Muslims in eastern Uganda beat Christians at a Christmas Day service and wrecked the home of a single mother on Christmas Eve.
Nineteen masked Muslims entered a church compound chanting the jihadist slogan ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Away from here, this village is not for Christians, but for Allah’ during a Sunday service.
Serious injuries
Pastor Okaali, who was preaching at the time, and several church members fled for their lives through a back door. The assailants caught the pastor and 15 church members and thrashed them, leaving five with serious injuries including broken bones in their hands and legs, he said. The pastor’s cheeks close to his eyes were injured.
Previously, at an all-night Christmas Eve service, a Muslim had put his faith in Jesus Christ and had been immediately healed of illness. Yasiini Mugoya said he returned home and shared the gospel of Christ with his fellow Muslims early on Christmas morning. ‘They started beating me and forced me to lead them to the church compound where the Christians had prayed for me and I had received salvation and healing’, Mugoya said. ‘When we arrived at the church, the Muslims started attacking the church members.’
In the same district, Muslim extremists pulled down the house of a single mother who had converted from Islam to Christianity.
Also, in Pallisa District, Muslim extremists in Kitoikawononi village, Butebo County, pulled down the house of a single mother who had converted from Islam to Christianity, area sources said.
The area Muslims had sent several warning letters to Peninah Fatuma Asiire, the latest dated 23 December, she said. Written in Arabic, it read: ‘Be warned that if you do not return to Islam, then your days are numbered. We do not want to be associated with infidels. You have become a disgrace to Allah and the Muslim community at Kitoikawononi.’ The letter was signed by Kalifan Pangoli, Ramazan Kifuba, Nabiso Salimu and Kalimu Nkumbyanku.
Asiire said the assailants tore down her house at 6 pm on Saturday (24 December).
She and her three children are now living without shelter, a visibly distraught Asiire told Morning Star News.
