Somalia (MNN) ― The Christian community continues to be targets of anti-Christian violence in the African nation of Somalia. The home of increasing amounts of piracy on the seas, the home-grown terrorism from al Shabaab continues to be a source of concern for Christians there.
Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs, Canada says 21 year old Hassan Adawe Adan was gunned down by two Muslim extremists connected to the terrorist group. "He had converted from Islam to Christianity several months ago. And it was found out that he was a Christian. He was dragged out of his house, and he was shot and killed."
According to Musselman, this is a planned killing. "When they do these murders they want the publicity. It's very much used as a fear tactic to any Muslim that might even consider becoming a Christian. It also puts fear into the hearts of believers there in Somalia."
According to Compass Direct News, area Christians said they suspected someone had informed the Islamic militants of his conversion. One source said that a relative who belonged to al Shabaab had told Adan's mother that he suspected her son was a Christian.
The good news, says Musselman, is that this proves one thing. "When these kinds of situations happen, it also reminds us that God is at work. And because He's at work, persecution is happening because the Gospel is active; things are happening [people are coming to Christ]."