Ugandan sisters escape fire set by their father after converting to Christianity

Two sisters in Uganda escaped a fire that their father set at their home in reprisal for their conversion to Christianity, according to a report by zenit.org.

Amina and Shamila, two young women from Kibenge in Kasese district, were asleep on September 6, 2026, when their father, Muhamud, deliberately poured gasoline over the house and set it on fire, the report said. He acted in keeping with what he considers Islamic law.

The sisters woke when they smelled the fuel and saw flames around the house. "We saw the flames consuming our house in silence. We started looking for a plan B to escape death," Amina said. Shamila described how they got out: "We saw the flames coming out of the house and we knew our lives were in danger. We removed some bricks and escaped through a hole. We thank God for giving us a way out alive."

The fire destroyed almost everything they owned, including their mattresses, clothing and other personal belongings. Christian neighbors who were alerted to the danger came to their aid, rescued the sisters and notified local authorities.

"We are happy to say that the fire consumed our shelter, but it did not consume our faith and hope in Jesus Christ," Amina said.

Christian leaders in the community strongly condemned the attack and said it was a serious violation of Ugandan law. A local chief, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said: "I want to thank God for protecting these people. I also thank the Christians in my area for their solidarity in rescuing these innocent people. We are against these murderous acts under the pretext of a religious struggle; it is blatant and unacceptable."