Persecution Post

I received an email this morning…

“On the night of February 19th, 14 year-old Leah Sharibu was kidnapped, together with one hundred and eleven girls and one boy from her school in Yobe State, Nigeria. They were taken by an Islamic terrorist group known as Boko Haram.

247 days have passed. That’s over 35 weeks. And Leah, who turned 15 while in captivity, is still a prisoner of the Boko Haram terrorists.

I thank the Lord that the majority of those kidnapped girls have been freed (104 according to some scources, 105 according to others).

Leah has not.

Her parents, Nathan and Rebecca, are convinced that this is because Leah is a Christian and refuses to renounce her faith, which would have brought her guaranteed freedom a long time ago.

Rebecca, the amazingly courageous 45-year-old mother, spoke the following about her daughter:

The people from Boko Haram asked which of them is a pagan. That’s what they call us Christians. Leah raised her hand and said she is a Christian. They told her that if she wants to be set free and go with her friends she would have to do “Kalman Shahada”, meaning renounce her Christian faith. But she said that she cannot renounce her faith and so they kept her until she changes her mind.

Some of her friends told her to publicly renounce her religion, so she could go home with them. But she said no.

“I’m in a lot of pain. But I am also happy, because if Leah dies at their hands I know I will see her in heaven.”

This is terrible – a girl of 14-15 years of age being held a prisoner for 8 months and 5 days. God only knows what she has been subjected to during all this time – simply because she will not renounce her faith!

And now her parents are telling us more worrying news – which is why I am writing this urgent email to you – ‘Our daughter is facing execution!’

In a video received by local media outlets, Boko Haram terrorists have threatened to kill Leah if their demands are not met.”

A courage founded in faith glorifies the risen Christ. May we hold this one up unto the very Throne of God. Her life is a bright and shining light to the world in which we live.

Brian Troxel