Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Islamic Extremists Behead Another Convert in Somalia
Young Christian man murdered outside Mogadishu

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST MinistriesMOGADISHU, SOMALIA (ANS) -- Compass Direct News (CDN) is reporting that
Islamic extremists from the rebel al Shabaab militia in Somalia beheaded a
Christian on the outskirts of Mogadishu last month, sources said.

Members of Somalia’s hardline Islamist rebel group, al Shabaab, marching with weapons during a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu 

(Photo: Reuters)

The CDN story said that the militants fighting the transitional government in
Mogadishu murdered Zakaria Hussein Omar, 26, on Jan. 2 in Cee-carfiid village,
about 15 kilometers (nine miles) outside of the Somali capital, they said. Omar had
worked for a Christian humanitarian organization that al Shabaab banned last year.

His body was left lying for 20 hours before nomads found it and carried it into
Mogadishu, a close friend said.

“Last year he mentioned to me that his life was in danger when the NGO [Non-Governmental Organization] he worked for was banned by the al Shabaab,” the friend
told Compass. “One of the persons who saw him said, ‘This is the young man who
stayed in Ethiopia, and people have been saying that he left Islam and joined
Christianity.’”

CDN said that Omar converted to Christianity seven years ago while in Ethiopia,
where he lived with relatives. He returned to Somalia in 2008 and completed his
university education in 2009 with a degree in accounting. Omar had married in the
latter part of 2010; he is survived by his wife, his parents (originally from central
Somalia), a brother and four sisters.

“With estimates of al Shabaab’s size ranging from 3,000 to 7,000, the insurgents
seek to impose a strict version of Sharia (Islamic law), but the transitional government
in Mogadishu fighting to retain control of the country treats Christians little better than
the al Shabaab extremists do. While proclaiming himself a moderate, President Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed has embraced a version of Sharia that mandates the death penalty
for those who leave Islam,” said the CDN story.

“Al Shabaab was among several splinter groups that emerged after Ethiopian forces removed the Islamic Courts Union, a group of sharia courts, from power in Somalia in
2006. It has been designated a terrorist organization by several western governments.”
For more information, please go to: www.compassdirect.org 
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