A Muslim man in Somalia

In some parts of the world it can be very dangerous to convert from Islam to Christianity, or any other faith. Sometimes Christians are killed by radical Muslims or sometimes by the state which sanctions death or prison. Somalia, like some other Muslim majority nations, clearly does not believe in religious freedom and the small Christian population faces an uphill struggle to survive. Therefore, it is essential to remember these martyrs because organizations like Al Qaeda would like to spread this tyranny to every nation. So why is it so dangerous to convert to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, or any other religion, from Islam?

Firstly, it is essential to remember that religious freedom is denied to other faiths in other parts of the world. For example, religious freedom is severely restricted in Laos and Cambodia. However, religious restrictions in these two nations, and other similar type of nations, is based on political ideology and no single religion is favoured.

Yet when we focus on Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and other Muslim majority nations it is clear that religious freedom is denied because of Islam itself. These restrictions are multiple, and this applies to either radical Islamic organizations or because of state sanctioned Islamic Sharia Law.

For example in modern day Saudi Arabia the Islamic establishment will not allow one non-Muslim place of worship. Also, conversion from Islam is punishable by death and you are not openly allowed to read about Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, or any other non-Muslim faith in Saudi Arabia. These laws and restrictions in Saudi Arabia are based on the Koran, the Hadiths, and Islamic Sharia Law.

Even in more moderate nations like Egypt we see state sanctioned discrimination because the Coptic Christian community is treated unequally. This applies to the very basics of human life. For example a Coptic Christian male will suffer persecution if he wants to marry a Muslim female and in child custody cases involving a Muslim male or Christian female, the child or children will be given to the Muslim male. The reasons for this are simple, it is because Christians are deemed to be inferior to Muslims and this issue threatens all non-Muslims in Sharia Islamic based nations.

Turning back to Somalia it is now “open season” to kill Christian converts from Islam because radical Sunni Islam is on the march. Last year, for example, Sunni Muslim fanatics beheaded Mansuur Mohammed who was a Christian convert. He was beheaded in the most cruel and barbaric way and at the same time Muslims were celebrating by saying Allah Akbar (God is great).

You see, for rational people or people of compassion this act was barbaric and a crime against humanity. However, for the Muslims who did this they are following the Koran and the Hadiths and to these Islamic fanatics it is they who are following Islam to the full.

Therefore, Mansuur Mohammed had done nothing wrong in accordance to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, or any other religion. Yet in accordance with Islam, Mansuur Mohammed was an apostate and despite him caring for humanity, this meant nothing. Given this, Sunni Islamic fanatics held him down and beheaded him while they were praying to Allah.

The last moments of Mansuur Mohammed were full of pain and just like the followers of Osama Bin Laden, the brutal killers video taped this murder, just like so many people who have been killed by fanatics in Iraq. Therefore, just like the complete annihilation of Buddhism in Afghanistan in past history, these Islamic jihadists desire the same outcome.

Sahih Bukhari recorded the sayings of Mohammed and the Hadiths are very important to Muslims. In volume 4, Book 52, Number 260: Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn Abbas, who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.’ No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘IF SOMEBODY (a Muslim) DISCARDS HIS RELIGION, KILL HIM,’”

Therefore, in the eyes of many Muslims, not all, it is moral and right to kill converts from Islam and in nations like Saudi Arabia this is enshrined fully within the codified law of Islamic Sharia Law. Even moderate branches of Islam face persecution, for example the Alevi’s in Turkey and the Ahmadiyya in Pakistan are also victimized by conservative Islam.

Therefore, the martyrdom of Christians in Somalia continues and in recent times we have heard about the brutal killings of innocent Christians in Somalia. The list includes Mansuur Mohammed, David Abdulwahab Mohammed Ali, Prof. Da’ud Hassan Ali, Pastor Hussein Adan Ahmed, Faarah Ibraahim Adaaweh, Pastor Liibaan Ibraahim Hassan, Ahmadey Osman Nur, and Savid Ali Sheik Luqman Hussein.

Sadly the list will continue to grow and the aim of these Islamists is to turn Somalia into a one hundred percent Islamic nation. Not that this will help Somalia because just like in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same Islamists will then desire to kill and persecute moderate Muslims or kill Muslim minorities, for example many Shia Muslims have been killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I can hear both liberals and Islamic apologists complaining about this article and the implications of what is written. Yet you have one simple truth, and often the truth is very hard to find. However, if any Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Sikh, went to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, or Somalia, and they openly tried to convert people then the consequences would be death.

The Christian martyrs of Somalia died because they loved humanity but all that is evil in humanity killed them because they want to crush religious freedom, liberty, justice, and all that is positive in this world. In modern day Iraq the minority Christian population is trying to survive massive persecution and violence because Islamists, just like in Somalia, desire to destroy and crush all minorities.

Therefore, the Christian martyrs of Somalia are a testimony of the evils of a religion which fears the freedom of religion and free thought. In modern day America and Japan where I reside, people have the freedom to follow any religion or no religion and Muslims are welcome in both nations. However, in modern day Saudi Arabia and Somalia, the sword of Islam is still being used against converts to Christianity, therefore, how much longer can the world remain silent?