In this interview, I asked a Christian mother what it's like for her children to grow up in a predominantly Muslim country and how she deals with the persecution her children face.
Firoza's daughter's struggle at school
"My daughter fought hard. She came home crying because her close friends said bad words that we don't say at home. She has been hurt by it. Her friends are not polite or nice, and they don't have forgiving hearts. My daughter said: "You have to be nice, kind and polite", and she told them about Jesus. She is the only one who believes in Jesus, so she is under a lot of pressure. She was shocked, hurt and rejected. It was a new world for her.", says Firoza, a caring mother who does everything she can to support and help her children through difficult periods of persecution.
Firoza's daughter, who previously attended a Christian kindergarten, is just starting her first year of public school. It's hard for her to make new friends at school because she's a Christian and there are days when she doesn't want to go. Firoza says they talk to her a lot about it:
"We tell her that's life, but she says: "I want to go back to my childhood" We understand her, but we also encourage her to find new friends. We pray with her. Recently we invited some friends over so they could spend some time together and she can make new friends. She doesn't understand why she is suffering. She does a good thing, she believes in Jesus, she is kind and loving. And she says: "Why don't they understand?" She feels alone. I try to talk to her a lot. I want her to share as much as possible with me so she doesn't feel like she has to go through it all alone"
The sons hid their faith
Firoza's eldest sons also tried to share their Christian faith with other children at school. "But by the time they were 9-10 years old, the pressure started to get too much. They wanted to make friends, so they started hiding their Christianity from their classmates", says Firoza. "It's really sad to see them trying to hide, but it's also hard to see them not being accepted", continues Firoza.
When Firoza's eldest son Gado was 17-18 years old, he started to change his attitude. "He went through a process that meant that the opinions of others were no longer crucial to him", says Firoza. At 18, Gado began to realize that everyone can choose their own life, and he started taking his friends to church.
Persecution within the family
Within the family, Firoza, her husband and children also find that being a Christian can be difficult. "They think that we are impure and that we have sold our faith [the Muslim faith]. They think that strangers came and gave us money and that's why we accepted Christianity. They don't say it directly to our children, but they say it to us. When we try to tell them about Christ, they attack us. We protect our children so they don't say anything directly to them", says Firoza, whose siblings are all Christians. The pressure comes from Firoza's in-laws, who have not accepted Jesus.
Although Firoza's children have not experienced direct persecution within their own families, Firoza can tell you about other children and young people who have:
"I personally know several boys and girls who have accepted Jesus and whose parents have been really hard on them. They've locked them up and forbidden them to go out. They shaved off their hair and physically punished them to get them to say no to Jesus.", says Firoza. "It's really not easy for them, but they are so bold and keep going. They don't leave Jesus, but they try to spend more time with him", continues Firoza.
Children under the age of 18 are not allowed to attend church services
In the interview, Firoza also tells me how the church tries to support and encourage the children, but for security reasons we can't reveal that here. The country's religion law prohibits children and young people under the age of 18 from attending church services, but the church is good at creating alternative settings where children can receive God's word and practice their faith.
Even though it is difficult to be a Christian in the country, Firoza still encourages her children to tell others about Jesus. Thank you for helping to lift up the persecuted Christians in this country in prayer.
* Firoza's name has been changed for security reasons.
