A Christian mother goes missing in Somalia

Somalia's flag. (Image courtesy Wikipedia)

Somalia (VCM) ― Islamic militants suspected to be from Al Shabaab have kidnapped a Christian mother and threatened to attack her husband because of their faith.

According to reports from the Voice of the Martyrs Canada, three masked men abducted Shamsa Enow Hussein, 28, outside of her home in Bulo Marer, Lower Shebelle Region, on August 5th. Her husband, 31-year-old Mohamed Isse Osman, received a text from her that night urging him to evacuate. "Please leave immediately because of what we believe," she said in the text. "They have abused me sexually, saying I am an infidel."

Mohamed has also received anonymous threatening text messages from the kidnappers, including one that read, "Your wife has told us all about your Christian involvement, and soon we shall come for you, too." Mohamed and his two daughters, aged 3 and 5, have moved to an undisclosed location. A religious leader in the region claims that Osman has had no contact with his wife since her text on August 5th.

Like most Somali Christians, Shamsa and her husband are secretive about their faith. According to one resident of Bulo Marer, locals are aware of Shamsa's abduction but have no idea why it occurred. "What little we knew about (the) family was that they were not very committed to attending the mosque during Ramadan time," he said. Somalis consider themselves Muslim by birth and regard Islam as a significant part of their cultural identity.

Officials estimate that Somalia is close to 100% Muslim. Apostasy, or the leaving of Islam, is punishable by death.

Pray that God will preserve Shamsa's life, bringing her safely back to her family. May they sense His comforting presence throughout the turmoil. Also remember in your prayers other Somali believers who are fearing for their own safety and that of their loved ones. Ask that the Lord will not only provide His protection but also bless them with boldness as they speak the truth in love.

Spectre of war not far off in Somalia

(Image courtesy Assist News)

Somalia (ODM) ― Open Doors is asking believers in the West to keep praying for Somalia.
After the many years of anarchy, elections last year in September paved the way for greater stability and growth in the Horn of Africa country. The decreased violence, coupled with increased successes in the internationally-supported fight to drive out al-Shabaab Islamist insurgents, greatly improved the atmosphere in Somalia.

This did not necessarily bring freedom for the Church. But it did bring some welcome consistency and created "space" for increased discipleship, albeit still under great secrecy. However, Open Doors is concerned that the atmosphere is changing rapidly.

The newly-installed Somali government is increasingly challenged in its efforts to maintain stability. It was expected of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to stamp out notorious clan politics, corruption, and the "stubborn Islamist insurgency" of al-Shabaab. But observers say his inexperienced government lacks funds as well as the authority to get the job done.

Additionally, in the absence of clear instruction from the provisional constitution, the government is battling to find a way to divide power between the center and the regions. Reuters reported recently that Somalia's neighbors and foreign powers fear a return to civil war.

"It is unclear from our vantage point if the group's influence is really as great as they claim," said an Open Doors worker. What is clear, however, is the fact that greater instability means greater difficulty for believers to function.

For the sake of creating better opportunity for discipleship that can lead to a stronger local Body of believers, we ask believers worldwide to pray for the Lord to show grace to the inexperienced government of Somalia so that they can overcome their multiple challenges."

CAR morphing into another Somalia?

(Cover photo courtesy of Africanarguments.org.
Story photo courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Central African Republic (MNN) ― The Central African Republic (CAR) has been on a tightrope ever since Seleka rebels overthrew the government in March.

But now this no man’s land may be developing into a humanitarian crisis, according to NGO groups.

“The CAR has been lost in everything that is happening in Egypt and Syria so it’s not on a lot of governments’ or people’s radars or the media.... We don’t want this to turn into another Somalia,” says Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors USA.

Workers with Open Doors in CAR say locals are talking about this "Somalization" of their nation. There are some differences between the situations, but also some similarities.

Dykstra explains, “Somalia has been without a government for years and years. In CAR’s case, the shaky government was overthrown in March and there was a group called Seleka. They forced the leaders out, took over, and since that time there has been tremendous unrest among the people; a lot of violence.”

After the March coup, a new government was established on June 16. Most of the leaders are Seleka with few opposing politicians. 180,000 people have been displaced in the chaos.

International groups suspended aid to the CAR after the coup. They look at what happened in Somalia with several NGO workers killed by rebel domination over the years. Aid organizations in CAR similarly fear for their safety. But when aid was pulled out of Somalia, citizens were hit the hardest with little access to vital resources.

As order in the CAR disintegrates, reports of rapes, robbery, and torture come out. Most recently, a Seleka colonel in Nola sent soldiers to kidnap a 13-year-old girl. The colonel raped her, and soldiers assaulted her parents when they tried to intervene. A co-worker with Open Doors writes, “In the Seleka movement, soldiers are only answerable to their commander and not the president.”

Dykstra says Christians’ safety is also in jeopardy. 50% of the population in CAR is Christian and 15% are Muslim. Christian communities in CAR claim their Muslim neighbors are joining Seleka’s violent campaigns, according to Open Doors.

“It’s not like Christianity is a minority religion, but ever since the coup in March, the Muslims have increased their persecution of Christians at the expense of Christians fearing for their lives,” says Dykstra.

Somalia is 5th on Open Doors World Watch List for worst persecution of Christians. Several other African nations aren’t too far behind. Dykstra states the developing situation in the CAR raises concern. “I would think CAR would move up the list next year, and so we pray that won’t happen, that things will settle down and that Christians and Muslims will get together and respect each other’s faith.”

NGO’s have brought together leaders in Christian, Catholic, and Muslim communities to dialogue and prevent further unrest. Four imams, four pastors, and four priests are part of the initiative and will train on how to prevent conflicts. Then they will spread out to various cities and hold meetings to prevent conflict.

The Catholic clergy also sent a letter “to convey the message of peace and hopefully to implore the new leader, Michel Djotodia, to break his silence on the violence of the Seleka group and for him to say hold off and to promise not to bring Sharia law into that country,” says Dykstra.

Open Doors workers ask through Dykstra, “We need your prayers. We hope this does not turn into a wild state, a gangster state, a jungle. Pray for the future.”

Jihad in Kenya takes a startling turn

Al-Shabaab soldier (Story photo courtesy Assist News Service)

Kenya (MNN) ― The jihad in Somalia seems to have spilled into Kenya now where tensions between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority are building.

Even as the Muslim hardliners connected to al-Shabaab (subsequently al-Qaeda) gain influence, the economic plight in Kenya seems only to add fuel to the fires they're stirring.

As a result, attacks on churches, specifically designed to provoke communal anxiety, have been on the rise in Kenya. Last October, Kenyan military forces entered Somalia to engage the al-Shabaab.

At first deemed a successful operation, it's now thought that the militia responded with a recruitment drive of Kenyan youth, offering cash incentives for the families of would-be martyrs. Jihadists are also thought to be targeting nominal Christians.

Todd Nettleton is a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA. First, he says, take this issue: "The unemployment rate in Kenya is said to be about 40%. Among out -of-school youth, it is thought to be as high as 75%. A lot of young people are out of school; they can't find a job."

Then, inject disillusionment: "Into that situation comes a radical Muslim recruiter who says, ‘Come and work for us. It's a regular paycheck. We'll take care of your family if anything happens to you. Why don't you come and join the fight?' That becomes an enticing offer when there are no jobs to be found."

What you wind up with is an escalation in tensions in Kenya, swelling numbers of Kenyan Muslims currently in al-Shabaab's ranks in Somalia, and even some nominal Christians. Nettleton explains, "In Kenya, there is a tribal identity that most people have. If your tribe is a majority Christian tribe, then somebody who meets you on the street just sort of assumes that you are a Christian."

Those young people make the perfect recruit because the Kenyan government isn't looking at the Christian tribes as a threat, notes Nettleton. "That gives them an opportunity to have more freedom of movement. It gives them an opportunity to conduct surprise attacks. Really, al-Shabaab is going for these people who can fly under the radar from a security standpoint, because people who see them assume that they are Christians."

Recruiting "Christians" to attack churches reveals the insidious nature of the jihad in Kenya, he adds. Churches are now putting in security measures similar to those used in Nigerian churches. Nettleton says, "When we think about church, we think of it as a refuge, a place of peace, a place where everyone is welcome. When you put armed guards and when you start frisking people when they come in the door, it's hard to maintain that openness."

Kenyan pastors are on high alert, but keep praying. Nettleton says there is a vibrant Church body in Kenya. "When you are nervous about having new people in your church because they could be bombers, that affects how you reach out; that affects how you welcome visitors; that affects everything about how you conduct the service and how you do things. I think the other side of that coin, really, is a reckoning of your faith."

Still, the strain on Christians is wearing, Nettleton adds. First, "We want to pray for their protection because there is a growing risk. There are more and more of these attacks that we see, so we need to pray that the Lord protects them."

Killing of Islamic cleric leads to violence

(Image courtesy of Open Doors USA)

Kenya (MNN) ― Muslim rioters took to the streets of Mombasa, Kenya following the death of Sheikh Aboud Rogo. Unknown gunmen sprayed Rogo's van with bullets, immediately killing the controversial Islamic cleric. Jerry Dykstra with Open Doors USA said rioters focused their rage on two targets.

"Muslims in Mombasa put some of the blame on the government," Dykstra explains, "but also they attacked Christian churches and organizations."

Five Mombasa churches were attacked and severely damaged by rioters; a few worshippers were injured in the process. The National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) offices were damaged as well.

"We have completely failed to understand the logic that made…demonstrators associate the heinous murder of Aboud Rogo with the churches," said Rev. Canon Peter Karanja, NCCK's General Secretary.

Dykstra said it's not unusual to see believers becoming the scapegoat.

"Christians are blamed for a lot of things," he stated.

Most attacks against Christians have been linked to al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based terrorist cell of al-Qaeda. Al-Shabaab has been growing at a steady rate along the border of Somalia and Kenya. Dykstra expressed concern about al-Shabaab's expansion.

"They've been increasing in power and influence on that border area."

As al-Shabaab's presence increases, it could become even harder for believers to share the Gospel in Kenya.

Al-Shabaab has expanded its hunt for Christians from Somalia to neighboring Kenya, and Rogo was an alleged al-Shabaab fundraiser and recruiter. Remember the July 1 attacks against believers in Garissa? Dykstra said Rogo supported them because he didn't want Muslims and Christians working together.

"He called that a really good happening, a good thing," noted Dykstra.

Within the last year, Christian aid workers have been killed and kidnapped. Two believers died at a Kenyan revival meeting whenterrorists threw a grenade toward the podium. In July, gunmen attacked a Garissa church with grenades and then shot believers as they tried to escape. More than 60 were injured in this attack, and 18 believers died.

"The border area between Kenya and Somalia has become a dangerous place for the followers of Christ, as well as aid workers trying to help those caught in the chaos and poverty," said Carl Moeller, President/CEO of Open Doors. "As we have seen in the past, innocent believers are often targets of the extremists' rage.

"Please pray that the Christians there will stay strong in the faith and that rioting will come to an end."

Church attacks in Kenya condemned

Images are screen grabs from KTN Kenya TV: Church attack in Garissa

Kenya (MNN) ―   At last report, at least 18 died and more than 60 were wounded in Sunday's church attack in northeastern Kenya.

Masked militants, believed to have an al Shabaab connection, crossed the Somalia border and attacked the Africa Inland Church (AIC) and Catholic Church in Garissa. Open Doors President and CEO Carl Moeller explains, "This is a region of Kenya that is exposed to a huge refugee population from Somalia.

Throughout those refugee camps, radical Islam in the form of al Shabaab and terrorism has been permeating those camps." The town is also near  the large Dadaab Refugee Camp is located, where in the past week four aid workers were abducted but eventually freed. 

Eyewitness told Open Doors that first, the gunmen threw grenades into the church, and then, as church goers fled from the explosives, the gunmen shot them as they exited the building.  Even as he described the situation, Moeller said, "The church is a soft target, and this should be seen for what it is: a  huge human rights and persecution tragedy."

Eyewitnesses were deeply shocked by the aftermath of the attacks. Moeller says, "The church in Kenya has been largely an island of stability, although they've been hard pressed as Islam does intrude more and more radical Islam into the culture."  

"We heard something like stones being thrown on top of the roof. Then we realized that we were being shot at," said Mr. Dennis Nzioki who was attending the AIC worship service at the time of the attack. Police say they have identified suspects, no but one has been arrested in connection to the attacks yet.

Then, the inevitable question came: could this be just the beginning of more violence? Moeller agrees with speculation that radical Islamists are only using the tense atmosphere in these regions to get rid of the Christian presence in these Somali dominated border regions. However, he says, "It's our prayer that the church in Kenya will remain in peace and that this sort of violence will not be retaliated."

Meanwhile, Chairman Abdulghafur El-Busaidy of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims condemned Sunday's church attacks: "All places of worship must be respected. We want to send our condolences, and we are sad that no arrests have been made yet."

Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka also condemned Sunday's church attacks. "Places of worship... should be respected," he said.

Although fear seems to be the initial reaction to the attacks, Moeller says church leaders appear strong in the midst of the difficult circumstances. "The impact as a result is that those Christians that are remaining there (and we just continue to pray for peace in the region), that they become those agents of peace, that they become those agents of hope."

Open Doors is planning to visit the church in the next few days to offer encouragement and to determine the need for further support. Africa Inland Mission's Regional Executive Officer Marvin Smith, in a written statement released by Africa Inland Mission, said, "Join us in prayer for the families who lost loved ones, martyred for their desire to worship God and grow in the Lord. Many of the wounded have been airlifted to hospitals in Nairobi, so pray also for their quick recovery. Pray also for the Africa Inland Church as they receive and respond to this event. While we do not understand why this happened, we can trust our Faithful Creator to work all things for His glory. "

Moeller went on to describe another attack that has been overshadowed by the Garissa incident: "In a separate incident Sunday morning, a large church in Nairobi, Nairobi Lighthouse Church, was attacked by 15-20 armed men, who forced the entire congregation to lie on the floor in order to rob everyone of all their possessions.  They also stole money and other items from the church offices. Our Kenyan Short Term Assistant, Janet Ngarika normally attends the church, but she did not attend yesterday. These incidents against churches in Kenya remind us to take our faith seriously as we live in uncertain times." 

Please pray for the Lord's comfort for the bereaved. Pray that justice will be done. Pray for Open Doors workers as they investigate the attacks and determine an appropriate response.

Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia

Young Christian man murdered outside Mogadishu.

NAIROBI, Kenya, February 8 (CDN) — Islamic extremists from the rebel al Shabaab militia in Somalia beheaded a Christian on the outskirts of Mogadishu last month, sources said.


The militants fighting the transitional government in Mogadishu murdered Zakaria Hussein Omar, 26, on Jan. 2 in Cee-carfiid village, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) outside of the Somali capital, they said. Omar had worked for a Christian humanitarian organization that al Shabaab banned last year.


His body was left lying for 20 hours before nomads found it and carried it into Mogadishu, a close friend said.


“We have been communicating with Omar, and he was sharing with me his life as a Christian,” the friend said. “Last year he mentioned to me that his life was in danger when the NGO [Non-Governmental Organization] he worked for was banned by the al Shabaab.”


The friend said he identified the body.


“One of the persons who saw him said, ‘This is the young man who stayed in Ethiopia, and people have been saying that he left Islam and joined Christianity.’”


Omar converted to Christianity seven years ago while in Ethiopia, where he lived with relatives. He returned to Somalia in 2008 and completed his university education in 2009 with a degree in accounting.


Omar had married in the latter part of 2010. He is survived by his wife, his parents (originally from central Somalia), a brother and four sisters.


Last September, the militants beheaded another young Christian near Mogadishu. The militants, who have vowed to rid Somalia of Christianity, killed Guled Jama Muktar on Sept. 25 in his home near Deynile, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Mogadishu (See www.compassdirect.org, “Islamic Extremists in Somalia Behead 17-year-old Christian,” Oct. 19, 2011).


Earlier that month, a kidnapped Christian convert from Islam was found decapitated on the outskirts of Hudur City in Bakool region, in southwestern Somalia. Juma Nuradin Kamil was forced into a car by three suspected Islamic extremists from the al Shabaab terrorist group on Aug. 21, 2011 and murdered on Sept. 2, area sources said (See www.compassdirect.org, “Somali Convert to Christianity Kidnapped, Beheaded,” Sept. 12, 2011).


With estimates of al Shabaab’s size ranging from 3,000 to 7,000, the insurgents seek to impose a strict version of sharia (Islamic law), but the transitional government in Mogadishu fighting to retain control of the country treats Christians little better than the al Shabaab extremists do. While proclaiming himself a moderate, President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed has embraced a version of sharia that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam.


Al Shabaab was among several splinter groups that emerged after Ethiopian forces removed the Islamic Courts Union, a group of sharia courts, from power in Somalia in 2006. It has been designated a terrorist organization by several western governments.



END

Somali Convert from Islam Whipped in Public

Woman left bleeding in front of hundreds of spectators for becoming Christian.

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 10 (CDN) — A Somali convert from Islam was paraded before a cheering crowd last month and publicly flogged as a punishment for embracing a “foreign religion,” sources said.

Sofia Osman, a 28-year-old Christian from Janale city in Somali’as Lower Shabelle region, had been taken into custody by Islamic extremist al Shabaab militants in November; the public whipping was meant to mark her release. She received 40 lashes on Dec. 22 while jeered by spectators.


“Osman was whipped 40 lashes at 3 p.m., but she didn’t tell what other humiliations she had suffered while in the hands of the militants,” an eyewitness, told Compass, adding that whipping left her bleeding. “I saw her faint. I thought she had died, but soon she regained consciousness and her family took her away.”

The whipping was administered in front of hundreds of spectators after Osman was released from her month-long custody in al Shabaab camps. Nursing her injuries at her family’s home, in the days after the punishment she would not talk to anyone and looked dazed, a source close in touch with the family said. She has since been relocated.

“Please pray for her quick recovery,” the source said.

Janale, one Somalia’s major cities, is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Mogadishu.

Osman became a Christian four years ago and was a member of the underground church in the war-torn Horn of Africa country largely controlled by the al Qaeda-linked militants from al Shabaab.

The al Shabaab militia is being hunted down by Kenya Defense Forces in southern Somalia following the extremists’ incursions into Kenya. They had killed and kidnapped tourists and aid workers inside Kenya, prompting military forces to formally enter into war to secure its borders.

In response, the al Shabaab militants have targeted churches in northern Kenyan towns such as Garissa in the hope of dividing Kenyans along religious lines. The Kenyan public, however, is largely backed the government decision to pursue the militants deep into Somalia.

END

Somali Christians Find Danger Follows Them to Kenya

Hostility toward converts from Islam shadows refugees to neighboring country.

By Simba Tian

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 17 (Compass Direct News) – One Christian left his native Somalia 10 years ago and another fled as Muslim extremists were bombing his house earlier this year, but both Somali converts from Islam feel they are still in danger in Kenya.

In February, Islamic extremists from the al Shabaab militia fighting for control of Somalia reduced Mohammed Abdi Mose’s house in Mogadishu to ashes as he evacuated his family, the 54-year-old father of seven told Compass. His head bears a scar where shrapnel struck, and he requires medicine to limit the injury’s damage to his memory.

“It was midnight, and it was raining,” he said. “No moonlight; no light; I said, ‘We are moving.’ Amid the bullets and mortar shells, I had four kids on me, and my wife had three kids on her, with the older boy and girl walking – the smaller ones were on us.”

About 150 people died that night in military fighting, but Mose said it was no accident that his house was targeted. Earlier that month the Muslim extremists, who had suspected he was a convert to Christianity as he had worked for Christian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), confirmed that he had come to faith in Christ and was therefore worthy of death. They tied his hands behind him and began hitting him with sticks and metallic objects, he said.

He sustained a deep cut on his heel. They stomped on his stomach, damaging his urinary system, he said. Neighbors who heard his cries came out in large numbers, forcing the attackers to flee. Mose said he knew then it was time to relocate.

After spending a month with neighbors recovering from his injuries, he and his family fled to Lower Juba in March, then to Kismayo. Kismayo is al Shabaab’s economic lifeline, where the extremists receive goods by ship, as well as ransom money from piracy. The Kenyan military has besieged the port town in an effort to flush out the militants after they were blamed for a spate of kidnappings of foreigners inside Kenyan territory.

Closely monitored by al Shabaab in Kismayo, the family headed toward Kenya in April, renting a donkey to carry their luggage and youngest child, 4 (their oldest, a daughter, is 19). Mose said it took them 18 days to traverse the 370 kilometers (230 miles) to Liboi, the border town on the Kenyan side, where the donkey died of exhaustion. They still had 100 kilometers (62 miles) to go to reach refugee camps in Dadaab.

For the next six months, the family lived in the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab, where people flow freely in and out of the camp, including al Shabaab members in civilian garb. In September, Mose said, some al Shabaab members in the camp threatened to kill him. Somali Christian contacts in Kenya helped Mose move his family away from the border last month.

Having worked for NGOs while in Somalia, Mose became a target as al Shabaab sees the organizations as either Christian or spies for the West, he said. That reputation has followed him, subjecting his family to discrimination not only from the militants but also from other Somali Muslims; the threat continues in his undisclosed location in Kenya, which is more than 82 percent Christian with a Muslim population of 8.32 percent, according to Operation World.

Mose’s wife bakes and sells bread to try to feed the family. She is due to give birth in January – to twins – and the family fears she may be unable to continue her micro-enterprise. Mose, meantime, said he is still in pain.

“At the moment, I cannot do heavy work,” he said. “I have a lot of pain in my lower abdomen which needs medical attention. My back is also not good. Indeed our situation is not promising, especially taking care of a family of nine as a refugee. If we get asylum, then it will save my family.”

Threatened

Another Somali convert from Islam arrived in Kenya in 2001, but he and his family also are seeking a third country after Muslims in Nairobi recently posted his photo in a mosque, accusing him of being a threat to Islam.

The Muslims of Nairobi’s Somali enclave in Eastleigh found out that Adam Musse Othman, 60, had translated biblical portions into Maay, one of the Somali dialects, and they also got hold of a copy of the Jesus Film that Othman had translated into Maay; they were able to identify the voice-over in the film as his, he said.

Othman said he was not safe from Islamic extremists in Nairobi who told him by phone that they were aware of his involvement in the production of the Christian film and the translation of biblical passages into Maay.

“I cannot take such threats lightly, hence my request for resettlement on security grounds where we can live peacefully, decently and freely – also, to save ourselves from death and violence,” he said.

Othman, who walks with the aid of a cane and said he is suffering from various ailments, said he has made several applications to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for resettlement and is awaiting a reply.

“I feel that our case needs urgent attention, given the current situation surrounding our well-being,” he said. “With the increasing radicalization of Islam in Somalia, and the potential spillover effects into Kenya, I feel unsafe living in Kenya with my family.”

Othman said his absence from mosque prayers had led his Muslim friends and relatives to shun him and his family.

“There are no cordial relations between us, and I have received several threatening phone calls and short text messages in my phone by people who claim to know that I am a Christian,” he said. “I have reported this matter to Pangani police station. The threats to me and my family from Islamic radicals are still haunting me here in Nairobi. There are people who know me and my family and are suspicious of my faith. When my wife visits Eastleigh, she has to cover her face to avoid being identified.”

Othman left Somalia fearing either the civil war or those hostile to his Christian faith would kill him, he said.

“The current situation in Somalia, the emergence of al Shabaab and the introduction of sharia[Islamic law], makes it unthinkable that I can ever return to Somalia,” he said.

He worked as medical liaison officer with a Christian NGO based in Mogadishu between 1992 and 1995; later his family moved to Baidoa when the war intensified.

“That kind of work proved dangerous to me since I started getting threatening phone calls from Islamic extremists,” he said. “I also felt that some members of my sub-clan who knew about me were not happy, judging from the way they constantly challenged me to state my spiritual standing since I was working with a Christian NGO, and this made me feel highly insecure.”

At first he did not take the threats seriously, he said. But then Islamic extremists shot dead his cousin, Abdi Washed, a Christian, in Mogadishu in 1994, and shortly thereafter three friends were killed at Bakaro Market in Mogadishu.

“The killings were carefully planned assassinations,” he said. “I was then warned by my close friends and relatives that I was next in the list of Christians targeted for assassination.”

Heavy fighting in Baidoa made it difficult for Othman to cross into Kenya. He was able to leave Somalia by air in 2001, and the following year his family joined him after traveling on foot and by bus.

Previously he had worked in Yemen with a Christian group, he said, arriving there in 1986 after completing theological studies abroad. It would prove to be one of his first experiences with people hostile to Christianity.

“Some people unknown to me reported to the Yemeni authorities that I was a Christian,” he said. “I was arrested and imprisoned for nine months that year at Sana’a Central Prison.”

www.compassdirect.org

END

**********

Copyright 2011 Compass Direct News

Somali Muslims Cut, Beat Christian Unconscious

Somali Muslims Cut, Beat Christian Unconscious: "A Somali Christian in Kenya is nursing injuries after young Muslim men from his country beat him with iron rods and wooden clubs last week, leaving him unconscious at a church entryway."

Read more...

Somalia: a land of terror and martyrdom (plus update on Nigeria)

-- a call to prayer for the church in Somalia

By Elizabeth Kendal
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) 125
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Christ has a Church (a people) in war-ravaged, famine-wracked Somalia. This Church consists almost entirely of Somali converts from Islam. Al-Shabaab -- the Islamic fundamentalist al-Qaeda affiliate that controls most of Somalia -- is committed to extinguishing this Church. At least 25 Somali Christians have been martyred since September 2008, when Mansur Mohamed (25), a Christian for three years, became the first to be executed by al-Shabaab.

Each of these believers could have saved their lives by simply renouncing Christ and returning to Islam. Yet in each case these believers chose Christ over life, submitting their bodies to the Islamic sword in full assurance that their death would immediately be 'swallowed up in victory' (1 Corinthians 15:50-59). [For more on Somalia's martyrs, seehttp://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com/search/label/Somalia]
On 2 September the body of Juma Nuradin Kamil was found decapitated and dumped on the outskirts of Hudur City in south-western Somalia. A local Christian told Compass Direct News, 'It is usual for the al-Shabaab to decapitate those they suspect to have embraced the Christian faith, or sympathisers of Western ideals. Our brother accepted the Christian faith three years ago and was determined in his faith in God. We greatly miss him.' Witnesses saw three militants whom they suspect were members of al-Shabaab ambush and kidnap Kamil on 21 August. Local Christians say the abduction was so efficient that al-Shabaab must have been closely monitoring Kamil for some time.
Al-Shabaab includes large numbers of veterans of the Afghan jihad and is affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Al-Shabaab wants to turn Somalia into the next Afghanistan: a base and training centre for international jihad. In December 2010 al-Shabaab merged with Hizbul Islam, a nationalist-Salafist revolutionary group led by Sheik Hasan Dahir Aweys, formerly of the Islamic Courts Union. By doing so, al-Shabaab appeased, secured and strengthened its nationalist faction and broadened its local appeal. Al-Shabaab is actively training local and international recruits for local and international jihad, including militants from Boko Haram (Nigeria) as well as diaspora Somalis travelling on Western and other foreign passports.
International efforts to counter al-Shabaab have been insufficient. The African Union forces that had been fighting for control of Mogadishu are massively under-manned. Al-Shabaab's main weakness lies in its factionalism and tribalism. But even if al-Shabaab were to implode, the alternative US- and UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is totally Islamist and committed to the implementation of Sharia Law, including death to apostates. Most Somali Muslims still believe that Islam is the solution to everything. Somalia needs a miracle.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL --

• have pity on Somalia: may he break through the darkness of Islam (Isaiah 59:15b-19); may the Islamists be ensnared in their own intrigues (Psalm 9:15,16), may he enlighten the eyes of the suffering masses (2 Corinthians 3:14-18).
  
  'And should not I [God] pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left.' (Jonah 4:11 ESV) 
  
• shield and protect his besieged and imperilled believers; may they grow in faith and grace and may God provide all their needs, preserving them as living testaments to his power and love.
  
  'I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' (Matthew 16:18 ESV)

PLEASE CONTINUE IN PRAYER FOR NIGERIA and SUDAN [See RLPB 124]
* JOS, NIGERIA: that God will intervene to end the violence. On Friday 9 September in Vwang Fwil Village in Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) all 14 members of the Christian Mallam Danboyi family were massacred in their beds by a mob of Fulani Muslim herdsmen wearing military uniforms. The dead ranged in age from 9mths to 70 years and included a pregnant woman. Then 12 Christians were massacred in midnight attacks on several villages in Barkin Ladi LGA. Around 100 Christians have been killed in this manner in Jos in the past month. Emmanuel Logman, the Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local Government Council, regards the persisting attacks as an attempt at 'ethnic cleansing'. According to police, Northern Muslim youths are being mobilised by text message to come to Jos and support the Muslim struggle. Please pray.
* SUDAN: that God will intervene in South Kordofan and Blue Nile (Sudan's 'new south') where ethnic cleansing continues and mass starvation looms. Please pray.

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOMALIA: A LAND OF TERROR AND MARTYRDOM
At least 25 Somali Christians have been martyred since September 2008, when Mansur Mohamed (25), a Christian for three years, became the first to be executed by al-Shabaab. On 2 September 2011 local Christians found the decapitated body of Juma Nuradin Kamil dumped in Hudur City, south-western Somalia. Kamil was abducted on 21 August, presumably by al-Shabaab militants who had been monitoring him. A local Christian leader told Compass Direct News, 'Our brother accepted the Christian faith three years ago and was determined in his faith in God. We greatly miss him.' Al-Shabaab, which controls most of southern Somalia, is determined to extinguish Christianity and is actively training local and international recruits for worldwide jihad. May God bring light. Please pray for Somalia's besieged, imperilled Church.

---

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. This prayer bulletin was initially written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC). Elizabeth Kendal's blogs: Religious Liberty Monitoring and Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin

---

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

Providing for The Poor Wanderer

Refugee camps in Mozambique are
 overflowing with those fleeing from
 Somalia and Ethiopia. More aid is
 needed. (Photo courtesy of Food for
 the Hungry)

Mozambique (MNN) ― The crisis in refugee camps continues to grow as more and more Somali and Ethiopian refugees flee across northern Mozambique borders. Drought, war and persecution particularly have Somali and Ethiopian Christians running for their lives to safety.

The boats arriving on the shores of Mozambique are full of refugees who often come with nothing but the clothes on their backs. So far, the number of refugees needing humanitarian aid is estimated at 600 with the number still climbing.

Food for the Hungry (FH) has stepped up to help these refugees in Mozambique. FH is working with the Mozambique government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Together, they are building an overflow refugee camp in the coastal town of Palma by setting up a kitchen station and clearing land.

This overflow camp is desperately needed since The Maratane Refugee Camp in Nampula already holds twice its normal amount. It went from 5,500 long-term refugees back in 2010, to over 10,000 today with the influx of asylum-seekers. So far, an additional 1,000 have been moved to the camp being constructed in Palma.

Refugees from Ethiopia and Somalia first started arriving in 2010 by boat, but the number of arrivals was not overwhelming. As long as the number of arrivals was around the number of departures, the camps could handle it.

But starting in 2011 when the worst drought in 60 years struck, that coupled with war and persecution led to a major movement of refugees fleeing Somalia and Ethiopia. To exert more control over the situation, the Mozambique government added restrictions on the movements of refugees outside the camps.

So far, Palma is still a temporary camp for overflow refugees. It is not ideal as the camp is near mosquito-infested swamps and lacks sanitary water. Food for the Hungry and the UNHCR are appealing for more aid including food, water, tents and sanitation.

Food for the Hungry exists to end physical and spiritual hungers in some of the most impoverished and critical areas of the world. The refugee camps in Mozambique easily fit the bill.

This pairing of humanitarian aid with evangelism encourages Christian refugees who have left everything they own. And it opens doors to minister the Gospel to the hurting and lost. Here is where the Christian community can step up and join the mission.

Please pray for refugees in the camps of Mozambique, that they would receive the aid they need and be able to work toward a better life. Pray also for perseverance for the church both in dangerous areas of persecution and in places of asylum. If you would like to have a hand in helping refugees both physically and spiritually, you can donate here.

Isaiah 58:6-7 says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”