[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_single_image image=”99600″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]04/22/2019 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Earlier this year, Charles Ndingi Mudasir met a childhood friend in Mombasa, Kenya, and together they made their way to a cyber café to check emails. Suddenly, he was blindfolded and whisked away into a car by a group of men chanting, “Allahu Akbar.” When we met Charles, we wanted to hear about his recent experience with persecution. However, scared and shaking, Charles had so much more to tell. After leaving the Islamic faith in 2014, he has suffered time and again for his faith.
“This has been my journey. I have been beaten more than just once or twice, poisoned, kidnapped, and drugged. The saddest part of my story is that all this has happened under the watch of a person I have known as my father for many years. His name is Ilhar Mudasir, a wealthy Arab and staunch Muslim man,” Charles reflected.
Charles Ndingi’s biological parents and two of his brothers died when he was very young. Mr. Mudasir adopted Charles and subjected him to rigorous Islamic training. At 15 years old, Charles had already memorized the entire Quran. He eventually travelled to Iran to study Islam at a higher level. Then, when he returned home, his life would quickly change forever.
He explained, “I was loaded with enormous knowledge of the Islamic faith. But then, there was this missionary who used to come to witness to our gatekeeper every day at 3:00 p.m. He was very consistent and stubborn and our efforts to stop him from interfering with the gatekeeper at work were futile. I decided to make him my first target and try to convert him to Islam. My father was very impressed by [my] courage.”
When Charles approached Pastor Robby, the American missionary, he appeared to show some interest in understanding Islam. They began having conversations, and then a relationship began to build.
“One evening when we met with him, he requested a copy of the Quran and I hesitantly gave it to him. In exchange, he brought me a Bible the following day. Secretly, I began comparing the gospels with the teachings of Islam. John 14:6 struck me, and I started doubting if Mohammed was a true prophet and where did he go. Nowhere in the Quran did he show us the way to paradise,” recalled Charles.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”“I have been beaten more than just once or twice, poisoned, kidnapped, and drugged. The saddest part of my story is that all this has happened under the watch of a person I have known as my father for many years.”” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1555942294075{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 60px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1555942229588{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Charles converted to Christianity a few days later, and his zeal for the Gospel and fellowship with other believers grew tremendously. This marked the turning point of his life as well as his relationship with his family.
He explained, “The gatekeeper told my father that I had begun reading the Bible. When questioned, although bold inside, I was fearful and denied that I had a Bible in my room. Nothing happened that time. My faith in Christ was growing stronger. I was having incomparable joy within. I started going to church. The missionary invited me to AIC [African Inland Church] Ngong Road, where for the first time I heard the Gospel preached in power.”
The physical assaults began once Charles’ father discovered that he had stopped going to the mosque for prayers.
“One Sunday morning, [my father] followed behind me and saw me enter the church. That evening, he called two imams and my uncles. All of them descended on me with blows, slaps, and whips, calling me a kafir (infidel),” Charles recalled. “They led exorcism prayers to cast out the demons that had possessed me. They forced me to repeat the shahada [several times]. They continued to beat me mercilessly. My furious father hit me in the head and I fainted. When I woke up, I found myself locked in a dark room and with a lot of pain. Back in my mind, I knew that I was still a Christian and if I died I would go to heaven. I was released after two days. Life was never the same again. I was not allowed to leave the compound on Sundays.”
This was just the beginning of a long road of persecution for Charles. The path ahead involved plots against his life and continual pressure to leave his newfound faith. All of this at the hands of his own family.
Stay tuned for Part 2, coming tomorrow.
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org
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