The faith journey of a longtime underground Christian in Somalia ended in tragedy when Islamic militants controlling a security checkpoint killed him after finding Bibles in his possession.
Militants from the Muslim extremist group al-Shabaab killed Omar Khalafe, 69, on Sept. 15 at a checkpoint they controlled near Merca, a Christian source said.
Leaving Mogadishu by bus at 7:30 a.m., Khalafe was carrying 25 Somali Bibles he hoped to deliver to an underground fellowship in Somalia. By 10:30 a.m. he had arrived at the checkpoint controlled by al Shabaab, a rebel group linked with al-Qaida that has taken over large parts of the war-torn country.
A source in Somalia said the passengers were ordered off the bus for inspection. The militants found 25 Somali Bibles in a passenger’s bags; when they asked to whom the Bibles belonged, the passengers responded with a chilled silence.
The militants found photos in the bag and saw that Khalafe resembled a face in one of them, the source said. They asked Khalafe if he was the owner of the Bibles; he kept quiet. They shot him to death. (CD)
Share with others: