I, Hassan, was born in an orthodox family where I was always hearing about Islam; my parents sent me to the Islamic school to learn the Quran. They want make me Hafiz’ Qari and a good preacher of Islam. I taught Quran by heart, [memorized Quran] and was studying to learn more so that I can teach to other people about the Islam. According to my faith, Islam was a good and perfect religion and I was against the second big religion Christianity.

I always said that Christian people are foolish and mad because they believe that the Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Is Mary was the wife of God? There were many questions in my mind, which I can ask to Christian people. How a man, Jesus Christ, can save you? How you can call God the Father? God is God, and He has no wife that He can have Children.

Since 1975, I was at my uncle's Shop, where some Christian organization was throwing hand bills regarding Christianity, and I decided to read it so that I can debate with Christians, and I can guide them because they don’t know about the truth. When I started studying the scripture, interest increased in myself and, instead of converting soul to Islam, I felt some power is pulling me to the Christianity ~ to know much more about the truth and time came I was fully agreed with the scripture. Since that day and my stage, I could not return to Islam.

Then, I met a preacher of the gospel who told me more and helped me to study the Bible thoroughly. I was aware of the Muslim’s religion. I studied and compared the Bible with the Quran, where I found that Jesus Christ is not only the prophet but He is Lord and God with us on earth, who has power to forgive anybody’s sins. In the mean while, when I talked to my family and friends about the truth, a conflict arose between us which brought a fight between other people and me.

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My parents and few friends called a preacher of Islam to teach me. They asked me some questions and requested me to change my decision.

The big question was, "How you can call God the Father?" I proved it with reference. But, preacher of Islam was not agree yet. He said, "God is God. You can’t call God the Father. This is a big sin if you will call God the Father and you have to apologize. Otherwise, you will be punished."

The Preacher said, "You are out of mind and devil is working in you." I don’t know what he whispered to others. But, they beat me severely. My chin was apart and my clothes were wet with running blood. It was so painful. But, this pain was a sweet pain because it was because of my faith and I proved that my faith is true. A Muslim doctor stitched my chin.

In 1976, my father said, "You can not eat with us, you can not live with us, and you can not get share in my property because, now, you are a non-Muslim and you know very well that, according to the Islam, your punishment is death. But, I want to give you some time so that you can think about your wrong decision."

It was the second week of January, 1976, when my parents kicked me out from house with these word that, "From now, we don’t have any relationship with you, from now you are pagan for us, and still we will be ready to accept you if you can come to mosque and announce that you don’t believe this paganism."

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Many times, Muslim people and an Islamic organization tried to kill me. But, God saved me from every step of evil.

I was running and sharing my testimony, city to city. A few friends told me that, "Your parents and a religious group are looking to kill you because you are a bad example for them."

I ran away to another city where a principal of a Christian technical training center, a British man, kept me and I spent two years there; one year training for electrician and one year to serve the Lord in town and villages.

After a few months, when Muslims heard that I was living in “CTTC” (Christian Technical training center), they sent a few bad character people to kidnap me. When a British teacher saw and listened to what they were whispering, he told the principal and he ordered to shift me to other nearest city. It was a big old hospital building that they bought for mission work. I spent two months there. After two months, the principal called me back for final examination for my trade, because I was away from CTTC for two months. I passed this examination with grade C.

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I wrote a book titled “Christianity or Islam” and I sent it to a Christian press. They answered that they can not print it because Muslims can burn their press because of this book. Then, I sent it to the USA. A brother wrote me, "Muslims are looking for Sulman Rushdi, writer of satanic verses, and we can’t print it, for your sake, because Muslims can kill you and we don’t want it."

Sulman Rushdi is of Indian origin and the Iranian government issued a decree to kill him. But, Gov of France gave him asylum and security. I am not sure whether he is still alive or not.

I was missing my home city and, after two years, when I return to my city, a Christian man gave me a room to live. Next to my room, a preacher of the gospel was living with his family. They were aware of my situation. When a few people beat me severely because of my religion and same preacher of the gospel looked after me for whole night, he was praying for my life when I was terribly injured. He provided me medical treatment and, after a few days, he said, "I love you and your faith. I want to ask you if you can live with me, as my family member." He moved to another area and I spent a few years with them.

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My brothers heard that I was back to my home city. One of them contacted me, "Hassan, still we are waiting for you. Please, just go to mosque and pretend that still you are Muslim. Please, for our mother's sake, because she is sick because of this situation. Please, she is waiting for you."

"How I can leave my life? How I can leave my Savior who has died for me?" I answered.

My brother changed the topic. He smiled and said, "We are glad that you have come back. Mother can not wait to see you and we realize that we really treated you wrong, and we want to welcome you back to the family. We will celebrate it with good memory. We will arrange a big party today; whole family will eat together."

I accepted the invitation. I said this is answers of my prayers and I will join my family again.

On the same day, in the evening, I was with my father and brothers when I greeted my mother. She was weeping and cried tears of joy. It was obvious she had done everything possible to make the reunion a happy occasion. Everyone one was happy at this occasion and the table was overloaded with food. My mother cooked my favorite dishes.

When I dipped my fingers in food, my father and brothers were talking about the family business. I told them shortly about my travels and about my faith. No one was trying to convince me to return to the Islam.

My brother and father where whispering when still I was eating, I suddenly became very ill. My arms and legs prickled and went to sleep, blood was running from my nose and my body was convulsed with pain. I was praying to God in my heart because I knew what they did with me. They gave me poison in food. Then, I remembered when a few friends told me that I am a bad example for the family and the religion of Islam. I ran out to the road.

A riksha [taxi driver] asked me, "Where you want to go?" When I saw a cross was hanging in his motor riksha, I asked his name. He said, "My name is Peter.

I went to my preacher and he took me to a hospital, where the doctor washed my stomach. Praise the Lord, who saved me from the step of evil and gave me life. I was terribly sick because of the poison reaction and the preacher, and a brother in Christ, sent me to a village where I spent a few days, until I got better.

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Brothers in Christ decided that I should leave the country for a while. I ran away to other countries so that I can hide myself. I went to Iran, Turkey, Syria, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria, and China.

God is great. He can use His servant anywhere and he used me in Syria, at the Syrian’ check post, when police put me in a basement prison. I asked, "What is the charge?" They did not answer.

After a week in the basement prison, where you can not see the light, they took me to the central prison of Damascus. My charge was that I had a full bag of scripture and you can not preach Christianity in this country, and now you will be in prison for two and a half months. When I entered in prison, a prisoner Australian citizen, name David, welcome me and gave me a few instruction.

I was continue to praying to God, "Father, why you brought me here? Please, let me know what is my fault." I was feeling myself very alone in prison. Most of the time, I was spending in prayer and in singing for the Lord.

After nine weeks, police brought a British young man, named Allen, in prison. He was dressed in Syrian clothes and Muslims prisoners and workers in prison were together, and were praising their God. When I asked a prisoner the reason why they were together, he said, "Praise the God that this British man changed his Christian religion and now he is a Muslim, and we are happy that now he will go through heaven. We are glad that we convert a Christian to the Islam."

I was very sad about this situation. It was against my faith. When I was looking to Allen, he continued going to Mosque and acting, in their prayers, as they were doing in mosque.

"Father, how Allen can convert to Islam? O, Jesus, I am sure Allen is not aware of Islam. Then, why he deny you before many people?"

One day, I asked to God, "Father, I can’t face it everyday and I want to ask this young man what is the fault he have seen in my Jesus Christ. Is this is the fault that Jesus has died for you? Is this is the fault that He is crucified for you? Father, give me wisdom and knowledge, and I will talk to him."

11 o'clock at night, I went to his bed, afraid that he can tell the Muslims about this meeting, about the religion. But, I decided I have to talk. He was smoking when I greet him, "Hi!"

He said, "Hi!"

"My name is Hassan and I am from Asia."

He answered, "I am Allen, from UK."

I asked, "What is the charge against you?"

I can see the tears in his eyes he said, "I was in hotel. Someone stole my passport. Police brought me here because I don’t have proof of my citizenship. I am very much worried because UK embassy is not in this country. I don’t know what I should do."

When I heard his story, it make me sad. I asked, "What is your religion?"

He answered, "I am Muslim."

"From how long you are Muslim?"

"I accepted Islam in this country."

"Did you studied about the Islam?"

"No."

"Are you Muslim?" He asked me question.

I said, "No, I am an Asian Christian." He was screaming when I told him that I converted from Islam to Christianity. He told me that he changed his religion because of the charge that he lose his passport. One Muslim advise him, "If you will change your religion, police will treat you as a good person. Otherwise, they can torture you."

I promise to Allen, "I will pray for you and I will talk to a Australian friend if he can help you." At night, we were praying together.

One day, I saw David in next campus. I spoke to him a little about Allen and his situation. David told me, "Syrians are very against to British people. Therefore, they kick out UK embassy from Syria. But, God is great and He will help us". David promised me that he would talk to the Australian embassy, if they can help Allen.

David wrote a letter to the Australian embassy and, after few days, three people, from the Australian embassy, came for visit to Allen. They brought some fruit, clothing, and a pocket size copy of the New Testament. They promised to help.

After two days, a man came from the Australian Embassy, with a ticket and an emergency passport for Allen.

He gave me a huge hug and said, "O, Father, forgive me. You are so good to me." His last word to me was, "My friend, I am thankful to God that I am a Christian and I am thankful to you for all kind of help, and for you that you reminded me and proved that our God is alive."

I gave thanks to God, "Father, thank you that I am not alone. Thank you that you can use your children anywhere."

After two days, a police man called me and said, "You are released." And he said he was enjoying when I was singing songs in my language. Police bus released me at the Turkish border.

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I was sick and tired and could not find a job in Turkey. I decided to return to Iran. When I went to the Iranian embassy for visa, they required to charge $50.00 at the Iranian border. It make me sad because I had $45.00 in my pocket. I fasted for one day, to ask God for money so that I can get visa for Iran. I was in prayer and decided to tell the Iranian embassy that I don’t have money.

After prayer, I went to the Iranian consulate and told him the whole story about how Syrian put me in prison and now I don’t have money. He was happy when I was talking in Persian language. He said, "Give me your passport. I will see if I can help you." The next day, when I asked him, he said, "This is against to our law. But, I don’t know why I stamped visa on your passport." It was great joy. I praised God for the help.

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I went to Iran, in Tehran City, where a few friends welcomed me and they helped me to find a job. I was working in a scale factory, named ‘Benazeer’, out of Tehran. I was worshiping with a church at the University Road, in Tehran.

During the first week when I reached Iran, I went to church and I met Ali, a Iranian; a Muslim friend who was studying about Christianity. I told him about myself, how I accepted Christ as my Savior.

After a month, he proclaims and accepted Jesus as his Savior. He was working in the Air Force and was living with his brother. When his brother heard that Ali’ was interested in Christianity, he kick him out from house.

When I left Iran, Ali’ was seeking for shelter in his own country and I was ashamed that I couldn't help Ali. When I told Ali that, "Tomorrow, I am leaving your country," he was sad.

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Then, I went to China and stayed there for a month. I contacted brothers in Christ, in my motherland, so that I can return to my own land. Same day, when a military man (who was also a religious leader) died in a plane crash, I returned to my motherland.

It was a great joy. There is no place like the motherland. But sometimes, it is very difficult when you are not safe in your own home.

When Muslims heard that I was back, they tried to kill me by accident and they crushed my legs. God sent some people and they took me to the nearest hospital, which belongs to a Prime minister of that country.

When the Christian world heard about this incident, they were praying for me. Muslims were happy that, now, I will never walk and I will spend my life as a disabled person.

God is great and He is always so good to me. I spent more than one and a half years like a disabled person and my God saved me. Now, I can walk and work. But up to now, sometimes, inside pain remind me that God is alive and he brought me to life when I was on a bed, like a dead person.

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God gave me new life. But, I was not able to travel. I decided to live in a town so that I can hide myself from this evil world.

I brought a mini truck and decided to start a business, so that I can get my daily needs. I started work as a salesman with a food factory. After a few months, after some struggle, I won the market; as God was with me and I was starting my work with prayer and guidance from God. He really blessed me and gave me a name in this field. When other workers heard that I converted from Islam to Christianity, they beat me and, after a year, I left that factory.

After a few days, God gave a contact for another factory and I got the job as sales supervisor. After a year, when people heard that I converted from Islam to Christianity, before they persecute me, I left the factory.

I joined another food factory. They were happy with my job and they gave me distribution for their products. I spent two years with them and, when I left this place because of my faith, a friend told me of a job as a salesman. I went there for an interview and I was selected.

The church advised me to marry and I married to a Christian lady. Sarah, my wife, was working as a staff nurse in a government hospital. Life was smooth and we were happy in our home. Three years later, God blessed us with a baby boy. Then, just over a year later, God blessed us with a baby girl. We were living in town, away from the enemies of faith.

It was April 1998, I was working as a salesman. One day, in my factory where I was working, a Muslim man asked me, "Let us to go to mosque for prayer." I ignored him, as I didn’t hear him. He asked me again and repeat it three times.

After that, he asked one of my drivers, "Why your boss is not going to mosque?"

He answered, "How he can go to mosque? He is Christian."

"No how. He can't be Christian. In our record, he is Muslim; by his name and father's name."

When he insisted, my driver said, "Why are you asking me? Ask him he is converted from Islam to Christianity."

It was too much for a Muslim. He talked to other fellows. They beat me severely. They said, "Why you didn’t inform us when you join the factory? We were eating with you and we don’t know that you are a unholy person." They beat me and broken my truck. I ran away. They warn me to leave the factory and return to the Islam.

I left everything. I talked to a Christian friend about the situation. He was sorry to help me.

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One day, I was with a preacher of the gospel when, 10:30 at night, he dropped me at home. Burglars had forcefully opened the safe with a steel bar. Money, jewelry, and other many things were gone.

We called to other brothers for help. We prayed together for wisdom and decided that we would not go to police, because police could arrest me because of my faith. I was praying to God for help and was asking God for wisdom and I told God, "I am leaving this country. Father, you know they warn me and they want to kill me, and my family. Please, help me."

A converted brother whom we love, who is working as a preacher, he came to me and said, "I am very sorry for the situation." He talked to a friend who is a Bishop.

One day, Bishop call me and said, "I am sorry for everything. I wish if I can help you," and he provided me help to escape to the UAE.

One day, same Bishop phoned me from the next state, to me in UAE, that he wanted to introduce me to a couple, they are servants of Lord. It was really a great fellowship, when I met a Dutch couple; husband and wife. I felt that God blessed me through this couple. They are lovely people and you can see God from their lives. They asked me to see my wife in my country and, after a few days, my wife told me about their meeting.

It brought tears in my eyes when my wife phoned me and was explaining about their love. My wife told me she met her, as she is her mother. She said she was screaming with me, as I am her real daughter. When my wife told, to the great Dutch couple, about our past; how Muslims robbed our house, she presented a precious gift, a diamond ring, to my wife. This precious ring will stay with us as long as we are in this world. It will remind us of the love of God and it will explain to us the love of His children.

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I was fasting and praying in the UAE. I was praying to God, "Father, guide me about my future."

One day, I received a phone call from Nashville, Tennessee, USA. A brother said, "We heard about you and we are very sorry." He said, "We have a brother next to your state, named Larry K. Harm. He is a USA national. We already talk to him and he will help you." I took his phone number and address, and went to his state.

When I phoned, his servant told me that brother Larry K. Harm was in his office. When she phone him in his office, he came to see me. "Hi! My name is Larry and you must be Hassan."

"Yes," I answered. Brother Larry K. Harm gave me good respect and asked about my need. He asked me if I need money. I told him I have different problem, that I ran away from my country because of religious persecution and I can’t return to my country.

He said, "We will pray for you and we will help you as we can."

One day, he phoned me that he has contacted to Swaziland, where church can give you shelter. I don’t have word to explain about their love. Larry K. Harm's family and the church treated me as I am their real brother.

After one month, I flew to South Africa, where a friend, who sponsor me for this trip, received me at the airport. I could not see my brother, Larry K. Harm, again. But, they will continue to be in my prayers. Praise the Lord, who helped me to flee the persecution from UAE.

After a few months, Brother Larry K. Harm and the church brought my wife and children to UAE and, after a week, they saw off my family for Swaziland. I am thankful to God for the wonderful families and their undying love.

One day, I received a packet from Holland. It was great joy when I open it and received a wonderful book. It is written by same wonderful Dutch Servant of God whom I met in UAE. The book title is “Hidden Sorrow Lasting Joy”, by Anneke Companjen, from Open Doors International. They make worldwide prayer requests for us and so many people in the world are praying for us. We can not forget their love and I can’t value ate their love with anything in the world. I want to say that they are servants of the Lord and the blessed people in this world.

So, I spent over 6 years in Swaziland. The church applied for USA and Canada citizenship for us, so that we can live an independent life. But, they refused. When a friend told me that the situation is bit better in our country, I decided to return to home land. I have been visiting South Africa and Mozambique a couple of times.

Wednesday, 08, September 2004, I was attacked by some fanatic Muslims and injured badly, but saved and alive by the special grace of God.

In His Love,
Hassan