Mohammad Abdul is a man who converted from Islam to Christianity earlier this year. Since his conversion, he has been continosly pressured by his family to abandon his Christian faith. He was attacked by his relatives three times already since his conversion. The first attack was carried out in May when his relatives attacked him with a knife. After the attack, he spent a month in the hospital recovering and had to move because his house was destroyed in the attack. The next attack was carried out in July. Also, some of his relatives assaulted him and beat his wife and children as well.

Since the July attack, Abdul led the prayer group and worships in a small side building, hoping that it would not raise unwanted attention. However, one of his relatives found out about it in September. This was followed by the attack on October 5. While Abdul was leading a worship inside, some of his relatives gathered outside of the building, waiting for him to come out. After finishing the worship, the relatives confronted him and wanted him to join the Islamic worship. He refused and said that he embraced Christianity.

“Isa who saved me knows my heart, and I am happy in my heart, so leave me alone.”

Furious about the refusal, the relatives jumped and beat him and left him bleeding in the dirt. In Somalia, the state religion is Islam, and the laws comply with sharia, Islamic law. It forbids the propagation of other religions, and non-Muslims are not an exception from it either.

Source: Christian Daily