Christians killed in Somalia
Four Christian teachers, two of them converts from Islam, were murdered by Islamic militants in April, in Beledweyne in south-central Somalia. Daud Assan Ali (64), Rehana Ahmed (32), both of Somali origin, and two Kenyans were shot and killed when militants stormed the school where the Christians were sleeping.
Both Daud Ali and Rehana Ahmed lived in the UK and were converts from Islam. Mr Ali returned to his home town in 2004 to realise his life-long dream of establishing a school. The Hiran community education project Private English School was completed only one month ago. In his blog for supporters of the school, Mr Ali expressed concern about night-time raids by militant fighters, in his last posting on 30 March.
There are a tiny number of Somali converts to Christianity living in Somalia, many of whom have been murdered in recent years by Islamic radicals who have vowed to wipe out all Somali Christians. ‘Somali converts from Islam to Christianity are especially at risk. They need our prayers urgently’, says Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund.
