ICC NOTE: A young woman in eastern Uganda was beaten and disowned by her Muslim father after word had reached him she recently converted to Christianity at an evangelistic event in a nearby village. Local villagers stepped in to stop the father from inflicting further injury as more could have placed her life in jeopardy. She received treatment from a local clinic and is recuperating with local Christian leaders as she is no longer welcome in her own home. The attack is the most recent in a trend for the region as many incidents have occurred in recent months toward Christians. On October 19, a recently converted Christian’s wife was murdered one month after his brother was killed for the same reason by angry Muslims in the region.
11/16/2015 Nairobi, Kenya (Morning Star News) – The father of a young Muslim woman in east Uganda on Thursday (Nov. 12) tried to beat her to death after she became a Christian, but community leaders intervened and limited him to disowning her, sources said.
Kibida Muyemba learned that his 21-year-old daughter, Namusisi Birye, had put her faith in Christ at an evangelistic campaign held that day in Nandere village, Kadama Sub-county, Kibuku District, 41 kilometers (25 miles) west of Mbale, church leaders told Morning Star News. Birye and a man in the traditional dress of an imam confessed openly to receiving Christ, they said, and angry Muslims cut the event short.
Word of Birye’s conversion had reached her parents by the time she arrived home at 7 p.m., and her father began beating her, Birye said.
“My father had a wooden stick and started beating me as I entered the house,” she said. “As my mother was about to beat me also, the local council chairman, who was on his way to his home in Buluba, arrived and rescued me. Soon some neighbors who are Christians also arrived.”
Birye’s loud cries brought several neighbors to the site, a church leader said.
“As we arrived, the girl was bleeding, and her clothes had blood stains all over,” said the church leader, whose name is withheld for security reasons.
Birye’s father and mother, Amina Hasakya, were shouting furiously that she should be killed, he said.
“Our daughter must be killed according to Islam, because she has become apostate,” her father told those who came to her aid, the pastor said. “She can never be our daughter again.”
From 8 p.m. until midnight, Muyemba discussed his daughter’s fate with two church leaders, a neighbor and Mutaana Paul, the local council chairman, ending in Muyemba’s decision to formally disown her. Paul retained the written declaration of Muyemba’s decision to disown her, the church leader said.
“I then decided to take the girl to my house, and she is now recuperating after being disowned by her parents,” he said.
Police have not been contacted about the assault, he said.
“It would lead to more problems for the girl,” he said. “As long as the parents do not raise any further complaints, I will continue helping the girl with the hope that some good Samaritans will be touched to help her.”
Birye, who is suffering from serious rib pain, was being treated at a local clinic in Kabuna, Budaka District. She also sustained injuries to her right hand and bruises on her forehead.
The evangelistic event was jointly organized by a pastor from Kangalaba, Butaleja District, and Christians from Serere District. Five other people, from non-Muslim families, also put their faith in Christ at the event.
