ICC Note:
All across Kenya, militants affiliated with the radical Islamic insurgency, al-Shabaab, are devastating communities, killing pastors, attacking churches and inciting Muslim youths to commit violence against their Christian neighbors. In the case of Rev. Mahad H. Birik, the story, regrettable, is the same as others before him. A convert from Islam to Christianity, the reverend is Somali by birth and ministers to Somali Muslims in Kenya. In turn, al-Shabaab has threatened to kill him and harm his family.
12/19/2014 Kenya (Morning Star News) – A pastor in Kenya of Somali descent whom Islamic extremist Al Shabaab militants have threatened for leaving Islam fears he soon could be killed.
Somali Al Shabaab rebels have offered a reward to anyone who kills the Rev. Mahad H. Birik, and after a video of him describing his conversion from Islam seeped into major Somali broadcast, Web and print media two months ago, the pastor of an undisclosed church on the outskirts of Nairobi said longstanding threats on his life became concrete this month.
“My family is now living in a sleepless state,” said the father of two children – one age 15 from a wife who was taken from him when he left Islam, and a 2-year-old from remarriage. “My life and that of my family is in imminent danger. It is very serious and real, as Muslim extremists are strategizing on having my head.”
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