Imam’s Daughter in Iowa Kidnapped, Forced to Convert to Christianity
“A Christian leader in central Iowa has abducted an Imam’s daughter and forced her to convert to Christianity with the backing of a Christian court, the Muslim leader said.” OK, so I have taken a few liberties here. My title and opening sentence are entirely accurate, except I have made a minor change.
I have of course swapped the Christian terms with the Muslim terms. So this story is quite correct – it is just that Muslims are doing the kidnapping of Christians. I of course took these liberties here to highlight a very important truth: all over the world Muslims are committing horrific atrocities and crimes as they wage a relentless war against Christianity.
Yet if you went by the lamestream media and the secular left, the only bad guys here are the Christians. You would think Islam is a religion of peace while Christianity is a vile and oppressive religion. But the daily newspaper headlines – at least those found in the alternative media – of course tell us otherwise.
Every day Christians are being killed, imprisoned, tortured and persecuted because of their faith by Muslims. Christians are not doing the same thing to Muslims. So let me return to this very recent story. Here is how it actually goes:
“A Muslim leader in central Nigeria has abducted a pastor’s daughter and forced her to convert to Islam with the backing of a sharia (Islamic law) court, the church leader said. Raymond Uzoechina, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, told Morning Star News by phone that the Emir or Muslim leader of the Nupe ethnic group in Bida, Niger state, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, abducted his daughter soon after 24-year-old Charity Raymond Uzoechina went to the town in February to study at the Federal Polytechnic-Bida.
“After his daughter’s friends notified him that she was missing, he discovered her whereabouts as he made inquiries in the town on March 1– he did not hear of her whereabouts in an invitation from the emir’s aides as the town emirate has claimed, he said. ‘After a painstaking search, we found out that she was being held captive in the palace of the Etsu Nupe, the [ethnic Nupe] Muslim leader of the town of Bida,’ Pastor Uzoechina said.
“‘I went to the palace, and the Muslim leader told me that my daughter is now a Muslim and that she is under his custody. When I demanded to take her away, the Muslim leader said he would not release her because he said she has been entrusted under his care by an Islamic court, the sharia court in the town of Bida.’
“He denied a Nigerian press report in which he was misquoted as saying he was able to see his daughter at the emir’s quarters on March 2. ‘Even when we went there, he did not allow us to see her – he only confirmed she is at the palace on the orders of the Islamic court,’ Pastor Uzoechina told Morning Star News.”
The article continues, “Pastor Uzoechina said that he has learned that other Christian girls and women are being held captive at Abubakar’s home and forcibly converted to Islam. ‘Apart from my daughter, there are so many other Christian girls also that have been kidnapped and are being held at the palace,’ he said. ‘There is need for the police to rescue these Christian girls in that Islamic enclave.’
“Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, said CAN is involved in trying to resolve the case. ‘Our attention has been called to this problem, and we have taken it up with the leadership of the Muslim community,’ he said. ‘It is unfortunate that this is happening.’
“Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigeria’s population of 158.2 million and live mainly in the south, while Muslims account for 45 percent and live mainly in the north. But those practicing indigenous religions may be as high as 10 percent of the total population, according to Operation World, so the percentages of Christians and Muslims may be less.”
Barnabas Fund, an international group dedicated to helping the persecuted church, has also recently written about the major problems Christians are facing in Nigeria: “Christian girls in Northern Nigeria are being abducted, kept in the homes of Muslim leaders and forced to renounce their faith.
“Professor Daniel Babayi, secretary of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said that the issue was getting worse and that they are currently pursuing five cases. He said: ‘Christian girls below the age of 18 are forcefully abducted and made to denounce their faith… They have been kept in the houses of emirs or imams. When we report to the police, they tell you there is nothing they can do. The police have become very helpless. In some instances, they are part of the conspiracy.’
“Christians in Northern Nigeria are being targeted on a number of fronts as Islamist militant group Boko Haram wages its deadly campaign to establish an Islamic state. Churches have frequently been attacked and individual Christians murdered.
“Last year, Boko Haram said it was going to kidnap Christian women as part of ‘new efforts to strike fear into the Christians of the power of Islam’, forcing them to leave the North. The group is waging its war against various perceived enemies, attacking military and government targets, and recently provoking outrage by killing school students.
“Over 40 people, mostly students, were killed in an attack on a boarding school in Yobe state on 6 July. A dormitory was set alight while the children were sleeping; those trying to escape the fire were gunned down. Last month, 16 students were shot dead in attacks on a secondary school in Yobe and another school in Borno.”
The article concludes: “The recent targeting of schools is said to be part of a two-pronged strategy, firstly to destroy Western institutions, and secondly to provide new recruits for the campaign as parents pull their youngsters out of school, fearing for their safety. Boko Haram is recruiting unschooled and unemployed children, sometimes by force.
“The Nigerian authorities have been carrying out their biggest offensive to date against the insurgents. A state of emergency has been in force for two months in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where the militants pose the greatest threat.”
As I said, Muslim minorities in Christian-majority countries are simply not experiencing such persecution, intimidation and violence. Islam is not a religion of peace. It was born in bloodshed, violence and terror and spreads that way. The sword is how Islam has been expanded over its 1400-year history.
So what can we do to help Charity Raymond Uzoechina and others like her? Obviously we must pray for her and her persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. And we must get behind and support courageous groups such as Barnabas Fund.
Finally, we must get the word out: Islam is not a religion of peace, but one which is hell-bent on obtaining world domination and forcing everyone to submit to sharia law. It is implacably opposed not just to Western freedom and democracy, but to Christianity as well.
http://www.religiousfreedomcoalition.org/2013/07/30/pastors-daughter-in-nigeria-kidnapped-forced-to-convert-to-islam/
http://www.barnabasfund.org/Christian-girls-abducted-forced-to-renounce-faith-in-Northern-Nigeria.html
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Incredible.
Luigi Rosolin
Praise the Lord for Barnabas Fund. If your family is into “useful” gifts they are a good place to spend some of your gift giving money. Otherwise just support them in prayer and giving.
For the rest it is too dreadful to know what to say.
Katherine Fishley
I thought their was no compulsion in Islam. Boy am I confused. [/sarcasm]
Ian Nairn
Dear Bill and readers,
I have just been looking and listening to a lecture by Mark Durie “Understanding the Ideological Foundation of sexual Abuse in Islam” hosted by the Q Society, on the “why” of rampant abuse and rape of women by Muslims. It is not only in Nigeria, but everywhere where non-Muslims live among Muslims. Especially in Sweden, Denmark and Britain rape of women is gaining epidemic proportions. Mark Durie argues that it is all part of the Islamic culture developed over more than 1000 years. It is part of the Muslim cultural mindset regarding non-Muslim women. It is fascinating and deeply disturbing.
Joost Gemeren
Dear Bill,
I met an elderly Welsh woman volunteer serving in a Muslim op shop. Curious and as she was wearing a long dress and veil I dared to ask her why she had converted to Islam. She said it was because she had been spiritually empty inside and Islam had filled the void. I asked her that as she was Welsh was I right in assuming she would have been a methodist. She then said that she had been and used to ‘run around with a Bible in my hand when I was young.’ I then told her that if she had really known and loved Our Lord Jesus there was no way she could prefer to follow Mohammed as there is no comparison. Quite honestly these Western Moslem converts have got me puzzled. It can only be that as nominal Christians who do not get the opportunity to experience the love and fellowship of other Christians like I do they leave themselves wide open to the advances of zealous and friendly Muslims and end up falling for this false religion.
Patricia Halligan
Hi Bill
The solution to this problem may lie in the answers to an old problem. These kind of atrocities are not new nor are they isolated incidents. Many of the converts to Islam exhibit the Stockholm syndrome.
In 1095 (hope I got the date right) the Pope called for a crusade to protect Christian pilgrims and to defend Christians from these kinds of attacks. The crusades had a mixed history and they weren’t perfect but they were more tolerant than the Muslim rulers of the time.
I know it would be difficult to justify it to a culture that has a distorted view of history but the reality is we have to fight them like we fought Germany in world war 2 or like Ronald Regan fought the Soviet Union. If we can fight with words we don’t have to fight with guns. But if we cant use words we have to fight, convert, become a slave or die.
God believes in both Justice and mercy. Although Christ favours non violence actions, Christ doesn’t totally side with pacifism.
John McAllister
To John McAllister – very politically incorrect – but very, very true! I am of the firm conviction that there will be a civil war in the UK in the coming years, don’t know how long but I am willing to bet that it will happen.
Steve Davis
Hello Bill!
I’m horrified to learn that Christian girls in Northern Nigeria are being kidnapped and forced to renounce their Christian faith and made to convert to Islam.
It seems to me that this situation ought to be covered by “60 Minutes”
John Ferwerda
Thanks John. Yes it ought to be. But I won’t hold my breath.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
I believe King Alfred gave the danes a similar option after he defeated them, but I think it was just a little more humane in the sense that he offered them the choice of “convert and stay or else go back where you came from”. I must admit, I prefer that option. It may be a little difficult to say that to British born muslims, but the offer could be made to “go to a muslim country of your choice”.
It is interesting that Christians aren’t even in a minority yet in Nigeria. Is the path of the Sudan an option for Nigeria? How do you think, South Sudan is faring? We don’t hear much about it now any more, but they must have their struggles. I wonder what the break up of Christians verses muslims in percentages of the world population would look like had muslims been given the option of only converting after being persuaded. This only seems to work in the west where ignorance and unfaithfulness-disloyalty occur together and work in favour of islamic deception and intimidation.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
The news of abductions, murders, and persecutions from Nigeria, Egypt, Syria, etc, is not good.
But the good news is that despite the persecution from Boko Haram etc, more and more Muslims are converting and offering themselves as labourers to take the Gospel back to their homelands. Christian love and forgiveness does bring fruit. The fields are white to harvest. The church is expanding rapidly. But the new labourers need training as pastors – and this demand, this need, is outstripping available resources.
For example, consider the Christian Faith Ministries, CFM, Bible college in Jos – in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria (http://www.cfaithministries.org). Australians Kent & Ruth Hodge are key factors in the CFM college. About a third of their students are from Muslim backgrounds, and CFM diplomates and graduates are in high demand from many denominations. But, despite their demonstrated effectiveness, finance and resources are short.
Not only are they training pastors in English, French & Hausa: they are building a new campus, make their own bricks, grow much of their own food, support safe houses, run schools and vocational training, run radio and TV shows through local stations – but they are still in rented premises, and many students can’t afford to pay fees. Despite their short resources, at the Nigerians’ initiative, CFM has been reaching out running short training courses for Egyptian pastors in Egypt at the Egyptians’ request – who have translated Kent’s Theology book into Arabic.
So yes, the persecution and atrocities and the lack of resources are a problem, but the good news is that the church grows and thrives. We can be part of that by praying and giving practical support.
Peter Newland
If I were to die in this region for my faith I don’t think I would want to be seen as a player in this cultural clash, but as a follower of Jesus. I think his Sermon on the Mount was given for this.
Kent Hodge
Unfortunately, many people misled by the name vote for the Greens hoping that it will help the environment, and are not aware of the Greens evil agenda. Oh for more articles like this, and an unbiased Media to publicise them!
Richard Pratt
It’s interesting how the mainstream media don’t highlight this type of news of Muslim terrorism, abduction, murder, etc.
Islam is truly a Satanic religion.
Yet such truths do not get reported by the media. Instead they allow the lie that it’s a religion of peace.
Harold van de Wiel
I am a mid western Nigerian Christian, was opportune to travel wide in Nigeria, and though i was raised in Lagos, I schooled in Federal Poly Bida where I spent a little over two years. I recall an incident in either 1994 or 95 on our campus in which a Christian sister (Car’ – not real name) and I went out for an open air morning cry/call without any audio equipment. Some Muslim fellow students actually came out and began threatening to beat/attack us, claiming we were causing troubles – this was in spite of our no use of any kind of voice aid equipment such as megaphones or horn speakers. I was surprise at their level of intolerance because about an hour earlier, the Muslim mosque had a big loudspeaker-backed call for prayers proclaimed/broadcasted from a location on the male hostel at about 5am if not mistaken. We had to be wise and simply walked away not able to continue. On another occasion the some brethren and I were arrested at the instruction of the authority by the school security men – our offence was no other than that we went praying in a nearby bush covered discontinued volleyball court. Even back in Lagos (in the south of Nigeria) in my early years in the faith around 1990/91 some brethren and i were equally violently confronted by Muslim worshippers & their imams again for early morning cry/calls with hardly audible megaphones while they had gigantic loudspeakers mounted full blast on their mosque – a mosque at the beginning of the street, the other at the end of it. Now in the United Kingdom, several hundreds of miles away, the issue is still the same: When you make any comment a Muslim considers “opposing”, regardless of whatever he or she may have personally or openly said concerning Christianity or our Lord Jesus, you a tagged as “Islamophobic” – against Islam. Brethren, affirmed “fervent or dedicated” Muslims just can’t TOLERATE any thing they view as opposition, Christianity especially. We need God’s boldness and wisdom to handle this kind of enemy who are themselves actually captives of our arch enemy, Satan the devil. Shalom