There are no church buildings in Somalia, and Christians must exercise extreme care when meeting in groups. It is strictly illegal to convert or evangelise. Christians are more likely to be killed by al-Shaabab or family members than to be imprisoned by the government.
Mohammad Abdul, a Muslim background believer, put his faith in Christ in March.
On 5 May he was attacked by his Muslim relatives, and while he was receiving hospital treatment, his in-laws had taken his wife and children away. Having recovered, Abdul and his family relocated for their safety.
On 8 July, Abdul was again attacked by Muslim relatives for his new faith. These attacks left him with a deep cut on his head, a fractured hand and injuries that took away his ability to speak, according to his wife. The relatives also broke his wife’s ankle and beat his children. The couple has several young children, under the age of 10.
Abdul had found a rented house for his family after relatives destroyed his home in the May assault. Here they used a separate room for prayer and worship, and by August he was leading three cell groups in Bible study and prayers.
In early September one of the relatives found him leading prayer and worship inside the room. The relative asked his wife, “I am perplexed, what has gone wrong with your husband who is conducting prayers while closing the door? This is a different way of praying, contrary to the way the Muslims pray.” The relative then hurried away. Realising their lives were in danger, she told Abdul about the relative as soon as he’d finished leading prayer.
On 5 October, Mohammad Abdul was leading worship behind locked doors at his home when four Muslim relatives arrived and waited outside for him to finish. When he went outside, he was surprised to see the relatives, who began questioning him without greeting him.
They asked him, “Why are you worshipping differently from the Muslim way? What is so unique about your worship? Why do you close yourself in the room when you are praying?”
Abdul said he responded, “My praying is a secret between me and my Lord Isa [Jesus], and more so, why should I pray in public? This is just a way to please men, but in my time of worship I should please only God who is in the heavenly places.”
One of the relatives jumped on him as another hit him with a blunt object, and a third relative slapped his face, he said. He suffered a fracture on his left hand, injured fingers of his right hand and cuts to his face.
“You are inviting terrible trouble to yourself and your family,” one of the relatives told him, to which Abdul said he replied, “You can beat me up more if you want, but I can tell you that Isa has saved me. Whether I die or not, I live to serve him.”
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