"Before I became a Christian, I was deep into Islam." So says Ahsan, as we call him here for security reasons. Ahsan is not a man who always speaks up, but when you ask him questions, he answers thoroughly and in detail. He lives in Libya, but I meet him in a neighboring country.
In 2011, there was a revolution in Libya where the country's former leader, Muammar Gadaffi, was executed. "At that time, I believed that the introduction of Sharia law in all areas of society was necessary," says Ahmad.
"But I and several of my fellow law school students came to the realization that if Sharia is to be implemented in the real world, there would be problems. For example, you have to cut off a thief's hand," he says, rolling his eyes slightly.
"I thought the world must think we had become a North Korea. What I want to say is that Sharia is barbarism. I realized that civil law is the best for our nation. The philosophy behind civil law is that people can change it themselves, while Sharia cannot be changed because it comes from Allah."
Ahsan saw videos with Christian Arab apologist: "I was very shocked by what I heard"
Ahsan began studying Islam, including how Islam came about and what societies were like before and after Islam was introduced. "At that time, I saw a debate on Youtube with the Christian apologist Brother Rashid, who, among other things, debates with Muslims. I even watched the video with a Salafist," Ahsan says with a wry smile.
"When Rashid told me about Jesus, I understood that Jesus was merciful to people. That's why I wanted to read more about Jesus. I could see that Christians have compassion for others. Christians look at Jesus and help others. I could see that the Red Cross helped people and that there was a cross in the organization's logo. All of that resonated with me."
"In just one day I watched 40 videos with Rashid. Rashid doesn't speak from his own opinions, but simply explains what is actually written in the Bible and the Quran respectively. I was very shocked by what I heard. All my life I had believed in Islam, but now I saw that it was false. But even though I came to this realization, I did not seek out Christians."
"Back then I was a radical Muslim and had a little ISIS fighter inside me," and with a smile, Ahsan illustrates with his fingers a three centimeter tall ISIS fighter. "But after two years of searching, I left Islam in 2015."
"In 2016, I wanted to hear about Jesus and contacted the Christian TV channel Al Hayat and spoke a few times with people from the follow-up team."
"In the Christian faith I have gained wisdom of salvation"
Ahsan then made contact with the Danish European Mission's partner. In the beginning, Ahsan could call 3-4 times a day, and over the years Ahsan has been trained in the Christian faith and has received a lot of support, advice and encouragement: "I understand more and more about God and want to follow Jesus. In the Christian faith, I have gained wisdom of salvation. As a Muslim, you are always unsure whether you will go to heaven or hell when you die, but by believing in Jesus you have peace with God and know already on earth that you will go to heaven."
"I read the Bible and follow Jesus. I read the Bible thematically, for example about forgiveness. Since I became a Christian, I've experienced that my life has changed, I've become better at listening to others, less angry and selfish. Now my life is surrendered to Jesus."
According to the Arab Barometer poll, Ahsan is not alone in his frustration with Islam. In 2019, the poll found that as many as 36 % of 18-29 year olds in Libya identify as non-religious. This number is high in a country where Islamists want influence.
"Yes, there are several. The majority of my fellow students think the same - that civil law is better than Sharia and that it will be a disaster if Sharia is introduced in Libya. I estimate that the majority of people compare the Islamist groups in Libya to the Islamic State, and this is not meant positively."
