Somali Woman Endures Violence After Embracing Christianity
In a harrowing tale from Somalia, a mother of two was compelled to leave her children behind after suffering severe violence at the hands of her husband due to her conversion to Christianity. Fatuma, a 30-year-old woman from the Mudug Region, sought refuge after her newfound faith led to a life-threatening confrontation.
Fatuma, whose last name is withheld for safety, embraced Christianity on October 15 at a clandestine church gathering. The pivotal moment of her conversion, however, turned her life upside down when her husband attacked her on December 8, forcing her to abandon her young children, aged 4 and 6.
Describing her ordeal, Fatuma told Morning Star News, “I miss my children, but I cannot go back to my husband because he will kill me.” She bears the physical and emotional scars of the abuse, including a fractured hand and facial disfigurement. Despite the pain, she expressed forgiveness towards her husband, hoping for divine intervention in his life.
The tensions began when Fatuma’s mother-in-law discovered her praying in the name of Jesus on December 4. Warning her sternly, she said, “Islam requires us only to pray in the name of Allah and Muhammad — please stop these kinds of prayers immediately.” Ignoring the warning, Fatuma continued her prayers in secrecy.
When her mother-in-law found her praying once more two days later, she threatened Fatuma with divorce, stating, “I had given you a serious warning, but you have deliberately decided to ignore it — my son then will have to divorce you.” On December 8, Fatuma’s husband assaulted her with sticks, but her mother-in-law intervened, allowing Fatuma to escape the region. A Somali Christian leader, whose identity is protected, has since sheltered her.
Another anonymous Christian in Somalia remarked, “God promised to give us peace and love, so we need to pray for our sister Fatuma for God’s abundant peace at this trying moment.”
Somalia’s constitution enshrines Islam as the state religion, barring the spread of other faiths, and demands adherence to Sharia law, as reported by the U.S. State Department. Apostasy can be punishable by death under Islamic law, a stance supported by the extremist group al-Shabaab, which is aligned with al-Qaeda.
Al-Shabaab’s influence extends beyond Somalia, with sympathizers reportedly responsible for the deaths of several non-local individuals in northern Kenya since 2011.
Somalia is listed as the second most challenging country for Christians, according to the 2024 World Watch List by Christian support group Open Doors.
This article was originally published at Morning Star News
Morning Star News is the only independent news service focusing exclusively on the persecution of Christians. The nonprofit’s mission is to provide complete, reliable, even-handed news in order to empower those in the free world to help persecuted Christians, and to encourage persecuted Christians by informing them that they are not alone in their suffering.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
