Islamic Extremists Destroy Uganda Pastor's Properties and Church Building, Leaving Him Homeless
A pastor in eastern Uganda is now without a home and a church building after a band of Islamic extremists ransacked his property and drove him away, a news report says.
Pastor Christopher James Kalaja, of Nakabale village in Kaderuna Sub-county, Uganda, was forced to run away after a group of nine Muslims, all of them armed with blunt metal objects, invaded his property on March 27, Morning Star News reported.
The band of Muslim assailants, all of them shouting "Allah Akbar" ("God is greater"), quickly destroyed Pastor Kalaja's property, including the trees on his land, before quickly moving on to destroy the church building.
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"As they were approaching, they were shouting 'Allah Akbar' and immediately started cutting down the trees on my farm, and thereafter pulled down the church building," Pastor Kalaja said. "I then took off for the sake of my life."
Pastor Kalaja, a father to six children and the pastor of Agape Sanctuary International Church, said he tried to get help from the local police authorities in Kaderuna, but failed to receive any as authorities didn't respond.
The following day, Pastor Kalaja went to the Budaka District Court and filed a case against Dongo Patrick and Subairi Kasabu, whom he listed as the leaders of the group that attacked him.
Pastor Kalaja said the police did not arrest any suspect and that since the case was filed, he has received death threats.
"Since then, I have been receiving threats that they will come for my life, that they will soon destroy me completely," Pastor Kalaja said.
Pastor Kalaja said he has been persecuted by Muslims for quite a long time now. Since he started to reach out to the Muslims in the community, he has been threatened time and again, and even lost his mother to the people who persecute him.
"These people have been hunting for me since the early '80s," Pastor Kalaja said. "And as a result, they even managed to kill my mother by poisoning, and after the death of my mother, they went ahead and killed my livestock."
"They are provoking me to leave the area."
Pastor Kalaja and his family are being sheltered by a friend.
