Muslims are known to be extremely loyal to their faith, and those who exhibit any signs of wavering face serious consequences. Those who leave Islam and convert to Christianity or another faith are forthwith expected to be disowned by their own families and even face the prospects of death.
Barazan Azeez, a Muslim from Iraq who converted to Christianity, explained how he dealt with these difficult issues in a recent interview with The Christian Post.
He said the more he came to know God, the more determined he became to let go of his former religion and embrace Christianity instead.
He said he learned everything about God after reading the Bible.
"I was a devout Muslim and often preached, but there was something missing. There was something empty about Allah and the Quran. Jesus appeared to me in a dream and open my eyes," he shared. "I used to be a violent person internally and I was always afraid of Allah. I kept following instructions to satisfy him; however, as I read the Bible I began to love the true God and see His truth."
Azeez knew the stakes at hand when he changed his religion. In fact, there are two Quaranic verses, 2:217 and 4:89 that deem death as the penalty for apostasy. Even their prophet Muhammad declared: "Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him."
But Azeez believes that being closer to Jesus Christ is all worth it, even if it meant being ostracised by his own family. "In the beginning, my family thought I was joking and claimed that I was going mad. After months of debates, they started to threaten to kill me," he said. "It was God's grace that helped me overcome the fear."
The Islamic State has made it very difficult for people to acknowledge any other religion apart from Islam, and that is why Azeez believes that Christians need to be stronger and proclaim God's truth in regions that are in desperate need of hope.
"I believe Satan creates chaos in the Middle East to stop the Gospel from reaching our people. This is one of his last strongholds in the world and he won't back off easily," he said.
