Latest / Challenges of Faith Radio Program / Are U facing persecution ? Ep 3441

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Are U facing persecution ? Ep 3441 · Challenges of Faith Radio Program

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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to Challenges of Faith radio program. I'm Gary McCance.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for joining here on episode 3441. According to
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  Speaker 1: International Christian Concern, in some communities, individuals are hunted because
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  Speaker 1: they are following Jesus Christ. A laid it out in
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  Speaker 1: an article that individuals who happen to be Muslims who
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  Speaker 1: leave Islam to follow Jesus Christ face rejection, threats, violence,
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  Speaker 1: and even death because of their faith. For Muslim background believers,
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  Speaker 1: choosing to follow Christ can place their lives at serious risk.
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  Speaker 1: This is what happened to Magambo Ismael a Muslim background
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  Speaker 1: believer in western Uganda. He survived a violent attack after
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  Speaker 1: choosing to follow Jesus Christ. A couple weeks ago, he
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  Speaker 1: nearly escaped death after a group of Muslim men seized him.
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  Speaker 1: They tied him up and ordered him to deny Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: he said. When I saw them holding swords ready to
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  Speaker 1: slaughter me, I knew I was about to die. Ismael
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  Speaker 1: said the incident occurred at around 8.30 p.m. as he
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  Speaker 1: returned home from evening prayers. He said the assault was
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  Speaker 1: a planned operation involving individuals associated with a local mosque.
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  Speaker 1: I was carrying a Bible. They tore it in pieces,
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  Speaker 1: he said. They held me tight, took me to a
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  Speaker 1: cocoa plantation, tied my hands, and told me to deny
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  Speaker 1: Jesus or I would die. They were holding swords, wanting
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  Speaker 1: to slaughter me alive. I knew that my life was finished.
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  Speaker 1: They were shouting, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. I pushed one
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  Speaker 1: of them and started running helplessly. With his hands restrained,
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  Speaker 1: he ran for his life, screaming desperately for help until
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  Speaker 1: his cries eventually attracted it. the attention of neighboring Christians
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  Speaker 1: who intervene in rescuing from the attackers. Reverend Joe Thima,
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  Speaker 1: the overseer of Berea Pentecostal Church, has expressed grave concern
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  Speaker 1: over the reported threats facing Christian converts in the region.
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  Speaker 1: He indicated that the growing number of Muslims embracing Christianity
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  Speaker 1: has created heightened tensions with converts reportedly becoming targets of
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  Speaker 1: intimidation and violence. Every convert is now in danger, Reverend
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  Speaker 1: Thelma said. We're bringing people to Jesus Christ, but some
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  Speaker 1: of them are facing threats simply because they've chosen to
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  Speaker 1: follow Christ. There are plans to terminate the lives of
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  Speaker 1: those who have accepted Christ, and this is deeply worrying.
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  Speaker 1: After the attack, Ishmael reportedly took refuge in another village.
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  Speaker 1: He remains concerned for his safety and fears that those
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  Speaker 1: responsible for the attack may attempt to locate him again.
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  Speaker 1: I cannot go back home, he said. These people are
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  Speaker 1: still looking for me. I survived because Christians came to
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  Speaker 1: rescue me. But I do not know what will happen
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  Speaker 1: if they find me again. How about you, wherever you
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  Speaker 1: happen to live, worship, are you facing some type of persecution?
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  Speaker 1: Not because you've done anything other than accepted Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 1: in your life with the desire to follow him.