A Bold Declaration
At his school in Turkey, nine-year-old Hussein fumbled excitedly with the clasp on his necklace. After fastening it around his neck, he straightened the cross pendant. He was proud to let his teachers and fellow students know of his new Christian faith. The feeling would not be mutual. In his innocence, Hussein didn’t know that 96 percent of Turks are Muslim. Although many do not practice their faith, most believe that all Turks should be Muslim. He didn’t know that practicing another religious faith is culturally unacceptable. He didn’t know that despite government claims of religious tolerance, Jesus followers are not welcome in many parts of his country.
Faith and Joy
Hussein knew none of that the morning he first put on the cross. He knew only that his father, a former Islamic scholar, loved Jesus and so did he. His faith was as real to him as the cross he’d just placed around his neck. “I felt so alive hearing the hymns and singing in the church,” he said, describing his first time in a church. “I felt I had to learn more about this. I was so joyful, and I thought this might be my last time in church. So I opened the hymnal and thought about tearing the pages out and keeping them. I did not take them, but I wanted to so badly.”
Facing Opposition
A year later, he decided to wear the cross, in part because he thought it could be a good way to talk with other students about his faith. “It’s not the physical cross; it’s the meaning of the cross,” the precocious boy shared later. “It is a beautiful thing. I wanted people to ask me about it so I could tell them about Christ.” He did not anticipate the danger that wearing the cross would incite. Some students spit on the cross. Other students swore at him. “Stinkin’ kafir,” they called out. They threatened him because he embraced the dreaded “religion of the West.”
To Be Continued…
Date: 17th January 2026
Martyr: Hussein B
Location: Turkey
Source: The Voice of Martyrs “I am n”
Author: Not specified
Suffering Saturday 178
Previous post
Next post
