A costly choice and a brave faith in North Africa

It's easy to see there's something different about Batoul*.

For starters, she's not wearing a hijab, the Muslim headscarf that many women wear in this North African country.

There's also the fact that she talks about Jesus with an infectious joy.

Batoul is a young woman in her late 20s living somewhere in North Africa. Because of the restrictive environment in many of these Muslim-majority countries—the region includes Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt—we can't tell you exactly where she lives for her safety.

But Batoul's story shows God at work even in the most difficult environments. And it shows us how He's empowered and chosen those who are often regarded as weak or outcasts—and given them the right to be called daughters of God.

A violent childhood

Batoul grew up in a Muslim family. But unlike other families in this part of North Africa, her family didn't just follow a culturally conservative form of Islam. Her father was an extremist, interpreting the Quran in such a way that he brutally oppressed Batoul, her mother and her siblings.

"My father used violence when dealing with us. We were forced to repeat after him all the prayers that he would utter," she remembers. "He was very aggressive with us." Her sisters were forced to wear extremely restrictive coverings in compliance with Shariah law. Batoul was too young to wear such clothing, but she knew her time would come.

Batoul's father also abused her mother Amina*. "He wanted her to wear the hijab, and she refused," Batoul says. "Then he threatened her with taking another wife that would wear the hijab." The threat worked, and Batoul's mother began to wear the Islamic headdress.

Despite the intense fear at home, Batoul was able to find solace with her sisters and her mother. Their father was a monster, but at least they had each other. "My sisters and I had a solid relationship. We feared my dad a lot; the slightest displeasing act we'd do would result in screaming and beating," Batoul says. "We talked a lot, shared a lot, everything we wanted to do, we'd do it together."

And then, Jesus turned everything upside down.

Choosing Jesus … at what cost?

Batoul's remembers her father beginning to express doubts about the extremist form of Islam he was immersed in. There had been some terrorist attacks in the region affiliated with Islamic radicals, and Batoul's father started to question some of the beliefs.

Then, on a bus trip, someone told Batoul's father about Jesus.

By God's grace, he heard the voice of the Lord, opened his heart, and was reborn.

"After his conversion, my father changed a lot," Batoul shares. "He became kind and stopped forcing us to dress in a specific way. By then, however, my sisters were deeply attached to those ways of dressing and praying, so his change came as a big shock to them. But I was thrilled with this radical transformation."

Batoul became curious about the new faith her father had embraced. She watched him leave to attend Bible studies every week at different homes, and when it was her father's turn to host, she would listen intently to discussions about the good news and salvation.

"I enjoyed it so much—I would sit with them the entire time, listening to the hymns," she says. "I grew very close to my father, and even to some church members and their families, especially their daughters. I loved it all!"

One lesson particularly stuck with her. "In Islam, you need to pray and pay zakat (an obligatory charity), but even then, Heaven is not guaranteed," she says. "But in Christianity, if you believe, you receive salvation. This idea fascinated me and led me to explore Christianity further."

Batoul eagerly awaited the Bible studies, excited to learn more about Jesus. She grew to love Him and accept Him as her Savior. By age 11, she believed in Him, and at 16, she was baptized.

At first, she was thrilled about her new faith and assumed her conversion would mean little to her mother and sisters. "I thought it would be easy to be a Christian, but I was mistaken," she says.

"I used to think I could choose Christianity, just as one might choose any other religion. Islam teaches respect for all religions, so I believed it wouldn't be a problem whether I chose Islam or Christianity; they would accept it with open arms. But instead, I suffered a double burden. To my misfortune, I paid the price for both my father's conversion and my own. They didn't dare to persecute my father, so they turned on me."

Her mother thought it was just a teenage phase. But Batoul knew it was much more serious. She was convinced of her decision, and she then had to choose between her family and Jesus—between the comfort of her familiar life and the uncertainty of a new, mysterious path.

"I chose Jesus," she says, "not fully knowing what to expect, but I was convinced that life with Jesus is worth all the sacrifices."

Persecuted for her choice—and her father's

Although she remained with her husband, Amina couldn't confront him directly or express her anger over his decision to leave Islam. She was forced to accept it and live with the reality of his conversion. But everything Amina had wanted to say to her "infidel" husband was directed at her teenage daughter instead.

North African society strongly opposes the presence of women in places or gatherings with many men, as it contradicts their values and principles. Amina used this argument to keep Batoul away from church, employing every possible tactic to make her daughter's daily life miserable. And cultural realities made it difficult for the community to take the risky step of reaching out to an unmarried woman.

The cruelty didn't stop with her mother. "My sisters couldn't object in front of my father because he was also a Christian, but in his absence, they beat me and said, 'How much money did they give you to be an infidel? What price did they pay for your betrayal?'" Batoul remembers.

Even at meals—a deeply important time of family gathering in North African culture—Batoul was ostracized. "They would say, 'You are not allowed to sit and eat with us,' refusing to share a meal with me," she remembers. "In my culture, we eat from the same plate, so I felt like an animal eating alone. That was their intention. It was very hard for me to see my own mother—who should have been tender and close to me—instead persecuting me alongside my sisters. They separated themselves from me, and I lost both motherly affection and family warmth."

Unfortunately, her father was of no help to her. Perhaps because he felt a deep sense of guilt over his previous abuse of his family, he stayed out of the conflict.

During this difficult time, the young girl sought affection elsewhere to ease her loneliness and fill the gap left by her family's rejection. She met a Muslim man, and they began dating. She fell in love with him, hiding her Christian faith from him, and hoped he would convert and marry her.

The COVID-19 pandemic made things even worse. She was stuck at home with a family who seemed to completely despise her.

Batoul also realized she needed to tell her boyfriend about her faith in Jesus. She didn't know the result would be the darkest moment of her life.

"With the family persecuting me and the lockdown, I suffered the heartache of being away from the person I had every hope in, because he did not accept me as a Christian," she says. The memory is clearly still heart-wrenching, and Batoul cries as she recalls this period of her life. "He considered me an infidel, so he broke up with me.

"I had no family, I had nothing, and my faith was shaken because I didn't perceive that Christ was with me, I only saw that the people who were with me gave up on me. So in that time, I considered committing suicide and ending my life."

But God wasn't done with Batoul.

A light in the darkness

In the midst of these challenges and adversities, Batoul didn't realize that the Lord was working behind the scenes. "During this time, Christ was intervening in many situations in my life [in ways] that were unknown to me," she remembers.

After the COVID-19 lockdown ended, God placed Batoul's situation on the heart of an Open Doors partner in North Africa. Brother Youssef* reached out to her father—they were acquainted through a local church—and asked how Batoul was doing. When he heard how she was suffering and in desperate need of help, he connected with her.

"He discovered the suffering I was enduring and the immense pressure I was under," Batoul says. "But he strengthened me, reminding me to look up to Christ and remember how He was persecuted, crucified, beaten and endured great suffering. As His followers, we, too, will face such trials."

Brother Youssef also helped Batoul see that, through Jesus, she wasn't alone. "Brother Youssef gave me advice. He said that I should always refer to Christ [when I face a problem]," Batoul says. "And that if I needed a father, I should talk to Jesus in the first place, and to ask of Him everything that I used to ask of people. I should turn to Christ … for everything I needed to do in my life, and to identify in Christ all the people I require in my life."

Batoul also began to attend Brother Youssef's house church supported by Open Doors. They meet secretly, as it's mostly a congregation of converts from Islam, and such conversions are illegal where they live. The church has provided another lifeline to Batoul. "To me, church is the family I was seeking since I came to believe as a child," she says, "the gathering I was searching for when I was a lonely believer."

Many verses and hymns from the Bible comforted Batoul's heart and gave her strength. She came to understand that she was not alone—Jesus was with her, strengthening her with every step and through every pain. "I felt Christ changing me when I reached that period where I forgave every person that hurt me or did injustice in my life," she says.

'No going back'

Batoul hums a song she listens to every day:

"I finally took my decision
I will follow Christ no matter how hard my experience is, and how strong the wind is
I am staying with Christ.
Yes, I say to Jesus, yes, yes.
No going back and no regret.
We endure sufferings, and we conquer the sins in the name of the Christ."

Today, Batoul's relationships with her mother and sisters are better. They have realized her commitment to Christ is strong and lasting. "They wish that I would return to Islam, but they don't pressure me and they treat me well," she says. "I do not suffer from major pressure now from my family, with regards to my faith, but I see in their eyes and their behavior their desire for me to turn back to Islam."

Through the support of Open Doors partners, Batoul has also started a ministry for women like her——those who have accepted Jesus and are rejected and mistreated by their families and communities. She offers them prayers and guidance.

"I am preaching to the world outside, I get in contact with the girls," she says. "A lot of girls are afraid of their families and their societies. That's why they are afraid of believing!" Batoul befriends girls in situations similar to hers and uses her experience and knowledge of God as her Heavenly Father to show them the truth of Jesus.

Despite all she's been through, Batoul loves her mother and her sisters. She prays every day they will hear the voice of the Lord and accept the good news.

"Today, I don't feel lonely," Batoul says, "but sometimes I still feel the pain! Every time I feel this pain, I cry. But I also pray. It's through prayer that I can get through this. In all the sadness, I behold Christ in my life because when I remember that He's with me, I feel joyous."

Pray with Batoul

Batoul is still vulnerable, living in a hostile environment; yet she has embraced Christianity with all her heart, mind and strength. She needs your prayers and the encouragement of brothers and sisters in Christ. Please pray with our sister in North Africa:

• One of Batoul's sisters is showing interest in Jesus; she has been attending prayer meetings and discipleship sessions, seeking the truth. Pray that this sister opens her heart, listens to the voice of love and fully surrenders herself to the Lord.
• Batoul asks us to continue praying for the salvation of her family.
• After losing another job because of her faith, Batoul has decided to serve Jesus and his church full-time. Pray God will sustain her work and give her what she needs.
• Batoul asks that you pray for women in North Africa: "I pray that the Lord would strengthen them, that they would believe in Him, and that they would not be afraid but encouraged. I hope they become resilient like me, able to pray and read the Bible freely -and stand strong against the persecutions they may face."
• Batoul asks you to pray for her to find a godly husband she can share her life with and love.

*Names have been changed for security reasons.