A former Muslim from Eastern Uganda was reported to have been attacked with a machete by his brother for simply listening to Gospel music and embracing Christ.
The Christian Post reported that Abudlawali Kijwalo from Uganda's Nankodo area was attacked by his brother, Musoga Murishid, with a machete for leaving Islam. The 39-year-old Kijwalo was tending to cattle while listening to Gospel music when his brother came and attacked him last June 27.
Kijwalo actually came from a family of devote Muslim sheiks who warned him previously against claiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or listening to Gospel music.
Kijwalo, who survived the attack and is currently in need of further treatment, recalled in an interview with Morning Star News what happened on the day of the attack. He said his brother confronted him on what his faith is before revealing the machete.
"Are you still a Muslim, or you are now a Christian?" Kijwalo quoted his brother in saying during the interview.
"I am for Christ," Kijwalo said in response.
As soon as he responded that he was no longer a Muslim, his brother struck him with the machete on the head that left him screaming in pain. His brother walked away while he bled, thinking he was going to die.
He narrated that a village elder witnessed what happened and called for health workers who attended to him. He was then brought to the nearest medical facility, which was in Kasasira town, on motorcycle. The doctor there treated him but prescribed him to take more rest and additional medical treatment.
Morning Star said Kijwalo has taken refuge at an undisclosed site. Kijwalo's case is one of the many instances Christians in Uganda suffer persecution.
Last month, a Muslim employer, Ashirafu Kasenyi, has sent four hitmen to kill his Christian employee, Fred Isiko, who refused to convert to Islam. Kasenyi hired Isiko as a driver who he eventually threatened to fire from his job if he will not convert to Islam. But Isiko refused to convert and chose to resign instead, which eventually led Kasenyi to hire the hitmen to kill him.
There was also an Islamic extremist reported last month who admitted killing a Christian pastor because it was "Allah's word to kill all infidels who mislead Muslims." The extremist is said to be an imam who killed Mpingire Pentecostal Revival Church Ministries International Bishop Francis Obo. The bishop and his wife were returning home from the market when the Muslim extremists attacked them. The bishop died but the wife survived to retell the incident and file a complaint with the police.
In addition, The Christian Post pointed out that areas where there are higher concentration of Muslims in Uganda where Christians are a minority are often areas where armed attacks and murder of converts has become common. It cited the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project that says 11.5% of Uganda's population are Muslim.
The media outlet also cited a Voice of the Martyrs fact sheet that said "radical Islam's influence has grown steadily," which has led "many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam."
