Matthew 5:10 - "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
A sobering report has emerged out of eastern Uganda, where Muslim parents burned down their son's home and attempted to end his life after learning that he left Islam to follow Jesus Christ.
According to a report from Christian persecution watchdog Morning Star News, after Mohammed Nsera, a Nigerian teen who lives in the predominantly Christian village of Katende, Uganda, graduated from high school last year, his Muslim parents rewarded him with a small house on their property.
Earlier this year, Nsera accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior after hearing about the power of Christ's salvation at an evangelistic event. Later, he had a dream in which Jesus appeared to him, further solidifying his decision to dedicate his life to Christ.
Unsurprisingly, the news of Nsera's conversion angered his parents, uncle and six siblings, who attempted to convince him to reverse his decision.
A week later, Nsera's father and uncle went to the small house that they built for him to question him about the rumor of his conversion. When questioned, Nsera boldly shared his newfound faith.
In response, Nsera's uncle whacked him across the back with a stick, while his father also tried to assault him. Thankfully, the young man was able to escape without any severe injuries.
"I could not deny Christ when my father asked me whether I had joined Christianity," Nsera told Morning Star News. "With a lot of joy I answered him affirmatively, with a yes. My uncle, who had a walking stick, hit me on my back, and my father tried to get hold of my shirt, but I managed to escape with a tattered shirt and a bleeding back."
The young man fled to the home of a Christian friend, located about 13 miles from his parents homestead. There, he heard that his parents, who belonged to a hardline Muslim minority group in Uganda, had burned down the home they had built for him.
"I received reports that my parents, uncle and some other Muslims were looking for me," Nsera explained. "I have lost my entire valuables, especially my academic certificates."
The report notes that Nsera quickly realized his life was in danger, as his family and other hardline Muslims sought to kill him for his faith in Jesus Christ.
Thus, Nsera decided to flee even further from his parents' home, and is now taking refuge at the home of a pastor, located in a village that is over 60 miles from his parents' village. Today, he remains in hiding and hopes to someday further his education and share the Gospel with those who desperately need salvation.
"Mohammed needs support for furthering his education," the unnamed pastor said in an interview with Morning Star News. "My church, which was founded recently, is still small."
According to the East African Center for Law and Justice, Muslims make up just 12% of Uganda's population. Despite this statistic, there are numerous cases of persecution in this country, due in part to the rise of the Islamic extremist group Al-shabab.
Over the past year, multiple churches have been threatened, and the homes of several Christian families have been torched. Even worse -- a 15 year old girl who converted to Christianity died after being beaten by her Muslim father, a known Imam of Bwiti mosque in Kaliro District.
While the father was originally arrested and charged with murder, he was later released bail after denying the charge claiming that his daughter died in a motorcycle accident.
Other reports show that some other Muslim extremists attacked and killed a 12 year old girl in Katira areas in eastern Uganda. The girl, whose father was a former sheikh and later converted to Christianity, was strangled to death while the father was hit unconscious by the attackers.
