Michael IrelandChief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
MOGADISHU, SOMALIA / WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) -- A Muslim mob has once again attacked a house church in Tayeglow, a town 198 miles from Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
According to the Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) http://www.persecution.org/ , dozens of Muslims, including children and women, demolished the church and attacked the Christians worshipping at the church with spears, machetes, sticks and stones. Two elders of the church, Mr. Faysal Amin, 50, and Mr. Mubarak Hussein, 45 [not real names for security reasons], suffered serious injuries as a result of the attack.
ICC says the attack was probably in response to the conversion of the only son of a prominent Muslim religious leader in the district.
In its report, ICC said this is the second time that Muslim extremists targeted the church for attack. In the first attack, which took place in 2007, a Muslim gunman opened fire on the Christians at the church and seriously wounded the pastor. (See: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.persecution.org%2Fsuffering%2Fpressdetail.php%3Fpresscode%3D162%26PHPSESSID%3D22c89fc5e7c9444cf4fe38d234169121)
ICC says:"The pastor of the church has not yet fully recovered from the injuries he suffered from the 2007 attack. Currently, his father, Mr. Yasin Seid, [not real name for security reasons,] is the pastor of the church. Mr. Seid suffered minor injuries during the latest attack."
The human rights group explains that when Muslims convert to Christianity in Somalia, they face death. In the past twelve months alone, five Somali converts to Christianity have been killed. Even Somalis who live in neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya face persecution from their fellow Somalis.
ICC’s regional manager for Africa, Mr. Jonathan Racho, stated, “Christians in Somalia are faced with unprecedented persecution from Islamic extremists who are hell-bent on destroying them. Please pray for Christians in Somalia and help them in the ways you can.”
Please contact ICC if you would like to assist Christians in Somalia.
For further information: ICC (International Christian Concern) http://www.persecution.org/. Contact Jonathan Racho, Regional Manager for Africa, 1-800-ICC (422)-5441, jonathan@persecution.org
** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe,
a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International.
According to the Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) http://www.persecution.org/ , dozens of Muslims, including children and women, demolished the church and attacked the Christians worshipping at the church with spears, machetes, sticks and stones. Two elders of the church, Mr. Faysal Amin, 50, and Mr. Mubarak Hussein, 45 [not real names for security reasons], suffered serious injuries as a result of the attack.
ICC says the attack was probably in response to the conversion of the only son of a prominent Muslim religious leader in the district.
In its report, ICC said this is the second time that Muslim extremists targeted the church for attack. In the first attack, which took place in 2007, a Muslim gunman opened fire on the Christians at the church and seriously wounded the pastor. (See: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.persecution.org%2Fsuffering%2Fpressdetail.php%3Fpresscode%3D162%26PHPSESSID%3D22c89fc5e7c9444cf4fe38d234169121)
ICC says:"The pastor of the church has not yet fully recovered from the injuries he suffered from the 2007 attack. Currently, his father, Mr. Yasin Seid, [not real name for security reasons,] is the pastor of the church. Mr. Seid suffered minor injuries during the latest attack."
The human rights group explains that when Muslims convert to Christianity in Somalia, they face death. In the past twelve months alone, five Somali converts to Christianity have been killed. Even Somalis who live in neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya face persecution from their fellow Somalis.
ICC’s regional manager for Africa, Mr. Jonathan Racho, stated, “Christians in Somalia are faced with unprecedented persecution from Islamic extremists who are hell-bent on destroying them. Please pray for Christians in Somalia and help them in the ways you can.”
Please contact ICC if you would like to assist Christians in Somalia.
For further information: ICC (International Christian Concern) http://www.persecution.org/. Contact Jonathan Racho, Regional Manager for Africa, 1-800-ICC (422)-5441, jonathan@persecution.org
** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe,
a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International.
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