Alam (52 years old), a Christian of Muslim origin, received a note containing death threats and now fears for the safety of his family.
It all started last February 10th. “Early in the morning I woke up, I left the house and I saw a pack of cigarettes in front of the door”Alam said. “It contained a note that said, ‘Uncle Christian, how are you? Did you sleep well? You don’t have much time. Eat whatever you want. If you want to survive, renounce your faith and return to your previous faith.”.
Alam immediately showed the note to some of his Christian friends. They speculated that the note could have been written by a child from the madrassa (Islamic school) because it was written in large letters, which is common among children. Alam noted the presence of a madrassa near his home and said that the teacher at this school often insulted and mocked him because of his faith in Christ.
Alam is actively engaged in evangelism, is not afraid of what people say about him, and leads a house church in his home, through which 11 people have converted and others are deepening their Christian journey.
Alam’s family also suffered persecution. Just a few months ago, her eldest daughter and her two children were sent away by her Muslim husband: “Your father is now Christian, so I can no longer be your husband, until he returns to Islam”. The girl with her two children has returned to live with her father and now Alam must continue to work to also meet the needs of his daughter and two grandchildren: “Every day I have to look for day jobs to provide for my family’s needs: I cannot afford to stay at home because I am afraid of death threats. My life is at risk, but there is no way to prevent it. No work, no food. No food, no survival”.
Local partners are praying for this family’s needs and protection: “We helped them to gain strength and encouraged them, as well as giving them financial and material support”one of them said.
Since receiving the threat, Alam has not suffered any attacks, but the fear is real.
Christians who convert to the Christian faith in Bangladesh are often persecuted for their faith by relatives and members of their community. Frequently, those who convert from Islam to Christ receive verbal death threats from their neighbors. But when you happen to receive death messages from anonymous people, the fear and sense of insecurity increase exponentially.
Bangladesh is ranked number 26 on the Open Doors World Watch List. Through local partners, our missionary organization strengthens persecuted Christians in the country through Bible training courses, Bible distribution, literacy courses, socioeconomic development projects and distribution of basic necessities.
Tags: Bangladesh anonymous death threats exMuslim
