THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFULS

 

One time ago, in a town called Toulfe, around the Sahara 

In the northern region of Burkina Faso,

Four zealous Christian men were on their way to a crusade. 

They were ambushed and captured 

By a Jihadist group, a terror group called Ansarul Islam.

The group has been fighting to hoist the flag

Of an Islamic state in a country populated

By Muslims, Christians and traditionalists.

After taking the four captured men

To their fortress in the heart of the desert,

They rallied their followers around them

Shouting "Allahu akbar!" The captors were amused by the fear of their captives. 

The leaders of the jihadists came forward

With knives, guns, and other scary munitions hanging or strapped

Around them. They looked fiercely at the cowering Christian men

And gruffly ordered them to renounce

Their faith and religion for Islam or die by beheading.

The captives, the Christian men, were isolated. One by one they brought the men forward, 

Brandishing their knives, ready to strike off the head.

The first promptly renounced his faith and was set apart.

The second did the same and professed Islam

To be the only true religion. He was joined to the first.

When the third was brought forward, he bluntly

Refused to renounce his Christian faith for Islam.

At first, he was prodded with knives and then beaten

Till blood began to gush from his nostrils and flesh.

Then he was taken away and laid on a stone slab.

He lay there subdued, ready to be beheaded.

When the fourth was brought forth and he saw

The grey soil damply reddened by fresh blood,

He fell on his knees with his face to the ground

And cried aloud for mercy.

 He swore never to be a Christian anymore.

 The captors, stunned by the weakness, led him away to join the first two.

So the four Christian faithfuls were kept till the morrow.

While it was certain the third would be beheaded, 

The other three knew for sure they had saved their heads.

Early the next day, the jihadists assembled a

And brought forth the four Christian faithfuls before them.

Then they separated the third from the other three.

The leader of the jihadists said:

"My fellow men and I have thought and discussed

 About you, useless Christians, throughout the night.

We have decided to let this one go free. But 

You three who have renounced the Christian faith

Must be beheaded immediately. This is because if

You were Muslims, with a death threat

Or an enticement, you would also renounce Islam.

We will spare this one who if he becomes a muslim

He will never, whatsoever it is, renounce his faith.

We have no use for you three who will renounce

Their faith at the slightest threat. 

This has been our grievance with our brothers."

The jihadists went on to behead the three Christian men

And set free the one who refused to renounce his faith.