Somalia (MNN) — Somalia's Muslim militants are hunting down
converts to Christianity. According to Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Al-Shabaab
members have murdered 14 believers since July 15.
Compass Direct News reports the September
15 shooting death of 69-year-old Omar Khalafe, an underground Christian who had
Bibles in his possession.
On the day of his death, Khalafe
was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship
in Somalia. At a checkpoint controlled
by al Shabaab–a rebel group linked
with al Qaeda which has taken over large parts of the war-torn country–bus passengers
were ordered to disembark for inspection.
Voice of the Martyrs Canada and
Compass Direct reports agree on the events following the discovery of the
Bibles.
The assailants used photos they
found to determine if they could match the faces to any passengers. When they noticed a resemblance to Khalafe,
they asked if the Bibles were his. The radicals shot and killed him when he did
not respond.
Militants then displayed his body
in Merca along with the Bibles as a warning to others. Later
that day, a militant reported Khalafe's death on a radio program.
Khalafe, who had been a Christian
for 45 years, was active in sharing the Good News and baptizing converts from
Islam.
Khalafe's family is in mourning, but due to the risk of exposure, his wife and seven children were unable to participate in his burial because of the risk of being killed
by militants, reports Compass Direct.
Despite the shock and brutality
of Khalafe's death, the hope of the Gospel is still going forward through the
underground church. Keep praying for
wisdom for the workers who continue to follow Christ.
