Muslims Kill Relative For Accepting Christ In Uganda
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, Worthy News
KAMPALA (Worthy News) – A 37-year-old man was killed by his Muslim relatives in eastern Uganda after converting to Christianity and openly praying to Jesus, according to multiple Christian sources.
Kasajja Abdul Maliki, an unmarried resident of Kaliro village in Uganda’s Kaliro District, was attacked and fatally stabbed on Friday, July 18, after staying home to pray and study the Bible while family members attended mosque, Christians said.
Earlier this month, when questioned by his family about his absence from mosque prayers, Maliki reportedly responded that he was undergoing training as a welder, Christian sources said.
Relatives said they became suspicious when Maliki—who had accepted Christ during an evangelistic outreach in April—was seen leaving church grounds. A Muslim neighbor alerted the family shortly before the attack.
Among those present was his niece, identified only as Shamina, who said that “Friday, July 18, at about 3 p.m.” local time, relatives heard Maliki praying loudly inside his house “in the name of Issa [Jesus], petitioning Issa to save the family members.”
“I then alerted the [other] family members about Maliki’s strange way of praying, who hurriedly went to his house,” said Shamina, daughter of Maliki’s older brother Lubega Kalimu, in published remarks. “They found the house locked as Maliki was still praying. They pushed the door very hard and got inside and found Maliki still praying with the Bible placed beside him.”
They picked up the Bible and tore it to pieces, she said.
FAMILY ANGRY
“As we were inside the house, other members of the family arrived and were so angry and started shouting the Islamic slogan, ‘Allahu Akbar [Allah is greater],’ and began striking Maliki with kicks and blows,” Shamina told Christian news service Morning Star News. “Soon, more members of the family arrived with knives and sticks, led by my father, Kalimu, and Sempa Arafat.”
As Maliki screamed for help, Kalimu “with a sharp knife pierced him through his chest,” she recalled.
Neighbors attempted to intervene, but Maliki reportedly died en route to a nearby clinic.
A local pastor confirmed that Maliki had been discipled in the Christian faith and was attending Bible studies and welding training organized by the church.
“Plans were underway to help him start a welding business,” the pastor added. His name was withheld for security reasons.
Uganda’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, but this latest incident highlights the ongoing persecution of Christians, especially in Muslim-majority areas of eastern Uganda.
As of Tuesday, no arrests had been confirmed in connection with the killing.
Muslims comprise nearly 14 percent of Uganda’s population of roughly 50 million people, according to data cited by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
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