Somali Christians flee Islamic extremists

HARGEISA, Somaliland — Desperate to avoid arrest in Somaliland for leaving Islam, one Christian fled to Ethiopia while another in Somalia escaped kidnappers after losing fingers for his faith.

Sharif (last name withheld for security reasons) said he had to leave his wife and four children behind in order to sneak out of Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somali, after Islamic extremists discovered he had converted to Christianity. 

Another former Muslim recently escaped from insurgents of the Islamic extremist group Al Shabaab in Baidoa, Somalia. After kidnapping the Christian, the Islamic extremists chopped off four fingers on his right hand while interrogating him about his faith, he said by phone from an undisclosed location.

Non-Somalis may practice any faith in Somaliland, but conversion from Islam is forbidden for nationals, said a church leader in Hargeisa. The constitution of Somaliland enshrines Islam as the state religion and forbids the propagation of any faith other than Islam.

(MS)