President Trump Gives Religious Freedom Award to Muslim Imam Who Risked Life to Save Persecuted Christians

John Ellis : Jul 23, 2019
PJMedia.com

Mike Pompeo hosted the awards ceremony on July 17, where he handed out the inaugural award to 5 worthy recipients.

(Washington, DC) — [PJMedia.com] This is the first year that the US State Department has issued the International Religious Freedom Award. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the awards ceremony on July 17, where he handed out the inaugural award to 5 worthy recipients. (Image: YouTube screenshot of Imam Abubakar Abdullahi of Nigeria/via PJ Media)

Among the honorees, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi stands out because he "selflessly risked his life to save members of another religious community." The State Department adds that the fleeing Christians "would have likely been killed without his intervention." Providing the details, the State Department continues:

On June 23, 2018, ethnic Fulani herdsmen, who are predominantly Muslim, launched coordinated attacks on 10 villages in Barkin Ladi, killing hundreds of ethnic Berom farmers, who are predominantly Christian. As Imam Abdullahi was finishing midday prayers, he and his congregation heard gunshots and went outside to see members of the town's Christian community fleeing. Instinctively, the Imam ushered 262 Christians into the mosque and his home next to the mosque. The Imam then went outside to confront the gunmen and he refused to allow them to enter, pleading with them to spare the Christians inside, even offering to sacrifice his life for theirs. Although the gunmen killed 84 people in Nghar village that day, Imam Abdullahi's actions saved the lives of hundreds more. Born in Bauchi State around 1936, the Imam has lived in Nghar for 60 years and led the Muslim community through the mosque, which was built on land provided by the Christian community. Imam Abdullahi's courage in the face of imminent danger and his history of outreach across religious divides demonstrates his lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith understanding and peace... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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