I was a staunch Muslim, well versed in the Quran and other Islamic theological writings, but Jesus changed me and I got converted. Later on, I turned into a progressive international gospel preacher involved in soul winning outreaches, discipleship, Christian advocacy, care for the persecuted believers, and education for disadvantaged children.
After becoming a Christian. I was assaulted and excommunicated from my family because, according to Islamic Sharia law, the sin of apostasy (leaving Islam) must be punished by death. While Uganda does not have any laws criminalizing apostasy, many Ugandan Muslims still feel strongly that this is a sin and must be punished by death. Because of that, on December 24, 2011, Ugandan Muslim extremists attacked me and poured acid on my face.
Acid is a dangerous burning chemical. When it is poured on a person, the result is horrifying, it causes the skin tissue to melt, often exposing the bones below the flesh; sometimes even dissolving the bones. Acid would have burnt me to death had the Lord not helped me.
Therefore, I’m one of those believers who have experienced severe persecution because of the gospel. But I hold no grudge against those who subjected me to such a horrific treatment, and still threatening to kill me. I forgave them, and prayed a blessing. I’m happily minding my business of spreading the message of love and hope.
The current Xenophobia violence in South Africa is unnecessary. There is nothing that has sparked off a standoff between the foreign nationals and South Africans. When you observe carefully, you find that some of the attacked shops are South African brands. For me, this is nothing more than pure criminality and bloodthirstiness. Theories of how foreigners affect the country’s fortunes are completely unfounded. It’s a total misconception. There are no studies that explicitly confirm that if foreign nationals come to South Africa, they affect the economy or society negatively; and whether they are duly involved in crimes.
South Africa now has over 58 million citizens, and it’s debatable as to how many migrants are leaving or working in South Africa regularly or irregularly. Official statistics from the 2011 census suggest just over 2 million while a discredited report quoted extensively claimed that they are up to 5 million migrants. In whichever case, 2-5 million out of 58 million is not an alarming proportion figure whatsoever.
Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, please do not tolerate these attacks. The South African government should teach South African people to accept foreigners, because they come with missing knowledge, experience and expertise necessary for a healthy competition in every sector; a key factor in modern development.
Hating foreigners because of their success in the land is a horrible mistake. This is not the South Africa which Mandela dreamed about.
Indeed, xenophobia is a betrayal and direct attack to both Madiba and the pan African escalations. In the same way, foreigners, please do not do revenge, it will create more bloodshed that might bring long term damage to the black African people.
Dear Church leaders, let us deal with the spirit of Shaka Zulu, who did not value human life. He killed many people likes chicken. On humanitarian grounds, we appeal to ambassadors of different countries to open their embassies, and provide a safe haven to protect those foreign nationals from the attacks of xenophobia.
I pray for peace and understanding to prevail in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Editor’s Note: The above article is a transcript from Dr Umar Muslinde’s update on current events in South Africa uploaded on his official you-tube channel 7 September, 2019.
