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11-Year-Old Ex-Muslim Boy Clings to Christian Faith Despite Beatings

  • Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Published Feb 06, 2012

February 7, 2012

An 11-year-old former Muslim boy in Turkey named Hussein has remained strong in his Christian faith despite beatings, bullying and assaults, CBN News reports. Hussein accepted Christ at the age of 9 after his father -- once an Islamic scholar -- became a Christian and began taking his family to church. Wanting to share his faith with others but unaware of the potential dangers he faced for leaving Islam, Hussein began publicly professing his faith at school by wearing a silver cross necklace. His Muslim classmates taunted him, spitting on him and calling him names. When he threatened to report one of the bullies to the principal, the bully's father said he would shoot Hussein if he took action against his son. In addition, Hussein's religion teacher beat him regularly with a two-foot-long rod because he wouldn't recite Muslim prayers. Because of the stress and trauma, Hussein began experiencing grand mal seizures; he now takes medicine to treat the condition and attends a new school where he suffers fewer attacks. However, he insists he will never recant his faith, no matter what. "Christ said, 'You would suffer for me,'" Hussein said. "So it's okay to suffer and we should be happy to suffer for Him. The Lord is with me." With or without the cross necklace, he said, he will continue to tell others about Jesus.