KASESE-(MaraviPost)-Two teenage sisters in western Uganda, identified as Amina and Shamila, reportedly escaped a house fire after converting from Islam to Christianity less than two weeks before the incident.
According to International Christian Concern (ICC), a Christian news and religious-freedom magazine, the incident occurred in Kibenge, Kasese District, with the organisation reporting that the sisters’ father, Muhamud, allegedly poured petrol over the house and set it alight while they were sleeping.
ICC reported that the sisters converted to Christianity on August 26 and said their father had previously warned them that he would act “to fulfill Islamic law” because they had rejected Islam.
The sisters reportedly woke to the smell of fuel and found themselves surrounded by flames, while the normal exit from the house was inaccessible.
According to their account, they removed bricks from a wall, created an opening and escaped through it before the fire could engulf them.
The blaze reportedly destroyed much of their property, including mattresses, clothes and other personal belongings.
Christian neighbours subsequently came to the sisters’ assistance and alerted local community leaders, according to reports.
Amina later described the incident as a test of their faith, saying the fire destroyed their shelter but did not destroy their faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
The account was subsequently carried by other Christian news publications, including Christian Today and Worthy News, which also reported the sisters’ account of the incident.
However, the allegations against Muhamud have not been independently established through a police statement, court record or government announcement identified in the reports reviewed.
The circumstances should therefore be understood as allegations attributed primarily to the sisters and the organisations reporting their account.
The case has nevertheless drawn attention to the potential risks faced by religious converts in communities where changes of faith can create serious family or social tensions.
It also highlights the importance of protecting freedom of religion and ensuring that allegations of violence are investigated by the relevant authorities under Ugandan law.
The incident remains a deeply troubling account of two teenagers who, according to the reports, survived a potentially fatal fire and were subsequently assisted by members of their community.
Leave a Reply