Ex-Muslim Boy Clings to Faith Despite Beatings

ICC Note:
CBN reports on a 9-year-old convert to Christianity who boldly shared his faith in Turkey and was persecuted in return.
By Gary Lane
2/5/2012 Turkey (CBN News) – Americans are appalled when they see shocking cell phone video of a vicious attack on a 13-year-old boy from Philadelphia, Pa.
Nadin Khoury said the assault occurred because he’s small for his age and his family is African. Khoury made the rounds on television talk shows like the CBS’ “The View,” which are often eager to highlight the victims of bullying in America.
But what about Christians in other countries who are attacked and sometimes even killed because of their faith, especially if they’re converts from Islam?
Assaults like the one against Khoury occur regularly in Muslim countries around the world and the American mainstream media is unlikely to tell you about it.
Stories like that of a former Muslim named Hussein. The 11-year-old publicly professed his Christian faith in Turkey by wearing a silver cross necklace in school.
“It’s not the physical cross. It’s the meaning of the cross that is important. It is a beautiful thing,” he explained. “I wanted people to ask me about it and then I could tell them about Christ.”
Hussein was 9 years old at the time. His father, Hakeem, was once an Islamic scholar who had studied the Koran in Iran and Syria. When his questions about Islam went unanswered, Hakeem searched elsewhere for the truth. He discovered it in the Bible and in church.
After he became a Christian, Hakeem decided to take Hussein and his other children to church.
“I felt so alive hearing the hymns and singing in the church! I felt I had to learn more about this. I was so joyful,” he recalled.
After the boy accepted Christ, Hussein wanted to share the good news with others. He was unaware of the potential dangers he faced for leaving Islam.
His sister saw him wearing the silver cross necklace and anxiously told her parents that Hussein was telling everyone that the family had become Christians.
Because they feared persecution from militant Muslims, Hussein’s parents prohibited him from wearing the cross.
“We referred to it as Hussein’s problem. We were trying to prevent conflicts with others, but we came to realize that we were the ones with the problem, not Hussein,” Hakeem said.
“We decided to be like Hussein, more open about our Christianity,” he said.
His Muslim classmates taunted Hussein in school. They spat on him and called him names. He often suffered attacks similar to the one against Khoury.
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