SOMALIA'S EMBATTLED CHRISTIANS ALMOST EXPUNGED

November 11, 2009

APN Newsletter

Somalia is currently the hardest place in the world to be a Christian citizen. There are thought to be no more than a thousand Christians in a resident population of 8m people, with perhaps a few thousand more in the Diaspora. The Islamist Shabab militia, which controls most of southern Somalia, is dedicated to hunting them down. Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There are no public meetings, let alone a church. Churches and Christian cemeteries have been destroyed.  

The only Christian believers left are local Somalis. Catching and killing them is useful propaganda for indoctrinating its young fighters and suicide-bombers in the belief that America, Britain, Italy and the Vatican, are all “crusaders” trying to convert Somalis to Christianity. The transitional government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, is unlikely to speak up for anyone caught with a bible. Though professing moderation, he promotes a version of sharia law whereby every citizen of Somalia is born a Muslim and anyone who converts to another religion is guilty of apostasy, punishable by death.  

Every month several Somalis are killed for being Christian. Christian groups monitoring Somalia from abroad, report at least 13 members of underground churches have been killed in the past few months. Most were Mennonites. They include a 46-year-old woman shot dead after a Swahili-language bible was found in her shack; a 69-year-old man killed after Shabab fighters found 25 Somali bibles in a bag he was carrying; and two boys, aged 11 and 12, who were beheaded by the Shabab after their father refused to divulge information about an underground church.  

Hundreds of Somalis may have been killed for being Christian since the Shabab arose in 2005. Such atrocities – and reports that the Koran has been read over the victims even at the point of their beheading – are upsetting to evangelical Christians. Mr Ahmed’s government sorely needs money to shore itself up. But if he fails even to hint that Christians should be tolerated, he may find America's Congress increasingly loath to help bail him out.

Source: Intercessors Network