In northwest Bangladesh, nine-year-old Rumana is persecuted because her family left Islam.
At school, Rumana continues to face rejection and isolation every single day. But she now attends a Sunday school run by local Open Doors partners where she feels loved and accepted.
Source: www.opendoorsuk.org
SCRIPT:
Rumana
“They have been treating us badly ever since we converted to Christianity and they have their numbers. When we go out, people pray out loud and ask Allah to protect them from us. They say we’ve seen an unholy person, all of us.”
In northwest Bangladesh nine year old Rumana is persecuted because her family left Islam, the dominant religion there. Muslim villagers refuse to associate with her family in case they, too, are rejected by the community. Even when their house caught fire one day, almost everyone refused to help Rumana’s family.
“When I got home from school, I saw that there was nothing left of my house, as everything had been burnt by a massive fire. No one from my village would help. Everyone was just watching. Just one woman came to help us. But other people were scouling her, telling her not to help Christians. My father became sick from crying, but no one would let us in the house as we are Christians.
“We asked one of our Muslim neighbors, but they said no, you can’t take him into my house. If we give you space, we will get into trouble. We will be thrown out of society for helping you. No one was listening that my father was not sick. A cousin had a rickshaw. We asked him, Brother, could you please help us by taking my father to the hospital?
“He replied, He will be fine. I can’t go.”
Rumana’s family spent a year living in a hut they built in their yard until Open Doors local partners helped them to get a new house. But at school, Rumana continues to face rejection and isolation every single day.
“I’m in class five, but no one sits with me on the same bench. They tell me to sit alone. Even my teacher tells me not to sit with them as them don’t teach them the models. And when the students play on the field.
“One day I was sitting alone on the stairs. I was sitting and someone pushed me down the stairs on purpose. I fell down and I was crying, but they were laughing and nobody offered any help. They also lied to the teacher and said she fell down on her own. We didn’t push her to jump and my teachers didn’t listen to me.
“Instead, they called me a liar and asked, Why are you lying? It’s someone pestering me. I want to tell you. But in Sunday school it’s nothing like this. There are a total of 15 or 16 students and we are all friends. We all stay together, have fun, draw together, sing together.”
Rumana’s Sunday school run by Open Doors local partners is a safe place where she can be reminded that Jesus is always with her.
“I love Sunday School because there is no jealousy, no fighting, and we can all play together. I love to celebrate Christmas because all the Christians, including my Sunday school teacher, gather around together and sing songs. We sing songs and we read from the Bible. We pray and then we cut the cake.
“Jesus is with me, watching and listening to my stories and sorrows, because it is only because of Jesus’s love that I have survived until now. Despite all the persecution and jealousy, his love has guided me this far. And I know that I am on the right path through his love.”
Story Provided By:
Open Doors UK
Producing Organization
www.
Recording Location
Bangladesh
Reporter / Producer
Open Doors UK
Organization featured in this Story
Open Doors UK – www.opendoorsuk.org
People Interviewed and their Titles
Rumana
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