stephen goswami
August 31st 2008, 08:40 AM
Running for his life, Bangladeshi Muslim Maoist Samsul fled to India illegally. His Maoist party has set killers after him as coming to believe in Christ he has disobeyed the high command’s order to kill. But Indian Christians feared to shelter him, a confessing murder squad leader. At last a catholic priest directed him to me at Islampur bible center. There my erstwhile catholic church had sent celibate me recently then to evangelize Muslims. Actually they wanted to get rid of me as I criticized their unchristian life openly. But I took it as Christ’s will and is sticking there on my own, alone for the last 23 years. But then I felt terrific lonely and depressed. I first I feared to take him, but when for Christ’s sake I took him my heaven started.
It was dusk. As I just bolted the door of my single room cum charitable riverside clinic at Islampur, the Muslim town in India, some one knocked. I was tired after a long summer day’s work. But I opened the door to find a young man of middle class. He was very nervous and tired, obviously from a long journey. I thought that he has come for treatment. But No! He asked for shelter and began to tell a ghastly tale with stunning frankness. I heard all these from him. This is his story.
samsul Alam with his Maoist action squad was hiding behind a bamboo grove. They have received an execution order from the high command. Their target usually returns every day by the front path after firm work. It was dark already and the traffic was becoming sparse. Then the local identifying agent spotted the man approaching unsuspectingly. They fired their revolvers simultaneously at close range. samsul ran to the victim to put another bullet in the head if he was still alive. But seeing the victim closely he exclaimed “Oh Allah! I know this man”. samsul knew that he was a sociable common toiling class Christian, no class enemy or parasite. Communist Maoist parties proudly proclaimed that they are serving the society by eliminating class enemies. But that ideological façade crumbled at that moment. Samsul’s doubts were confirmed that his party has become hired murderers of vested interests.
Their gunshot has aroused commotion in the nearby village. So they fled in the dark. But no one chased them. After the recent Bangladesh liberty war and following chaos people were used to that type of murders. Overwhelmed police could do little.
The next whole week he brooded gloomily while attending the town party office. Many youths came but he remained silent. Usually educated frustrated youths were attracted towards them and samsul motivated them to become members. But he was now disgusted with it all. Then saturday morning an unusual thing happened.
samsul was a middle class graduate from a college. He had read Christian message but dismissed it as unscientific and irrelevant in this age. Long unemployed and disgusted with the system he was drawn to this party. It was quite powerful, extending all over Bangladesh. It even dared to kill in jails and protective custody. Authority cowered before them. The heady wine of power intoxicated him. Soon he was elected the leader of the local party cell and the action squad. He confessed to me latter that he has killed many with his own hand obeying high command order. The party disciplined with death the defectors and disobedient.
This morning samsul was sitting in the front room with open door towards the road as usual. Suddenly a Christian street preacher with bible in hand entered it. He might not have known that it was an antireligious, atheist party office. He started to announce the good news.samsul was enraged at the audacity and slapped the preacher hard. By the impact, the bible flew out of the hand of the preacher and he fled.samsul regretted the loss of his temper. He saw the open bible on the floor and picked it. He began to read it and soon became absorbed. As if, Bible spoke to him and he found a new peace. When he had finished it, he had come to believe and started praying.
Just then another execution order from the high command arrived. Now he could not think of it. So he avoided. After a few days a close friend confided that his execution order is out and assassins are already deputed to finish him. He is nowhere safe in Bangladesh and must run to India for life. Disguising himself immediately in the lavatory he went to his home by the back door in the night. He sensed that it was watched. Praying to Christ he caught the night bus to Indian border hiding his face by a Muslim cap. At dawn he alighted and searched for an unguarded crossing place as he had no papers. Then border was not so securely guarded and fenced as now. When darkness deepened he crossed safely to India.
I was in a fix. According to the law I would have to report him to the police as an illegal immigrant. If I shelter him police may arrest me too and punish me as a criminal’s accomplice. Then I shall lose my govt. job, my only support, which I resumed after the Catholic Church dumped me. Again, apart for my danger from this murderer, the long hand of the Maoist party may reach him crossing the 20K.M. distant border. Then I may be harmed or implicated in a case. But, seeing my hesitation, he implored in Christ’s name and that settled it.
So he resided in the small room with me. My loneliness was gone and I felt exhilarating Holy Spirit within me. It was like heaven. I slept in the small cot and he slept on the floor in that small leaking room. We boiled and ate together our rice and vegetable. He helped me in distributing medicine in that one room clinic together with other helpers. I had feared that he would be hot tempered, impatient and arrogant. No! He was polite and humble. Obviously Christ has changed him a lot within a small time, as he had also changed me while my unconverted siblings remain unchanged. Those who say that genes predetermine us are wrong. It is we, who predetermine our gene before birth. In spite of our genes Christ can uplift us in time if we cooperate.
But I expected too much of him. He could not tolerate my simplest vegetarian fare. So after some time he accommodated himself in a local Muslim communist leader’s family, tutoring the children. He continued to grow in Christianity too.
At last his well off family lifted his death warrant by money and he returned to them. From there he sent a postcard informing all these. I have no news of him form that time. But a seed of faith never stops growing as I have seen in my case, a lone abused convert from an atheist Brahmin Hindu family and clan. Heavenly Father oversees and guides our growth unseen. Rearing a world- worthy child takes much time. It will take much more time, even extending to eternity, to raise a heaven-worthy child, much more love, patience, frustration and pain too. But it is like making heaven.
In the Good Samaritan story the infidel made practical heaven that day by caring the wounded, while the believers refused and ran for a theoretical heaven. Christ pointed out to the Rabbi that they are sure to lose the real heaven as they did not make it here, but made hell. So does the Muslim suicide killer lured by the hope in a theoretical heaven.
It was dusk. As I just bolted the door of my single room cum charitable riverside clinic at Islampur, the Muslim town in India, some one knocked. I was tired after a long summer day’s work. But I opened the door to find a young man of middle class. He was very nervous and tired, obviously from a long journey. I thought that he has come for treatment. But No! He asked for shelter and began to tell a ghastly tale with stunning frankness. I heard all these from him. This is his story.
samsul Alam with his Maoist action squad was hiding behind a bamboo grove. They have received an execution order from the high command. Their target usually returns every day by the front path after firm work. It was dark already and the traffic was becoming sparse. Then the local identifying agent spotted the man approaching unsuspectingly. They fired their revolvers simultaneously at close range. samsul ran to the victim to put another bullet in the head if he was still alive. But seeing the victim closely he exclaimed “Oh Allah! I know this man”. samsul knew that he was a sociable common toiling class Christian, no class enemy or parasite. Communist Maoist parties proudly proclaimed that they are serving the society by eliminating class enemies. But that ideological façade crumbled at that moment. Samsul’s doubts were confirmed that his party has become hired murderers of vested interests.
Their gunshot has aroused commotion in the nearby village. So they fled in the dark. But no one chased them. After the recent Bangladesh liberty war and following chaos people were used to that type of murders. Overwhelmed police could do little.
The next whole week he brooded gloomily while attending the town party office. Many youths came but he remained silent. Usually educated frustrated youths were attracted towards them and samsul motivated them to become members. But he was now disgusted with it all. Then saturday morning an unusual thing happened.
samsul was a middle class graduate from a college. He had read Christian message but dismissed it as unscientific and irrelevant in this age. Long unemployed and disgusted with the system he was drawn to this party. It was quite powerful, extending all over Bangladesh. It even dared to kill in jails and protective custody. Authority cowered before them. The heady wine of power intoxicated him. Soon he was elected the leader of the local party cell and the action squad. He confessed to me latter that he has killed many with his own hand obeying high command order. The party disciplined with death the defectors and disobedient.
This morning samsul was sitting in the front room with open door towards the road as usual. Suddenly a Christian street preacher with bible in hand entered it. He might not have known that it was an antireligious, atheist party office. He started to announce the good news.samsul was enraged at the audacity and slapped the preacher hard. By the impact, the bible flew out of the hand of the preacher and he fled.samsul regretted the loss of his temper. He saw the open bible on the floor and picked it. He began to read it and soon became absorbed. As if, Bible spoke to him and he found a new peace. When he had finished it, he had come to believe and started praying.
Just then another execution order from the high command arrived. Now he could not think of it. So he avoided. After a few days a close friend confided that his execution order is out and assassins are already deputed to finish him. He is nowhere safe in Bangladesh and must run to India for life. Disguising himself immediately in the lavatory he went to his home by the back door in the night. He sensed that it was watched. Praying to Christ he caught the night bus to Indian border hiding his face by a Muslim cap. At dawn he alighted and searched for an unguarded crossing place as he had no papers. Then border was not so securely guarded and fenced as now. When darkness deepened he crossed safely to India.
I was in a fix. According to the law I would have to report him to the police as an illegal immigrant. If I shelter him police may arrest me too and punish me as a criminal’s accomplice. Then I shall lose my govt. job, my only support, which I resumed after the Catholic Church dumped me. Again, apart for my danger from this murderer, the long hand of the Maoist party may reach him crossing the 20K.M. distant border. Then I may be harmed or implicated in a case. But, seeing my hesitation, he implored in Christ’s name and that settled it.
So he resided in the small room with me. My loneliness was gone and I felt exhilarating Holy Spirit within me. It was like heaven. I slept in the small cot and he slept on the floor in that small leaking room. We boiled and ate together our rice and vegetable. He helped me in distributing medicine in that one room clinic together with other helpers. I had feared that he would be hot tempered, impatient and arrogant. No! He was polite and humble. Obviously Christ has changed him a lot within a small time, as he had also changed me while my unconverted siblings remain unchanged. Those who say that genes predetermine us are wrong. It is we, who predetermine our gene before birth. In spite of our genes Christ can uplift us in time if we cooperate.
But I expected too much of him. He could not tolerate my simplest vegetarian fare. So after some time he accommodated himself in a local Muslim communist leader’s family, tutoring the children. He continued to grow in Christianity too.
At last his well off family lifted his death warrant by money and he returned to them. From there he sent a postcard informing all these. I have no news of him form that time. But a seed of faith never stops growing as I have seen in my case, a lone abused convert from an atheist Brahmin Hindu family and clan. Heavenly Father oversees and guides our growth unseen. Rearing a world- worthy child takes much time. It will take much more time, even extending to eternity, to raise a heaven-worthy child, much more love, patience, frustration and pain too. But it is like making heaven.
In the Good Samaritan story the infidel made practical heaven that day by caring the wounded, while the believers refused and ran for a theoretical heaven. Christ pointed out to the Rabbi that they are sure to lose the real heaven as they did not make it here, but made hell. So does the Muslim suicide killer lured by the hope in a theoretical heaven.