#3 in Christian persecution, Somalia

[LoricaLady]

In this country in horn of Africa, estimates suggest that 99 percent of Somalis are Muslims, and any minority religions are heavily persecuted. The Christian community is small and under constant threat of attack. Sharia law and Islam are enshrined in the country’s constitution, and Christian persecution almost always involves violence. Additionally, in many rural areas, Islamic terrorist groups like al-Shabab are de facto rulers advocating for Sharia law as the basis for regulating all aspects of life in Somalia,

How Christians are suffering
Al-Shabab regards Christians with a Muslim background as high-value targets. Believers who left Islam to follow Jesus are often killed on the spot when discovered. Al-Shabab has continuously expressed its desire to eradicate Christians from the country.

Islamic oppression is not limited to militants. Christians also face serious persecution from families and the community at large. Any conversion to Christianity is regarded as a betrayal of the Somali family and clan. As a result, if Somalis are suspected of being converts, family members and clan leaders will harass, intimidate and even kill them. In recent years, the situation appears to have worsened. Islamic militants have intensified their hunt for Christians and in a position of leadership. An attempt to reopen a church in Hargeisa, Somaliland, failed because the government was forced to shut it down due to pressure from the local Islamic population.

Examples
In the World Watch List 2019 reporting period, Christians remained extremely vulnerable to attacks by Islamic militants. In the interests of security, no examples can currently be published.



Pray for Somalia

• Somali Christians often must hide their faith to stay safe. Pray for their safety and discipleship opportunities for these isolated believers.
• Pray for Christians who convert from Islam, that they will be protected from violence and oppression.
• Pray for the government of Somalia, that its leaders will be opened to the truth of the gospel of Jesus.
• There is no room for Christianity in Somalia. Pray that the Lord will continue to build His Kingdom there despite hostilities. Pray that more laborers will be released into the harvest. Pray that Christian workers will be wise and have grace to daily express God’s love.
• Please pray for God’s wisdom and protection for field teams. Pray that Somali Christians would feel the support and hope of their brothers and sisters from around the world, and that Open Doors’ efforts will help the Somali church into greater spiritual maturity.

Somalia Photo Gallery


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[dzheremi]

Yes, even fleeing to other countries, you may still be persecuted just for being Christian while being an ethnic Somali:

BBC NEWS | Africa | Somali Christians struggle in Kenya

And if possible, they will try to prevent you from leaving the country, in fear that in the lands of immigration you will abandon the Islamic religion for Christianity. But if you stay in the country, they will kill you for being an infidel, so I don't really understand how that's supposed to work.

But this is how they explain it themselves, from Islamic scholars on Somali National TV:

(Aside: It is strange that a people who have been at war with each other since 1990 sit down to condemn to death a tiny fraction of people in the capital or elsewhere whose personal religious choices somehow so damage the 'unity' of the Somali nation such that they should have their heads cut off just for existing in that country. I guess 10,000 people living and believing in Christ is much stronger than 8 million not doing so...thank you for proving our religion to be stronger and truer than yours, sheikhs. We certainly already knew that, but it is nice to hear it from your own mouths. )