In a tragic incident highlighting the risks faced by religious converts, a 37-year-old man was killed by his own family in eastern Uganda. Kasajja Abdul Maliki, who embraced Christianity in April, was attacked on July 18 in Kaliro village after relatives discovered him praying in the name of Jesus.
Maliki, who had secluded himself during Friday mosque prayers to engage in Christian worship, was found by family members after his niece, Shamina, raised an alarm. She recounted to Morning Star News that the family heard Maliki praying loudly, asking Jesus to save them.
Shamina, daughter of Maliki’s elder brother Lubega Kalimu, described the events: “They found the house locked as Maliki was still praying. They pushed the door very hard and got inside and found Maliki still praying with the Bible placed beside him.”
Once inside, relatives destroyed Maliki’s Bible and, fueled by anger, began a violent assault. “As we were inside the house, other members of the family arrived and were so angry and started shouting the Islamic slogan ‘Allah Akbar’ [God is greater] and began striking Maliki with kicks and blows,” Shamina said.
The situation escalated as more family members, led by Kalimu and Sempa Arafat, joined with knives and sticks. Despite Maliki’s cries for help, Shamina alleged that her father fatally wounded him with a knife.
Though neighbors tried to intervene, they were too late to prevent the tragedy. A witness recalled, “We tried to rescue Maliki, but it was too late to save his life, and he died on his way to a nearby clinic.”
Maliki’s journey to Christianity began at an evangelistic event in April, where he converted and later received discipleship from a local pastor. The pastor, who remains anonymous for safety reasons, mentioned, “After the campaign I took him to my house and discipled him in Christian teachings for a week, and thereafter he returned back to his home.”
Maliki’s commitment to his new faith included regular Bible study and church-organized welding training. Plans were underway to help him start a welding business in Kaliro town.
His family’s suspicions were reportedly aroused by his absence from mosque prayers and a neighbor’s report of Maliki visiting a church. Despite Uganda’s constitutional right to religious freedom, converts from Islam in eastern Uganda often face severe threats, as evidenced by Maliki’s death.
Muslims comprise about 12% of Uganda’s population, with a significant presence in the east, and attacks on Christian converts have been increasingly documented. As of the initial report by Morning Star News, no arrests had been made in connection with the killing.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
