by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Evangelist Simolya Latifu of Kibuku District in eastern Uganda was murdered Sunday by radicalized Islamists enraged that he had been leading Muslims to Christ, Morning Star News (MSN). Christianity is legal in Uganda but Muslim extremists have increasingly targeted believers in violent attacks aimed at preventing Ugandans from accepting Jesus as their Savior.
A resident of Molu village, Kasasira Sub-County, and a member of the local Christ Discipleship Worship Center, 47-year-old Latfu was killed by three men who attacked him with a sword as he left an evening service, MSN said. The killing was witnessed by three members of Latifu’s church, who also recognized the assassins as local Muslims Ali Buyinza, Muhammad Kamunyani and Jamada Walyomba.
“The killers were condemning him for converting Muslims to Christianity,” one of the witnesses told Morning Star News. “We hid in a thick bush. We saw Buyinza cut him on the head with a sword, and thereafter they left. We remained there for about 30 minutes, and then we took courage and slowly went to see the slain man and discovered that he worshipped with us at Christ Discipleship Worship Center.”
The police were called, resulting in the arrest of Buyinza, MSN said. Police were continuing to search for the other two killers.
In a statement to MSN, Latifu’s pastor, Emmanual Muzei said: “Angry Christian residents from Molu village flooded to Molu village swamp to mourn the death of their beloved convert from Islam who had been going from one church to another testifying about how he converted to Christianity. His testimony was an encouragement to many Christians in my church and led many to Christ. We have lost a dynamic evangelist.”