Source: World Watch Monitor, July 31, 2015
Tofik trained to become an imam at an Islamic (madrasa) school in Africa. “In school I only learned about Islam,” he said. “Parts of our teaching were about destroying Christianity. So we did what we learned, by attacking Christians once we finished our training.”
He said he was taught that Christians are bad people, and that he and the other students were encouraged to steal from and kill non-Muslims.
“We beat them, attacked the church and burnt their Bibles… Our teachers would tell us every time there was a new church in town and we were told to go and attack the people and destroy the church. So that’s what we did,” Tofik said.
Tofik was one of 14 students selected by the local mosque to be trained in Saudi Arabia for further Islamic studies. After finishing his education, he became an imam. He led the construction of 16 mosques in his area. He also imposed a rule: No village leaders or visitors could preach Christianity in his town.
[But then] Tofik began working with Christians when a church in a neighboring village started a project and appointed him as a coordinator for the area’s social work…
» Read about what happened next or watch him tell the story on video.
» Other stories with “Saul to Paul” themes include Yazidi Leader Healed and 136 More Come to Christ (Godreports), Cambodian “Saul” Killed for the Khmer Rouge, Transformed into “Paul” by the Word and the Spirit (ASSIST News Service), Boko Haram Members Convert to Christianity (Christian Today) and Former Sandinista Now Part of God’s Army (ASSIST News Service). Let’s ask God for some extremist monks to come to Christ, too! (Asian Correspondent).