A Muslim Family’s Loveless Reaction to Daughter Who Converted to Christianity

A Muslim family has rejected their daughter after her conversion to Christianity — and she is now banned from her home.

While in Jakarta, Indonesia, a Sudanese woman known only by the name of Risma (perhaps for her protection) went to a Christian church. “This was especially unusual … since she was a Muslim and never went to church,” reported International Christian Concern, a non-partisan group based in Washington, D.C., that assists victims of persecution.

The young woman’s life changed after her experience at church. Daniel Harris, regional manager for International Christian Concern, wrote on April 26 about her story. She “felt overwhelmed with peace and joy,” something she “had never felt before,” Harris noted.

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Risma then went home — just a few hours away from the church — to her mother and sister, and tried to hide her newfound faith from her family. But once she told her family of her Christian beliefs, her mother flat-out rejected her.

“If you insist on being a Christian, you are no longer allowed to be with your family,” her mother told her. “You are no longer allowed to stay here. You must leave this house and don’t ever think of coming back.”

So the young woman moved to Jakarta, with no job — and today lives in fear. She moved in with a Muslim family but is fearful to tell them about her Christian faith. She’s communicated with International Christian Concern by texting, but “she does not answer the phone when [International Christian Concern] staff calls her for fear that the friends [she is staying with] will ask who she is talking to,” the group reported.

Despite everything, “God is good,” Risma said, according to media reports.

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, had its first Christian governor sworn into office in November 2014. Governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama lost re-election this month.

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“Purnama is currently embroiled in a lawsuit, which experts say likely affected the election outcome,” ChristianityDaily.com reported Thursday. “He was accused of blaspheming and insulting the Quran in a video that went viral. Purnama has repeatedly denied the allegations and said the video was edited.”

Indonesian prosecutors dropped the blasphemy charges against the governor on Thursday. If convicted, the governor could have gone to jail for up for to five years.

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“Ahok has continually stated that his life is in God’s hands,” Christian Broadcasting Network noted of the governor.

Over 200 million Muslims — about 90 percent of Indonesia’s population — live in the country. Some nine percent of the population, or around 21 million Christians, live in Indonesia.

“Amid all the news about Islam’s gains around the world, here is some startling news you’ve probably never heard: In Indonesia — the most populous Muslim nation — two million Muslims are converting to Christianity per year,” Charisma News reported in April 2015.