Christian teenager released from prison in Iraq
Sixteen-year-old Maria Asya Ahmed Mohammed (at right) has been released from prison after serving two years of a 3-1/2-year sentence for killing her uncle.
She stabbed Sayeed Mohammed in self-defence in July 2006. The altercation followed years of family conflict over her father’s conversion to Christianity in 1998. Maria, her mother, and a brother were baptised in 2003. Other family members are Muslim.
The case underscored concerns over the Christian minority in the country. Tensions in Maria’s family began in 1998 when Maria’s father, identified only as Kurdish man known as Ahmed, became a Christian and soon started encouraging others to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, Open Doors said. “In 2003 Maria en [sic] her mother were baptized, which added to anger among other family members,” the group added.
“Ahmed’s brother Sayeed tried five times to kill Ahmed…In 2006 Sayeed also attacked Ahmeds wife and children. Maria managed to take a knife and stabbed her uncle just once, killing him instantly,” said Open Doors.
Maria’s family went into hiding while she served her time in a juvenile facility. They remain fearful that relatives are still seeking revenge against her.
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