“Hana”, a young Somali Christian lady, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in Hargeisa, Somaliland because of her Christian faith. The young Christian who was active on social media refused to recant her faith and return to Islam. Hana’s parents accused her to the local police a few months because of their disappointment in her faith and social media ministry.
It is illegal in Somaliland to abandon Islam and convert to any other faith. Propagating any faith other than Islam is also banned.
Another Somali Christian, Sa’eed Adan Mohamed, was brought to the Berbera District Court of Somaliland late last month where he was sentenced to three years of jail time and Somaliland Shilling one million (USD 150). A government lawyer accused Sa’eed of evangelism activities. Sa’eed has been held in Berbera central jail since June 2022. The Somali-owned MM TV reported the court decision and that Sa’eed was found guilty of the evangelism charges.[1]
Mohamud Yaasiin, the court judge, is a known Islamist sympathizer and the three-year sentence is seen by many as excessive. It is noteworthy that many of the Muslim residents in Berbera demanded the death sentence be imposed on Sa’eed.
C. G., another Somali Christian arrived in Addis Ababa a few days ago after fleeing Hargeisa, Somaliland, where he faced intense persecution. This long-time Christian is currently resting and recuperating in Addis Ababa after walking three days to the Ethiopian-Somaliland border.
Somaliland is historically more tolerant than southern Somalia but radical Islamism has been taking root in this breakaway republic for the last fifteen years.
[1]MMTV, July 20, 2022. Berbera Court. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=WA-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C-GK2C&v=834017277562062
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