4/11/2024 Somalia (International Christian Concern) — Halima and her children, Sahra, Ahmed, and Yasir, are part of a community of Somali believers in Mombasa who face persecution from multiple sources.
After Halima became a Christian in 2012, she kept her faith secret for five years. Following her baptism in 2017, her husband Osman and other family members discovered that she had left Islam. Osman divorced Halima, forcing her to relocate to another part of Mombasa with her children.
Despite living discreetly, Halima’s Christian activities were uncovered, resulting in harassment by her former community and local authorities. In May 2023, their home was targeted twice by Muslim assailants, though they were unsuccessful in breaching the premises. These attackers accused Halima of leading Muslims astray and labeled her a “Christian crusader.” Additionally, local Muslim police officers falsely accused her children of being involved in nighttime gangs.
The combination of unemployment, ongoing harassment, and fear of reprisals from her ex-husband left Halima struggling to provide for her children. Consequently, her children were forced to drop out of school earlier this year due to unpaid fees. Halima’s only wish was to be able to re-enroll her children in school and secure their education.
ICC learned about Halima’s case in October 2023. We helped her obtain the funds she needed to send her children back to school.
“My children had no hope of continuing with school for this year,” Halima said. “I had struggled the whole of 2023 to keep them in school, and I was not prepared for 2024. I kept trusting God, and He surely came through for me. ICC visited us and did two projects for the MBBs (Muslim Background Believers) and a third project for my children. They are all now in school, and everything is paid for. We rarely get someone who understands our plight as underground Christians, but you have shown that you care and love the body of Christ in all circumstances.”
Halima has asked that Christians continue to pray for the underground believers experiencing persecution in Somalia. She asks that people pray that more Somali Muslims come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and become part of the global body of Christ, as she once did.
*Names have been changed for security reasons
For interviews, please email press@persecution.org.
The post Persecuted Christian Receives Aid to Keep Children in School appeared first on International Christian Concern.
4/11/2024 Somalia – Halima and her children, Sahra, Ahmed, and Yasir, are part of a community of Somali believers in Mombasa who face persecution from multiple sources.
The post Persecuted Christian Receives Aid to Keep Children in School appeared first on International Christian Concern.
