And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30)
A man in Nigeria was attacked by his family; they beat him and burned his house down because he rejected Muhammad as a false prophet and accepted Jesus Christ. According to the story:
Muslim parents in eastern Uganda burned down their son’s home after learning that he left Islam to give his life to Jesus Christ, a leading Christian persecution watchdog group has reported.
After Mohammed Nsera, a Nigerian teen who lives in the predominantly Christian village of Katende, Uganda, graduated from high school last year, his Muslim parents kindly built him a small house on the family’s property as a graduation present.
According to Morning Star News, Nsera gave his life to Christ on Jan. 3 after he heard about the power of Christ’s salvation at an evangelistic event and later had a dream in which Jesus appeared to him. The news of Nsera’s conversion drew the ire of his parents, uncle and six siblings.
A week passed before Nsera’s father learned about the news of his conversion. When Nsera’s father and uncle went to the small house that they built for him to question him about the rumor of his conversion, Nsera didn’t hide from the truth.
As Nsera’s family is part of a hardline Muslim minority in eastern Uganda, his uncle and father didn’t take too kindly to the joy he had in admitting that he did, in fact, leave Islam for Christianity.
As a result, Nsera’s uncle whacked him across the back with a stick, while his father also tried to assault him. Fortunately, Nsera’s quick reflexes allowed him to escape out the door without further harm.
“I could not deny Christ when my father asked me whether I had joined Christianity,” Nsera told Morning Star News. “With a lot of joy I answered him affirmatively, with a yes. My uncle, who had a walking stick, hit me on my back, and my father tried to get hold of my shirt, but I managed to escape with a tattered shirt and a bleeding back.”
Morning Star reports that Nsera fled to the home of a Christian friend, located about 13 miles from his parents homestead. It was there that he heard news that his parents had burned down the home they had built for him.
“I received reports that my parents, uncle and some other Muslims were looking for me,” Nsera explained. “I have lost my entire valuables, especially my academic certificates.”
With Nsera’s family and other hardline Muslim now out to get him, the possibility is real that his family will try to avenge his betrayal of Islam in the form of an honor killing — like many other Muslim families against converts within their families.
After hearing the news that his family is looking for him, Nsera decided to flee even further from his parents’ home. He is now taking refuge in a village that is over 60 miles from his parents’ village, where a pastor has graciously provided him with shelter.