Daughter of imam under police guard for converting

A Muslim woman, who converted to Christianity from Islam about 15 years ago, faces severe death threats from family and relatives, forcing the British police to provide protection.

Hannah (using pseudonym to hide her identity) aged 32, is the daughter of a Muslim Imam in Lancashire. She ran away from home in the year 1991 at the age of 16, when her parents arranged a marriage, which she never liked.

Later years, she studied Christianity and accepted Jesus as her savior. She married a spiritual partner who together witnesses Christ to the churches and fellowships.

Hannah who gives talks to churches on Islam was quoted as saying; she was tortured and attacked with knives and axes in 1994 by a group of fundamentalists forcing her to hide in an isolated area. "I even moved house 45 times to escape detection," she bemoaned.

The threats against her life became more serious a month ago, prompting police to offer protection in case of an attempt on her life.

Surprisingly, the latest threat was a text message from one of her brothers, warning her that he could not be responsible for his actions if she did not return to Islam.

"I know the Koran says that anyone who goes away from Islam should be killed as an apostate so in some ways my family are following the Koran. They are following Islam to the word. But I do not think every Muslim would actually act on that," Hannah said.

Dr Michael Nazir–Ali, the Bishop of Rochester said, freedom to believe is under threat in Britain because of Islamic hostility to conversion.

“Majority of Muslims in Britain who wish to convert to Christianity are living in fear due to the Islamic apostasy laws.”