A 38-year-old Pastor was left unconscious when a stone suddenly hit him in the fore head during an open-air debate on Christianity and Islam in Kuwait village, Butaleja District, in eastern Uganda.
Residents in this area told journalists the unfortunate incident happened when irate Muslims found themselves “ill-prepared” to defend Islamic teachings vis-à-vis bible theology on the Trinity and the Sonship of Jesus, among other topics.
“A big stone hit the pastor’s forehead, and the stones as well injured three other church leaders who were close to the pastor at the podium – Moses Balabye, Agrey Gibenya and Milton Magezi,” a church leader told Morning Star News, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that reports of persecuted Christians.
Pastor Tom Palapande told the news outlet that he regained consciousness in a Kuwait clinic and was later transferred to a hospital in Mbale.
This June 21 crusade was part of a two-week gospel campaign in which the first week featured only evangelistic events, and the second week included debates with area Muslims about Islamic and Christian scriptures.
“The first three debates took place without incident, but in the fourth debate about Jesus as the Son of God, a sheikh found himself ill-prepared and left in the middle of the event,” Morning Star News reported.
Adding, “Embarrassed Muslims in the crowd responded by throwing stones at Pastor Palapande and shouting the jihadist chant, “Allah akbar,”
In his submission, Pastor Palapande told Morning Star News: “This is not the first time when Muslims attacked us, especially when they lost debates in Nasenye, Nabiganda and Bumadanda.”
“I was beaten up, and it was falsely reported in a local newspaper as well as the local radio station that I am disrespecting the religion of Islam. This is a calculated move to tarnish my name.”
He appealed for the government of Uganda to protect him and to stop Muslims from assassinating his character.
“The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be found and punished to the fullest extent of the law,”Pastor Palapande was quoted as saying.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another.
editor@ugchristiannews.com
