“A Testimony Amid Persecution”
Share ThisAhmed Hassan*| A Story and Reflection
“For which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.”
2 Timothy 2:9
The Lord Was with Me
I am a believer in Christ from a Shia Muslim background. My journey of faith in Christ began in 2003. I come from the Middle East, near the historic city of Abraham, the friend of God.
I am married, and the Lord has blessed us with two children. I have lived with my family in Europe for about 10 years, but the Middle East has remained close to my heart. I have continued to feel a responsibility towards my fellow believers and the families and children there.
The Beginning of the Ministry
In 2014, I began establishing a childcare centre in our town. Our vision was for the centre to be more than a place for children: we wanted it to serve the community and provide a place where fellow believers could work and serve together.
Through the centre’s activities, we were able to build genuine relationships with the children and their families, show them the love of Christ, and, whenever the opportunity arose, share the message of the gospel and salvation with them.
We also met regularly with believers, holding weekly meetings and organising approximately three training events each year to encourage believers and ministry workers in my homeland and help them persevere in their faith and ministry amid difficult circumstances.
We always knew that this work was difficult and carried risks, but we believed that the Lord had called us to be a light and a witness in the place where He had put us.
The Day of the Raid
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10
On 18 August 2025, while we were attending one of the training events, everything changed suddenly.
Security forces surrounded the centre and raided it during the training. I was arrested, and questioning began about my activities and ministry.
Several accusations were made against me, including Christian proselytising, printing and distributing books without authorisation, and performing baptisms. I also faced accusations of espionage against the country because of my visits and contacts. One of the things used against me was the fact that I had previously visited Israel.
I was detained for 20 days, and a 3-month travel ban was imposed on me. Initially, the ban also applied to members of my family.
One of the hardest things for me was thinking about my wife, my children, and their future. However, after my lawyer intervened and several friends made efforts on our behalf, my family was allowed to leave the Middle East and return to Belgium, while I remained to face the investigation and the court case.
Twenty Days I Will Never Forget
“Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 23:4
My detention was one of the most difficult periods of my life.
During my time in prison, I was treated with extreme cruelty, including beatings, threats, and constant pressure to force me to confess to espionage against the country.
There were long hours of questioning and mistreatment. On some days, I was kept bound and suspended for extended periods, lasting up to about five hours, while the beatings and threats continued.
The aim was to make me confess to something I did not believe I had done.
In those moments, when my human strength was so limited, all I could do was pray and cling to the Lord.
I thought about my family, the church, and the brothers and sisters in different parts of the world whom I knew were praying for me. Those prayers became a source of encouragement and strength in my darkest days.
Prison Became a Place to Bear Witness
“But the word of God is not chained.”
2 Timothy 2:9 (NRSVA)
Yet something happened that I had not expected.
I found myself surrounded by prisoners, and some began asking me, “Why are you here? What did you do?”
My answer naturally led me to speak about my faith.
I began telling them why I was in prison, about the Christ in whom I believe, and about the hope and salvation I had found in Him.
I was the prisoner who needed encouragement, yet the Lord gave me an opportunity to encourage others.
Instead of being only a place of silence, prison became a place where I could bear witness.
I got to know several prisoners, and genuine relationships developed between us. After my release, and after some of them were later released as well, we stayed in touch. Some became friends with whom I am still in contact today.
When I look back on those days now, I realise that people can bind our hands, but they cannot bind the message of the gospel.
My Release and the Continuing Case
After my lawyer intervened and friends made efforts on my behalf, I was temporarily released on substantial bail, equivalent to approximately 80,000 US dollars. My sister provided the bail so that I could leave prison temporarily while the investigation and legal proceedings continued.
But leaving prison did not mean the case was over.
About a month later, I appeared before the judge, and the charges against me were formally presented. Meanwhile, the authorities had examined my phone and computer and taken the information and files stored on them.
The court then decided to refer the case file to an expert in Islamic affairs to prepare a report on the materials found on my devices and the case against me.
About a month later, the first report was submitted to the court. It did not provide grounds for convicting me, and the court therefore did not rely on it.
The court then requested another opinion from an expert affiliated with an official Shia Islamic body. Preparing the new report took nearly two months.
This time, the report went against me. It deemed some of the materials, books, and publications on my devices to be insulting to Islam and Islamic figures. Some of these materials were books and files widely circulated on social media.
This report became a central part of the evidence used in the case.
The Verdict
After long months of waiting, investigations, court appearances, and follow-up proceedings, the case reached the verdict stage.
I faced the possibility of a prison sentence of up to three years, which weighed heavily on us as a family. We had lived through months of uncertainty, never knowing what would happen at the next hearing.
However, following the legal proceedings and my lawyer’s discussions concerning the case, the prison sentence was ultimately replaced with a fine.
And so, after about 11 months of fear, waiting, and prayer, the case ended without my returning to prison to serve that sentence.
For my family and me, this was a moment of enormous significance.
Returning Home
Some might think that, after everything that happened, I would never consider returning to the Middle East.
But about 2 months after the verdict, I returned to the Middle East once again.
I returned to the centre.
I returned to the same ministry.
I did not return because I was unafraid or because the risks had disappeared. I returned because I still believe that God placed a love for these people in my heart, and that the ministry did not end when the case ended.
At the same time, I now realise more than ever that we need great wisdom in every step we take.
So my prayer now is not only, “Lord, protect us,” but also, “Lord, give us wisdom to know how to serve You in the days ahead.”
Thank You for Praying
“But the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
Acts 12:5 (NIV)
Those 11 months were among the most difficult periods my family has ever experienced.
Yet they also taught me more deeply what God’s faithfulness means.
That is why I want to thank, from my heart, everyone who lifted their hands and prayed for me and for Ikhlas, Isaac, and Phoebe.
Thank you to every church that prayed. Thank you to every brother and sister who brought us before the Lord. Thank you to everyone who called, wrote or stood beside us. And thank you to everyone who helped my family during that time.
You may not have been with me in the interrogation room or in prison, but your prayers were with me.
Today, as I look back on those days, I do not want my story to be only a story of arrest, imprisonment, or persecution.
I want it to be a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
Those days were painful, but the Lord did not abandon me.
In a place intended to be one of fear and silence, the Lord gave me an opportunity to speak about Christ with people I might never have met anywhere else.
The case ended, but the ministry did not.
“But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.”
Acts 26:22
And we continue to pray:
“Lord, give us wisdom, courage, and faithfulness to serve You in the days ahead. Make even the most difficult circumstances an opportunity for others to know Your love, Your hope, and Your salvation.”
To everyone who prayed for us during those 11 months:
Thank you from the depths of my heart. Your prayers made a difference, and we give all the glory to the Lord for His goodness and His mighty work among us.
When I look at what happened now, I can see God’s hand even in the hardest moments. My hands were bound, but the message of Christ was not. Prison doors closed behind me, but the Lord opened doors for me to speak about the gospel with people I might never have met anywhere else.
The words of the apostle Paul became a reality that I experienced personally:
“For which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.”
2 Timothy 2:9 (NRSVA)
Today the case is over, but the calling is not. I returned to the Middle East, to the centre and to the ministry, more aware of our need for God’s wisdom and protection at every step.
As Paul said:
“But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.”
Acts 26:22
So I thank the Lord first, and I thank from the depths of my heart every church, every brother and sister, and every friend who brought my name and my family’s names before the Lord during those 11 months.
It was a painful journey, but it also became a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
I was bound, but the word of God was not.
*For privacy reasons, the author will be referred to as Ahmed Hassan throughout this story.