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Sani Kibili Released from Prison
(February 2009) - Sani Kibili, the 55 year old Christian who had been sentenced to three years in prison for alleged blasphemy against Islam in October 2007, was released on January 15, 2009.
Trouble started mid-October 2007 at a shop in a town that neighbours Sani's village. When three Muslim men called Sani an infidel, he denied their allegation and said that he was a believer in Christ. The men then loudly accused Sani of blasphemy against Islam and its prophet, which immediately drew violent reaction from the crowd. Other Muslims intervened and prevented the crowd from killing Sani. Two days later Sani was arrested and taken to the Sharia court in the town by Hisba, Islamic police officers. After a brief trial, the judge sentenced him to three years in prison without the right to appeal.
Several attempts by his family and church to free Sani proved fruitless. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the Christian lawyer which Open Doors hired had to proceed carefully in order to not draw any more attention to the case.
Sani's case was riddled with irregularities and the lawyer made it clear from the start that his imprisonment was illegal. As a Christian, he was not supposed to be tried in a Sharia, or Islamic, court without declaring himself willing for such a trial in the first place. In addition, the lawyer discovered many discrepancies in the transcript copies of the court proceedings, indicating a conspiracy.
During the course of events, the lawyer faced many challenges. He was even threatened by the judge when he filed an appeal. However, he remained unperturbed, facing the situation squarely. The lawyer patiently pointed out to the court the lapses in the proceedings and pleaded with the judge for justice to be given to Sani.
The lawyer's courage paid off. Finally the judge had no option but to free Sani on the grounds of a lack of evidence against him. Sani's release was a moment of great joy for his wife and six children who had had a difficult time while he was gone.
Open Doors visited a deeply appreciative Sani shortly after his release. "I cannot thank you enough. I never thought that I would be out of the prison by now, but God has used you mightily to fight on my behalf. No one but you has come to my help. I thank you... I don't know exactly how I could adequately express my joy and gratitude to you. God will reward you abundantly."
Sani's more than 300 days in prison were not easy. In his early days in the prison, he faced a lot of hostility from Muslim inmates who heard about the accusations against him from one of the wardens. When Sani tried to explain the truth to them, his fellow inmates began to shout at him, calling him an infidel until the prison warders intervened. But as time went by, God provided many opportunities for him to speak to them about his faith.
"God never makes a mistake. His work in our lives is perfect. I asked myself many times how God could allow this to happen to me. Why did all avenues to seek help fail woefully? I had endless questions, and the answers were not forthcoming. But then I started to believe that God wanted to teach me something, away from my home, in a place where He chose. He took me to school... I learned so much from my Teacher, the Holy Spirit. I have no words other than to appreciate the Lord for His wonderful deeds in my life".
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Prison Honeymoon
The pastor of a Christian woman who was in an Eritrean prison for five months visited her.
During the visit, he asked her how she would describe her time in prison.
She replied: "It was a sweet honeymoon with Jesus," confirming the fact that God is close to those who are in trouble.
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In his crowded room that accommodated about 50 inmates, Sani regularly sang to the Lord and started praising Him for the situation he was in. Even though his circumstances felt unbearable at times, the songs he sang in a prayerful mode strengthened him in those difficult moments. As he continued to trust in the Lord, his strength grew day by day. He testifies that his relationship with the Lord grew so much deeper while he was in prison. His prayer life also deepened and the fear of being killed by extremists disappeared. He had a strong sense of the Lord's presence in his life.
"One thing I could see in Sani, was how the prayers of believers around the world were at work, making him zealous to share Christ," said an Open Doors representative, shortly after he visited Sani. "For Sani, the joy of Christ has been his strength. Sani is full of life and zealous to keep walking with the Lord after this experience."
"I know people are praying for me. Their prayers are in secret, but let them keep praying for me. God is at work in my soul," said Sani.
Sani has every reason to be confident about the prayers of others around the world. He received many evidences and promises in the letters from Open Doors supporters around the world that were delivered to him.
"I think God loves me most by giving me these people to know about and pray for me. This is nothing but the unity of the Body of Christ. I don't know them, but my God knows them all, and He will bless them," said Sani as he accepted the heaps of letters from abroad.
When the representative explained to him the contents of some of the cards, Sani smiled and replied, "This will be like a mirror to me. Every time I look at the envelopes, I will say, ‘these are bundles of prayers from my brothers and sisters in Christ.' This alone will make me feel loved".
Prayer Points:
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Praise and thank God with us for the miracle of Sani's release.
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Praise God for sustaining, teaching and encouraging Sani while he was in prison.
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Thank God for the boldness and perseverance of the lawyer.
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Pray that God would continue to protect Sani.
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