Source: Christian Broadcasting Network, March 31, 2015
Yemen is the Arab world’s poorest country. With the majority of the Yemini people following Islam, the tiny Christian community there is under constant threat.
“Life for Christians in Yemen is very hard,” a Yemini Christian named Sam told CBN News. “For that matter, across the Middle East, there’s not a country where Christians are not suffering for their faith. This is our reality.”
Sam was a Muslim, but he converted to Christianity. CBN News met him at an undisclosed location off the coast of North Africa. In an exclusive interview, he said if authorities discovered his real identity, he could be arrested or killed.
“All Christians in Yemen are from a Muslim background,” he continued. “According to Islamic Sharia law, it is forbidden for Muslims to convert to Christianity.”
“The government says there is religious freedom, but that is not true,” he continued. “Christians are routinely harassed. They face daily struggle and persecution; first from their family members, then from the government.”
Some 25 million people live in Yemen. The majority follow the Sunni branch of Islam. No one knows for sure how many, but it’s estimated there are a few thousand secret Christians.
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» See also What Is Going on in Yemen? (The Economist) and Remembering Yemen (J.D. Payne).