Persecution of Ex-Muslims (Denmark)

Church leader and convert, flees home with family after being attacked for displaying cross. Albanian beaten for considering baptism. Several non-Danish Christians "subjected to threats and attacks in Denmark"

The Iranian-born head of the Church of Love [and convert from Islam], Massoud Fouroozandeh, fled with his family from the Odense district of Vollsmose to a little a secret location in a small town, after the two of the family's cars were smashed since they had a cross hanging inside.

"I was told by young people in Vollsmose that I shouldn't drive around the area with the cross hanging in the car. Afterward our car was completely smashed up and burned and the seats slashed. Since then the side-windows of our new car were smashed three times," he says.

After the vandalism, Massoud Fouroozandeh and his wife didn't dare let their children play in the playground in Vollsmose.

"They don't go with a headscarf, and 99% of the other children do that, so they attracted a lot of attention, and it wasn't safe to send them out to play. Therefore we moved far away from Vollsmose," he says.

Massoud Fouroozandeh is one of several non-Danish Christians who've been subjected to threats and attacks in Denmark. An Albanian member of the Church of Love was recently beaten by his countrymen, because he went around wearing a cross on his neck, and considered being baptized. And as Kristeligt Dagblad wrote in the past, a Christian Iraqi family go [sic] phone calls for two weeks telling them to convert to Islam. Massoud Fouroozandeh says that religious threats have long been known among converts.

"I don't usually flee from problems. So it's annoying that you need to move. But now it's not just about me, but also about the children. There was too much pressure. I went around the whole time thinking 'what can happen next?'," says Massoud Fouroozandeh.

He continues to be a priest at the Church of Love, where most of the congregants are Afghans and Iranians. Since the church was established in 1997 he baptized about 500 people. Most were Muslims who converted to Christianity.

"Our message is love and reconciliation. Not everybody can understand that, but it absolutely shouldn't change our mission to preach the Christian message," he says.

Odense: Iranian priest attacked for displaying cross
Kristeligt Dagblad, January 12, 2011

Muslims threaten to cut MP Naser Khader into pieces and trample him to death shortly after he criticized the Syrian president and declared that he was considering converting to Christianity

The Danish Conservative Party MP Naser Khader, a Muslim and an immigrant from Syria, has received threats from Syrians via Facebook and by telephone. One Muslim threatened to cut Khader into pieces; another said he would trample him to death.

The threats appeared shortly after Khader criticised the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and also declared that he was considering converting to Christianity. One angry Muslim wrote about Khader on Facebook that "the Muslims in Denmark are very angry at him. He defended and supported the Muhammad drawings. He says that being a Muslim is secondary to being a democrat. He fights Islam and has declared war against Sharia."

It is interesting to know that Naser Khader started the organisation Democratic Muslims in 2006. A survey showed that only 14 percent of Muslims in Denmark could identify with this organisation, seeing themselves as "Muslim, democrats and Danish." (This survey is not online anymore; a copy of the text is here). This percentage is from when the organisation had just started and received immense attention in the media (it only had 1,100 Muslim members, of whom only 505 paid for their membership).

Denmark: Only 14 percent of Muslims identify themselves as democrats
Nicolai Sennels, Jihad Watch, June 17, 2011

Afghan convert to Christianity is attacked by a Muslim at an asylum center, cut in the back, arm and neck for leaving Islam. The convert had already received a panic alarm, but it failed to work

An asylum seeker has been attacked because he converted to Christianity. Now he fears more attacks at the center, writes Politiken.

A 48-year-old Afghan was attacked by another man in the kitchen at the asylum center Avnstrup.

The attack happened because the 48-year-old had converted from Islam to Christianity.

The attacker cut the Afghan in the back, arm and neck.

The 48-year-old knew that he was in danger of being attacked because of his new faith. So he had already received a panic alarm, but it did not work

Police have not found the perpetrator, therefore fear the 48-year-old Afghan may be attacked again.

Missionary Thomas Hoyer comes from the International Christian Centre to help Christian refugees in Denmark. He says to Politiken that the case is severe:

- I do not understand why the security is not better, says Thomas Hoyer.

In December, another convert was threatened several times by Chechen asylum seekers.

"Konvertit frygter overfald" (archived)
(in Danish) DR, April 7, 2014, http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Ligetil/Dagens_fokus/Indland/2014/04/Konvertit_frygter_overfald.htm. 

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