MAY 26, 2020
A 24-year-old woman in Uganda was beaten and burned all over her body by her father, a teacher of Islam, when he found out about her conversion to Christianity, according to Morning Star News.
Rehema Kyomuhendo was traveling with her father on a business trip in Uganda and was delayed making the 305 mile trek home due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
During this time, Kyomuhendo began listening to Christian programing on the radio and after doing more independent research about the religion, soon accepted it as her newfound faith.
Her father, Sheikh Hussein Byaruhanga Husain, a teacher of Islam, allegedly overheard his daughter’s excitement over her conversion to Christianity and immediately began to beat her—kicking and slapping.
Furious, he even allegedly threatened to kill his own daughter.
In a rage, he reportedly grabbed a jerrican and lit it on fire, taking it to Kyomuhendo’s body and burning her as she screamed in pain. The aunt that the two were staying with at the time rushed to protect her niece and carried her outside, awaiting help from a Christian neighbor.
She was raced to Mbale Regional Referral hospital where she will remain for over a month, according to reports, while being treated for burns all over her body, including on her stomach, neck, back, ribs, and leg.
Even though religious freedom and conversion is legal within Uganda, no police report has been filed, reportedly out of fear for how the Sheikh will react.
Many Muslim communities in the area view preaching or converting to Christianity as a grave offense. This is not an isolated incidence of religious persecution, particularly for Christians.
According to the Open Doors World Watch List for 2020, there are about 260 million Christians that experience high levels of persecution across the top 50 countries on this list.
Uganda does not even rank in the top 50 on this list.
Almost 3,000 Christians have been killed in this past year alone, meaning about 8 Christians are killed every day due to their faith.
Even more Christians have been detained without a trial, arrested, and imprisoned, with over 9,400 churches or Christian buildings attacked.
These last two sentences are global numbers, not just Uganda.
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