by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Islamist extremists in eastern Uganda attacked two evangelists with knives earlier this month after the Christians led local Muslims to Christ, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
This type of attack on Christian evangelists by Islamists, angered that Muslims are turning to Christ, has become increasingly frequent in Uganda.
On October 7, Robert Okia, father of six children, and Wilberforce Mutenga, father of two, together went to the predominantly Muslim village of Busakira village, in eastern Uganda, and preached the Gospel there, MSN reports. Eight Muslims came forward to put their faith in Christ after the evangelists had shared, Muntenga told MSN.
Having left Busakira, the evangelists then made their way to Ikule village, Mayuge District, where they visited two homes before being surrounded and attacked by angry Islamists, MSN reports.
“One shouted the Islamic slogan of ‘Allah Akbar [God is greater]’ three times, and everyone began to get hold of sticks and started beating us badly,” Mutenga told MSN. “We were beaten because of taking the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the purely Muslim community of Ikule village,” Mutenga said. “We didn’t know that Muslims in this place had heard about our successful mission in Busakira village.”
After beating them up, the assailants threw Okia and Mutenga into a swamp, where they remained bleeding until a local herdsman heard their cries for help and took them to hospital, MSN said. Mutenga sustained a knife wound to his head and a dislocated right knee, among other injuries while Okia suffered a knife wound to the knee and rib and hand injuries in addition to bruising and swelling, MSN said.
“We need your prayers all the time, because when we recover, we have to continue with the message no matter the persecution which we have gone through,” Mutenga said.