Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Convert from Islam to Christianity killed in Somalia
ASSIST News Service (ANS) ^ | Friday, September 15, 2006 | Michael Ireland, Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

Posted on 09/17/2006 10:53:10 AM PDT by Rev Filsan

MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (ANS) -- Somali Christian sources report that Ali Mustaf Maka'il, a 22-year-old college student and cloth merchant, who converted from Islam to Christianity eleven months ago, was shot and killed in the Manabolyo quarter of Mogadishu on September 7. According to a report from The Barnabas Fund, quoting a Christian source inside Somalia, the gunman was loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts (ICU), the Islamist organization that took power in Mogadishu in early June 2006 and now controls much of southern Somalia.

The report states: "The gunman shot Ali in the back after he refused to join a crowd chanting Qur'an verses in honor of the lunar eclipse. (Solar and lunar eclipses are significant in Islam and are accompanied by special congregational prayers.) The ICU confiscated his body for 24 hours before delivering it to the grieving family."

The Barnabas Fund says: "It seems that under the new Islamist rulers, who include hard-line jihadi elements, the tragic history of persecution and martyrdom for Somalia's tiny Christian community is set to continue and most likely to worsen."

The group reports that in July 2006 there were unconfirmed reports that three Christians had been shot and killed by Islamists as they returned home from a prayer meeting.

It adds: "In October 2005 an evangelist and house church leader, Osman Sheik Ahmed, was shot dead by Islamist radicals. Children of Christian Somali refugees in Kenya have been kidnapped by Muslim relatives and taken to Islamic institutions in Somalia for 'rehabilitation.' "

The Barnabas Fund explains that the leader of the ICU, Hassan Dahir Aweys, promised to implement shari'a in all areas he controls.

"According to shari'a, apostates (those who leave Islam for another religion), must be killed. ICU leaders have even threatened to kill as apostates Muslims who are lax in their prayers, claiming this is commanded by shari'a. Several Muslims have been publicly flogged for drug related offences since the ICU took control."

The Barnabas Fund report states that more then 99.5 percent of Somalis are Muslims and regard Christianity as a foreign religion of their historic enemies in Ethiopia and of their former colonial masters the Italians and the British.

It adds: "There is a long history of conflict between Muslim Somalis and Christian Ethiopians, so anti-Christian sentiment runs deep. Most Somalis take it for granted that a true Somali is a Muslim and converts to Christianity must be traitors. These prejudices, widely held by Muslim Somalis, seem to used to justify violence against Christians, both indigenous and expatriate.

"The US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the recent Israeli campaign against Hizbullah in Lebanon have fuelled and inflamed the inherent hostility to the West and to Christians."


TOPICS: Activism; Apologetics; Current Events; Evangelical Christian; History; Islam; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Prayer; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: martyr; martyred; mogadishu; somali; somalia

1 posted on 09/17/2006 10:53:11 AM PDT by Rev Filsan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Rev Filsan
"There is a long history of conflict between Muslim Somalis and
Christian Ethiopians, so anti-Christian sentiment runs deep."


Yep, Islamics ain't haters. They just have "sentiments".
Because Islam is The Religion of Peace.
(/sarc)
2 posted on 09/17/2006 10:58:55 AM PDT by VOA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rev Filsan

Shall we take to the streets in protest?
Shall we chant slogans of "Death to _____"?
Shall we carry banners of hatred?
Shall we burn mosques to the ground?
Shall we capture, torture, and behead on video a muslim?
Shall we drag the carcass through the streets?

No.
We shall do what Christ did in the face of His barbaric enemies.
We shall humble ouselves.
We shall have a spirit of humility.
We shall not answer our abusers.
We shall realize that our death results in heaven.
We shall mourn the death of our enemies as their's is in hell.
We shall look to the Lord for justice and vengence.

Christianity
The True Religion of Peace
and Love
and Hope


3 posted on 09/17/2006 11:07:31 AM PDT by uptoolate (Their 'innocent' civilian is their next suicide bomber)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: uptoolate

Amen...pray for these barbarian's souls.


4 posted on 09/17/2006 11:12:43 AM PDT by Suzy Quzy ("When Cabals Go Kabooms"....upcoming book on Mary McCarthy's Coup-Plotters.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Rev Filsan

Wait till you find out about the nun they shot in the head in Mogadishu.


5 posted on 09/17/2006 11:49:31 AM PDT by AliVeritas (The road to hell is paved with bishops - St. Athanasis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: uptoolate
Christians don't bring insecurity, paranoia, self-lothing and inferiority into their way of thinking.
6 posted on 09/17/2006 11:50:19 AM PDT by oyez ( The older I get, the better I was.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Rev Filsan
Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, `Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'

7 posted on 09/17/2006 12:05:08 PM PDT by JockoManning (May God rest this martyr's soul in peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rev Filsan
Time for Christians to get outta Dodge.

Ditto South Africa for non-blacks.

8 posted on 09/17/2006 12:25:28 PM PDT by starfish923 (Socrates: It's never right to do wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson