'You Deserve Death': Family Allegedly Sprayed With Acid After Leaving Islam, Refusing to Abandon Newfound Faith in Jesus

A Ugandan family was reportedly attacked with acid for leaving Islam to embrace Christianity, according to Morning Star News, an outlet monitoring Christian persecution across the globe.

Juma Waiswa, 38, his wife Nasimu Naigaga, 32, and the couple’s daughter, Amina Nagudi, 13, were reportedly attacked on March 8 after refusing to deny their newfound belief in Christ.

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The family accepted Jesus on Feb. 17, after a pastor came to their home. The conversions sparked anger among relatives and local residents and a meeting with the family was called.

“During the meeting, we were asked about our salvation, and we affirmed to them that we had believed in Jesus and converted to Christianity,” Waiswa told Morning Star News. “They told us to renounce Jesus, but we stood by the newly founded faith in Jesus.”

This refusal sparked even more anger and dismay, with Waiswa’s father reciting verses from the Quran before the group allegedly started beating the family with sticks.

But that wasn’t the worst of the assault. The family was then purportedly sprayed with a liquid that turned out to be acid — a dangerous substance to human skin.

“As this was not enough, my father went inside the room and picked up a bottle of acid and began spraying it on us while the group started shouting, ‘Allah Akbar [God is greater], you deserve death,’ and then disowned us,” Waiswa said.

Waiswa and his family fled, and a pastor took them to the hospital for treatment. During that time, their home was reportedly set on fire. Read more about the tragic story here.

This is the latest persecution story to come from Uganda. As Faithwire previously reported, a Christian evangelist was reportedly tied up by Muslim relatives in Uganda earlier this year and told he would be burned to death over claims his faith had “embarrassed” the family.

Malingumu Bruhan, 34, was allegedly beaten and tied up on February 6 after attending a funeral service for his grandfather. Bruhan, who told the outlet he has survived 11 murder attempts, was rescued after a friend went looking for him and discovered him just before the family burned him to death.

Uganda is a majority Christian country that affords its citizens religious freedom, though there have been some cases in recent years that mirror Brugan’s ordeal. Despite being 84% Christian, certain pockets of Uganda — particularly the eastern region — are Muslim-dominated.

In 2017, persecution watchdog Open Doors USA noted at least one region had become “essentially a self-governed sharia fiefdom” due to Uganda’s decentralized government.

And The Voice of the Martyrs has also explained how this dynamic often plays out.

“Christian converts from Islam face pressure from family members and harassment in Muslim communities,” the persecution watchdog noted. “Several young people who converted to Christianity have been severely beaten and injured by parents or community members. Pastors and churches have been attacked, and some converts have been killed after their faith became known.”

Pray for those facing persecution in Uganda and across the globe.

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