An Ethiopian Christian suffered deep wounds to the back of his head when he was attacked by a group of radical Muslims with machetes for evangelizing.
The 27-year-old man – who cannot be named for security reasons – was attacked July 16th while he was alone in his home in Hirna, about 250 miles east of the capital, Addis Ababa, according to a report by World Watch Monitor (WWM).
He received life-saving surgery in Adama, where a doctor, believing he would die en route to a bigger hospital, operated on his wounds. The surgery stabilized him so he could be taken to another facility for more specialized treatment.
The gang of Islamists who attacked the man was upset because he was evangelizing. First they attacked the man’s place of worship, Full Gospel Church, damaging a portion of its roof and a wall before going to the man’s house, a source told WWM.
Violent attacks directed against Christians in Ethiopia increased during 2017, according to Open Doors. They recorded more than 100 clashes that included physical attacks on people and businesses, imprisonment, and murder.
Christians in Ethiopia face other forms of persecution. A Muslim who converts to Christianity will often be rejected by family members, denied inheritance and child custody rights. Evangelical Christians face opposition from the more conservative Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as the government.
