i'm shocked. really, shocked. how people are so unfair to people of other religions. while in india, i was refused -- flat out -- to enter a holy hindu temple. like why let the dirty muslim go in





afdhere
*************
From Aden to Auckland
by Afdhere Jama
At his July 5th 2000 hearing, George, a Somali man who came to Yemen in 1994 to escape the civil war in Somalia, who converted from Islam to Christianity, was given seven days ultimatum by a Muslim judge in the city of Aden, Judge Gamal Mohammed Omer: either you return to Islam or you face execution. Leaving Islam charged him under Article 259 of Yemen’s criminal law for committing apostasy by converting to Christianity.
Two years earlier, after working sometime at a church in the city of Tawahi, George, who was born as Mohammed Omer Haji, converted to Christianity. His wife Sarah, born as Sahro Cigale, also converted. The couple conceived their son as Christians.
The local Somali and other Muslims insulted the couple everyday. They were threatened by them and were reported to the authorities. Countless times, the police had threatened them - telling them that they either must leave Christianity and return to Islam or they will kill them.
On January 16th 2000, a few policemen came to his house and arrested him. He was jailed for being Christian, waiting to be tried in court. In jail, one night some policemen took him and promised to kill him by throwing him off a mountain if he did not return to Islam. In order to save his life, he told them that he believed in Islam.
While in jail, Sarah was harassed by the locals and people even refused to sell anything to her. She had to go far neighborhoods to buy her son milk. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representatives in the area even discriminated against them.
After George was arrested his story leaked out to international media, creating one of the biggest stories in that year. The Christians from all over the world prayed for him. I myself went to a church in Virginia and joined a circle of prayer for him. Nobody thought he would live.
After international pressure, the Yemen authorities agreed to let him go on August. Churches in Auckland, New Zealand, sponsored him and George, his wife Sarah and their son traveled for four days to get to Auckland for their permanent religious asylum.
While in Yemen, George was hoping to go back to his homeland and bring Christianity to as many Somali souls as possible. That dream was shattered by the injustice he faced in Yemen, which forced him to travel oceans away to safe his life, his wife and their infant son. Now he is able to worship freely.