convicted her of adultery and sentenced her to 100 lashes because the court did not recognize her marriage to a non-Muslim.
When the House motion to allow a vote on the resolution failed, conservative Republicans lashed out at Democrats. “Democrats don’t care about the killing of another Christian,” wrote Rep. Jordan Ulery (R-Hudson). Rep. Leon Rideout (R-Lancaster) called it “the most disturbing move yet by the NH Democratic Party.”
Rep. JR Hoell (R-Dunbarton) expressed “shock and dismay,” and Rep. John Hikel (R-Goffstown) singled out the Democratic leadership, specifically naming “the gun grabbing, self defense diminishing, constitutional usurping representative, [House Majority Leader] Steve Shurtleff.”
“Political Grandstanding”
It was all “political grandstanding,” declared House Republican Whip Shawn Jasper (R-Hudson). “The resolution was asking that we ask the state department to do something they are already doing,” he wrote on Facebook. “Our congressional delegation is already all over this. Does anyone seriously think that Sudan would quake in its boots over a NH House Resolution?” he asked.
Jasper blamed the embarrassing episode on Itse. “The sponsor of the resolution was asked to write this up in way that would be supportive of the action that was already ongoing,” Jasper explained. “He decided to write [it] so as to ignore what the state department and our delegation is doing.”
“NH is not ignoring a citizen,” he continued. “It is being handled the right way. Just because one Rep wants to do something that is really just political grandstanding is no reason for us to all have to go along with him.”
“In the end did this help the citizen?” asked Jasper. “I would say it hurt him,” he answered. “Why? Because he didn’t listen to the Speaker of the House, nor did he try to gain the support of the Republican Leader. He does not even represent the citizen. He did things the wrong way.”