Christians pray under gunfire while worshipping in Somalia

Here we go again as more people have been killed in Somalia as Christians were celebrating Pentacost. The battle for Somalia between the government, insurgent group al-Shabab, advanced on the presidential palace overnight, but were stopped by government troops and African Union peacekeepers, according to BosNewsLife. How much longer will the fragile, barely functiong government hold out against repeated attacks from Islamic terror groups like al-shabab? Will it really matter as both sides are intolerant of Christians. The current president of Soamlia, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is not fond of Christians and favors the extremely oppressive shariah law. Anything but Islam and shariah law are considered barbaric and unacceptable to all islamic groups in Somlia. I look for much more bloodshed and more deaths of Christians living in hell, I mean Soamlia.

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Somalia Christians observe Pentecost amid gunfire, 14 deaths

Undergroundsite.com: Somalia’s minority Christians still observed Pentecost, despite a spray of gunfire between pro-government troops and Muslim militants causing 14 deaths.

The engagement occurred as the insurgent group al-Shabab advanced on the presidential palace overnight, but were stopped by government troops and African Union peacekeepers, according to BosNewsLife.

Somalia’s frail government faces unrest from two insurgent groups, al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam. Although the two latter groups agree that they want a more strict Islamic state, they are also fighting each other, aside from both groups fighting the government.

As of now, much of central and southern Somalia and large parts of Mogadishu are under the control of insurgents. The Sharif government controls small areas around the airport, seaport and presidential palace, with the help of African Union troops, BosNewsLife reported.

The Sharif government also struggles with internal conflict. Last week President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed tried to fire the prime minister, but backed down this week, stating that he recognized the method of the firing was unconstitutional, according to BosNewsLife.

Both the Sharif government and the two warring insurgent factions would like to obliterate the Christians. While the president proclaims himself a moderate, he embraces a sharia, or Islamic law, that mandates the death penalty for those who leave Islam, BosNewsLife reported.

On the other hand, both Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam would like to rid Somalia of Christianity, and all non-Islamic culture, which they describe as barbaric. It is believed that there are 1,000 Christians in Somalia, BosNewsLife said.

Al-Shabab recently shot and killed Christian leader Yusuf Ali Nur, 57 whom they suspected of being a Christian. Nur was killed in Xarardheere, a small town 37 miles from the regional capital Jowhar. Nur left behind a wife and three children, aged 11, 9 and 7, according to BosNewsLife.

Al-Shabab had also, before then, shot and killed Christian Mu’awiye Hilowle Ali in front of his house in the town of Afgoye, some 15 miles west of the capital Mogadishu. Ali is survived by a wife and ten children, BosNewsLife said.

Over a dozen Christians are known to have been killed by militants within a year, according to Christian advocacy groups. This troubled country has also seen tens of thousands of people killed in war, and over a million displaced in what aid groups call the most dire humanitarian situation in the world, BosNewsLife reported.

The president has met with the international community at a United Nations backed conference in Istanbul, Turkey, to shore up worldwide support for his fragile government, according to BosNewsLife.

On Saturday, May 22, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reportedly said that international support for the government is “the only way” to stabilize Somalia, which has not had a stable central government in nearly 20 years, BosNewsLife reported.

Somali pirates have earned well deserved notoriety for regularly attacking international ships, kidnapping their seamen and demanding ransom.

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