As a child in Gawo Kebe, Ethiopia, Taha Abduraman Dinka faithfully attended the mosque and adhered to his community’s Islamic beliefs. He never imagined his life would ever take a different direction. 

In 2019, Dinka heard the gospel and decided to follow Jesus. He said he experienced spiritual freedom the day he put his trust in Christ.  

“When I accepted Christ, I felt peace in my life,” he told an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer. “I believed God had rescued me from darkness.”  

However, the decision that brought him hope also opened the door for rejection, threats, and persecution. Soon after his conversion, Dinka began facing strong opposition from those closest to him. Family members and community members became hostile toward him because of his faith in Christ.   

“The pressure increased as I openly continued attending Christian fellowship and speaking about my new faith,” he recalled. “People I loved turned against me, and some even told me I had betrayed my family and my religion. Others warned me that I would suffer or die if I continued following Christ.”  

Trusting God 

Although Christians worship freely and openly in Ethiopia, Christian converts from Islam in Muslim-majority areas often face violence and even death threats.

This became Dinka’s reality in August 2025. 

“I was violently attacked and forcefully removed from my home because I had refused to renounce Christianity,” he said. “The attacks left me injured and traumatized. I was beaten because I would not deny Jesus. At that moment, I realized my life was truly in danger.” 

Dinka was forced to flee from Gawo Kebe to Dembi Dollo town in search of safety. 

“I left everything behind to stay alive,” he said. “Even now, I do not feel safe, but I trust God with my future. I have lost many things, but I cannot leave Christ. He gave me strength when everyone else rejected me. My faith has become deeper through suffering and uncertainty. During moments of fear and loneliness, I believe God remains close to me.” 

When asked about Jesus’ teachings that his followers would experience persecution, Dinka said he now understands those words more clearly than ever before.

“Before, I used to read about persecution in the Bible, but now I have experienced it in my life,” he said. “I believe persecution is painful but also part of standing firm in faith. Persecution does not mean God has abandoned us. Sometimes it shows that we truly belong to him.” 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email us. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.