Islamic extremists in eastern Uganda beheaded a Christian pastor hours after he engaged in a public debate with Muslims about Christianity and Islam.
According to the reports, Pastor Thomas Chikooma, a resident of Pallisa town in Uganda, was brutally killed by Muslims after inviting him to an open-air debate in Pallisa. The pastor had reportedly converted 14 people, including six Muslims, into Christianity, thus angering the Muslims in the village.
As Pastor defended Christianity during the debate using the Bible and the Quran, the angry Muslims began shouting Islamic slogans- “Allah Akbar,” compelling him to run away from the venue with his son.
“Two motorcycles carrying two Muslims each and dressed in Islamic attire speedily bypassed us,” his minor son informed. According to Pastor’s son, the two motorcycles stopped at the junction opposite Nalufenya primary school and the road near Pastor’s house. The Pastor approached the Muslim mob and started speaking to them, his son said.
“Immediately some commotion began as the men started talking about the open-air debate, and soon one of them slapped my father,” the son who was witness to the incident said. The son said that he got scared and fled through our cassava plantation and arrived at home.
Family found the beheaded body pastor in the pool of blood
An hour late, the family of the Pastor returned to the scene with some neighbours. However, they did not find anyone. As they continued to search for Pastor, they found him in a pool of blood, beheaded and his tongue removed.
Soon, the Pallisa police arrived at the spot and took the body to a hospital in Pallisa for a postmortem examination. The Uganda Police are now investigating the brutal crime.
The family and the followers of the Pastor are in deep shock as they mourned the loss of Pastor Thomas Chikooma, who had planted 50 churches in eastern Uganda. Pastor Chikooma was a well-known evangelist who led St. Martin Church in Ngalwe village.
Reportedly, the killing of Pastor Thomas is the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda. Uganda’s constitution allows for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and religious conversion. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.