By BosNewsLife Africa Service

_45836568_somalia226MOGADISHU, SOMALIA (BosNewsLife)– Islamic militants have shot and killed a Somali Christian woman because she declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom, Christians said in comments monitored by BosNewsLife Wednesday, October 28.

Members of the Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on October 19 in her home in Galkayo, in Somalia’s autonomous Puntland region, said Compass Direct News, a well-informed Christian news agency.

Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam, Christians said. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.

Ali, an orphan and unmarried, in 1997 joined the Somali Christian Brothers’ Organization, a movement also known as the Somali Community-Based Organization. She had been an active member of the underground church in the Lower Juba region, Compass Direct News reported.

She earlier worked with the Belgian contingent of United Nations Operations in Somalia as a translator and played a key role as a translator during a peace conference aimed at bringing together warring clans in the lower Juba region.

OCTOBER WARNINGS

Christians said Ali had warned in early October that her life was in danger. “My life is in danger. I am warned of dire consequences if I continue to live without putting on the veil. I need prayers from the fellowship,” she reportedly said.

Christians said they have lost “a long serving-Christian.”

Ali’s death follows several other killings by Islamic militants, who aim to impose a strict form of Sharia, or Islamic law, in the country and to topple the government.

On September 15 militants of the more radical al-Shabaab group shot and killed 69-year-old Omar Khalafe at a checkpoint they controlled 10 kilometers (six miles) from Merca, after finding Bibles in his possession, Christians said. Al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia, as well as other areas of the nation.

In August al-Shabab militants seeking evidence that a Somali man had converted from Islam to Christianity shot him dead near the Somali border with Kenya, Christians said. The rebels killed 41-year-old Ahmed Matan in Bulahawa, Somalia on August 18.

MORE VIOLENCE

In Mahadday Weyne, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al-Shabab fighters on July 20 shot to death another convert from Islam, Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman, eyewitnesses said. The militants also reportedly beheaded seven Christians on July 10. News reports said they were killed in Baidoa for being Christians and “spies.”

On February 21 al-Shabab militants beheaded two young boys in Somalia because their Christian father refused to divulge information about a church leader, said Musa Mohammed Yusuf, the 55-year-old father who was living in a Kenya refugee camp at the time.

It comes amid international concerns over the situation in Somalia which has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

Years of fighting between rival warlords and an apparent inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of up to one million people, according to international estimates. (With reporting by Simba Tian in Nairobi, Kenya).

7 COMMENTS

  1. This is a lie , you want to picture the word that Somalians hate Christians, let me tell you something in Somalia we have on faith and that Islam, before 20 years there were few church allowed the late government but from 1995 until now there is no church at all. Yes you can see an old building and nobody visit there. As we now the Italians who were working in Somalia before 20 years was the reason the churches were in Somalia. I know you people you don’t know nothing about Somalia, you heard the news that Al shabab destroyed and old building used to be church and now you are saying that woman was attending a church in lower jubba you got the wrong information.

  2. Dear Saed,

    We do not say that Somalians in general hate Christians, but we are reporting about extremists targeting Christians. This is not a lie, but unfortunately the bitter truth.

  3. It is truth Somali people hate Christians. But the question is can they stop no thay can’t because JESUS is the only way to the father no one come to GOD except by JESUS.

    JESUS IS LORD LOVE YOU ALL SAHRAxxxxxxxx

  4. Sahra, you seem to be confused or you think StefonBoss will bring you to his country. Trust me, you are trying to be diplomatic but you are on your way to hell fire.
    OR
    you are someone who is pretending to be Somali. Stefon, is this you? or it must be another ethio.

  5. Hai, I am Michael, from South India. Last 2005 to 2006 I am working in Mogadishu. I like that people. I don’t like that people’s situation. But my dream immediately I will start one medical team in Somalia.

  6. Hello civilized world, Hear me !!!

    Somalis and most of Muslims I sow in East Africa and Arabia both I worked as United
    Nations employee. They are not human being, when it cames to way think hate and religion
    the will kill everybody if they got any oppertunity. Because their prophet was doing the same
    thing and their so called Holy Koran teaches to Kill everybody who is not Muslim. no matter
    if you are Christian , jew, Budhist, Hindu, atheist or agnostic. they call Kufar in Arabic and
    Gaal in Somali. You westerners are helping them to get money and food when they came
    your countries and they sent that money they got as welfare or as gain from job in West
    and sent back to kill inocent people and burn churches and syngogues.
    Stop helping beasts who are in human form.

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