Markhaatifurkii Raxmo Maxamed

Islamic extremists in Somalia abduct Christian mother of two young children

Published 21 August 2013  |  ASSIST News Service

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Somalia`s Islamic al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Muktar Robow Abu Mansur (C) addresses a news conference where he vowed to step up attacks against government soldiers and foreign troops in Mogadishu

Islamic extremists suspected to be rebel al-Shabab militants have kidnapped a Christian mother of two young children in Somalia and threatened her husband because of their faith, her husband said.

Three masked men abducted Shamsa Enow Hussein, 28, on August 5 in Bulo Marer, Lower Shebelle Region, at 7 pm outside her home after determining that she was a secret Christian, 31-year-old Mohamed Isse Osman told Morning Star News.

"I just heard screaming from my wife and the children as I approached my house," Osman said.

That night, his wife was able to send him a text message saying he should flee the area, he said.

"Please leave immediately because of what we believe," she said in the text. "They have abused me sexually saying I am an infidel."

According to the East Africa correspondent for the news service, Osman said he has received anonymous, threatening text messages from the kidnappers from a withheld number, including one reading, "Your wife has told us all about your Christian involvement and soon we shall come for you too."

A leader of the underground church in the undisclosed town to which Osman and his daughters, ages 3 and 5, have fled said Osman has not heard from his wife since her August 5 text message.

"Our two young daughters are crying for their mother," Osman told the church leader.

The story went on to say that a resident of the Bulo Marer area whose name is withheld confirmed that Hussein was abducted but that local residents knew little else about it.

"What little we knew about Osman's family was that they were not very committed to attending the mosque during Ramadan time," he said.

Somalis consider themselves Muslim by birth, and apostasy, or leaving Islam, is punishable by death.

"Al-Shabab, said to have ties with Al Qaeda, reportedly has a base in Bulo Marer. The group has vowed to rid Somalia of Christians, who meet secretly due to persecution. Al Shabaab is battling the Somali government that replaced the Transitional Federal Government a year ago, on August 20, 2012," added the East Africa Correspondent.

"On June 7 in Jamaame District in southern Somalia, insurgents from the group shot 28-year-old Hassan Hurshe to death after identifying him as a Christian, sources said. Al Shabaab members brought Hurshe to a public place in the town of Jilib and shot him in the head, they said."

The insurgents have lost control of several areas of Somalia since Kenyan military forces helped to dislodge them in the past year, but they are suspected in the shooting death of a Christian pharmacist on the outskirts of Kismayo in February. Two masked men killed Ahmed Ali Jimale, a 42-year-old father of four, on Feb. 18 as he stood outside his house in Alanley village.

According to Morning Star News, these are some of the other attacks:

* On April 13, al-Shabab rebels shot his widow, 42-year-old Fartun Omar, to death in Buulodbarde, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Beledweyne, leaving their five children orphaned.

* On March 23, al-Shabab militants in Bulo Marer jailed and tortured a Christian, 25-year-old Hassan Gulled, for converting from Islam, sources said.

* On December 8, 2012 in Beledweyne, 206 miles (332 kilometers) north of Mogadishu, gunmen killed a Christian who had been receiving death threats for leaving Islam. Two unidentified, masked men shot Mursal Isse Siad, 55, outside his home, Muslim and Christian sources said. Siad and his wife, who converted to Christianity in 2000, had moved to Beledweyne from Doolow eight months before. The area was under government control and there was no indication that the killers belonged to the al-Shabab rebels, but the Islamic extremist insurgents were present in Buulodbarde, and Christians believed a few al-Shabab rebels could have been hiding in Beledweyne.

* In the coastal city of Barawa on November 16, 2012, al-Shabab militants killed a Christian after accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Christian and Muslim witnesses said. The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, sources said. Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa, in the Lower Shebelle Region, in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, according to underground Christians in Somalia.

"Kenya's population is nearly 83 per cent Christian, according to Operation World, while Somalia's is close to 100 percent Muslim," concluded the story.

Because persecution in Somalia is so severe, it is estimated that as little as 550 Christians are currently part of the underground Church in Somalia.

The Christian community of Somalia is one of the most persecuted and secretive populations in the world. Because of intense levels of persecution, it is estimated that the numbers of Christians in Somalia may be as little as 550 individuals. Most are forced to worship at clandestine Bible studies conducted at the homes of other believers. Living in a failed state and in a society that is openly hostile towards Christians, underground churches are in desperate need of educated leaders, Bibles in the Somali language and other basic Christian resources.

Christian Persecution in Somalia

In 1991, Somalia’s government collapsed. The power vacuum that followed created the failed state that exists today. This vacuum was especially troublesome for Christians because it allowed Islamic extremist groups to gain control over much of Somalia. In 2006, al-Shabaab, the Islamic terrorist group, took control of most of Southern Somalia, including the capital of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab imposes a strict version of Islamic law (Sharia) over the people it rules, including Christians.

According to al-Shabaab, all people who are ethnically Somali are by default Muslim. Anyone who is not Muslim is therefore persecuted and punished. Because of this persecution, underground churches in Somalia had to retreat even further underground or flee Somalia altogether. “Being Muslim is part of the Somali culture,” an ICC contact said. “When you are no longer Muslim, you become an infidel and, according to [al-Shabaab’s] teachings, you are to be killed. To become Christian is very difficult because you have to separate yourself from everything—your family, your friends and your culture—or risk being killed.”

Need for Trained Leadership

This intense persecution has left the Somali underground church needy. Among the most important needs of the underground church is that of trained leadership. Many fellowships are led only by lay pastors. This lack of trained leadership is a legacy of al-Shabaab’s campaign to wipe out everything it considers “un-Islamic.” Scores of leaders have been killed in the last decade.

Missionary work within Somalia is also very difficult. Not only does al-Shabaab oppose any sort of Christian evangelism, the Transitional National Government (TNG), backed by the United Nations, is opposed to Christian evangelism as well. This is evidenced by Article 29 of the proposed constitution. It reads:

“Every person shall have the right to freedom of conscience and freely to profess his own religion and to worship it subject to any limitations which may be prescribed by law for the purpose of safeguarding morals, public health or order. However, it shall not be permissible to spread or propagandize any religion other than the religion of Islam.”

With Christian evangelism illegal both formally (by the TNG) and informally (by al-Shabaab), Christian leaders in Somalia have very little resources for training.
Missions to Somali Christians

There is something being done to assist to growth of the underground Church in Somalia. ICC supports two ministries that are focused on bringing the Gospel to Christians in Somalia and on training Christian leaders.

ICC is working within Somalia itself. However, since this is a public newsletter, it is too risky to share what we do.

ICC also supports Christian radio/internet broadcasts in the Somali language. These broadcasts not only reach Christians living in Somalia, but also the millions of Somalis that have fled the country due to civil war and famine. A recent convert from Mogadishu said, “[Through this ministry] I am able to read the Bible. Someday I would like to be well-known for spreading Christianity [in Somalia].”

Although small and secretive, the underground Church in Somalia should be counted among the most resilient Christian populations. Praying for Somali Christians is a good place to start helping for anyone looking to get involved. The next step is supporting ministries that reach out to this highly persecuted group willing to risk their lives to follow Jesus Christ.

New Blog on the Block

Please visit: Roman Catholic Mission - Somalia

Islamic Extremists in Somalia Kill Christian

Al Shabaab rebels publicly shoot young man for his faith.

June 20, 2013 By Our East Africa Correspondent - Leave a Comment

Detail of the body of Hassan Hurshe. (Morning Star News photo)

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Islamic extremists from the rebel Al Shabaab in Somalia earlier this month publicly shot a young man to death after identifying him as a Christian, sources said.

The insurgents in Jamaame district in southern Somalia had been monitoring 28-year-old Hassan Hurshe since his arrival from a Kenya in 2010 and determined that he had become a Christian while in Kenya, said area Muslim sources whose names are withheld for security reasons.

Al Shabaab members on June 7 brought Hurshe to a public place in the town of Jilib and shot him in the head, they said.

“Many people watched this horrible action, including women and children,” said a witness.

Another area resident independently confirmed this account of the execution. A leader of the Somali underground church in Kenya who had also heard of the murder said Hurshe converted to Christianity in 2006, married in 2008 and fathered a baby boy in 2009.

The family left for Jilib, a town of about 45,000 in the Middle Juba Region, in the latter part of 2010 to visit family and start a small food shop, the source said.

Somalis are considered Muslim by birth, and apostasy, or leaving Islam, is punishable by death. After the execution, Hurshe’s parents, widow and son fled the area, a local resident said.

Many Somali members of Christian fellowships in Kenya have returned to Somalia after formation of a Somali government on Aug. 20, 2012, which replaced the Transitional Federal Government. Somali government troops backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces have retaken large swathes of territory from the rebels.

Al Shabaab, said to have ties with Al Qaeda terrorists, has vowed to rid Somalia of Christians, who meet secretly due to persecution.

The insurgents have lost control of several areas of Somalia since Kenyan military forces helped to dislodge them in the past year, but they are suspected in the shooting death of a Christian pharmacist on the outskirts of Kismayo in February. Two masked men killed Ahmed Ali Jimale, a 42-year-old father of four, on Feb. 18 as he stood outside his house in Alanley village (see Morning Star News, Feb. 28).

On Dec. 8, 2012 in Beledweyne, 206 miles (332 kilometers) north of Mogadishu, gunmen killed a Christian who had been receiving death threats for leaving Islam. Two unidentified, masked men shot Mursal Isse Siad, 55, outside his home, Muslim and Christian sources said (see Morning Star News. Dec. 14, 2012).

Siad and his wife, who converted to Christianity in 2000, had moved to Beledweyne from Doolow eight months before. The area was under government control and there was no indication that the killers belonged to the Al Shabaab rebels, but the Islamic extremist insurgents were present in Buulodbarde, 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, and Christians believed a few Al Shabaab rebels could have been hiding in Beledweyne.

In the coastal city of Barawa on Nov. 16, 2012, Al Shabaab militants killed a Christian after accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Christian and Muslim witnesses said. The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, sources said (see “Morning Star News, Nov. 17, 2012).

Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa, in the Lower Shebelle Region, in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, according to underground Christians in Somalia. Kenya’s population is nearly 83 percent Christian, according to Operation World, while Somalia’s is close to 100 percent Muslim.

Masiiixiyiin La Keenay Maxkamadda Hargeisa

Dacwadda Xubno ku eedeeysan Fidinta diinta Kirishtaanka oo ka bilaabatay Maxkamadda Magaalada Hargeysa

Isniin, May 27, 2013 (HOL) — Maxkamad degmadda Hargeysa, ayaa shalay ka furantay dacwad ka dhan ah saddex qof oo Itoobiyaan ah oo lagu eedeeyey fasahaadin diimeed, kaas oo mudaddii u dambeeyey kiiskoodu ka socday maxkamadda.

Kiiskan oo ah mid xasaasi ah, ayaa kooxdan lagu eedeeyey inay dalka ka wadeen fidin diin aan ahayn diinta Islaamka, kaas oo dastuurku mamnuucay, haseyeeshee aanay  illa hadda jirin xeer ciqaabeed lagu dhaqi karo dambi noocaas ah cidda gasha, taas oo dood ka dhalisay xeer ilaalintii dacwadan waday iyo looyarkii u doodayey kooxdan lagu eedeeyey fidin diin aan islaam ahayn.

Dacwadan ayaa waxa ka soo qaybgalay dhagaysigiisa dadweyne badan, safaaradda Itoobiya iyo xubno ka tirsan asxaabtooddaa, waxaanay kala yihiin saddexdan qof ee dambigaasi lagu haysto laba haween ah iyo nin, waxaanay dacwadaasi socotay in ka badan  afar saacadood oo aan hakad lahayn, kuwaas oo xeer ilaalintuna cuskanayey dambiyada uu ku eedaynayo isagoo adeegsanaya ayaadaha quraanka ee xarimay fasahaadinta diinta iyo qodobo dastuuriya oo ka hadlaya, halka looyarkii u doodayeyna ku difaacayey in aanay jrin wax dambi ah oo lagu eedeen karo, maadaama oo ay sadexdan qof ay guryahooda ku caabudayeen diintoodda.

Haseyeeshee xeer ilaalinta degmadda ayaa ku soo oogtay saddexdan qof xeerka ciqaabta guud 314 oo tilmaamaya khalkhalgalin diinta islaamka ama caabudid diin aan islaam ahay, sidoo kale waxa uu soo bandhigay markhaatiyo ku furaya ficilada ay ku kaceen iyo cajaladdo iyo iyo filimaan ay ku duuban yihiin diintoodda, kuwaas oo u ku eedeeyey inay ku fidinayeen diin aan ahayn diinta islaamka.

Dacwadan oo dhawr cisho ka dib loo balamay ayaa noqonaysa tii ugu xasaasisanayd ee Somaliland ka bilaabanta, maadaama oo aanay jirin qodobo lagu ciqaabi karo dambigan oo kale ah, isla markaana illaa dawladda Soomaaliya aan maxkamadda la keeni jirin dacwadaha noocan oo kale ah balse si kale loo maareyn jiray, waxaanay noqonaysa markii ugu horeysay ee taariikhda  dacwadan oo kale maxkamada la keeno, taasina waxay ka dhigtay mid xasaasiyadeedda wadata.

Khabiiro uu dhow dhow xafiiska xeer ilaalinta oo aanu arrintan wax ka waydiinay sababta ugub ka dhigtay dacwadan ayaa sheegay in aanay hore maxkamada loo keeni jirin dacwadaha sidan oo kale maadaama oo aanay xeer lagu ciqaabaa jirin, inkastoo dastuurku xaramay in dalka lagu faafiyo diin aan diinta islaamka ahayn, balse dadka lagu soo eedeeyo faafinta aan diinta islaamka ahayn waxa loo soo gudbin jiray wasaarada diinta iyo awqaafta kuwaas oo mustaafurin jirin, iyadoo aan wax ciqaaba ah lagu fulin, iyadoo dad badan oo arrimahaasi lagu soo eedeeyeyna la mustaafuriyey.

Sidoo kale waxa iyaguna dacwadda dhagaysanayey guddida wanaag farista iyo xumaan reebista, kuwaas oo sheegay inay si fiican u socoto dacwada,isla markaana ay tahay mid bilow ah oo aan waxba laga odhan Karin, isla markaana ay eegi doonnaan marka ay soo gabogabawdo.

Si kastaba ha ahaatee, saddexdan qof ee lagu eedeeyey fasahaadiin diineed ayaa dalka ku soo galay qaxooti, kuwaas oo ay la shaqayanayeen dad soomaali ah oo illaa hadda lagu daba joogo halka ay ku sugan yihiin, waxaana lagu soo qabtay buugaag iyo filimaan qaarkood soomaali yahay oo ku saabsan diinta kiristaanka, taas oo daliil u ah faafinta ay ku jreen, inkastoo oo uu looyarku ku dooday inay xaq u leeyihiin inay gurigooda gudihiisa ku haysan karaan kitaabtoodda, isla markaana ku caabudi karaan diintoodda.

Barkhad-ladiif M. Cumar, Hiiraan onlinebarkhadladiif@hiiraan.comHargeysa, Somaliland

Spring Brings Torture and Death for Christians in Somalia

By William Stark

5/9/2013 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – With the establishment of a new government in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, many Somali refugees are risking returns to Somalia with the belief that the failed state may now be safer. Unfortunately for Somali Christians, the country remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be called a Christian. Somali Christians know that having their religious identities discovered by al-Shabaab, an Islamic terrorist network in Somalia, is tantamount to a death sentence, fact Somali Christians were reminded of this spring when two Christians were captured, tortured and killed by al-Shabaab.    

Captured and Tortured in Somalia
On March 23, Hassan Gulled was seized by four al-Shabaab militants who had been monitoring him for several weeks. “Four masked, armed militia from al-Shabaab took Gulled into a Land Cruiser and then drove away as family watched helplessly,” a source told Morning Star News.

Born in Somalia, Gulled fled the failed state in 2007 to Kenya were he became a Christian in 2010. Al-Shabaab, known to be active in Somali communities in Kenya, found out about Gulled’s conversion and began monitoring his activities. When Gulled left Kenya to visit family on February 27, militants in Kenya informed their radical affiliates in Somalia about Gulled and his new religion, making him a prime target for the extremist group’s brutality. According to Morning Star News’ sources, Gulled was monitored for three weeks before he was captured.

Gulled has been missing since his capture, but is believed to be imprisoned at an al-Shabaab base in Bulo Marer where he is being tortured for this faith. “Al-Shabaab [has] been torturing him to see whether he [will] deny his Christian faith,” a source told Morning Star News. “No information has surfaced concerning Gulled [recently]. There is a possibility that he could have been killed.”

“Gulled used to share Jesus to Muslims in Dadaab refugee camp,” the leader of Gulled’s fellowship in Kenya said in an interview with ICC’s representative in the Horn of Africa. “On several occasions he received threatening messages telling him to stop trying to convert Muslims to Christ. If not, Gulled would live to regret it.”
Gulled’s fellowship in Dadaab is deeply saddened by his disappearance. “We are very sure they will kill him,” Gulled’s pastor said.

Christian Widow Murdered
As the Christian community in Somalia was still recovering from the terrible news regarding Gulled, they were struck by another blow from al-Shabaab. Fartun Omar, a 42-year-old Christian widow, had been caught by al-Shabaab militants and killed, leaving her five children orphans.

In December of 2012, Fartun was widowed when her husband was murdered by al-Shabaab militants for being a Christian. According to Radio Shebelle, a local radio station, the militants had been searching for Fartun ever since they had executed her husband because they discovered she was a Christian as well.

Because al-Shabaab was closing in on Fartun, she decided to flee on April 10 by bus to seek refuge with relatives elsewhere in Somalia, locals told Morning Star News. Accompanied with her five children and a neighbor, Fartun left home hoping she would be able to find a place where she and her family could live in peace. Unfortunately, she never made it to her relatives’ home.

As her bus approached Buulobarde, a town controlled by al-Shabaab, militants manning a roadblock ordered all of the passengers off the bus. Once all the passengers were off the bus, the militants proceeded to question each of them one by one.

“She was not cleared by al-Shabaab,” explained the neighbor who accompanied her to BosNewsLife. “I only heard one of them saying, ‘This is the woman whose husband was killed last year. Do not let her [through].’”

“On April 13, I received news that a woman in Buulobarde had been killed by al-Shabaab,” the neighbor continued. “Soon I found out that it was Fartun Omar.” Fartun’s children remain in the care of the neighbor who accompanied her the day she was murdered. Both Fartun and Gulled’s families have been shattered by the cruelty imposed on them by the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Even though the new Somali government has won key victories over al-Shabaab and has finally established itself in Somalia’s capital, the country remains one of the most dangerous places to be called a Christian. Christians living in Somalia remain some of the most secretive fellowships on earth with good reason, as demonstrated by the deadly events of this spring. Please remember these persecuted Christians and their suffering in your prayers.

Source: ICC

Muslim Extremists in Somalia Seize, Torture Convert from Islam

Al Shabaab rebels monitor movement of Somali Christian returning from Kenya for visit.

April 16, 2013 By Our East Africa Correspondent - Leave a Comment

Somali refugees in border town of Liboi, Kenya, en route to other parts of Kenya. (UNHCR photo)

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Muslim militants still controlling part of the Lower Shebelle Region of Somalia have jailed and tortured a Christian for converting from Islam, sources said.

Al Shabaab rebels seized Hassan Gulled, 25, on March 23 in Bulo Marer near Qoryoley District, they said. Gulled, who had fled to Kenya in 2007 in search of safety and a better life, had left Kenya on Feb. 27 to visit family in Somalia, sources said.

Gulled is one of dozens of Somali refugees in Kenya facing dangers from Al Shabaab extremists as they return to Somalia following the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu and the weakening of Al Shabaab, which once held large swathes of territory.

As Gulled was only visiting family in Somalia, his wife remained in an undisclosed city in Kenya. Al Shabaab extremists in Kenya who knew of his Christian activities there apparently contacted members of the militant group in Somalia, who monitored his movement for three weeks before seizing him, sources said.

“Four masked, armed militia from Al Shabaab took Gulled into a Land Cruiser and then drove away as family watched him helplessly,” said one source.

Another source said it was confirmed that Gulled has been jailed in Bulo Marer.

“The Al Shabaab have been torturing him to see whether he would deny his Christian faith,” the source said. “Since last week, no information has surfaced concerning Gulled. There is a possibility that he could have been killed.”

A militant Islamist group with ties to Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab has a base in Bulo Marer, about 50 miles from Mogadishu. Last week, however, Somali government troops backed by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces had reportedly taken control of nearby Qoryoley. Al Shabaab has vowed to rid Somalia of Christians, who meet secretly due to persecution – besides Al Shabaab, the government and many in Somali society also view leaving Islam as deserving of death.

Gulled became a Christian in Kenya in 2010. He married there in 2011 and has no children.

“Gulled’s wife is very distressed and worried that she might not see her husband again,” a source said.

Many Somali members of Christian fellowships in Kenya have returned to Somalia after formation of a Somali government on Aug. 20, 2012, which replaced the Transitional Federal Government, said the source, who requested anonymity.

“Several Christian agencies are helping them settle,” he said. “But we are worried that some of our members are being monitored closely by Islamic extremists.”

Al Shabaab has lost control of several areas of Somalia since Kenyan military forces helped to dislodge them in the past year, but they are suspected in the shooting death of a Christian pharmacist on the outskirts of Kismayo in February. Two masked men killed Ahmed Ali Jimale, a 42-year-old father of four, on Feb. 18 as he stood outside his house in Alanley village (see Morning Star News, Feb. 28).

On Dec. 8, 2012 in Beledweyne, 206 miles (332 kilometers) north of Mogadishu, gunmen killed a Christian who had been receiving death threats for leaving Islam. Two unidentified, masked men shot Mursal Isse Siad, 55, outside his home, Muslim and Christian sources said (see Morning Star News. Dec. 14, 2012).

Siad and his wife, who converted to Christianity in 2000 according to a source who used to worship with them, had moved to Beledweyne from Doolow eight months before, after Somalia’s transitional federal government and African Union Mission in Somalia troops captured Beledweyne from Al Shabaab rebels.

The area was under government control and there was no indication that the killers belonged to the Al Shabaab rebels who have vowed to rid the country of Christianity, but the Islamic extremist insurgents were present in Buulodbarde, 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, and Christians believed a few Al Shabaab rebels could have been hiding in Beledweyne.

In the coastal city of Barawa on Nov. 16, 2012, Al Shabaab militants killed a Christian after accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Christian and Muslim witnesses said. The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, sources said (see “Morning Star News, Nov. 17, 2012).

Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa, in Somalia’s Lower Shebelle Region, in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, according to underground Christians in Somalia. Kenya’s population is nearly 83 percent Christian, according to Operation World, while Somalia’s is close to 100 percent Muslim.

Christian Widow in Somalia Killed Four Months after Husband Slain

Islamic extremists shoot her to death; five children orphaned.

April 22, 2013 By Our East Africa Correspondent - Leave a Comment

Clothing on Fartun Omar when her body was found outside Buulodbarde, Somalia.

NAIROBI, Kenya (Morning Star News) – Islamist militants in Somalia have killed the widow of a Christian who was slain for his faith in December, leaving the couple’s five children orphaned, sources said.

Islamic extremist Al Shabaab rebels shot 42-year-old Fartun Omar to death on April 13 in Buulodbarde, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Beledweyne, according to Abdi Aziz Suleiman of Radio Shebelle in Beledweyne. The extremists had been searching for her for several months, as they knew that she was a secret Christian like her late husband, Mursal Isse Siad, sources said.

Siad had been receiving death threats for leaving Islam. After his death, initially Omar fled the area with her five children and at one time had received protection from from African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) soldiers, sources said.

“A week before she was killed, rumors were flying that the Al Shabaab were looking for her,” one of Omar’s neighbors said.

Due to the threat of persecution, Omar on April 10 decided to leave the central Somalian city of Beledweyne by bus with another neighbor to seek refuge with relatives, the first neighbor said. On reaching Buulobarde, which is controlled by Al Shabaab, militants at a roadblock ordered passengers to disembark and questioned them one by one.

“Unfortunately, she was not cleared by the Al Shabaab,” said the neighbor who accompanied her. “I only heard one of them saying, ‘This is the woman whose husband was killed last year. Do not let her in.’”

The other passengers were allowed to board again, and the bus left, with Omar’s neighbor suddenly responsible for caring for her children. The oldest is a 15-year-old girl.

“On April 13, I received news from Beledweyne that a woman in Buulobarde had been killed by the Al Shabaab,” the neighbor said. “Soon I found out that it was Fartun Omar.”

Sources said Omar was found dead on the outskirts of Buulobarde with bullet wounds to her right side.

“The children are in safe hands, and I am trying to look for some of the relatives of Omar,” the neighbor said. “The only problem that I am experiencing at the moment is that the small children are crying for their mother.”

The neighbor added that the children need help meeting their daily needs.

Two unidentified, masked men on Dec. 8, 2012 shot Omar’s 55-year-old husband, Siad, outside his home in Beledweyne, 206 miles (332 kilometers) north of Mogadishu, for leaving Islam, Muslim and Christian sources said (see Morning Star News, Dec. 14, 2012). The area was under government control, but Al Shabaab rebels who have vowed to rid the country of Christianity were present in nearby Buulodbarde.

Al Shabaab has lost control of several areas of Somalia since Kenyan military forces helped to dislodge them in the past year, but they are suspected in the shooting death of a Christian pharmacist on the outskirts of Kismayo in February. Two masked men killed Ahmed Ali Jimale, a 42-year-old father of four, on Feb. 18 as he stood outside his house in Alanley village (see Morning Star News, Feb. 28).

In the coastal city of Barawa on Nov. 16, 2012, Al Shabaab militants killed a Christian after accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Christian and Muslim witnesses said. The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, sources said (see “Morning Star News, Nov. 17, 2012).

Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa, in Somalia’s Lower Shebelle Region, in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, according to underground Christians in Somalia. Kenya’s population is nearly 83 percent Christian, according to Operation World, while Somalia’s is close to 100 percent Muslim.

HOOYO SOOMAALIYEED OO MASIIXI NOQOTAY