In December 2008, 26-year-old Fatima Al-Mutairi was killed for leaving her Muslim faith and choosing to be a Christian.
The Saudi Arabian woman had decided to share her newfound faith with her family, who were Saudi Muslims. Her brother, who was a Muslim cleric and member of Saudi Arabia’s Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, did not take the news well.
Locking Fatima in her room, he then set about searching her possessions for proof of her newfound faith – evidence to use against her. Fatima knew that coming out as Christian would likely mean the death penalty, even at the hands of her own brother.
While locked in her room with what she knew might be her last hours on earth, Fatima used her laptop to write a final letter. “May the Lord Jesus guide you, oh Muslims, and enlighten your hearts that you might love others,” she wrote. “…Your threats do not trouble me, and we are not afraid. By God, I am unto death a Christian…”
Fatima poured out her thoughts. She expressed her sorrow at the cruel treatment of Saudi Christians, and appealed to her fellow Muslims to embrace Christ. When she was finished writing, she posted her letter on a public internet forum for fellow believers.
Fatima’s brother kept her locked in her room for four hours that day, after which she was killed for her faith in Jesus. Her courage in the face of death and the words she shared with the world will remain a testimony and inspiration to believers everywhere.
To learn how you can pray for persecuted believers in Saudi Arabia, click here .